More Than Words Volume 4

by Linda Lael Miller

  Laurie’s expression brightened. “Really?” She looked as if she wanted to say more, but apparently thought better of it. “Great. See you later. Love you.”

  “You, too.”

  He shook his head as she ran across the driveway and went inside. He’d always grasped the concept that a parent would—and should—do anything possible for a child. He just hadn’t expected his daughter to be so adept at turning that to her advantage.

  AN HOUR LATER TRENT had tracked down Jodie’s address and driven across the county to the town house subdivision where she was living. He told himself he was doing it because he might bear some responsibility for her running off without her purse. He was also going because he’d made a promise to Laurie and there was no point in postponing the inevitable. Deep inside, though, he knew neither of those was the real reason. On some level he felt the need to check on her, to make sure he hadn’t wounded her too deeply with his cutting remarks. She might deserve every harsh word, but he was too much of a gentleman to feel good about lashing out at her. In fact, he’d surprised himself with some of the words that had poured out of his mouth. They’d been way too revealing.

  The kiss hadn’t been such a smart move, either, but he’d been drawn to her in a way he hadn’t been able to control. The way her mouth had felt beneath his had stirred all sorts of memories, good ones this time. The kind best left dead and buried.

  When he reached the entrance to her development, he had to hold back a sigh of dismay. The developer of Fox Run Estates had leveled the land before building, leaving very few of the old oaks and maples. Each tiny front lawn had been freshly planted with something barely taller than a twig. He doubted the current residents would remain long enough to see those twigs grow into mature trees, assuming they weren’t destroyed by the first heavy snowfall.

  At least the construction of the town houses looked solid enough, he thought as he wove through the twisting layout of dead-end streets and cul-de-sacs until he found Laurel Lane and Jodie’s street number. He pulled into the driveway behind her car.

  He didn’t allow himself to wonder what the devil he was doing here in a driving rainstorm. He just bolted for the front steps and rang the bell, then rang it again since he doubted Jodie could hear it over the sound of the symphony she had playing on the stereo.

  Finally he heard the tap of her shoes as she crossed the entryway—tile from the sound of it—to the door. When the door swung open, she stared at him with surprise, and perhaps just a hint of wariness.

  “I came to apologize,” he said, hoping that would get him in out of the storm. “And to return this.” He held out her purse.

  She accepted the purse, then stepped aside and, without a word, gestured toward the living room.

  “Maybe I should go drip all over your kitchen floor instead,” he said, gazing at her pale beige carpet with concern.

  She finally looked directly at him, surveying him from head to toe. “You have a point. It’s this way. I’ll make a pot of coffee. You look as if you could use something warm.” She hesitated. “Or would you rather have something stronger?”

  “Coffee’s good.” He was going to need all his wits about him to negotiate his way through this minefield of his daughter’s making.

  Jodie paused en route to turn down the volume on the stereo, then went straight to a cupboard and took out coffee beans. Trent sat at the table and watched her brisk, competent movements, looking for even the faintest sign of nervousness, but unlike him she seemed perfectly at ease. For some reason, that annoyed him. He felt as if he’d been off kilter and on the defensive since the day he’d walked into that classroom and discovered that Jodie—his Jodie—was Laurie’s awesome guidance counselor and the object of her matchmaking scheme.

  When she turned around at last and set a cup of steaming, fragrant coffee in front of him, he decided to turn the tables. “My daughter has plans for us, you know,” he blurted.

  “I suspected as much,” she said.

  “And that doesn’t bother you?”

  Her lips quirked up. “Apparently not as much as it bothers you,” she told him. “She’s a teenager and she has all these romantic notions in her head. That doesn’t mean we have to go along with them, especially given our history.”

  “You can actually look at it that rationally?” he asked, incredulous.

  She regarded him with tolerant amusement. “Is there another choice?”

  Before Trent could reply, she held up her hand. “Look, I know you and I regard the past very differently. I hurt you back then, even though I thought I was doing the right thing. I was hurt, too, you know. Walking away was a huge sacrifice for me.” She met his gaze. “I loved you, Trent, but I did what seemed to make sense at the time. And since it was my decision, I suppose it makes it easier for me to see you again without quite so many conflicting emotions.”

  “There you go again, being all calm and rational.”

  “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”

  “It is. We were all about heat and passion, Jodie. At least that’s how I remember it. You sound as cool and analytical as if you were talking about the price of coffee beans then and now.”

  She flushed at the accusation. “Maybe I’ve just grown up,” she lashed back. “Maybe I don’t put my emotions out there anymore.”

  “Oh, you mean the way I do? I’m not supposed to be angry about how you threw everything away?”

  “Not after twenty years,” she retorted. Suddenly she paused and bright patches of color appeared in her cheeks. “Unless…Did you have feelings for me all this time, Trent?”

  “Absolutely not,” he said, knowing that he was lying. He had, and he’d hated himself for it every single day that those feelings had affected the life he was trying to build with Megan.

  Sometimes he’d go for weeks, even months, without thinking of Jodie, but then memories would flood over him and he’d pull away from the woman he’d married. It was little wonder Megan had mentioned ending their marriage on more than one occasion. Her illness had taken that option away from them. He would never have agreed to let her go through cancer treatment alone.

  Jodie gave him an odd look. “Tell me about your wife.”

  “No,” he said fiercely. He’d betrayed Megan enough, if only in his thoughts. He wouldn’t diminish what they’d had for Jodie’s benefit.

  “You must miss her,” she prodded.

  The comment, common enough from friends for months after Megan’s death, caught him by surprise now. Or maybe it was his reaction that caught him off guard. For the first time, he acknowledged that he did miss Megan. Saying so wouldn’t be just words, the expected reaction of a grieving husband. For so long, through so many heated exchanges, he’d convinced himself that their marriage had no future.

  Then she’d fallen ill, and during those long, devastating months, he’d come to see his wife in a whole new way. Time—and the grace with which Megan had handled her illness—had faded all the bad memories of their endless disagreements and left him at last with mostly good ones, plus a ton of admiration for her bravery.

  “Yes, I do miss her,” he said. He met Jodie’s compassionate gaze head-on. “You lost your husband even more recently. How are you coping?”

  “After Adam died, it was hard at first. That’s why I changed jobs after it happened and moved here a couple years ago. I needed to start fresh. The change has been good for me.”

  “I didn’t have that option,” he said. “Because of Laurie. She needed the stability of her home, of her friends, and being close to her grandfather.”

  “So, you understand something about making sacrifices for someone you love,” she said.

  Trent knew the point she was trying to make, but he didn’t want to acknowledge it, so he looked straight into her eyes. “What are we going to do about prom? Laurie wants me to escort you and I promised I would. It’s important to her that you have a date and enjoy yourself.”

  Jodie flushed, clearly embarrassed. “It
’s not necessary. I always go alone, and believe it or not, I do enjoy myself.”

  For some reason, her rejection of the idea made him more determined to accompany her to the dance, and it was no longer all about pleasing Laurie. He was supposedly masterful at charm and persuasion, and he could tell from the stubborn jut of Jodie’s chin that he was going to need all of that skill right now. “But you wouldn’t want to deprive me of the chance to see how our project turns out, would you? I can hardly go without a date.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “You actually care about going to a high school prom?”

  He started to insist that he did, but doubted he could sound convincing. “Okay, it’s mostly about making Laurie happy. Would it be so awful if we went together?”

  “Not awful, just awkward,” she said. “I’m sure Laurie will understand that it was a bad idea.” She stood up. “Thanks for stopping by and bringing my purse, Trent, but perhaps you should go now.”

  He snagged her hand. “Hold on, Jodie. Nothing’s settled.”

  “Trent, this is crazy. You’re still angry with me. You’re only asking me because your daughter wants you to. Why put ourselves through an entire night of misery?”

  With each rejection, Trent grew more determined. He scrambled for a more persuasive argument.

  “I know you heard every word I said to those boys the other day. All that matters when it comes to prom is that a man do whatever he can to make sure his woman is happy.”

  She immediately bristled. “I am not your woman.”

  His lips twitched. “Who said I was referring to you? Laurie’s the only woman in my life these days.”

  Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Trent took pity on her.

  “And it is at least a little bit about you,” he admitted. “Prom matters to you, Jodie. I’ve seen it in your eyes when you talk about that night and how important it is that these kids get to participate. You look, I don’t know, almost wistful. Something tells me that expression isn’t just about making the night special for the kids, either. Maybe if we can find some way to trust each other again, you’ll open up and tell me why that is.”

  He saw instantly that his insight had startled her, and that she immediately wanted to shut down his curiosity. Before she could utter the refusal that was clearly on the tip of her tongue, he added, “Let me start this whole discussion over again. Forget everything I said. Forget that this was my daughter’s idea. Would you please do me the honor of letting me escort you to the prom, Jodie?”

  Several emotions seemed to be warring inside her. He could see the battle in her eyes. Finally coming to a decision, she tilted her head, her expression thoughtful as she met his gaze.

  “Will you bring me a corsage?”

  The unexpected request made him laugh. “If that’s what it takes to get you to say yes, then you can have any kind of flowers you want.”

  A smile spread slowly across her face. “I’ll think it over and get back to you about the flowers.”

  “Don’t take too long. I understand the florists are going to be especially busy this year.”

  She looked away, then lifted her coffee cup and took a slow, deliberate sip. When she looked back, her face was composed, betraying none of her earlier emotions. “Trent, do you realize that you never once asked me to dance when we were in college? I always assumed you had two left feet. Or that you thought I might.”

  “Neither one. As I recall, we had too many other things to do,” he responded. “That just makes this night long overdue.”

  And maybe forgiveness was long overdue as well.

  JODIE COULDN’T SEEM TO keep her hands from shaking every time she thought about going on a date—to the prom of all things—with Trent. How many years had she dreamed of the prom night she’d missed during her own senior year in high school and envisioned it turning out differently? How many times had she seen herself on the dance floor, in the arms of the handsomest boy in the senior class? She didn’t like thinking about the accident that had robbed her of her special night and so much more.

  As a guidance counselor at Rockingham, she’d been nudged into taking on the prom as one of her extracurricular duties and had had to face those regrets all over again. She’d done it stoically, standing on the sidelines at last year’s dance, keeping watch over the punch bowl to be sure no one got the bright idea to spike it. She’d envied the other chaperones who danced in the arms of their husbands or wives.

  She wasn’t bitter, she told herself at least a hundred times during the planning sessions for the big night. She was happy to be part of an event that these young people were bound to remember fondly for the rest of their lives.

  Now, with Trent’s invitation still echoing in her mind, she knew just how badly she’d lied to herself. Only now, as excitement stirred inside her, along with a healthy dose of nerves, did she truly understand the magic of prom night.

  “If you don’t set that cup down, all the coffee is going to splash out of it,” Carmen Nogales commented as she entered the staff room and regarded her friend with amusement. “What’s going on with you, Jodie? You’ve been jittery for the past couple of weeks. Everyone’s commented on it.”

  Jodie winced. She’d had no idea her nervousness was that obvious. “Just thinking about prom,” she said, making the answer evasive enough that the teacher might assume it had to do with the event itself.

  “Really? I know for a fact that you could run that dance with both hands tied behind your back and have it turn out perfectly, so what’s different about this year? Does it have something to do with this project that you and Laurie Winston are working on? Fill me in on that. I know the basics, but none of the details.”

  Unwilling to admit to her own personal insecurities, she told Carmen how the committee was making the event accessible to students who normally couldn’t afford to go.

  Carmen nodded. “It’s all I’ve been hearing about lately. Marvin is in my first-period history class. He’s been grumbling about wearing a monkey suit for a couple of weeks now.” She grinned. “You know what, though? I think he’s really excited about it. And Devonia is absolutely glowing. Whenever he grumbles, she tells him he’s going to be the handsomest boy at the prom. I swear he sits up straighter when she says it. This idea of yours and Laurie’s is really making a difference for these kids. For once I don’t have the feeling that there’s a big group of students who feel left out. I think it’s going to be a huge boost to their self-image, too.”

  “That’s the goal,” Jodie said.

  Carmen gave her a more intense survey, then shook her head. “That’s not it, though. You’re agitated about something else. Tell me.” Her expression turned knowing. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that Laurie’s dad is escorting you to the dance, would it?”

  Jodie stared at her in dismay. “You know about that?”

  “Sweetie, the whole school knows about it. Laurie is practically bursting at the seams with excitement. She might be proud of opening the prom up to more kids, but getting you and her dad together seems to be her crowning achievement.”

  “Oh, no. I was afraid of that,” Jodie moaned. “He just asked to be polite.”

  “Really? Then why are you so flustered?”

  “Do you know Trent?”

  “I’ve seen him. He’s gorgeous, single and rich. A pretty incredible combination, if you ask me.”

  “Exactly, and I haven’t been on a date in years, not since I met my husband eighteen years ago.” She wasn’t about to bring up her past history with Trent and how that was contributing to her bad case of nerves. “The man looks as if he was born to wear a tux and I look exactly like the wallflower I am, who’s worn the exact same dress to every school dance since I started as a counselor years ago.”

  “You’re worried about a dress?” Carmen asked incredulously.

  “And my hair and my makeup and shoes,” Jodie told her, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the transformation she needed to keep up with a man like
Trent. “I know it sounds ridiculous. I counsel these girls all the time that all that matters is what’s on the inside of a person, but suddenly I get why the right clothes are so important.”

  “Well, stop your worrying right now,” Carmen said decisively. “The students have you and Laurie as their fairy godmothers, but trust me, neither of you can hold a candle to me. Be ready tomorrow by nine-thirty. I’m picking you up and we’re going shopping.”

  “I can’t do it tomorrow. We’re having the shopping day for all the kids.”

  “Already? It’s only the middle of April and prom’s not for a few more weeks.”

  “We need to allow enough time for clothes to be altered,” Jodie explained. “And if we have anyone who’s hard to fit, we need to find out now so we can scramble for a new dress or tux.”

  “So, forget tomorrow. We’ll go Sunday.” Carmen clearly wasn’t going to back down. “We can go at noon.”

  “I can do that.” Despite herself, Jodie felt a stirring of very feminine excitement. It was years since she’d gone shopping for something special. Still, she cautioned, “Just remember that my budget doesn’t allow me to splurge on a dress I’ll wear only once. It needs to be practical.”

  Carmen rolled her eyes. “Fairy godmothers don’t do practical. Don’t you know anything?”

  “The state of my bank balance,” Jodie commented.

  “Give me a figure and we’ll work with it,” Carmen promised. “Bargain-hunting is my favorite hobby. Trust me, Cinderella won’t have anything on you.”

  “Just as long as I don’t have to add scrubbing floors to my duties once the clock strikes midnight.”

  CHAPTER

  SIX

  Trent drove Laurie over to her grandfather’s practically at dawn on Saturday. Her excitement was palpable, but he detected a hint of worry under the enthusiasm.

  “What’s wrong, kiddo? Something bothering you?”

  “Mike’s still not into this,” she admitted. “I’m not even sure if he’ll show up today. He said he had to work, but I think he deliberately asked for extra hours just to avoid coming over to Granddad’s.”