Jordan's Return

by Samantha Chase

  Rob winced at the thought that the boys had been away from Jordan enough for a pattern to form. He almost spoke the words out loud but decided it would be best to hold his tongue.

  When Jordan turned to grab her clothes, Rob let his eyes feast on her. Keeping his distance, he simply watched. He knew if he got any closer to her, he’d make a fool of himself and haul her into his arms, kissing her senseless and begging her to stay with him because he wanted so desperately to take care of her.

  It bothered him that he had to sit back and let Laura take over. Not that he had anything against Jordan’s sister; it was just that if she weren’t here, if her help weren’t an option, Jordan would have no choice but to accept his. Now he not only had to deal with Jordan’s objections, but probably Laura’s as well.

  When he had arrived back at the bungalow with the boys, he had felt in control. He kept himself busy trying to distract them. They’d stopped for ice cream on the way home and then watched some TV together. But once Laura had arrived and started asking questions, Rob found himself struggling for answers. There was so much about Jordan he didn’t know. Aspects of her life since the accident that she hadn’t shared with him but Laura had. He had greedily soaked up any tidbit of information he could get. The more he knew, the better his chances of convincing her to stay with him.

  As much as he resented Laura’s being there, he was grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Jordan’s life. If he could understand her, not only her health, perhaps he could unveil the truth behind her reluctance to be with him.

  The last twelve hours had been hell on him. Since he wasn’t related to her, he couldn’t get a doctor to talk to him. He’d let the nurse’s assumption in the emergency room go without comment at the time, but when he’d come back after getting the boys and Laura settled back at the bungalow, he’d foolishly told the truth about who he was and at that point everyone seemed to clam up and just offer him a seat in the waiting room. All night, he had paced out in that damn room hoping for some scrap of information on how Jordan was doing.

  At one point, he had even called Laura and asked her to call the hospital to get information for him. Unfortunately, he hadn’t bothered to look at a clock and it had been near two in the morning. She had been patient, even kind to him, as she reminded him that a doctor would be in to see Jordan in the morning. With every hour that passed, his anxiety had grown until finally the sun was up and there was activity around him once again. With no choice but to lie, he’d found the doctor who was heading into Jordan’s room and gotten an update on her. Once he knew she was going to be all right, Rob was able to relax.

  Her cool tone when she spoke snapped him out of his reverie. “I’ll be ready shortly,” she said as she walked to the private bathroom to get changed. Though she didn’t slam the door, the soft click still had the sound of finality, like she wasn’t just shutting the door so she could change but was shutting him out permanently.

  Rob nodded. “I’ll wait out in the hallway,” was all he said as he exited the room.

  Looking at her reflection in the dingy bathroom mirror, Jordan wished she had a way to fix her appearance. Other than the few toiletries that had somehow appeared in her room, she had nothing to make herself look less like someone who’d suffered a minor trauma and spent the night in the hospital.

  Finger-combing her hair, she stared at herself and wondered what Rob would see when he looked at her now. Would he still see her as someone he wanted, or would he take one look at her horrid appearance and thank God he’d dodged this bullet? She could agonize over that one for days and all she would manage to prove was she was nothing more than a coward hiding out in a hospital bathroom. It was an all-time low for her and she knew it.

  Jordan gave herself a pep talk about how immaterial her appearance was at this point. It shouldn’t matter to Rob, and if it did, she didn’t need him anyway. She squared her shoulders and left the safety of the bathroom.

  True to his word, Rob was standing against the wall in the hallway right outside her room when she emerged. There was a wheelchair waiting for her beside him, hospital regulations, and he escorted Jordan down to his truck. His silence was a blessing because she still had a twinge of a headache. It was a relief not to have to talk.

  Once in his truck, Jordan sat stiffly beside him.

  There was so much she wanted to say, that she had to say, and yet she could not get her mouth to cooperate. Having no idea where the hospital was in relation to the bungalow, she was unsure how long this ride would even last.

  Meanwhile, Rob kept sneaking glances at her and hoping she would talk to him. He didn’t care if they only talked about the weather, just as long as she’d talk to him. Her eyes were closed and her head lolled to the side. He knew she had to be exhausted and probably couldn’t wait to climb into her own bed and sleep. He really hated the distance between them. Just when he thought he’d lose his mind in the silence, she spoke.

  “How were the boys when you got them home?”

  “Better. We stopped for ice cream on the way and so it provided a bit of a distraction. Then we got back to the house and tuned in to a SpongeBob marathon.” He smiled in remembrance of the way the boys had just laughed at the pure silliness of the show. It hadn’t taken long for him to join in.

  Jordan found herself chuckling a little as if reading his thoughts. “They do love that show.” And there the conversation stopped. She wished she felt better, that she was up to having an actual conversation with him, but the headache and exhaustion were just a little more than she could bear at the moment. As if willing him to read her mind, Jordan hoped Rob didn’t take her silence for still being angry with him. She knew eventually they were going to clear the air and talk things through, but right now it was all she could do to survive the bumps in the road that kept jarring the vehicle. The remainder of the trip was spent in silence.

  Once they were back at the bungalow, they were greeted by three smiling faces. Jordan almost cried at the sight of them. She knew it was only a night, but it felt like an eternity since she’d seen her sons. Her sister stood back and let the boys greet Jordan first. When Jordan looked up at her, their smiles met. Laura came and wrapped her arms around her sister and Jordan sagged with relief at her presence.

  “Thank you so much for coming, Laura. I don’t know what the boys and I would do without you.” Her words were a mere whisper, a choked sob.

  Rob stood back and silently seethed. I would be here taking care of you, proving I love you and you should give us another chance.

  “Are you kidding me?” Laura chuckled. “Joseph runs a pretty tight ship around here. He’s got it all under control.” Joseph stood a little taller at the praise his aunt heaped on him.

  Rob followed them into the house and took note of just how alike Jordan and Laura looked. He didn’t remember seeing that in them all those years ago while he and Jordan dated. But now, standing there and watching them, unobserved, he noted their similarities—the dark hair and eyes—but Jordan’s features were a little softer and more delicate. Laura’s eyes were filled with wisdom and experience, where Jordan’s seemed constantly to be filled with wonder and longing. He could stare a lifetime into her eyes and it still wouldn’t be enough.

  Focusing his attention back to the present, he declined when Laura offered him something to drink. “I’m going to drop off this prescription at the pharmacy for you, Jordan,” he said, not meeting her eyes. Then he turned to Laura. “You can pick it up later or I can bring it back, whichever is easier for you.”

  There was his opening to come back later and check on her without being too obvious. God, he was a desperate man!

  “Laura can get it later,” Jordan said a little too quickly and then wanted to kick herself. Why in the world was she sabotaging everything? Maybe later on in the day she’d feel better and they’d have an opportunity to talk. Maybe she could get Laura to take the boys out
someplace for a little while so she and Rob could be alone. Maybe she could free herself from the paralyzing fear of making the wrong decisions. With a cold sense of dread creeping down her spine, she couldn’t find the words to take it all back.

  Both Laura and Rob turned to stare at her. Sensing the questions in both of their eyes, Jordan spoke, trying to redeem herself. “It’s just that you’ve done so much already, Rob. Besides, it will give my sister a chance to get out and see the town a bit. I’m sure Laura would like to do more than just sit around the bungalow watching me. She does that enough at home.” That sounded believable, didn’t it?

  “Fine,” Rob said tightly. He looked at Jordan with a clenched jaw and seemed about to say something when Laura, reading the tension between the two of them, stepped in and spoke up.

  “Just tell me where I need to go and I’m sure I’ll find it,” she said lightly. She smiled at Rob awkwardly and then shot her sister a look over her shoulder. “Jordan, why don’t you lie down? I’ll be in to check on you in a minute.”

  Wordlessly, Jordan chanced a quick look at Rob before turning to walk down the short hall to her room and shutting the door. Laura noted the longing in Rob’s expression as he watched Jordan walk away from them. Maybe she had been wrong to discourage her sister from getting involved with this man again. After all, could you really judge a person from what they did at the age of eighteen? If that were the case, she’d personally be excluded from many of the church groups she was involved in now!

  Turning to Rob, Laura got directions to the pharmacy and then turned and watched as he said his good-byes to the boys. It tore at her heart to see how much her nephews adored this man. It was obvious the feeling was mutual; they all seemed to cling to each other. Laura noticed the tears in Rob’s eyes as he said good-bye on his way out the door. What on earth had gone on here over the last couple of weeks, and what was wrong with her sister?

  “Will you come over tomorrow, Rob?” Jake asked. “We can go to the beach and build the sand castles like you told me about.”

  It took a moment for Rob to compose himself before he could answer. It would be so easy to give these kids what they wanted, what they needed. But he wouldn’t do it by going against Jordan’s wishes. Until they had the opportunity to sit and talk and he could finally tell Jordan he loved her, he had no choice but to play by her rules and not overstep his bounds.

  “Let’s see how your mom is feeling tomorrow before we go and make all kinds of plans, okay?” he said, his voice sounding overly optimistic.

  “Okay,” the boy responded weakly before turning and heading back to the living room.

  “Thanks again,” Laura said as he turned to leave. “For everything. It makes me crazy just thinking about what could have happened if you weren’t here to help the boys out. I mean, I know Joseph is a very responsible boy but…” She hesitated for a moment. “But this is more than he should have to deal with. So really, thank you.”

  Rob could only nod. All night and into the morning he’d thought the same thing. The thought of Joseph having to take on all that responsibility and dealing with EMTs and doctors and watching over his little brother was way more than a twelve-year-old should have to handle. The boy needed to be a kid again, and Rob hoped he’d be able to make that happen again soon.

  Laura saw the emotions written all over Rob’s face and she hated to let him leave like this. She had to do something. “Hey, wait!” Rob turned, hand on the front doorknob, and looked at Laura inquisitively.

  “The boys tell me you’ve got a restaurant here in town and I was thinking I’d bring them in tonight, you know…maybe give Jordan a little time alone, some peace and quiet, a chance to catch up on some sleep, that sort of thing. I’m already planning on taking them to a hotel with me for the night and maybe we’ll even catch a movie. I’m sure Jordan won’t mind the chance to be alone.”

  Laura hoped she wasn’t being obvious in her attempt to let Rob know that the coast would be clear for them tonight. If she was reading both of them correctly, this would be the perfect opportunity for them to be together, maybe work things out.

  “Why take them to a hotel? Are you sure Jordan should be alone? I mean, she just got out of the hospital. What if she passes out again and there’s no one here with her?”

  Okay, apparently it’s not so obvious.

  “That ear infection should be responding to the antibiotics she’s taking rather quickly. I think what she needs most is to relax and get a good night’s sleep.” Laura glanced over her shoulder in the direction of Jordan’s bedroom. “I really do appreciate everything you did last night to help Jordan and the boys, Rob.”

  Rob smiled sadly. “I’m just glad I was close by and could be here. The thought of Joe having to handle it all on his own…” The rest of what he was going to say was clogged in his throat.

  Laura’s heart went out to him and she shuddered at his words. Jordan had been lucky Rob had been nearby and able to help. They would all forever be in his debt. Hell, Laura knew she could stand here and thank him all day, but she knew she needed to tend to Jordan and figure out what in the world was going on. “So, I guess we’ll see you a little bit later.”

  “Yeah, sure. That would be great. Mondays are normally quiet, so I’m sure there will be more than a few tables open for you. If I see that it’s getting busy, I’ll put a reserved sign on a table for you.”

  “Thanks, Rob. I’m sure the boys will enjoy it. I hear there’s an arcade and everything.” Rob smiled sadly at her, barely meeting her gaze as he left the house. Laura pivoted in her spot and turned toward Jordan’s bedroom. “Okay, little sister, now let’s hear your story.”

  Chapter 11

  Jordan was lying stiffly on her bed and physically cringed when she heard Rob leave. She’d had the perfect opportunity to see him again when he offered to bring her prescription back for her, and she had foolishly spoken up and shot that to hell, too. What was the matter with her?

  The man had rescued her kids, made arrangements for their safety and well-being, picked her up from the hospital and brought her home, and he was dropping off her prescription for her! What more did she expect from him after breaking his heart? Shaking her head with disgust, Jordan realized she was being unreasonable. Curling up in the fetal position and squeezing her eyes shut, she cursed herself a thousand times over.

  “You are unbelievable, Jordan Manning!” Those were Laura’s first words as she walked into Jordan’s room, brown eyes ablaze with fury.

  Jordan was temporarily taken aback by her sister’s outburst. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about the fact that that sweet man is absolutely gaga over you and you fairly threw him out of here! What were you thinking?”

  Sitting up on the bed and braced for battle, Jordan responded. “First of all, aren’t you the one who advised me not to get involved with him?” Laura at least had the decency to look ashamed of her earlier comments. “And secondly, he isn’t gaga, for crying out loud. Where would you even get that idea, Laura?”

  “From the way he looks at you, for starters. Then there’s the way he looks at your sons, who, by the way, look at him the same way.” At Jordan’s wide-eyed expression, Laura ranted on. “And let’s not forget the way he came rushing over here to help you and the boys when Joseph called him or how he took care of them until I arrived.”

  Jordan sat up a little straighter in the bed and rolled her eyes at her sister’s dramatic tirade. “And when he’s not busy rescuing lonely women and protecting their children, he spends his spare time flying around in his red cape stopping all the evil in the world and getting stranded kittens out of trees!” Jordan said sarcastically. “Are you done or did you have more to say about ‘Super Rob’?”

  “No, Miss Smarty-Pants, as a matter of fact I’m not done. Did you know he spent the entire night at the hospital after he left here?” Laura asked.
/>   Jordan opened her mouth to speak but the shock of Laura’s words promptly shut her up.

  “I didn’t think so. He was so out of his mind with worry for you last night that I almost had him admitted to the darn hospital! When he got back there and they wouldn’t tell him anything about your condition, he called me on my cell phone to ask me to call the doctors and get an update for him.”

  She took a deep breath to calm herself a little because she was severely frustrated with her sister. “He stayed there, even though they wouldn’t let him stay with you and no one would even talk to him about you. Now, tell me what on earth is wrong with you that you would treat him the way that you just did!”

  The floodgates opened and Jordan burst into tears—heart-wrenching, body-shattering tears that caused her already-throbbing head to feel as if it were ready to burst. Could life get any worse?

  “I’m an idiot, that’s what’s wrong with me!” Jordan cried. “I was so afraid to believe that something good could possibly happen to me or that someone could actually love me that I forced Rob away. I’m too afraid to trust my own judgment anymore, Laura, and I hate that about myself!”

  Laura instantly felt remorseful for her harsh words and her eyes softened as she watched her sister fall apart. She sat down beside Jordan on the bed and hugged her. “I find all of that hard to believe, Jordan. First of all, why don’t you trust your judgment?”

  Jordan’s eyes widened with disbelief. “Do you really have to ask? I was completely oblivious to what a snake Eric was before I married him! I was clueless to everything he was planning while we were married and then, to top it off, I still trusted him a little after the divorce! Look where that’s gotten me!”

  “Okay, but if it makes you feel any better, we were all taken in by Eric’s deceit. None of us knew what he was really like, not just you. Stop beating yourself up over it.”