“How many bedrooms do you have?” she asked. “I’m sure it has to be four or five.”
“Actually, I have six bedrooms and five baths. There is also a two-story guest cottage in the back with two bedrooms.”
“I told you there was another place in the back, remember?”
Ethan smiled. “You were right.”
“I hope you’ll give me a tour of the house. I’ve wanted to see inside for so many years... I can’t believe you bought our place.” Jordin gave a short laugh. “I guess it’s just your place now.”
“When I found that it was for sale—I felt like it was a sign that I should buy it.”
“I’m so glad you did, Ethan.” Jordin said with a smile.
Their gazes met and held.
“Okay, so why don’t we address the elephant in the room?”
He chuckled. “Same Jordin. You won’t give up until you have all of the answers.”
“That’s because you’ve always done a pretty good job of keeping secrets. I just thought that we had gotten way beyond that.”
“I wasn’t trying to keep secrets from you, Jordin. I just didn’t want you knowing just how terrible things were for me at home.”
“Ethan, that’s what I don’t get,” she murmured. “Why not? We were best friends. I used to tell you everything.”
“You are a DuGrandpre. I didn’t think you could understand what I was dealing with.”
“My family isn’t perfect, Ethan.”
“They were as near perfect as I could imagine.” Ethan paused a few seconds before continuing. “I’m sure you heard rumors about my mother.”
“Not really,” she responded. “I only heard that she abandoned you and that’s why you had to go live with your father.”
“My mom and Rob went to Maryland with a trunk full of drugs. They were stopped by the police and arrested.”
Jordin gasped in surprise. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. Lydia went to prison. That’s where she’s been until recently.”
“She’s out now?”
“Yeah,” he grunted in response. “Talk about bad timing. She was released around the same time I moved back to Charleston.”
Jordin could hardly believe what she was hearing. “I had no idea.”
“I never wanted you to know,” Ethan admitted.
She reached out, taking his hand into her own. “You have no reason to be ashamed. None of this was of your doing.”
He shrugged in nonchalance. “My mother completely changed when she met Rob. She only thought of her own happiness.”
“If you’d told me, I know that my parents would’ve helped—even taken you in, Ethan. You didn’t have to go through this alone.”
“Chandler told me the same thing. I know his parents offered to be my foster parents but my father claimed he wanted me to live with him. I spent two weeks with him before he sent me to Hargrave Military Academy.”
Jordin rose to her feet. “Dinner’s ready. Why don’t we continue our conversation in the dining room?”
“I’ve been anticipating this all day.” He stood up.
She laughed. “Don’t you really mean dreading?”
He chuckled and realized that he’d missed this too. The verbal sparring between them.
“What do you think?” Jordin asked after he tried his chicken.
Ethan wiped his mouth on his napkin. “This is delicious. Tell the truth. You didn’t really cook this meal.”
“Yeah, I did.” Jordin broke into a grin. “I told you that I had some skills.”
“You also have a cousin who owns her own restaurant,” Ethan pointed out.
Stiffening, she folded her arms across her chest. “So what are you trying to say? I don’t fake my meals for any man.”
“I’m only teasing you,” Ethan confessed. He laughed at the expression on her face.
Jordin relaxed and settled back against her chair.
“So tell me, is there someone special in your life?” he inquired while slicing up his meat.
Jordin shook her head no. “My job keeps me pretty busy.”
Ethan wiped his mouth with the edge of his napkin. “You sound like me.”
“Some would call us workaholics, although I do take time to enjoy life,” Jordin stated. “I guess I play as hard as I work. How about you?”
“I’m probably every aspect of a classic workaholic,” he responded candidly. “I take little time out to just relax. Right now, I need to focus on work though. By the end of the year, I plan to go somewhere tropical and relaxing.”
“But in the meantime, you surround yourself with tropical artwork.” She could still recall the paintings displayed around his office.
He nodded. “I want my employees to feel relaxed while working.”
Jordin met Ethan’s gaze with a smile. “I’m really glad you decided to accept my dinner invitation. It’s great being able to spend time with you again.”
Ethan took a long sip of his iced tea before responding, “I’m glad I came. Even though I didn’t stay in contact, I want you to know that you were really missed.” His gaze traveled over her face and searched her eyes.
“When I never heard from you, I just assumed that you were either abducted by aliens or that there were no phones in North Carolina or Virginia.” Jordin paused a moment before adding, “I guess they didn’t have any computers either.”
Ethan fixed his gaze on hers and responded, “Jordin, it was nothing like that at all.”
“Then what was it? Why didn’t I hear from you? I checked my mailbox for a year, looking for a letter from you.”
“Jordin, I didn’t know what to say about my situation. I was angry and apprehensive about living with a man I didn’t really know. When he sent me away, I used my anger to fuel my motivation to become the man that I am today.”
“And since you’ve been back? I’ve basically had to chase you down.”
“I...” He could not think of a plausible excuse. How could he tell Jordin that the pull of her was inexorable? What man in his right mind wouldn’t be fascinated by her? Ethan cut off his straying thoughts.
“I guess it doesn’t really matter anymore,” Jordin stated. “You’re here now and I hope from this moment forward—we can be friends again.”
“We will always be friends,” Ethan responded. “I apologize for the way I’ve behaved. I wanted to talk to you, but I let other stuff get in the way. I saw you and Jadin one afternoon having lunch at the deli on the corner. I considered joining you...”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I know your sister doesn’t care much for me.”
“It doesn’t matter what Jadin thinks,” Jordin stated. “You should have come inside the deli. Tell me something, Ethan. How many girls have you picked up from one of your gyms? Be honest.”
He laughed. “None.”
“You want me to believe that you’ve never picked up a girl at the gym? Not even once?”
“Not even once,” Ethan repeated. “My turn. Have you dated any of the firm’s clientele?”
Jordin shook her head no. “I consider it a conflict of interest.”
“Same here,” he responded. “I’ve had some women show interest in me, but I just don’t go there with them.”
“Have you been serious with anyone?”
Ethan took a long sip of iced tea. “Not really. You?”
“No. My focus has been on being a good lawyer. It’s the DuGrandpre way.” She paused a heartbeat before saying, “We actually have had a new family member come on board. My brother, Austin.”
“Really? I thought you all never had any contact with him.”
“We didn’t until recently. He is a lawyer and he moved here to work with Dad.”
“How do you feel about it?” Ethan inquired.
“I’m okay with it,” Jordin answered. “I don’t have any evidence to suspect otherwise, but I do think there’s another reason he’s here. He’s good at his job though.”
“Why do you think he has another reason than getting to know his family? Is it because he’s an outsider?”
“No, nothing like that, Ethan,” she said, sensing a change in his mood. “We have always wanted to have Austin in our lives. It was his mother who kept him away from us.”
“I know how it feels to be an outsider in your own family.”
“Austin is my brother and I’m thrilled to finally have the chance to get to know him. I just hope he doesn’t have a secret agenda because I don’t want my father to get hurt.”
Wiping her mouth with the corner of her napkin, Jordin stated, “Enough about Austin. I want to talk about us.”
“Okay.”
“Ethan, it’s very clear to me that if I hadn’t run into you earlier—I wouldn’t be having dinner with you now.”
“You’re probably right,” Ethan admitted after a moment. “But maybe not.”
Jordin let her fork drop from her fingers. “What do you mean by that exactly?”
“A couple of times I did consider contacting you while I was in Virginia,” Ethan confessed. “But in the end, I didn’t call.”
“Why not? If you really cared about our friendship.” Jordin asked as she reached for her water glass. She took one sip, then another. And another.
“Jordin, it’s not what you’re thinking.”
Instead of meeting his gaze, she pushed her broccoli from one side to the other with her fork. “We were close, Ethan. At least I thought we were.”
“We are friends, Jordin,” he stated. “I should have contacted you all those years ago, and because I didn’t...well...I didn’t feel right doing so now. The truth is that I don’t deserve your friendship after the way I behaved.”
Jordin shrugged in nonchalance. “I don’t think you should spend too much time dwelling on past mistakes, Ethan. Life is way too short.”
“Does this mean I get a do-over?”
Biting down on her lower lip, Jordin uttered, “Something like that.”
Ethan reached out, lacing his fingers with her own. “Jordin, I can’t tell you how glad I am to have you back in my life.” His hand was strong, firm and protective.
“I will always be here for you, Ethan. I want you to know this.”
He pulled his hand away from her, his lips puckered in annoyance. “Jordin, let’s be clear. I don’t need your pity.”
“I don’t pity you, Ethan. I just figured you might need a good friend.” She finished off the last of her chicken. Shrugging, Jordin added, “I made the offer—it’s up to you to accept.”
He wiped his mouth on the edge of his napkin. “I apologize.”
“I don’t need your apology, Ethan. What I do need from you is honesty. If you don’t want my friendship any longer...just tell me.”
“I see,” he murmured. “You’re still as feisty as I remembered.”
“I don’t see any need to change, Ethan.”
He broke into a smile. “I’m inclined to agree with you.” Ethan laid down his fork. “You are one of my closest friends, Jordin. It’s just that back then, I could see the pity on people’s faces...it tore me up inside. I only considered coming back to Charleston when I knew I was ready.”
“Why do you care what others think?”
“I really don’t,” he responded.
“So your reason for not contacting me was that you thought I would pity you.”
“Can you honestly say otherwise?” Ethan questioned. “I saw how you reacted every time you heard about someone being mistreated.”
“I don’t pity you. I just feel bad because you didn’t deserve what happened to you.”
“I know that none of this was my fault.” Ethan wiped his mouth on the end of his napkin. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about this anymore.”
They finished off the rest of their meal in silence.
When they were done, he helped her clean the kitchen.
“Are you still an art lover?” Ethan asked while putting a plate into the dishwasher.
When Jordin nodded, he said, “I was invited to a gallery opening. Would you like to be my date?”
Jordin turned to look at him. “Really?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to attend the event alone.”
“Sure, I’d love to attend.”
“It’s on Saturday at seven. I’ll call you to finalize the details before the end of the week.”
Folding her arms across her chest, she stated, “I’m warning you now, Ethan. Don’t stand me up.”
“I’m not that bad, Jordin.”
She met his gaze and said, “You’d better not do something like that to me.”
There was a tingling in the pit of his stomach. “I give you my word that I’ll be there.”
Ethan had to fight his overwhelming need to be close to her, reminding him why he’d stayed away from Jordin since his return—it was better than facing what she meant to him. Even standing in the kitchen so close to her was torturous. He purposely avoided looking at her mouth, seeking to ignore how Jordin’s full, luscious lips beckoned to him.
* * *
His dark eyes were framed by his handsome face while his lips parted and showed a dazzling display of straight, white teeth. His profile was proud and full of strength, a quality that could be attributed to his commanding presence.
Their gazes met and held, making Jordin nervous. She thought she detected a flicker in his intense eyes, causing her pulse to skitter alarmingly. Jordin never tired of looking at him.
Ethan followed her into the family room where they settled on the sofa.
“We’ll have to do this again sometime,” Ethan stated. “Only next time, I’ll show off my culinary skills”
“Sure,” she replied with complacent buoyancy. “This I can’t wait to see.”
He laughed.
“You in a kitchen cooking—I will definitely have to witness this for myself.”
“Hey, I had to learn how to cook out of my need to survive.”
Jordin smiled. “This feels almost like a dream. Sitting here with you...”
“This is for real,” Ethan assured her. “I’m back.”
“I guess you’re here to stay since you relocated your office and purchased a home in Charleston. I’m really happy about that.”
He picked up a magazine off her table. “You still read these?”
Jordin nodded. “I have to keep up with the latest fashions.”
“Bedazzled anything lately?”
Laughing, she gave him a soft punch in the arm. “I was a trendsetter.”
Jordin was having the time of her life with Ethan. Happiness filled her as they talked and laughed about old times until well after midnight.
She stifled a yawn. “This is wonderful.”
“I’ve had a great time but I can tell you’re tired. You’re fighting to keep your eyes open.”
“I’m sorry.” She really wasn’t ready for the evening to come to an end.
“Don’t apologize, Jordin,” Ethan responded. “I’m going to make my way back to my hotel so I can fall into bed myself. It’s been a long day.”
She rose to her feet and embraced him. “I have probably said this a million times—I’m glad to see you.”
Ethan had no idea that his return was a dream come true for Jordin.
Chapter 5
Why did I just ask her out? Ethan wanted to take the words back as soon as they came out of his mouth, but it was already too late. It was taking every
effort he could draw on to keep up his guard. Jordin still affected him in so many ways.
Instead of going back to the hotel, Ethan went to his office, hoping to work off some of the tension. When he left Jordin’s house, he felt as if every nerve in his body was on alert.
The telephone rang.
He picked it up without thinking. “Hello.”
Silence.
“Hello,” he repeated.
Ethan waited for a response. When there was none forthcoming, he hung up.
The phone rang again.
He did not recognize the number on the caller ID. The office was closed, so who could be calling at this late hour? he wondered.
Curiosity got the best of him, prompting him to pick up the receiver. “Hello.”
“Ethan, it’s me. I’ve been trying to reach you. I took a chance that you would be working late.”
His mouth took on an unpleasant twist. “We have nothing to talk about, Lydia.”
“Son, please give me a chance to explain.”
“Explain what?” he snapped in anger. “That you went to prison for trafficking drugs with your boyfriend. It’s self-explanatory.”
“It’s not like that, Ethan.”
He did not respond.
His mouth thinned with displeasure. “Goodbye, Lydia.”
“Please...” his mother pleaded on the other end of the phone line. “Please don’t hang up on me. I—”
He cut her off by interjecting, “Do me a favor and never call me ever again. I don’t need a mother now.”
“You have no idea what I had to go through to find you when I got out of prison. Your father wouldn’t tell me where you were. I missed you so much, Ethan.”
“You needn’t have bothered looking for me,” he replied; his face felt tight with strain. “Just leave me alone.”
Ethan hung up.
Although he hated to admit it, even to himself, the call had unnerved him.
An image of Jordin appeared in his mind. His thoughts of her infectious smile warmed him all over. Ethan took a deep breath and exhaled, adjusting his mood.
* * *
Long after Ethan had left, she was still up.
Only for You Page 5