Proof of Life: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 4)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “No.” Alex didn’t even wait for Rebecca to say anything. “It’s a discussion that needs to be had when we won’t be interrupted by other things or people. Now is not the time.”

  “Whatever.” Jordan got to his feet and grabbed his phone from the counter before stomping out of the kitchen.

  Rebecca took a deep breath and let it out as Alex moved back to a pile of chopped vegetables. She watched him work in silence. His broad shoulders stretched out the T-shirt he wore, reminding her that he wasn’t a lanky nineteen-year-old anymore.

  Dragging her gaze from him, Rebecca sank down onto the stool her son had just vacated. She waited for Alex to say something, but he just continued to chop the vegetables. So many words tumbled around her head that wanted to be set free, but too many of them were words of accusation and would in no way lead to a productive discussion about their son.

  In the end, the opportunity passed without her saying a word because of the arrival of two people she hadn’t met yet.

  “Hey!” A slender woman with short blonde hair and striking blue eyes smiled at her as they came into the kitchen. “You must be Rebecca. You might not remember me since I was only fourteen or so when we last met.” She held out her hand. “I’m Melanie, and this is Tyler Harris.”

  The man with a headful of shaggy curls and a friendly smile stepped to Melanie’s side and slid his arm around her waist as he held out his other hand to Rebecca. “Nice to meet you. We had a lot of fun with Jordan yesterday.”

  Rebecca returned their greeting, shaking their hands, surprised that they were so welcoming considering her role in keeping Jordan from them. Had Alex given them all the details about everything that had happened back then? Had he acknowledged his part in what had transpired between them that had led to her keeping Jordan a secret?

  After dropping a kiss on Melanie’s cheek, Tyler left her side and approached Alex. “Can I help with anything?”

  Alex glanced over at him from where he was putting vegetables onto sheets of tinfoil. “Want to start the barbecue for me?”

  “Sure thing,” Tyler said, apparently not at all surprised by the request even though there was snow on the ground. He headed toward a set of garden doors on the far side of the kitchen next to what looked like a breakfast nook. He hit a switch on the wall, and lights flooded a large deck. Even though it was barely five o’clock, the sun was already in the process of yielding the sky to the moon.

  Melanie leaned a hip against the counter. “Jordan is a great kid. You’ve done a wonderful job raising him. It must have been difficult as a single mom.”

  Rebecca wondered if she could take the woman’s words at face value or if there was a hidden meaning behind them. A jab at her having to be a single mom because of her actions. Melanie’s expression seemed open and honest, so Rebecca decided to reply in kind. “It was difficult at times, particularly at the beginning. Having no one to spell me off when he was waking up every two or three hours at night was exhausting.”

  Melanie’s brow furrowed. “Weren’t you with your parents?”

  Rebecca found herself tracing similar patterns on the counter as Jordan had earlier. “They felt that since I’d allowed myself to get into that predicament, I was responsible for taking care of him.”

  She looked up to find Alex staring at her, his expression intense. As much as she wanted to blame him for her having to raise Jordan alone, the reality was that even if he’d been excited about the baby, she would likely have still been on her own because of the length of his tour overseas. And her parents would still have had much the same attitude since they no doubt would not have approved of her marriage to him.

  “It got easier as he got older, and I was able to find work I could do from home. He was a good kid, happy to play with his toys most the time. And when he was old enough for Lego, that, more than anything else, would occupy him so that I could get work done.”

  Melanie smiled. “Gotta love Lego.” Then she glanced around the kitchen. “Where is Jordan anyway?”

  Rebecca looked at Alex, but he’d turned his attention back to the food. Why wasn’t he saying anything? “We…uh…had a bit of a disagreement.”

  “Oh no,” Melanie said with a frown. “I’m sorry to hear that, but I suppose in some ways, this situation is ripe with the potential for a lot of disagreements.”

  “Melanie’s a shrink,” Alex murmured as he came to get something out of the drawer next to his sister.

  “A psychologist, Alex, or does that word have too many syllables for you?” She bumped him with her hip and grinned before she turned her gaze back to Rebecca. “I am more than happy to just play the role of aunt in all of this, but if you guys do need any professional input, I’m happy to help or refer you to someone else if that would be more comfortable.”

  Though Rebecca was grateful for the offer, she really didn’t think they’d need that much help to iron out the situation. Although once Jordan knew the full story, he might need someone unrelated to him to talk it out with. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

  “Barbecue’s ready for you, Alex,” Tyler said as he joined them once again.

  “I’m gonna run upstairs and change into something a bit more comfortable,” Melanie said. “Be right back.”

  Left with just the two men, Rebecca discovered that Alex did talk, just not to her apparently. He and Tyler chatted about work stuff until Alex headed outside with the food for the grill. Before Tyler could say anything to her, Melanie returned with Jordan in tow. Adrianne arrived shortly after and after a quick hello, she also excused herself.

  Rebecca was glad to see that Jordan was back to his normal friendly self. She had no doubts that they would be revisiting the reason for his earlier upset soon, but for now, she was going to just appreciate the reprieve for however long it lasted.

  “So Jordan mentioned that you’re a writer?” Melanie asked as she opened a drawer and began to pull out the cutlery.

  “Yes. I write cozy mysteries.”

  “That is so cool,” Melanie said with a big smile then she glanced over to where Alex stood at the cupboard, a large platter in his hands. “We should probably eat in the dining room, eh, Alex?”

  “Yeah, we’ll be more comfortable there.” He went to the fridge and pulled out a couple of containers. Rebecca was surprised at how at ease Alex was in the kitchen. She hadn’t remembered that about him, but they’d never had a home of their own so she’d never really had the opportunity to see that side of him.

  Melanie held out a handful of cutlery. “Wanna help me set the table?”

  Rebecca nodded as she took the cutlery from her. She waited until Melanie had pulled the plates from the cupboard then followed her through the kitchen and the breakfast nook to a large room along the back of the house. Her gaze skipped right over the large table to the full wall of windows facing what she assumed was the backyard. Because it was dusk, it was hard to make out much about the backyard, but she could see the hint of lights dotting the landscape.

  As her gaze roamed the rest of the room, Rebecca said, "This is beautiful."

  Along the wall opposite the windows, there was a large fireplace framed with stones and a wooden mantle. There was another entrance to the room on the other side of the fireplace which she assumed came from the large foyer area. The table itself was a dark wood with a floral display in the center. Ten chairs ringed the table though it looked like it was possible to seat more.

  "Yes, I really love this room," Melanie said as she pulled open the drawer of a buffet at the other end of the room. "Alex insisted on having lots of windows in here. I particularly like it in winter when it feels like we're part of the outside but have the warmth of the fireplace."

  Rebecca watched as she positioned placemats on the table. "Have you lived here long?"

  "About three years now." Melanie glanced over at her. "Have you had a tour of it yet?"

  "No." Rebecca followed behind the woman as she set the plates on the table.

&nb
sp; "Oh, goodie." Melanie gave her a grin. "I'll give you a tour after supper."

  Rebecca nodded, not sure how Alex would feel about her seeing all through his home. "It looks like a unique place."

  "Yeah, it is. Alex built it with a set of rooms for each of us. We each have two rooms in addition to a bathroom." Melanie plunked the last plate down. "I doubt we'll all live here forever, so Alex has planned to eventually use the rooms here to house BlackThorpe clients or VIPs who need something more long-term than a hotel."

  "Glasses, babe," Tyler said as he came in followed by Jordan.

  Melanie hurried to take the glasses from him and began to put them on the table.

  "This is one big table," Tyler said as he circled it. "Maybe we should have invited a few more people."

  Melanie laughed. "Yeah, maybe Ryan."

  Tyler scowled. "Should I be jealous that you want to invite my best friend for dinner?"

  Rebecca watched as Melanie slipped her hand into Tyler's and pressed her cheek against his arm, smiling up at him. It didn't take long for the scowl to slide off Tyler's face. Something told her that Tyler wasn't one for too much seriousness.

  "I guess he could come for Adrianne," Tyler said.

  "Nope," Adrianne announced as she walked up behind Tyler and Melanie. "I am not into robbing the cradle."

  "He's mature for his age," Tyler offered then promptly started laughing along with Adrianne and Melanie.

  As she stood there, arm resting on the back of a chair, Rebecca noticed that Jordan was paying as much attention as she was to the interaction between the three of them. Jordan was probably curious about the family he was only just now getting to know. For her, it left her wondering if she was getting a glimpse of the life that might have been.

  She couldn't let her thoughts go in that direction. The past was the past, and all it held was definitely over. Pulling her gaze from where Melanie and Tyler continued to offer Adrianne suggestions for dates, Rebecca saw Alex step into the room. She watched as he made his way to where Jordan stood and said something to him.

  Her heart clenched at the smile that grew on Jordan's face as he replied to Alex. Watching them together, Rebecca could see the similarities between them. They both stood, arms crossed over their chests, shoulders straight as they talked. Though she'd been trying not to acknowledge it as Jordan had shot up in height over the past few months, it was hard to deny the evidence when she saw it so clearly now. The little boy she'd raised on her own was now turning into a young man showing many of the characteristics he'd inherited from his father.

  Rebecca stood there, knowing that she had no part of this family. Her connection to each of them was through Jordan, and once things were settled between her and Alex, she would rarely, if ever, see them again. She had to remember that. No matter how friendly they were, no matter how welcoming they were, they were not her future. The Twin Cities was not her home. She had her career and a home in Chicago.

  "What's everyone want to drink?"

  Thankfully, Melanie's question moved the attention back to the meal. It wasn't long before the food was on the table, and they were all seated. Conversation flowed easily around the table with most the attention on Jordan. Though she wasn't thrilled with the turn of events that had brought them to this point, Rebecca was happy to see how relaxed and engaged her son was with Alex and his sisters. If they had to be around Jordan, she wanted them to be interested in him.

  "He likes basketball," Melanie exclaimed as she grasped Tyler's forearm. "You have to go to a game with Tyler. He's got season tickets—good ones—to the Timberwolves."

  "Really? That would be so cool!" Jordan’s face lit up. “Of course, I am more of a Chicago Bulls fan.”

  Tyler laughed. “I suppose I can forgive you for that.”

  “Isn’t there a game coming up against the Bulls soon?” asked Melanie.

  “I’ll have to check, but I think you’re right.” Tyler looked at Rebecca. “I’d love to take him to a game if that’s okay with you.”

  After seeing the excitement on her son’s face, there was no way Rebecca would refuse Tyler’s offer. “As long as it’s while we’re still here, I’m sure that will be fine.”

  Rebecca waited for someone to ask when they were planning to leave, but the conversation continued to focus on Jordan. He seemed more than willing to share about their life in Chicago—probably sharing more than she would have liked him to—but she understood their curiosity about him. She knew that soon she’d have to have a discussion with Jordan about returning to Chicago. It wasn’t something she looked forward to because she had no doubt that he would want to stay in the Twin Cities.

  When they had all finished eating, Rebecca helped to clear the table and clean up the kitchen, but once that was all done she excused herself, citing her need to work. It wasn’t a lie, she had neglected her books since being in the Twin Cities. Though the others protested—although Alex wasn’t among them—Rebecca stuck to her guns. After telling Jordan to come see her later, she stepped out into the cold night air, pulling the edges of her jacket tighter. She looked up into the sky, surprised to see how clear it was since it had been so cloudy earlier, but now the snow had stopped and the sky had cleared. The sparkle of stars was like diamonds thrown across black velvet. Living in the suburbs of Chicago, there was usually too much light to see the night sky in such a way. Unfortunately, clear skies such as these usually heralded plummeting temperatures.

  Tucking her hands under her arms, Rebecca hurried up the steps to the apartment. She stepped inside, grateful for its warmth. After she had taken off her jacket, she hung it on the hook beside the door and slipped off her boots. She made herself a cup of coffee then went to the desk in the bedroom and sat down in front of her laptop. Resolutely shutting out thoughts of what was happening in the large house next door, Rebecca focused on the work she needed to do to follow up on her new release.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  DO YOU PLAY basketball?”

  Alex shook his head, not surprised that the topic had made its way back around to a sport that Jordan obviously enjoyed. “That’s Tyler’s department. I think he plays each week. Isn’t that right, Tyler?”

  “Who do you play with?” Jordan asked.

  Tyler settled back into the couch with Melanie by his side. “I play with a group of guys from my church. Some of them are in wheelchairs. Some are like me with prosthetics. And the rest have no disabilities.”

  Jordan’s eyes widened as he stared at Tyler. “You have a fake leg?”

  “Actually, I have two of them.”

  Alex watched the expressions on his son’s face as he listened to Tyler’s story. Jordan was like a sponge, absorbing everything he was learning about them. He was glad for his son’s curiosity about his family and knew it was just a matter of time before he had to set up a meeting with Jordan and his grandparents. The only fly in the ointment was Rebecca’s apparent unwillingness to involve herself further in his life. Though he understood, Alex wished that she was more open to developing relationships with his family, but he supposed that he should just be grateful she wasn’t preventing Jordan from getting to know them.

  He had no idea what the next few days held, let alone the future. As long as he was allowed to have a role in Jordan’s life, he would be happy.

  The evening didn’t run too late since they all still had work the next day. Once Tyler had left, Melanie and Adrianne went to their rooms, leaving just him and Jordan in the kitchen.

  “I think it might be a good idea for you to sleep in the apartment with your mom tonight,” Alex said. When disappointment crossed Jordan’s face, Alex continued, “She’s been worried about you. I think she needs to have you close by.”

  “She’s fine,” Jordan said, an earnest expression on his face. “I’m with her all the time. I’ve hardly spent any time with you.”

  Alex laid a hand on Jordan’s shoulder. “I understand that, but this is a big adjustment for her too. I think she will be more open
to us spending time together in the future if we cut her some slack now.”

  Jordan’s brows drew together in a frown. “I know you guys haven’t told me what happened, but I think it’s her fault we’ve been apart all these years. So I think it’s only fair that I get to spend more time with you.”

  “You’ll understand more once we’ve had a chance to all talk together. But in the meantime, I need you to trust me. Spend tonight with your mom, and we’ll talk some more about it tomorrow.”

  Jordan’s shoulders were slumped as they climbed the stairs to the second floor. He remained silent as he gathered his things together and shoved them into his backpack. Alex walked him back down to the door and stood on the cold porch, watching as Jordan made his way up the stairs of the apartment and disappeared inside. Even though the cold bit through the fabric of his shirt, Alex stood staring at the apartment, watching as shadowed figures moved across the curtain-covered windows. Though Rebecca would likely say otherwise, he couldn’t stop thinking of them as his family. Fifteen years ago he had given up the right to call them that, but hopefully he had a second chance.

  At least with Jordan.

  ~*~*~

  Rebecca looked up in surprise when Jordan appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. She had anticipated that he would come much later to tell her good night because even though earlier he’d indicated he would be staying at the apartment with her, she was pretty sure he’d rather stay with Alex. Instead, he flopped on her bed his arms spread wide, gaze on the ceiling. Pushing away from the desk, Rebecca got up and went to sit next to him on the edge of the bed.

  She ran her fingers through his hair and looked down at him. “Everything okay?”

  Jordan let out a big sigh before turning his gaze toward her. “He said I should stay here tonight with you.”

  “He? You mean Alex?” Rebecca had noticed that Jordan didn’t call Alex by his name. She wondered if her son wanted to call him dad but wasn’t sure if that would be welcome.

  “Yeah. He thought I needed to spend time with you.”