Jordan's Shadow

by T. R. Cupak

  “Of course, I do. You know you’re amazing, right?”

  “You’re biased,” she counters with a meek smile.

  Kissing Jordan whenever I want is becoming one of my favorite things to do. I could kiss her for hours, because her kisses tell me how she feels. Her kisses tell me that she loves me without saying out loud.

  “You breathe, I breathe,” she whispers against my lips.

  “I love you, too.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jordan

  Hunter has flown between California and Texas twice in the last five days. He’s been running on fumes and looks exhausted every time he walks through the door. He refuses to let me go with him, and said that everything that is happening at the winery is all good, just daunting. It still stings a little that he doesn’t want me to accompany him. It’s almost like he’s ashamed of me, but Monte does a good job of convincing me otherwise.

  Once my father’s entire estate was transferred to me, I asked the lawyers to work on selling everything, because lord knows I don’t need the house of nightmares, or any of the other assets Merrick had. It was all just things, and none of it held any sentimental value to me. I also had to draft my own “Last Will and Testament” of sorts. If anything ever happened to me, then Hunter would get everything I own. In the event something happens to both Hunter and I, especially with this revenge scheme, then Monte will inherit everything. I don’t have anyone else to leave it to, and figured the only two men in my life deserve to have it all.

  After Merrick’s bank accounts were transferred into my name, I needed something to do with my time, so a couple of days ago, after a brief argument with Hunter of who gets to buy me a car, I went out and bought myself an Audi TT RS Coupe. I have been out driving all over the back roads of the California wine country just to get out of the house, keep my head clear, and get familiar with my new surroundings. I was about forty minutes from Hunter’s vineyard when I passed a “For Sale” sign. I hit my breaks and made a U-turn, heading back towards the sign. Pulling off to the side of the road, I put the car in park, and climbed out to grab the flyer. The property for sale has three hundred acres of matured California wine grapes. From what I can tell, there’s no tasting room or wine making facility, but there is a Victorian style home on the land, so I’m guessing this is one of those places that sells their grapes to other winemakers. If I recall correctly, Hunter explained to me that one or more of his properties is like that; although, he usually keeps those grapes for his actual winery to process.

  Since I didn’t see a “No Trespassing” sign, I slid back into my sporty little car and drove up the gravel road leading onto the property itself. There are grapevines further than the eye can see, and the different elevations on the land make this place even more appealing. Hunter would love it.

  The house comes into view and I see an older gentleman sitting out on the porch with a pitcher full of some sort of dark liquid sitting on the table beside him. Now I feel like an ass for trespassing, but I’m already here. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to say hello.

  Bringing my car to stop behind an old pick-up truck, I roll my window down to speak with the man on the porch.

  “Hello, sir. I was just out for a drive and noticed the “For Sale” sign at the end of your driveway. Do you have a moment to speak with me?” In my head, I’m cursing myself. He doesn’t know me from Adam, and here I am, on his property uninvited and without a real estate agent. This goes into my “stupid moments” book.

  “Why don’t you come on up to the porch, young lady,” the stranger says invitingly. “Margaret, bring another glass out, we have company,” he yells over his shoulder towards the screen door to the house.

  “Hello, sir, I’m Jordan,” I offer an introduction of myself as I make my way up the short steps.

  “What are you hollering about, Oscar?” An older woman comes out from the screen door, and her eyes light up when she sees me standing off to the side. “Well, hello dear. Are you lost?” The woman is pleasant with kind eyes. She makes my heart sing a little, and I don’t even know why.

  “I was tellin’ ya to bring another glass. We have a guest,” Oscar informs his wife.

  “Um. No, ma’am. I’m not lost. I wanted to inquire about the estate,” I respond to her question. “And I don’t need a glass. I just finished an ice tea right before coming across your little piece of heaven.”

  “Well, I’m Margaret, but my friends call me Maggie,” she says holding out her hand. I happily take it and introduce myself to her.

  “So, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you selling? This place is magnificent, and I’ve only seen your porch and a very small part of the land.”

  “California has been kind to us, but we’re headed back to Georgia. Our kids have been after us to return home, sayin’ the grandchildren and great grandchildren want to spend more time with us.”

  “Pfft,” Oscar huffs out. “They just want free babysittin’.”

  “Don’t listen to this old kook. He’s been itchin’ to return home too,” Maggie laughs at her husband’s comment, and then places a kiss atop of her husband’s head. “It’s been a great couple of decades, but the travelin’ is getting’ to be a bit much for everyone.”

  “How soon are you looking to sell? I mean, do you already have a place back in Georgia?” I feel like I’m intruding, but the smiles I get from this couple, makes me feel at home. Why couldn’t my parents have been normal? This couple seem like they would have been great parents.

  “Well, little lady, this is a lot of land to maintain. Are you up for the challenge?” Oscar questions me.

  “My boyfriend owns a few wineries and a couple of vineyards. Me stopping here wasn’t planned by any means, but I would love to surprise him with your beautiful property.” This conversation is smooth and effortless. If I was still hopped up on meds all the time, I would have been stumbling all over my words and sounding like an idiot. It’s amazing what I’ve come to realize about myself these past couple of weeks.

  Oscar looks past me and down to my car. He’s probably thinking that I’m young and dumb, and can’t afford the price tag on his place, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, so I wait to see what his next words will be.

  “Y’all from the city?” he finally asks.

  “I was a city girl, but not anymore. Hunter is from Texas, and I don’t think he grew up in the city. We’re, um, still getting to know each other.” If I could kick myself, I would. They didn’t need to know that Hunter and I are still getting to know each other. Now I really sound like a crazy person.

  “Oh, darlin’, why on earth would you buy all of this for a man you’re just gettin’ to know?” Maggie’s question is filled with genuine concern and while most would find it intrusive, it warms my heart that she feels the need to ask me this.

  “We’re different. We have known each other for years, but we recently became a couple. I guess, being as though he’s grown up on his family’s vineyard, I’ve always assumed he wasn’t city, if that makes sense.”

  “Why, yes, it does.” Maggie replies with a smile. “Come on in and let me show you the house.”

  “Are you sure, I really don’t want to be a bother. I could always come back.”

  “You’re the first person to come up the driveway that wasn’t a pompous ass. It would be my pleasure to show you around.” I’m in complete awe of how welcoming this couple has been. I can definitely get used to this “good neighbor” hospitality.

  “Lead the way, Maggie.”

  By the time Maggie was done showing me around her home, which wasn’t anything like I had expected. The outside of the house looks like an old Victorian, but the inside is as modern as modern can get. She said she loved the charm of the outside but had to have all the modern bells and whistles on the inside.

  After the home tour, Maggie insisted I take a ride with her out into the vineyard. We had to cut it short because Monte was texting and asking when I would be home. />
  It didn’t matter that I wasn’t able to tour any more of the land. I was already in love with the place; therefore, I made them an all cash offer for the full amount, to which they surprisingly declined. Before I could argue or offer the couple more money, they told me their realtor, like most, was a greedy bastard, and they didn’t want him to have the commission, so if I agreed to do the sale as a private party, they would knock eight hundred thousand dollars off of the list price. Maggie told me not to argue and begged me to accept their final offer. She said the second she laid eyes on me she had a strong feeling I would be the one that they would be selling to.

  Before leaving, I invited the sweet old couple to the house for dinner so they could meet my other half; my crazy man who for whatever strange reason, loves me, and manages to balance my crazy with his own.

  At first, Maggie and Oscar declined, but when I gave them both a big hug and repeatedly thanked them for being so kind and welcoming, they changed their mind, and followed me home. I’m pretty sure Maggie accepted the invite because she was intrigued by the man whom I was speaking so admirably about. Oscar on the other hand wants to be sure his vineyard isn’t going to some city chump who will destroy what they spent decades creating.

  Trying to remember that I have an elderly couple following me, I try to reign in the excitement that is coursing through my veins, and drive at a normal speed.

  I’m giving Hunter and me a chance at a real relationship; the one thing I never in my life thought I would have. This new vineyard is the beginning of something amazing. Wine is Hunter’s secondary passion, because he’s made it very clear that I’m his first passion; and this vineyard will be ours. It will be something we build on together. That thought alone makes my heart smile, or at least that’s what it feels like.

  All I know is that the paperwork for the sale will take some time to finalize, but we have our big Vegas plan to help pass the time by.

  Hunter is going to shit his pants.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hunter

  Jordan texted me and said she had a surprise for me, but I had to wait until I got home to find out what it is. Of course, I’m not one for surprises, so I immediately texted Monte to see if he knew what she was up to. His only reply was that she was gone a lot longer today than she had been since buying her car, and her only stops were a gas station and some random vineyard. He stated that when he texted Jordan to see when she would be home, she said soon, so he wasn’t really worried about her.

  Having the tracking app on her phone has given me peace of mind. I would be a distracted waste of space if I didn’t know where she was at all times. I get that my incessant need to be near Jordan in some way is unhealthy, but it’s who I am; she’s mine, and I will be damned if something ever happens to her. She did make a comment the other day about the app which progressed into our first disagreement since I had her detox without her consent, but other than that, we’ve been really good; hell, she’s been really good.

  Pulling my car into the garage at the house, I see Jordan’s car, parked crooked—again. Eventually my crazy girl will learn how to park that damn thing. I slide out of my Bentley Continental GT, grabbing my bag from the trunk, and make my way into the house. Jordan’s voice is the first one I hear, followed by a woman’s voice I don’t recognize. Leaving my bag by the hallway that leads towards our room, I walk into the kitchen to find Monte cooking dinner, while Jordan and elderly couple sit at the breakfast bar, all engaged in casual conversation.

  Jordan’s head turns just enough to where our eyes meet, and the mischievous smile that reaches her sapphire eyes, has my heart do flips within my chest while my dick is twitching in my slacks.

  “Well, speak of the devil,” she giggles while sliding off of the stool to greet me. She kisses the corner of my mouth before making introductions, “Hunter, I would like you to meet Oscar and Maggie.”

  “Nice to meet ya, son,” the gray-haired gentleman stands and reaches out to shake my hand.

  “Oscar,” I greet back while accepting his hand to shake. What has my Precious been up to today?

  “Oh darlin’, you weren’t lyin’ when you said he was handsome,” the woman says admiringly.

  “Yeah, he is devilishly handsome,” Jordan chimes in.

  “Well, come on over here and give ole Maggie a hug, young man,” the older woman stands and walks over to me with her arms out. I can’t help the smile I give Jordan when Maggie pinches my butt. “Nice firm bottom too,” Maggie laughs at herself.

  “Did everything go okay, Boss?” Monte finally found an opportunity to be included in the current conversation.

  “All is good. Let’s not talk business while we have company,” I hint in effort to stop the direction of the conversation. We could get everything that needs to be said, out there cryptically, but that is rude to exclude our guests.

  “Dinner will be ready in twenty,” Monte informs me.

  “Here, try this wine,” Jordan insists while holding out a glass of red wine.

  Grabbing the wine glass she was offering, I take a moment to go through all of the necessary steps. First, I hold the wine glass up and evaluate the color and clarity.

  “Good color.”

  Second, I swirl the wine in my glass to aerate it, and then I bring it up to my nose and take a deep breath. Earthiness hits my nose first, followed by refined scents of chocolate, raspberry, and maybe a hint of vanilla.

  “Smells good,” I say before proceeding to the final step of tasting. Halfway filling my mouth with the red liquid, I subtly swish the wine around, coating my tongue with the fruit forward, dry red.

  “Wow, this is elegance in a glass,” I compliment. “My first initial guess is that the blend is predominantly cabernet sauvignon with a bit of merlot. Are you folks winemakers? Does this wine come from your winery?” I ask the couple, sincerely interested in what they brought to dinner.

  “You have some good taste buds there, son. You nailed it with the varietals. The grapes are from yo-’

  Jordan goes into a coughing fit and Maggie grabs a glass of water from the center island, handing it to Jordan, and then quickly goes to her husband, whispering in his ear.

  “What’s going on here?” Why is this couple here, and what do they have to do with my sneaky little minx?

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” Jordan says.

  “Jordan, what is this?” I press for answers, hoping she will confess to whatever she has up her sleeve.

  “Ugh, fine. I was going to wait until after dinner to tell you, but I bought us a vineyard today,” she says the words as nonchalant as one can say something like that.

  “Wait, you what?” I’m confused. I clearly didn’t hear her correctly.

  “Oh son, you heard her loud and clear. Your pretty little lady here is buying our vineyard for you and her. She thought it would be a perfect start to the life she wants to build with you,” Maggie answers for Jordan.

  Jordan’s head is tilted down like she’s a child who is about to be in trouble. My heart restricts when that notion dawns on me and I feel like a complete ass.

  Wrapping my arms around Jordan’s shoulders I ask if what Maggie says is true. I need to hear the words directly from her.

  “Baby, you really bought us a vineyard, because you want to start a life with me?”

  She nods her head and then looks up at me. I know she’s trying to gage if I’m upset with her. How can I be? She may not have said I love you, but buying a fucking vineyard screams that she does.

  “It’s three hundred acres. There’s a beautiful house on the property that we can move into once the paperwork gets finalized and payment has been made.”

  “Now don’t you go worrying, Hunter. We didn’t take advantage of your girl here. She got a great deal,” Oscar breaks into the conversation after being shushed by his wife for nearly ruining Jordan’s surprise.

  “I would have never thought that, sir.”

  “What’s this ‘sir
’ business? You call me Oscar, ya hear?”

  “Got it, Oscar.” I know I’m smiling like a drugged-out freak, but Jordan is my drug of choice, so I guess that would be accurate.

  “Dinners ready,” Monte calls out before anyone else can start speaking.

  Everyone heads to the dining room for dinner. The wine flows, the conversation is light and fun, and Jordan looks at peace with everything that is going on around the table. Heck, Monte is even enjoying himself.

  This night has turned into one of the best nights I have ever had, and with Jordan’s confession of wanting a life together, gives me hope that we have many more nights like this one.

  Jordan

  “Are you really okay with what I did?” The question had been weighing on my mind, but I couldn’t ask while we had company. Nothing in Hunter’s demeanor showed he was upset, but I kept thinking about the car argument and well, this was much bigger than a silly car.

  “Precious, you told me you wanted a life with me. I’m more than okay with all of it. And that sweet couple, it’s a shame they’re moving back to Georgia. I could see you really like them,” Hunter says as he climbs into bed and scoots closer to me.

  “Yeah, I do. They are like the family I always wanted but never had.” I didn’t mean to put a damper on the evening, but Hunter always tells me to say whatever I’m thinking or how I feel, no matter what.

  “Well, you have me and Monte, and someday my goofy mother,” he offers with a smile.

  “Hunter, that’s no way to talk about your mom,” I scold him.

  “She is goofy. She doesn’t know how not to be. Mom loves making people smile and laugh. You’ll see one of these days. I promise.” He leans in to kiss me, but yawns before our lips had a chance to connect.