by Ava Miles
But he’d done his part as a dad, and that thought sent him to sleep with a smile.
* * *
Grace awoke groggy sometime later. All she wanted to do was surrender to her exhaustion and sleep some more, but then she remembered how Jordan had insisted on staying and helping with Ella. She made herself sit up and scrubbed her face. Ella hadn’t eaten since around three unless Jordan had fed her. She would be hungry soon, except there was no noise from the monitor.
She donned a robe before padding down the hall. When Grace reached the doorway, she stilled at the sight before her. Laying on his stomach on the girly white daybed, Jordan was snoring softly. His muscular arm hung off the mattress. Since he wasn’t prone to snoring, she knew he was beat.
Grace walked quietly over to the crib. Their little angel was asleep with a smile on her face. Figured.
Jordan’s soft groan had her jumping. She pivoted like a ballerina as he flipped onto his back, resting a hand on his chest. That daybed couldn’t be comfortable given his height. His hair was matted down in tufts, but he was still gorgeous. No one could pull off the grunge factor quite like Jordan.
What in the world was she going to do with him? This side of him was one she’d never imagined. Her brain was too fried to think about it. She crept across the nursery and let herself out.
Grace was sipping her second cup in front of the morning news when she heard Jordan come down the stairs. His face was haggard and slightly off his usual tanned hue. He put a hand to his back and stretched as he came forward.
Grace took mercy. “Why don’t you pour yourself a cup of coffee?”
“Thanks. I’m going to need a jolt to get going before I head to the stadium.”
After pouring his coffee, he joined Grace at the farm table and sat across from her. “No one makes better coffee than you.”
She pulled a muffin out of the basket and passed it to him on a white napkin. He smiled before he took a bite. His eyes closed.
“Pumpkin spice muffins!” he said with reverence. “I’ve missed you.”
She couldn’t help smiling. “Thanks for last night.”
He stopped chewing for a moment, surprise flickering over his face like the morning sunlight streaming through the windows.
“You’re welcome.” His tone was hesitant, almost unsure.
Grace felt the need to give him a little more credit. “I really appreciate everything you’ve been doing.”
He choked, which turned into full-blown coughing. “I’m fine. You did all the hard stuff—carrying her, having her, feeding her. I’m just the clean-up guy.”
Running a hand over her brow, Grace watched him closely. How many times had they shared a morning cup of coffee before heading off to work? Here they were again, and all because they had a daughter upstairs. “You’re more than that. I’m grateful for it.”
He cleared his throat again. “Even though I don’t have the boobs?”
She fought a smile, knowing he was hoping to lessen his embarrassment. “Trust me, they’re not all they’re cracked up to be.”
His eyes flicked down, and her breath stilled.
“They seem pretty perfect from where I’m sitting.”
And didn’t that turn the tables? When Farley Cooper had started making fun of her little angels, as he called them, saying she stood out in a party of breasty beauties, she’d lost confidence in her body. Were they only perfect to Jordan now because they were bigger? She couldn’t bear to ask, so she picked up her coffee cup and took a sip.
“Sorry, just making an observation.” He frowned. “So, are you okay sharing the Nightly Terrors of Our Young Babe if she keeps up this schedule? Man, that sounds like an Edgar Allen Poe story.”
The sexual tension between them shimmered like the tide before going back out to sea.
Grace forced herself to relax. “Yes, I’m okay with that.”
He drank the last of his coffee and stood. “We both work and have a baby. It’s going to be challenging sometimes. Everyone says to take things one day at a time with an infant.”
She wondered if he’d read that somewhere and found she couldn’t hold back the smile.
Jordan flashed her a wicked wink. “But she’s pretty freaking special, so I’m willing to undergo serious torture to have her around.”
“And this from a man who makes his living being tortured by big fat men in colored tights.”
He chuckled softly. “Don’t let the defense guys hear you call them that.”
Jordan headed to the door, and she found herself wishing he could stay longer. Which just wasn’t a good idea.
“I have to take issue with the colored tights comment,” he said at the door, rubbing the stubble on his face. “I wear them too, after all.”
And he looked incredibly good in them, Grace couldn’t help but recall.
“Kiss our girl for me when she wakes up. I’ll pop back over to say goodbye before I head to the stadium.” He flashed another smile before walking out.
Our girl?
Yeah, that’s exactly what Ella was, and right now, Grace wouldn’t want it any other way.
Chapter 16
The experience of sharing night duty with Grace for the next week deepened the bond between Jordan and Grace as parents. Their friendship started to reemerge, anything from her teasing him about snoring on the daybed to him teasing her about her spiky pixie hair, which he finally admitted looked good on her.
He was exhausted, but he was happy. His friends had tolerated his brief texts over the busy weeks following Ella’s birth, but perhaps it was time to give one of them a holler. Blake Cunningham could let the other guys know how he was doing. He called him from the car on the way home from practice.
“Hey!” Blake answered right away. “I’ve been hoping to hear from you. How are things with that beautiful daughter of yours? She’s growing like a weed.”
He wouldn’t trust too many people in the world with pictures of his daughter—not when the media had put out a bounty for the first picture of her—but his Once Upon a Dare friends were like brothers.
“Don’t call my daughter a weed. She’s way too cute for that.”
“You know what I mean,” Blake said. “What do you want to talk about first? Being undefeated or Ella?”
“While it feels great being undefeated, it’s only October. Plus, nothing can compare to fatherhood. Blake, it’s…better than I could have ever imagined.”
“How are things between you and Grace?”
“Better,” he answered, rapping the steering wheel a little. “Ella had a turn in her sleeping habits. Nothing like shared worry and strife to unite people. It tore my guts out to hear her cry like that, but it’s changed things between Grace and me. I know Grace is feeling it too. It’s a struggle, but I’m trying to be patient.”
In spite of their mutual fatigue, he’d caught her watching him with guarded appreciation in her eyes the other morning. He hadn’t been wearing anything special—just a shirt and shorts—but Grace had always liked that look most of all. And he’d let his stubble grow because he knew it drove her wild. He knew attraction wouldn’t be enough to encourage her to give their relationship another try, but it couldn’t hurt matters.
“Patience is good,” Blake said. “I’m not sure I’ve heard you use that word often, but it’s promising.”
No, his natural impulse was to rush in and make things happen. “I want Grace back, but I’m afraid that if I don’t show her I’ve changed—that she and Ella are as important as football—it will hurt my relationship with both of them in the long run.”
“You mean Grace might stop being your neighbor,” Blake said and sighed deeply. “You’re wise to keep that in mind, Jordan. Grace will pull back if she feels pushed. It took guts to move into that house, if you ask me.”
Yeah, he knew that. And while she’d had a constant look of nostalgia on her face for the first few days, she’d never said anything about the yellow house’s twin. “It’s like wal
king a tightrope sometimes between the past and now, but I know she’ll give me a sign if and when she’s ready.” He hoped it was more a question of when than if.
“Maybe let her give you a couple of signs before you act,” Blake told him. “That way you’ll know you’re not just seeing what you want to see.”
“Have I done that?” he asked with a snort.
“Frequently. I believe Coach Garretty repeatedly said that in camp about you and football. I won’t comment on your personal life.”
There was undoubtedly some truth in that, but Jordan knew that his imagination and ability to visualize a situation from all sides helped him on the field. “I’ll take your advice. Look, I’m almost home. I need to send the nanny off.”
“Nanny,” Blake said wryly. “Who would have imagined you would be the first one to use those words.”
“Not me, that’s for sure, but it’s working for me. Being a daddy is the best thing ever. Maybe even better than winning a Super Bowl, although it’s kind of neck-and-neck for me.”
“Hearing you say that gives me hope, Dean,” Blake said. “The guys and I were pretty worried about you when you told us Grace was pregnant. But from where I’m sitting, you couldn’t have handled it better. Say hi to Grace for us, and plan on a big get-together when the season finishes.”
During the season, no one had the luxury of a Once Upon a Dare weekend, let alone a quick visit—not even to celebrate a new baby.
“Maybe you and Natalie can come to one of my games and see my daughter,” Jordan said. “I’d love at least one of you guys to meet her before she starts walking.”
“I’d like that. Now, go kiss your kid and have a night of it,” Blake said.
“Tell Natalie hi for me,” he said, pulling into the garage. “Talk to you soon.”
“Later, Dean.”
When Jordan exited the car, he headed straight for the gate separating the two houses. Every time he opened it, he felt lighter inside, knowing what awaited him. Just the thought of seeing Ella made him grin, and now that things were easier between him and Grace, he was excited to see her too. His two women.
They were everything.
* * *
Grace reveled in the one dinner shift she worked since becoming a mommy. The lunch shift was okay, but the dinner shift was where the action was, and every good chef knew it.
“You were on top of your game tonight,” Tony said as she washed down the stainless steel prep area. “You must be getting a little more sleep than last week. I didn’t see you drinking as many espressos.”
“Or closing your eyes while beating the ricotta for the fish sauce,” Victor said from across the way, grill brush in hand.
Had she closed her eyes while making the sauce? This sleep deprived, she pretty much didn’t remember anything, which was why she’d had to post the menu by her station. Usually she knew it by heart, but she wasn’t taking any chances. The last thing she wanted was to ruin a dish by leaving an ingredient or two out.
“Thanks for trusting me when I’m this tired,” she said to Tony.
He nudged her gently. “We were keeping an eye on you.”
“I know,” she said, grinning at him. “I haven’t stayed for an after-shift drink since before Ella was born. I could probably have half a glass of red wine.”
Her restaurant family had been supporting her for so many months now. It was time for some normalcy to return to their relationship. Jordan wouldn’t mind if she stayed an extra hour. She only had to text him. Besides, it wasn’t too late yet. She would likely be home before one.
“Beer is better for nursing mothers,” Tony said. Grace caught the shocked look on Victor’s face before he went back to scrubbing the grill.
“How do you know that?” she asked.
“I know things,” he said with his usual mystique. “Come join me at the bar after you finish up. I’ll pour you a special sour beer I think you might like.”
Grace would have rolled her eyes if he weren’t so sweet.
“Tony looking out for your milk?” Ricardo said, holding his head. “That man truly was a dairy farmer in another life.”
“Ah,” Victor cried out. “Now I know why he can always tell which whole milk is better. He’s an expert.”
Her cheeks flared. “Cut it out, guys. Don’t make me get out the meat cleaver.”
Carlo put his hands to his chest as if he had boobs. “Don’t hurt these babies.”
She glared at them, but part of her was delighted that her co-workers’ days of treating her with kid gloves were over. The kind of talk dished out in the back of the house could be brutal, and while she’d appreciated their overprotectiveness, she’d missed their teasing.
“Carlo, you wish you had these babies.” She cupped her own breasts before stripping off her apron and following Tony out to the bar. The guys were still hooting behind her, making her smile.
There was only one table left. The black book was splayed open, as if the diners had already paid but were lingering. One of the two men saw her and immediately stood. Grace didn’t know what he was doing, so she continued toward the bar. He intercepted her, an exuberant smile on his handsome face.
“Are you the chef who made my dinner?” he asked, unbuttoning his navy suit jacket. “Because I have to tell you, it’s one of the best sea bass dishes I’ve ever had in my life.”
Her guard lowered. “I’m one of the chefs here, yes. I’m happy you enjoyed it. I love everything on the menu, but I have to confess the sea bass with the ricotta sauce is one of my favorites.”
He leaned in conspiratorially. “I love hearing about a chef’s favorite dish. Did you create it?”
“I did.” She finally took his measure. He was tall, well built, and had a nice head of brown hair. She caught him taking her measure as well, and for a moment it felt weird. No one had really checked her out in a long time, and here she was standing in her plain white chef’s outfit, smelling of a dozen different dishes.
“Then you’re as talented as you are beautiful,” he said, gazing at her. “I’m Aaron, by the way.”
“Grace,” she said, holding out her hand and shaking his.
He continued to hold it with gentle pressure, and she saw Alfonso step out from behind the bar. It had been a while since a man had made a move on her in the restaurant, but it had happened.
“I know this a little crazy,” Aaron said, “but my friend and I clearly need to leave since you guys are closing down. Would you consider going out to dinner with me sometime?”
Grace blinked. “Well…ah.” Somehow being asked outright threw her off balance. “I don’t know.” And she didn’t. He was handsome and seemed nice, but no one really did it for her but Jordan. Apparently that was still the case since she didn’t feel so much as a ping for this handsome guy.
“I promise I’m the kind of guy who would bring you flowers without expecting anything at the end of the night if that’s what worries you,” he said, squeezing her hand again.
She laughed. “Goodness, you’re direct.”
His grin deepened. “Maybe we can text a little, and if you don’t find me completely repulsive, I can pick you up and take you out to dinner on your next night off?”
“Repulsive, huh?” she said, chuckling softly. “You don’t seem very repulsive.”
“I’m glad we agree on that,” he said. “I try really hard not to be. I even shower.”
Her lips twitched. He was funny. She had to give him that. Maybe she should give it a try. It might quell her on-again, off-again feelings for Jordan. “And you managed to scrounge up a jacket tonight in keeping with our dress policy for men.”
“I can read too,” he said in a hushed voice, like they were sharing a secret.
Okay, that did it. “All right,” she said. “The reading and the showering convinced me.”
“You’ll go out with me?” he asked, and he sounded like he’d won the lottery.
He must really like her. It was a little heavy-handed,
sure, but it was flattering. “Yes.”
“Awesome,” he said and dropped her hand so he could pull his cell phone out of his pocket. “Great! What’s your number?”
She repeated the numbers and watched him dial in her name as well.
“I live close to you, so I can just pop over and pick you up.”
A chill skittered down her spine. “Wait! How do you know where I live?”
But even as she said it, she knew. She started backing away. His smile died, and he reached for her hand again.
“You must have said it,” he told her, but his eyes betrayed him.
She shook her head as Alfonso headed in their direction. “You’d better go. Alfonso and the rest of the staff don’t take kindly to people messing with me.”
He looked around and held up his hands. “Look, do I know you’re Jordan Dean’s baby mama? Sure. Am I a huge Rebel fan? Yeah. But I like you, and you’re prettier in person. What’s wrong with hoping I might meet him if things…clicked between us?”
Her ears started buzzing, and the whole room seemed to fill with water. Aaron was trying to talk to her, but she could no longer hear him. She turned around and walked smack dab into Tony. Then she fled to the kitchen.
The minute the doors swung shut behind her, she started shaking.
“Grace!” someone shouted, and soon Victor, Carlo, and Ricardo swooped in around her like a bunch of protective hens.
“Give her some space,” Tony shouted, making her jump.
She wrapped her hands around her body. “He knew.” How could she have been so stupid? “He knew who I was.”
“He’s gone,” Tony said, “and he won’t be allowed back inside the restaurant.”
That wasn’t the point. “I thought this was all behind me. I’m not even safe here.”
Tony put his hands on his hips and stared her down. “Yes, you are, Grace. This is why you shouldn’t talk to the patrons.”
“So I’m never supposed to talk to anyone?” she asked, feeling her heart beating out of control in her chest. “What kind of a life is that? I don’t want to hide in the kitchen just because of Jordan.” Suddenly she was so incensed by the injustice of it all that she wanted to throw something.