“Because Lydia chose a man over her own child. She knew transporting drugs was against the law. All that stuff she used to spout about the dangers of using drugs...what a hypocrite.”
“She’s served her time in prison for her crime. Don’t you think people deserve second chances?”
“Jordin, I know what you’re trying to do, but it’s not going to work. Nothing will ever change the truth.”
“You don’t think you can ever forgive her?”
Ethan shook his head. “I can’t. Jordin, I don’t expect you to understand what I’m dealing with—your parents have always been there for you. My mother had an affair with a man who was engaged to someone else. She got pregnant with me to try and trap my dad, but it backfired. He went through with his wedding.” Ethan shook his head sadly. “Parents don’t think of how their actions affect their children.”
“Look at all you’ve accomplished in spite of everything,” Jordin pointed out.
“That’s because I refused to let my past define the man I became.”
“Do you have a relationship with your father now?”
“No,” Ethan responded. “We talk every now and then, but it’s not what I would consider a relationship. He only started calling after I became wealthy. All of a sudden, I was good enough to be a part of the family. His wife never wanted me around, but she wants me to pay college tuition for her daughters.”
“Did you do it?”
He nodded. “I pay it directly to the school. They have nothing to do with the drama that existed between our parents.”
“I hope they appreciate what you’re doing?”
“It doesn’t matter if they do or not,” Ethan uttered. “I’m doing what I believe is right.”
“What does your brother do?” Jordin wanted to know.
“Trey is in the military. I can’t believe you remember him?” It had been almost twenty years since his father brought his half brother to Charleston so they could meet.
Jordin ordered Chinese food while Ethan searched for something to watch on television. They decided to just spend the evening at her place.
He removed his shoes.
“I’m glad to see you’re getting comfortable.”
Ethan laughed.
“The food should be here soon,” Jordin announced as she settled down beside him. “I heard everything you said earlier, Ethan.”
He looked at her. “I feel like there’s a but coming.”
“I remember how close you two used to be.”
“That was a long time ago, Jordin,” he responded quietly.
“You may be angry with your mom, but you still love her.”
Ethan shifted his position, but did not comment.
“In time, you two will talk and all of this will be just a memory.”
“Some things do not come with a happy ending, Jordin.” His tone was velvet, yet edged with steel.
She glimpsed the pain in his eyes.
Jordin reached over and covered his hand with her own. “Have faith.”
“Forever the optimist.”
“Try it sometime.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “You used to tell me that when we were sixteen.”
“Obviously, you still need a reminder,” Jordin said with a grin.
Their gazes met and held.
She tried to assess his unreadable features.
“Did you find anything on television?” she asked, putting an end to the silence.
Ethan handed her the remote. “I’ll let you choose. We can skip through the arguing.”
She tossed a pillow at him. “You love romantic comedies too.”
“Actually, I don’t,” he responded. “I just give in.”
“Okay, so let’s do something different. We will watch anything you pick out.”
“Really?”
Jordin nodded. She was already regretting her decision, but kept quiet.
Ethan turned to the channel guide and scrolled down. “Let’s watch this.”
“Mystical Journey: Kumbh Mela,” she uttered. “Really?”
He gave her a sidelong glance. “Yeah. Sounds interesting, don’t you think?”
“You don’t even know what this is about.”
“It’s the largest religious festival in the world,” Ethan replied.
She chuckled. “I read that as well.”
“Hindus on a pilgrimage of faith gather to bathe in a sacred river. Last year it was held in Haridwar.”
“Okay, let’s watch it, then.”
Ethan glanced over at her. “You’re sure?”
“Yes,” Jordin responded. She was not about to back down.
Thirty minutes into the documentary, she fell asleep, her head on Ethan’s chest. He had fallen asleep fifteen minutes earlier.
Jordin smiled sleepily. She had outlasted him.
Chapter 9
Ethan woke up and tried to move. Jordin was snuggled against him sleeping soundly. He checked his watch.
It was almost five in the morning.
He stretched his legs while trying to figure out a way to move Jordin without waking her. Gathering her in his arm, he held her snugly.
Ethan turned off the television.
He relished the feel of her body next to his, her nearness making his senses spin while giving him a measure of comfort. Ethan felt the movement of Jordin’s breathing.
At some point, he must have fallen asleep because when Ethan checked his watch again, it was seven o’clock.
Jordin shifted, waking up in the process. “Hey...” she murmured. “What time is it?”
“Seven.”
She sat up straight. “In the morning?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, wow,” she uttered. “This is the first time we’ve ever spent the night together.”
He gave a short laugh. “Do I get breakfast?”
Fingering through her curls, Jordin responded, “Sure.”
She rose to her feet. “Just so you know, I found the documentary enlightening. It just wasn’t what I was looking to watch last night.”
“I thought it was pretty interesting.”
“Ethan, you were the first one to fall asleep.”
He laughed. “You’re right. Maybe if I’d watched it when I wasn’t so tired.”
“You can freshen up in the guest bathroom,” Jordin stated. “I’m going to take a quick shower.”
An hour later, they were seated at the breakfast table.
“What’s on your agenda for today?” Ethan inquired.
“We’re having a family dinner. It’s to celebrate Austin.” Jordin stuck a forkful of scrambled eggs in her mouth.
“Your brother seems pretty cool.”
She wiped her mouth on a napkin. “He is,” Jordin confirmed. “He and my dad are working to build a relationship after all these years.”
“I hope it works out for them.” A flash of sadness washed over him, but Ethan refused to let it flood his mind.
“What are your plans for today?” she asked.
“I’m going to be at the gym,” Ethan stated. “I want to make sure that Walter and his team have everything running smoothly.” Checking his watch, he added, “I need to get going. I want to shower and change.”
Jordin walked him to the front door. “Call me later, if you’re not too busy.”
“Enjoy being with your family,” he said. Once more, Ethan felt an ache at the mention of family. I don’t need anyone, he repeated over and over silently. I have a good life.
The thought seemed as hollow as he felt.
* * *
After dinner, Jordin sat on the patio along with Jadin and Austin while the other member
s of her family were inside the house.
“Your mom is a great cook.”
“She loves cooking,” Jadin said. “Mom and Aubrie are always experimenting with different ingredients.”
“Tell me something,” Austin interjected. “What’s up with your aunt?”
Jordin and Jadin burst into laughter.
He looked from one to the other. “What’s so funny?”
“You do know that she is also your aunt,” Jordin stated. “Aunt Rochelle is very opinionated and she doesn’t mind sharing her thoughts.”
“I figured that out pretty quickly. She made it very clear that she never liked my mother.”
“There are few people that Aunt Rochelle seems to really like. She’s good at what she does, but she can be abrasive. She only has a couple of friends.”
“How does your mom deal with her?” Austin wanted to know.
“She ignores her mostly,” Jordin responded with a chuckle. “My mom’s quiet, but she doesn’t take anything off my aunt.”
“I like Eleanor,” Austin said after a moment. “She’s been very welcoming toward me.”
“You’re family,” Jadin stated.
“I have another question,” Austin told them. “How many times did you all get lost in this house?”
They laughed.
“It’s really not a complicated house,” Jordin responded. “There are only bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. Dad and Mom have separate offices. There’s a media room, and bowling alley.”
“They love bowling,” Jadin contributed.
Jordin shifted her position on the lounge chair. “Austin, have you met anyone yet?”
He smiled. “I’ve met a couple of girls.”
“So you’re dating?” Jadin questioned.
Austin shook his head no. “Not really. One is just a friend and the other one—we went on one date, and then she was ready to dive into a serious relationship.”
Jordin’s eyes widened in surprise. “Whoa...”
“That’s what I said.”
“You definitely need to stay away from her,” Jadin stated. “She sounds like a fatal attraction.”
“I hope she’s not crazy, but she is pushing hard for a relationship. I was informed that she wants to get married within the next couple of years.”
“Austin, you should probably leave her alone,” Jordin warned.
“I did,” he responded with a chuckle. “We only had the one date, but she calls and texts me almost every day. I’ve never met a woman so pushy.”
The conversation they were having prompted Jordin to consider her relationship with Ethan. He stirred certain emotions within her, but she was careful to avoid getting ahead of herself. Jordin didn’t want to set herself up for heartbreak.
* * *
“In order to get the best results you have to be able to keep up your momentum for Tabata training,” Ethan was saying. “Most people can’t.”
Jordin folded her arms across her chest. “I thought you said it was only a four-minute workout. I’m sure I can manage that short amount of time, Ethan.”
“Tabata training is the single most effective high-intensity interval training—it is also the most rigorous. Four minutes may seem short, but I’m warning you—it’s going to feel much longer than that.”
“I’m up to the challenge.”
Ethan smiled. “If you really want to try it, then I suggest going light with the weights until you find your range. I’ll help you because I don’t want you begging people to help you off the floor.”
She scrunched up her face. “As if...”
“I forgot how stubborn you can be once you make up your mind to do something.”
Jordin broke into a grin.
“This is not something you do daily, Jordin. Most people add this to their workout routine once or twice a week.”
“Okay.” She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. “I’m ready.”
When she pulled out a pair of pink-and-black workout gloves, Ethan chuckled. “I guess you came prepared.”
“Ethan, if you’re not going to take me seriously, then I want to work with someone else. I didn’t come here just to hang around you.”
“Okay, sorry.”
She studied his face for a moment. “Let’s get started.”
“I’m going to start you with the most basic method which is twenty seconds of hard training followed by ten seconds of rest. You will repeat this eight times.”
When Jordin nodded, he continued. “I’m going to start you with kettlebell swings.”
Ethan stood in a wide stance. “I want you to do what I’m doing.”
She followed his instructions.
“Be sure to make space for the kettlebell to swing backward. The wide stance gives you stability during the upper portion of the lift.”
Four minutes later, Jordin just wanted to fall on the floor in a puddle.
Handing her a bottle of water, Ethan inquired, “Are you okay?”
“I m-made it,” she managed.
He smiled. “I’m proud of you, Jordin. I admit that I had my doubts, but you came through like a champ.”
She fumbled with the bottle, trying to unscrew the top.
Ethan saw her dilemma and took it from her. “Let me help you.”
“Thank you.”
Jordin reached for the water and drank. “Wow...” she uttered after a moment. “I thought I was going to die.”
“I told you it was intense.”
She looked up at him. “That had to be longer than four minutes, Ethan.”
He shook his head. “It wasn’t.”
Jordin struggled to recover. “It was a great workout.”
“You’re sure you feel okay?” Ethan inquired.
“I’m fine.”
He walked her to the women’s locker room. “Come by the office before you leave.”
“Okay,” she responded with a smile.
Jordin was grateful to have a few minutes alone. She sat down on a nearby bench and groaned softly. I’m not doing this for Ethan. I’m doing this for me. She exercised on a regular basis, but wanted to take it up a notch. She had certainly done this—she did a self-check to ensure that this was not about Ethan. She didn’t want to be one of those girls who were desperate to do anything to get a man’s attention. Sure, she wanted to support Ethan, but this was about her personal health goals.
Okay, I probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him, she confessed in her heart. But I’m not desperate—I’m health-conscious.
Chapter 10
Her body screaming in protest, Jordin crawled out of bed and padded barefoot to the shower. “This sucks to be so sore,” she muttered.
Jordin showered and dressed in a pair of sweats. Her hair was damp from her shower, so she allowed it to hang freely in soft ringlets. She was working from home today and it was a good thing too. Jordin could barely walk.
Her telephone rang.
“How are you feeling?” Ethan asked when she answered.
She groaned.
“Did you soak in your tub like I told you last night?”
“I did,” Jordin responded. “Please tell me it gets better.”
“If you don’t feel the burn, then you’re not doing it right.”
“I’m working from home today thankfully.”
“Make sure to soak in the tub today at some point,” Ethan said. “It will ease some of the soreness.”
“I will.”
“I’m concerned so I wanted to check on you.”
“I’ll live,” Jordin murmured. “Thanks for the call.”
“Do you have plans for the weekend?”
“I’m going to a concert on Saturday
night with Ryker, Jadin, Aubrie and Austin. It’s our next-generation outing.”
“You all still do that?” Ethan questioned.
“Yes,” she responded. “It’s been a while since we’ve all gotten together, but we try to hang out several times throughout the year.”
“Chandler and I are going to drive to Hilton Head. He’s playing golf for some charity event.”
“You don’t play golf?” Jordin inquired, noting the less-than-thrilled tone of his voice.
“You know that I’ve never liked golf.”
She gave a slight shrug. “It’s been a while. You could have changed your mind.”
“Not about that,” he uttered.
“When will you be back?”
“Late Sunday evening,” Ethan responded. “Have fun with your family.”
Jordin smiled. “You have fun on the golf course.”
“I doubt it.”
She laughed.
They talked a few minutes more before hanging up.
She rubbed the painful muscles in her arms as she went downstairs to get her laptop out of her tote.
Jordin smiled as she pictured Ethan standing around on a golf course. He was going to be miserable.
* * *
Jordin and Ethan walked out of the movie theater, heading toward his car. He had called her earlier in the day and invited her out. They had not been able to really connect because he was busy and she’d had a heavy caseload this week.
“I’m so glad you invited me to come to the movies,” she murmured. “This has been a long week.”
He agreed. “How was the concert?”
“We had a great time. I love Kem’s music.” Jordin glanced up at him. “How was your weekend in Hilton Head?”
“Those two days felt longer than this entire week,” Ethan responded.
She bit back her laughter. “I’m sorry.”
“Hilton Head was nice though,” he said, opening the door for her.
Ethan drove to her place.
“Coming in?” Jordin inquired.
“Sure.”
He sat down in the family room while she retrieved something light for them to eat.
She joined him a few minutes later with a plate of cheese and crackers, which she set down on the coffee table. “I’ll be right back with some plates and the wine.”
Only for You Page 9