If anything could brighten her sullen mood, it was thoughts of Jordan. She took out her phone and explained her dilemma to him. Twenty minutes later, Vicki heard his car pulling up.
“Where’s Mason?” she asked, immediately noticing that he didn’t have the toddler in tow.
“Grandma Nancy insisted on taking him to Boston to see some ice-skating show at TD Garden arena.”
“Oh, I saw the commercial for that. He’s going to love it.”
“He loves being spoiled by his grandmother, and she loves spoiling him. It’s a win-win.” He motioned to the float. “What’s going on here?”
“I’m in over my head,” Vicki admitted. She explained the mishap with her measurements. “I called the lumberyard while you were driving over and they said if I emailed the correct measurements they could have new boards cut by this afternoon, which makes me the luckiest girl in the world. But it still sets me back by at least a day. It’s time I can’t afford to lose, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Jordan covered her shoulders with his palms and pulled her toward him, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You’ve got this,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll make up whatever time you lost today.”
There he went again, making her heart melt. Vicki found herself falling more and more in love with him every day, and this was just one of the reasons why. He always knew the exact thing to say to set her mind at ease.
Jordan pulled out a tape measure and started assessing the dimensions of the float base. Vicki typed the numbers he called out into her phone and emailed them to the lumberyard.
“See how easy that was?” he said.
“Painless,” she said. “Now to get down to Cambridge before the lumberyard closes for the day.”
“Do you want some company on the drive?”
“You have time to drive down to Cambridge with me?”
“I’ll make the time,” Jordan said, pulling her in for another kiss, this one leaving her knees weak.
They drove to Cambridge together and picked up the newly cut boards for her float, but instead of returning to Wintersage, Jordan took her on the Jordan Woolcott personal tour of the town where he’d gone to both college and law school. They visited several of his old haunts. Vicki laughed until her sides hurt as he regaled her with stories of his days as a hotheaded law student who thought he knew everything.
“I’ve been put in my place by quite a few professors in this town.” He palmed the massive burger he’d ordered at Doyle’s, a historic pub in Jamaica Plain, just south of Cambridge.
“I can totally see you as a know-it-all,” she said.
“Thanks,” he said with a sarcastic grunt as he bit into the burger.
Vicki reached across the table and patted his arm. “That’s okay. You’re reformed.”
“You may be the only person who thinks so.” He laughed, wiping the corners of his mouth. “I consider myself a work in progress.”
“I’m sure if any of your old professors saw you now, they would be extremely proud.”
With a grin, he threw the words she’d used the other night back at her. “You’ve already scored, Ms. Ahlfors, no need for such flattery.”
By the time they arrived back in Wintersage, Nancy and Mason had returned from their outing. Vicki couldn’t help but feel a bit self-conscious as she entered the house she’d spent untold hours in as a teen, when she and Janelle would come over for sleepovers. It felt different being here as a guest of Jordan’s instead of Sandra’s.
The moment she entered the house, Nancy’s face lit up.
“Well, hello,” she said, taking Vicki by the hands. “You look fabulous, honey. I meant to tell you at Sandra’s wedding just how much I love the new haircut. It accentuates those cheekbones that I’ve always been so jealous of.”
“Thank you,” Vicki said. She’d always adored Nancy.
Jordan’s mother’s brows arched as she looked from Vicki to Jordan. “So,” she said, leaving the word hanging.
“Very subtle,” Jordan said.
“I was trying to be,” Nancy said. “Did I succeed?”
“No.” He kissed her on the cheek. “How did Mason enjoy the ice-skating show?”
“He loved it.” She pointed a finger between Jordan and Vicki. “Someone needs to tell me right now how long this has been going on. And, if I may be so bold, tell me exactly what is going on.”
Jordan barked out a laugh. “Aren’t you just dying to know?”
“Jordan!”
“Thanks for taking Mason on his outing today,” he said. “We’ll see you later.”
Nancy followed them to the door. “Vicki, you’re reasonable. I just want to know how serious things are between you two.”
“We’re leaving, Mom,” Jordan called as he carried Mason outside.
Vicki turned to her. “I’ll explain everything when we meet to discuss the final plans for the Kwanzaa celebration,” Vicki said.
Nancy grabbed both of her hands and squeezed them, letting out an excited squeal. “I don’t know who finally knocked some sense into his head, but it’s about time it happened. I’m so happy for the two of you.”
Vicki stood there with her mouth agape. For years she’d thought she’d done a good job of hiding her feelings, only to find out that both her mother and Nancy had seen it all along.
It was starting to look like the only person who had been clueless all this time was Jordan.
*
“Vicki? Vicki!”
Vicki’s head shot up. She looked across the table to find her brother Terrance staring at her, his expression a mixture of annoyance and concern. Of her three brothers, she had been closest to Terrance, but probably because he was the closest to her in age. Vicki never quite knew if it was by design or not, but their parents managed to space their four children out equally, having them all two years apart.
Spence, the eldest at thirty-four, was two years older than Jacob, who was two years older than Terrance. Being the only girl and the baby had not been easy for Vicki. She was convinced her intimidating older brothers were the reason she hadn’t been asked out on more dates in high school.
“What is it, Terrance?” she asked, breaking off a small piece of the grilled salmon her mother had served for Sunday dinner. Even though all four of the Ahlfors children were no longer living in the family home, they all came together for dinner at least twice a month.
As usual, talk about Ahlfors Financial Management had dominated much of the conversation. Her father’s company had recently scored a big client; it was as if Christmas had come early for the men at the table. Vicki had allowed her mind to drift as her father and brothers strategized how best to capitalize on this boon to the business. Apparently she’d tuned them out to the point that she hadn’t heard Terrance calling her name.
“I asked how things were coming along with the toy drive?” her brother said. “We’ll have to start distributing the toys soon, won’t we?”
Her spine went rigid. “Terrance, I told you weeks ago that I wouldn’t be able to work on the toy drive this year.”
His eyes widened with shock. “You haven’t done anything?”
“I told you I couldn’t,” Vicki stressed. “I’ve taken on several new clients at Petals and they all had big projects for the holidays.”
“Oh, come on, Vicki. You’ve got to be kidding me. All this time I thought you were handling things.”
“So there’s no toy drive this year?” her father asked. “Isn’t the local paper coming to do a story on it?”
Everyone around the table looked to her. Vicki put her hands up. “Don’t blame me,” she said. “I specifically told you all that I wouldn’t be able to take on as many projects this year.”
“But the toy drive is your thing,” Terrance said.
“No, it’s not. It’s your thing,” Vicki countered.
Her brother had first come up with the idea for AFM to sponsor an annual toy drive, but that was where his input ended. For years
Vicki had planned and organized the drive, collecting the toys and coordinating with local charities and children’s hospitals to see that they were distributed. The only time Terrance made an appearance was when it came time for the local media to do a human-interest story.
And was her name ever mentioned? Of course it wasn’t!
It had never been about praise and acclaim for her. The driving force behind why she’d happily coordinated the event in the past was because she loved seeing the kids’ faces when the wrapped gifts were placed in their hands. It broke her heart knowing that, for some, it was probably the only gift they would receive for the holidays.
And now some of those kids wouldn’t even get that gift.
“I can’t believe you dropped the ball like this, Vicki,” Terrance said.
“I dropped the ball?”
“Yes! How will it look when the paper comes and we have to tell them there’s no toy drive? You should have—”
“Everybody calm down,” Spence interrupted in his calm voice. “This is easily solvable.” He pulled his wallet from his pocket and tossed a credit card on her placemat. “Go to the toy store tomorrow and just buy a bunch of toys. See, problem solved.”
“It isn’t that simple,” Vicki said, tossing the credit card back at him. “I don’t have time to go toy shopping.”
“What else do you have to do with your time?” Jacob said with a snort.
Vicki slammed her fork down. “Kiss my ass, Jacob.”
“Vicki!” her mother yelped.
“I’m tired of the way everyone in this family thinks that they have the right to decide how I’m going to spend my time.”
“I understand that you’re upset,” her mother said, “but can you please watch your language at the dinner table?”
Vicki huffed out a humorless laugh. “Seriously? With all that’s been said in the past ten minutes, my saying ass is what bothers you?”
“There’s no need for the sarcasm,” her father said.
“I agree with Vicki,” Terrance said. “If Mom’s going to point out something, she should point out her daughter’s selfishness.”
“Selfishness!” Vicki saw red. She stared her brother down. “For the past five years you’ve strutted around this town accepting praise for that toy drive when you know damn well you don’t lift a finger to put it on. If this toy drive really mattered to you, you would have started looking for an alternative from the moment I told you I couldn’t do it.”
“I’m busy.”
“And I’m not?”
Terrance rolled his eyes. “Here we go again with the hardworking florist. Remind me again how much time it takes to shave thorns off rose stems.”
Vicki put her hands up. “I’m done. I don’t need this.” She pushed away from the table and tossed her cloth napkin over her barely touched food.
“Vicki, please sit down,” her mother begged.
“So I can be subjected to this? I don’t think so. Besides, I have work to do,” she said. “Unlike some people, as a small-business owner I don’t have the luxury of taking the weekends off.”
The last thing Vicki observed as she stormed out of the dining room was how much all the men in her family resembled each other when all their mouths were left hanging wide-open.
Without much thought to where she was going, she got behind the wheel of her car and headed below the bay, driving straight to Jordan’s. She didn’t even think to call to see if he was at home. It didn’t matter at this point. If he was not there, she would wait in his driveway until he arrived. She needed to see him. She craved his steadiness right now. She needed someone who was willing to take care of her for a change.
Jordan was in his front yard when she pulled up to the house. A trio of wired lit reindeers now decorated the lawn.
A huge smile broke out over his face the moment he saw her, and just like that, everything in Vicki’s world seemed right again. She got out of the car and ran right into his arms, leaning her head against his chest and wrapping her arms around him.
“Hey,” he said, smoothing a hand down her back. “What’s going on?”
“I just need you to hold me.” She wiped her eyes on his soft lamb’s-wool jacket. They stood there for several moments, quietly holding on to each other.
“You have new holiday decorations,” Vicki remarked.
“I wanted to surprise Mason. He enjoyed the ones at Bright Lights at Forest Park so much.”
Vicki looked up at him. “You’re such a wonderful father.”
He grinned. “I’m trying.”
“Where is he?”
“Sandra agreed to watch him. I wanted to get some work done.”
“I’m sorry,” Vicki said. “I knew I should have called before just coming over.”
He reached down and took her chin in his fingers. “Never feel sorry for coming here. You’re always more than welcome to stop by whenever your pretty little heart desires.”
He sure knew exactly what to say to make her pretty little heart beat faster.
“Work can wait,” Jordan continued. “What do you say we go inside and pop open a bottle of wine, and you can tell me what prompted this particular visit. I can tell that whatever it is, it has you upset.”
She nodded and followed him into the house. Ten minutes later, ensconced in the steadiness of his arms as she sat with her back against his chest on the sofa in the great room, Vicki told him about the argument she and her brothers had had over Sunday dinner.
“I’m just fed up with them never taking me seriously, and always taking me for granted. It’s at the point where they barely ask anymore. It’s just automatically assumed that Vicki will take care of everything.”
“You probably don’t want to hear this, but it’s not entirely their fault,” Jordan said. “You share some of the blame here.”
She looked up at him over her shoulder. “Excuse me?”
“Besides now, of all those times they demanded you take care of something, how many of those times did you tell them no?” he asked. “Especially when you knew you didn’t have the time?”
“That’s not fair. I’ve always gone out of my way to make the time.”
“That’s my point,” Jordan said. “Face it, Vicki. You’ve made it too easy for your family. The reason they automatically assume you’re going to handle everything is because you always do. They don’t have to worry that something won’t get done because you go out of your way to make sure that everyone else is taken care of.”
“You say that as if there’s something wrong with being helpful.”
“That’s not what I’m saying at all.” He turned her around and wrapped his arms around her, settling his hands at the small of her back. “What I’m saying is that you need to stop being everything for everybody. I’ve had to learn that the hard way,” he said.
“So you’re a pushover, too?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Not exactly.”
He motioned for her to scoot to the other side of the sofa. Vicki knew what was coming next. She moved to the other end and placed her feet in his lap. Jordan took her right foot between his hands and began massaging her sole with the pad of his thumbs. She damn near melted all over his sofa.
Vicki was still amazed whenever she took the time to consider how easily they had fallen into this comfortable place. In her previous relationships—not that there had been many—it had taken months to find the same level of familiarity and contentment that had taken her and Jordan only weeks to discover.
“What did you mean when you said you’ve had to learn your lesson the hard way?” Vicki asked, retrieving the glass of wine from the coffee table.
“My problem is that I have a hard time delegating responsibility,” Jordan said. “You know the saying ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself’? Well, that’s been my motto for way too long. Take the election, for example. I started out as a volunteer on Oliver’s team, and then when his campaign manager had to resign, I stepped into that
role. I didn’t like his pollster’s methods, so pretty soon I was doing that job, too.”
“The man who wears many hats,” she remarked.
“Too many hats,” he said. “If it’s something I really believe in, I tend to take ownership over it. And when things don’t work out to my expectations, I’m extrahard on myself.”
She tilted her head to the side and studied him. “That’s why you won’t let this election go, isn’t it?”
“Probably.” He shook his head. “I still don’t understand how Oliver could let it go so quickly, though.”
“What I don’t understand is what it is about Oliver Windom that attracted you to his campaign. Don’t get me wrong, he seems like a good guy—at least what I know about him from his campaign appearances during the election—but what made him a better candidate than Darren Howerton in your eyes?”
Jordan’s fingers stilled for just a moment before he continued massaging her foot. Thank goodness he hadn’t stopped. Vicki would be just fine having him pay such attention to her aching soles for the next hour.
“Oliver seemed different,” Jordan began. “He’s not the same old politician. He has fresh ideas. He would bring something new to the legislature.”
“And you don’t think Darren is capable of doing the same?”
“I have nothing against Darren. Our families have known each other for ages. Hell, Darren Jr. and I went through Wintersage Academy together. But Darren Sr. is of the same ilk as the previous state representative.”
“So you decided to back Oliver because he was different.”
“Actually, one of the driving forces behind why I chose to back Oliver is because he agreed to support Mass Mentors.”
“Well, I can’t argue with that reasoning. It’s such a special program,” Vicki said. “It’s been a blessing not only to the kids who are a part of it, but to the businesses that support the program, as well.”
“I didn’t even know about Mass Mentors until last year when an old college friend asked me to do a job-shadowing thing for a day. He’s one of the cofounders.”
“Really?” she asked, her brows arching in surprise.
Jordan nodded. “Instead of continuing on to law school, he started Mass Mentors to expose underprivileged youth to opportunities beyond what they would find in their neighborhoods. How could I not get behind something like that?” He put a hand to his chest. “I know my family has been blessed. It was never a question of whether or not I would go to college, or how it would be paid for when I got there. Some of these kids have the brightest minds I’ve ever seen, Vicki. They just have never had anyone to show them their full potential.”
A Mistletoe Affair (Mills & Boon Kimani) (Wintersage Weddings - Book 3) Page 14