by Taylor Lee
“Right on, man. I mean, Mr. Assistant US Attorney. If you change your mind about the burger and french fries, just let me know.”
Intercepting what was sure to be an over-the-top introduction to the woman sitting next to Skylar, Jorden strode past his brazen brother and bussed Skylar on the cheek.
He turned to the redheaded woman he’d been admiring earlier in the school’s gym and extended his hand. “Good evening, Ms. Durant. In addition to being this outrageous guy’s older and definitely stuffier brother, I’m the father of one of the most beautiful almost-sixteen-year-olds inhabiting the earth and an equally wonderful ten-going-on-forty-year-old daughter.”
Ms. Durant’s voice was as melodic as the tempting laugh he’d heard earlier. The sound of which, he admitted, had been powerful enough to draw him into the pub instead of escaping to his empty house.
“Good evening, Mr. Justice. And may I say that your description of your brother and daughters are on target.” The confident woman shook his hand firmly and grinned at Jude. “Detective Justice tops the outrageousness Richter scale, and you have a lovely and talented daughter.” She turned to Skylar with a smile. “As for this one-hundred-and-ten-pound pixie that could eat all of us under the table, let me just say that I am green with envy. If I ate half of what Skylar does, you would have to roll me out of this pub strapped to a gurney.”
Jorden joined in the laughter and sank into the chair between the two women across from his brother. Ignoring Jude’s “I told you so” expression, Jorden responded to the woman to his left, deciding that for the moment he’d try to ignore her enticing fragrance.
“We’re in agreement on all counts with one clarification. It’s bad enough when two of my brothers, Jude and Jared, are routinely referred to as outrageous, while Jake and I are known as the uptight ones. So please, hold the ‘Misters’ and any other titles and call me Jorden.”
As he spoke he allowed himself to see that in addition to her thick, red hair streaked with gold and tied in a casual ponytail, the gorgeous woman had stunning dark brown eyes shadowed by dark brows and lush lashes. Her pale, smooth skin was heated by a soft rosy glow that spoke to her healthy lifestyle. She also had one of those full pouty mouths that demanded to be kissed, slowly and well. Startled by his untoward reaction to her, Jorden forced himself to concentrate on her response to his request that she call him by his first name.
Meeting his focused gaze, she responded pleasantly, “I’m pleased to do so, Mr—I mean, Jorden. If you’ll call me ‘Mac’ like everyone else does.”
At his questioning expression, she explained, “My irrepressible Irish father dealt with his disappointment that I was born without what he considered necessary equipment by naming me McKenna and shortening it to Mac. In a sop to my outraged mother, he agreed to change my middle name from Liam to Leanne as long as I would always be called Mac Durant.”
Jorden frowned. “Wait a minute. Don’t tell me that Lucky Liam Durant is your father?”
Mac laughed again and said after an expressive sigh, “One and the same. And yes, my love of basketball was bred into me before I was born. Thank goodness my father overruled my five-foot-two mother by contributing the lion’s share of my height genes. Which gave me a fighting chance to become a decent basketball player. Not in the NBA, as he was—”
Jude interrupted. “Don’t sell yourself short, Mac, no pun intended. Playing in the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing should have been enough for any overbearing father, even an Irish NBA superstar.”
Jorden shook his head in agreement. “Wow, I’m impressed. Your father must have been ecstatic.”
“Yes, he was. And he was gracious enough to give my mother credit for helping me keep basketball in perspective by insisting that I pay as much attention to getting my PhD as I did to playing ball. My mom insisted that my brain was as important as my body. Although, I agree with my dad that basketball is one of the most intellectual sports there is.”
Jorden studied her, wondering when he’d seen a more impressive woman, who was beautiful to boot. He tried not to gush, but to speak from his perspective as a parent. “You’re lucky, Mac, that your parents balanced each other out. As a father, I can understand the desire to give your offspring every possible advantage, even if those advantages are more about your own sense of legacy than theirs. One can only hope to be humble enough to acknowledge that your children may choose an equally honorable path, even if it’s not the one you chose for them.”
He glanced at Skylar and nodded, acknowledging her overbearing genius father who had done his best to ruin her life. “For example, when my parents were murdered, my grandfather, the Judge, decreed that none of us four brothers would follow in the legal footprints of my dead father and himself. The Judge wanted to ensure that we would live peaceful lives as far from dangerous pursuits as he could engineer for us. He was determined that we would be educators or inventors or financiers. Anything but lawyers, cops and special agents. Needless to say, that was all the incentive the four of us needed to enter the law enforcement arena after serving as special operatives in the most dangerous infernos we could find.”
At the surprised silence greeting his offhand reference to his parents’ brutal deaths and casual acknowledgement of the dangerous lives he and his brothers had chosen, Jorden was saved by Denny’s arrival. Aided by another lanky server, their attentive waiter unloaded the groaning trays of food, placing all but his vegetables in front of the three heartier eaters.
Jorden sucked in a breath and didn’t bother to glance at his brother. He didn’t have to. He already knew the expression he would see on Jude’s face. That would teach his interfering brother to try to break him out of his self-imposed loner shell by inviting him to share a casual meal.
As usual, Skylar intervened with an astute and gracious response. “You have an advantage over the rest of us, Jorden. It’s easy to criticize our parents’ goals for us, even when we agree with them. It has to be challenging to step back and let your children, whom you deeply love and want to protect, choose their own futures and find their own way to fly.”
Jorden gave a short laugh devoid of mirth as he took the bottle of Scotch from the table and without asking, refilled all their glasses. “Thanks, Skylar, for stepping in to cover for my lack of witty repartee.” He nodded to Mac, who was studying him with a thoughtful frown. “Please, eat. Ignore my untoward references to murder and mayhem and enjoy your food.”
At the silence from his companions, he held up his plate and said with a strained grin, “Vegetables, anyone?”
Jude laughed and speared a cornmeal-encrusted piece of broccoli, put it on Skylar’s plate, and grinned at his brother. “Hey, bro, don’t apologize for introducing roughage to the table. I’ve convinced the sprite to occasionally add something green to her diet, like a vegetable.”
Munching on a cheese-laden french fry, Sky shot him a dismissive shrug. “Potatoes aren’t considered vegetables, Detective Justice?”
“No, Ms. Hughes. As you well know, I’m referring to green vegetables. You know, with leaves and stems. And aren’t smothered in grease and four pounds of cheese.”
When Skylar tilted her chin and gave a saucy smirk, Jude’s lip quirked up in a salacious grin. “Careful there, squirt. Raise that sassy chin of yours another inch and I may have to make good on one of my threats, to sit you on my lap and feed you.”
Skylar blushed when Jude shot her a wicked wink, letting the rest of his threat go unspoken.
From the soft smile quirking Mac’s lips, Jorden saw that the Irish woman appreciated Jude’s intended sexy overtone to his threat. Deciding that the sudden tightness in his trousers confirmed that it had been too long since a woman had piqued his interest, Jorden allowed himself to imagine holding Ms. Durant—make that Mac—on his lap, feeding her tidbits of food. That image, coupled with the surreptitious assessments he’d made of her ass as she’d strode up and down the sidelines of the basketball court almost made him forget his clumsy oration that
had brought their lively conversation to a halt.
The moment was cut short by Mac’s attempt to change the conversation. “Speaking of your beautiful daughter, Jorden, Chloe told me about the sixteenth birthday bash you’ve planned for her.”
Jorden demurred with a smile. “I can’t claim the credit or the blame. The bash, as it’s rightly being called, is the brainchild of my doting grandfather. The Judge, who loves entertaining, insists that a party to end all parties is the only way to celebrate his adored great granddaughter’s coming of age. If I had my way, we’d be going to the park to play on the swings and have a princess cake like we did when she was eight.”
Mac laughed. “Well, whomever is planning it, Chloe is giddy with anticipation. Of course, the fact that she and her mother are planning a shopping spree to buy what Chloe described as a ‘killer dress to end all dresses’ has something to do with her excitement.”
Jorden stared at her, then dropped his fork and rose to his feet, knocking his chair to the floor with a loud crash.
Mac reared back in her chair, her eyes widening with surprise. Seeing her consternation, Jorden tried to explain, but his desert-dry mouth was incapable of forming and spitting out words.
Mac stared at him in dismay. “I…I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong, betray a confidence? If so, I apologize. I didn’t—”
Jorden held up his hand, stopping her. He knew he was glaring at her, but the rage flooding him made it impossible for him to soften his expression or speak in a normal tone. Instead, his harsh words and equally hard tone made his anger clear. “Don’t apologize. This has nothing to do with you. You did nothing wrong.”
He sucked in an audible breath and made a clumsy attempt to explain. “The problem is, Chloe and Emma have not seen or talked to their mother for over six years.”
Shooting Mac a grim stare, he didn’t mask his cold anger. “Oh, and I have a restraining order in place preventing their mother from being within fifty yards of the girls without supervision and my express permission.” He closed his eyes for a moment fighting to calm the outrage that was threatening to choke him. Reaching for his wallet, he threw a hundred-dollar bill on the table and nodded to his brother.
Assuming the dispassionate tone he relied on when he addressed the court, Jorden said, “Thank you for a nice evening. I enjoyed…” The words stuck in his throat, unable to get by the baseball-sized lump in his throat. He met Jude’s acknowledging frown and emitted a heavy sigh.
Turning back to Mac, who was pale, her expression strained, he said flatly, “Look, I’m glad you’re in Chloe’s life. She needs a positive female role model.”
He turned and strode to the door without a backward glance at the three silent people staring at him.
Chapter 3
“Yes, Jorden, your ex-wife came to the office late this afternoon. When you weren’t here, Cherise asked me to speak with her.” Paul Ojakangas’ careful tone confirmed that his second in command knew he was walking through a minefield. “She indicated that she was looking for a way to lift the restraining order you have keeping her from approaching your daughters. She asked if I could help her.”
“What did you tell her, Paul?”
“Look, Jorden, I know how touchy this situation is. I certainly know why you have that restraining order in place. But, before you interrupt, I told her that there wasn’t anything I could do and that she should consult her own attorney.”
“And then what?”
“Damn, Jorden, she stormed out of here like a tornado. I’m surprised the glass in my door didn’t shatter, she slammed it so hard.”
When Jorden was quiet, Paul said, “But, according to Cherise, that was nothing compared to how she came in here. Apparently, she barged past Naomi at the front desk, and would have gone straight to your office if Cherise hadn’t physically stood in her way. When your brave secretary told her politely that you weren’t in, she swept by her like she was the queen of Egypt, as Cherise put it, saying, ‘If you don’t mind, I’ll see for myself if the Assistant US Attorney is in.’ With that, she marched in your office and slammed the door. That was when Cherise came and got me.”
Jorden made an effort to keep his voice calm. “Thanks, Paul. You did the right thing and so did everyone else. I’ll call Cherise and Naomi in the morning to thank them for standing up to her and apologize for her behavior.”
“You don’t have to apologize for her, Jorden. Everyone knows what she’s done to you. It’s just that she caught us off guard. None of us knew she was back in town.”
After a heartfelt sigh, Jorden ground out his reply. “Neither did I, Paul. But we know now. I’ll call a meeting on Monday morning to make sure the staff understands that no one, including my former wife, has the right to do what she did today.”
“That’s a good idea, Jorden. I gotta tell you, that woman has balls. If I didn’t know the history with you and your girls, I would have had a hard time saying no to her.”
“Thanks, Paul. Oh, and if you happen to hear which local attorney she shanghaies to help her break the restraining order, let me know. Not that I think she can do it, but it’s good to know what we’re up against.”
****
Jude’s voice was tight with anger. Mac didn’t need to see his flashing emerald-hard eyes to know that the detective was furious. Shoving his uneaten food away, he glared at her.
“First, Mac, please understand, Jorden was absolutely right when he said this has nothing to do with you. You walked into a long-standing family crisis not of your making.” He dragged his hand through his shaggy, chin-length hair and groaned. “Although, since you know all of us including Chloe, I guess you’re involved whether you want to be or not.”
He looked to Skylar for help. She reached for his hand. “You’re right, Jude. Given that Mac is Chloe’s coach and the Wildwood school psychologist, she can be involved. If she chooses to be.”
Jude shook his head in agreement. “Okay, Mac, sure you’re up for this?”
When she nodded, he blew out a long, hard sigh. “Here goes to one of the most challenging Justice issues—particularly because it involves Chloe and Emma. Jorden was only twenty-two when he graduated from Yale Law School with top honors and decided to join the Army. He came home for Christmas and met Francine Connelly, who’d just turned eighteen. She was the most beautiful girl he or we had ever seen. In retrospect, we found out that she was wild, promiscuous, and that her goal in life was to be a Justice. She accomplished that task the surest way possible. She got pregnant.
“Francine loved the prestige of the Justice name, and all the trappings of being married to as accomplished a guy as my brother. Unlike Jorden, who was wild about Chloe, and five years later, Emma, Francine quickly decided that being a mother was not her thing. It cramped her style. Nope, Francine loved the party scene, the wilder the better. Early on, Jorden hired a full-time nanny to take care of the girls because he never knew if Francine would be home or if she was sober enough to take care of the girls. Threatened with divorce, she did several stints in rehab, but couldn’t stay away from the fast life. She was young, beautiful beyond belief, and no stuffy husband and a couple of kids were going to keep her from enjoying it.
“Jorden was determined to create a family for his daughters, which is the only way I can explain why he always took her back. Finally, Francine did the unforgivable. In a drunken fury at Jorden’s refusal to let her see the girls unless she went back to rehab, she essentially kidnapped them. When we finally found them holed up with a bunch of drugged-out men, Jorden filed for divorce, and got full custody of the girls. He also filed child endangerment charges against Francine. She managed to beat everything except the endangerment charge because unbeknownst to Jorden, she was involved with one of our congressmen. She ended up marrying the guy, and they were the talk of Washington for a couple of years. After they got a divorce, Francine was on to a French Ambassador. I think a Silicon Valley exec was next. I never could keep them straight.
�
��She’s tried a couple of times to see the girls and get back with Jorden. When that was a non-starter, her big threat was that she’d file for custody of the girls. She’s deluded enough to think that some crazy court might actually give her custody. Hell, as Jorden told you, he has a court-enforced restraining order that prevents her from being within fifty yards of the girls without supervision.”
Jude poured the last of the Glenmorangie into his glass and took a hearty swallow. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Mac exchanged a concerned glance with Skylar but neither of them spoke. After several long moments, Jude opened his eyes, sat up, and faced them. His jaw was rigid and deep creases lined his forehead. Breathing out another hard sigh, he shook his head and said after a disgusted snort, “And now, once again, the fucking bitch is back.”
****
Mac tried to go to sleep. God knows she was tired enough. But sleep was elusive, and after what seemed like hours of tossing and turning, Mac gave in. Pulling sweats and a t-shirt over her pajamas, she went to the kitchen, got a glass and a bottle of Maker’s Mark, and padded out into the moonlit night in her bare feet. She grabbed a fuzzy throw on her way out the door and settled into the cushioned armchair to do some hard thinking.
The events of the day ran into each other in a crazy kaleidoscope of jumbled images. What should have been a fabulous day had become a deeply troubling one. She tried to focus on the basketball game. It was the first game she’d coached at Wildwood, and they’d won! Not only that, but she’d helped the girls come back from three deficits, the largest a yawning eleven points, but they’d gone on to win by six. It was a huge success and a terrific way to start the season. Mac was self-aware and confident enough to know that her leadership had pulled the girls through.
What had been a great day became even better when Skylar and Jude invited her to celebrate with them at the pub. She hadn’t met Jude’s older brother, but had enjoyed working with Chloe and was looking forward to meeting her father. Looking back at the evening, Mac tried to concentrate on the moment when Jorden walked into the Shipwreck. She’d assumed he would be good looking. She’d met the rest of the Justice brothers, and to a man they ranked a solid fifty on a ten-point stud scale. Even knowing that the rest of the Justices were drop-dead gorgeous, she wasn’t prepared for Jorden.