Another Chance with You

by Jacquelin Thomas

  He believed that she had experienced that same jolt when their gazes met and held. Or maybe it was just his imagination. He sighed deeply.

  Seven o’clock couldn’t come fast enough for him.

  Chapter 6

  Jadin looked down at the baggy sweatpants and T-shirt she was wearing. Landon was due to arrive at any moment.

  Maybe I should change clothes.

  She dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come. Why am I worried about what he’s going to think? This was part of her normal routine. As soon as she arrived home, Jadin sought comfortable clothing.

  The doorbell sounded.

  Jadin opened the door. “I see you’re still very prompt. I guess some things never change.”

  He smiled. “I see you still like your sweats.”

  “We can talk in the living room,” she said.

  He followed her.

  Once they were seated, Jadin stated, “Landon, I thought about what you said, and I agree that we didn’t really give the marriage a chance. I ran home to Charleston and never looked back, but in the back of my mind, I’ve always wondered if we could have worked.” She held up her left hand. “Michael took back his engagement ring. Even if he hadn’t, I would have given it to him.”

  “So, does this mean that you’re giving us a chance?”

  “It’s not like I had a real choice in the matter.”

  “Jadin, I want you to be as fully committed as I am in this marriage. If you’re not, then it’s not going to work.”

  “Where are you staying?” she asked.

  “The Mills House Hotel.”

  “If we’re going to try to make this work, then I guess you might as well move in here with me. I have an extra bedroom—that’s where you’ll be sleeping.”

  “I’m fine with that for now,” Landon replied. “At some point, though, that will need to change if we want to have a real marriage.”

  “Why did you really leave the Secret Service?” Jadin inquired, changing the subject. “I know you didn’t just do it for me.”

  “There were several reasons,” Landon said. “Most of it had to do with the many hours of unpaid overtime, the salary cap... I no longer saw the benefits. The other reason had to do with Uncle Tim. Did you hear about the attempt on Congressman Mitchell’s life? It’s been almost a year now.”

  “I read about it,” she responded.

  “My uncle was on his protection detail and he took two bullets...one in the leg and the other in his back. It was fortunate that no permanent damage was done, but it forced us both to examine what we wanted out of life. My uncle decided to retire. He finally got married a couple of months back. I realized that I wanted nothing more than to be with the woman I loved—you.”

  “I’m glad to hear that your uncle survived. I know how close you two are.” She smiled. “Does he still make gumbo for you every Christmas?”

  “He does,” Landon responded. “I almost reached out to you when he got shot, but I figured it wasn’t the right time.”

  “I don’t know if there would have ever been a right time.”

  “You’re probably correct,” he said.

  “What I don’t like about this is that you manipulated me, Landon. This was a card you could play at any time,” she said. “You could control my life.”

  “I wasn’t trying to control you, Jadin.”

  “Really? Be honest, Landon. It thrills you that I had to walk away from the man I wanted to marry.”

  His eyes searched her own. “Is that what you really want? To marry Michael? Because if you do, then there’s no point going through with a sham of a marriage. If you really want to be with Michael...”

  “Landon, I’m choosing to give our marriage a chance. But I can’t pretend that I haven’t been involved with another man for three years.” Jadin did not share that there were some things in her relationship with Michael that gave her pause. All he needed to know was that she was committed to working on her marriage.

  “I don’t want you to feel as if your hands are tied, Jadin.”

  “Despite the way this all came about, I made my decision of my own free will.”

  He relaxed visibly.

  “Landon, there’s something else you need to know. I’m representing Blaine Herndon. I disclosed our relationship to him and he still wants me to be his lawyer.”

  * * *

  This is the last thing Jadin and I need—to be on opposite sides of the same case. Marriage was for a lifetime. Or at least Landon intended it to be, but he wasn’t so sure his already-fragile one could survive something like this. Both of their careers were at stake with such a high-profile case. “Can’t you get it reassigned to one of the other attorneys in your firm?”

  “I could, but why should I?” she asked. “Blaine Herndon specifically asked that I represent him.”

  Landon did not respond.

  “Do you have a problem with this?”

  “No...it’s fine, Jadin.”

  She looked into his eyes and he hoped she saw the determination, the drive and steely ambition. He felt centered and focused. Goal oriented. Jadin had admitted to admiring those qualities about him. He had always been a hard worker and did not allow anything to distract him from his mission. “You want this case more than anything, don’t you?”

  “I do. It would be a high mark for my career as a prosecutor.”

  There had to be a way for them to do their jobs and still work on their marriage. For years, Landon had an intrinsic faith that things would work out in the end, so what he needed to do was stop worrying and act.

  He reached inside his blazer and pulled out an envelope from the inside pocket.

  Landon looked up to see that Jadin had one in her hand, as well.

  They burst into laughter.

  “I wasn’t sure you remembered,” he said.

  “Just because I believed we were divorced, doesn’t mean that I would ever forget the day we got married. Happy anniversary.”

  Landon smiled. “Happy anniversary.”

  He took this as a sign of better things to come.

  * * *

  The next day, Jadin left work early to prepare the guest room for Landon. He had checked out of the hotel earlier in the day. They were starting their life together as husband and wife.

  It surprised her at how peaceful she felt in her decision. For some time after Landon left the night before, Jadin felt a warm glow. She clung to the memories of their time together in law school and of the day she married him.

  The realization hit her that she never had experienced the same feelings with Michael, but then he was not a very romantic man. He would often say, “Romantic people believe in the ideal love they see on television. These types of people are obsessed with romantic movies, songs and finding their soul mates. That’s not me. I think about love with my mind and my decision is based on logic. For example, you and I—we have common interests and you’re beautiful... Our relationship can work.”

  Jadin was applying the finishing touch to the bed when a car door slammed. She could not see the vehicle, but a quiver along her spine told her it was Landon before she reached the door and peered outside.

  Sure enough, he was skirting around the front of an SUV. Jadin pressed a hand to her heart, trying to calm the thumping there.

  He was early.

  She opened the door before he had time to knock.

  They stared at each other. Long, muscled legs filled out faded jeans, and he wore a plain navy T-shirt that accentuated the broadness of his torso. Jadin didn’t know what to say, and as the silence stretched out, she grew more and more uncomfortable. She chewed on her bottom lip, while Landon stood so still, she could barely make out the slight rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. It was like he was waiting to see what she would say before he decided what to do
.

  “Good evening.” He smiled, but his eyes were focused on her lips, which she was still biting nervously.

  “You’re early.” The words came out more sharply than Jadin had intended, but the fact of the matter was she was more affected by his appearance than she cared to admit.

  His jaw ticked ever so slightly in response to her tone. “It’s one of the qualities you used to appreciate about me.”

  “I still do,” she responded. “Landon, I’m just a bit nervous about all this—you living here.”

  “I know we have to give it some time. But you should start to feel more comfortable around me before long.”

  “You sound really confident.”

  “That’s because I am,” Landon replied.

  “I should give you a tour of the place.”

  He followed her from room to room.

  “I guess we will have to share the office,” Jadin said when she walked into the guest room, where he would be staying.

  “I can put a desk in here,” Landon said. “There’s enough room.”

  They stood at the end of the queen-size bed. Jadin looked around. “Yeah, I guess you could.”

  “I have another box in the car.” Landon left the room and went downstairs.

  Jadin heard the front door open and close.

  Minutes later, she heard Landon come back inside the house.

  She walked out of the room in time to see Landon coming up the stairs. Jadin blew out a breath, wondering how they were going to survive the next twelve months.

  They ordered pizza for dinner.

  “Do you feel as awkward as I do?” she asked.

  “Incredibly.”

  They burst into laughter.

  The laugh had done much to dissolve the polite tension that had risen between them.

  “Landon, I don’t want you to feel out of place. I want you to feel like this is your home, too.”

  “I want that, too. More than anything, I want the life we should have had together.”

  Jadin pointed to the pizza. “You want another slice?”

  “Sure.” He smiled. “I see you remembered how I like it. Pepperoni, sausage, onions and black olives.”

  “How could I forget? You ate it for like three months straight our first year in law school.”

  Landon chuckled. “Hey, it was all I could afford.” Giving her a sidelong glance, he asked, “Is that why you started inviting me over for dinner?”

  “I knew that you couldn’t survive on pizza alone.” Jadin handed him a tiny box.

  He opened it, revealing a key and a card.

  “That’s your key, the code to the alarm system and the Wi-Fi password. I also have a garage opener for you, but it wouldn’t fit in the box.”

  Landon kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  The smoldering flame she saw in his eyes drew her like a magnet and brought long-buried emotions to life. His nearness made her senses spin.

  The evening was quiet, with only the fading sounds of birds echoing through the soft twilight. Landon had disappeared shortly after they had eaten, leaving for the gym.

  Jadin sat outside and rocked gently in the porch swing, listening to the sounds of impending night and watching the moonrise off to her left. There was an owl somewhere close by, his call echoing plaintively as she caught sight of headlights approaching from the street.

  He was back.

  Jadin watched the garage door open as Landon pulled his car inside.

  Minutes later, he appeared as she rocked the swing, sending it swaying gently back and forth.

  “How was your workout?” Jadin asked.

  “Grueling but good.”

  She smiled up at him, pointing. “There’s an owl over there somewhere. I love the sounds of nature.”

  “I remember,” Landon responded. “You were always wanting to go camping.”

  “You loved sleeping in the outdoors. Admit it.”

  He grinned. “I enjoyed it with you.”

  Landon sat down beside her, and they rocked in companionable silence as the night deepened.

  It was a marvel how they could sit and not feel the need to speak. It was one of the things Jadin most enjoyed about his company. It was comfortable.

  “My parents invited us over for dinner on Sunday. The whole family gets together, and it rotates from one house to the other. It’s our thing.”

  “That’s fine,” Landon responded. “I’m looking forward to it. It’ll give me a chance to redeem myself with your parents. I don’t think I made a very good first impression.”

  “Just be prepared to be grilled about your entire life.”

  He laughed.

  “I’m serious,” Jadin stated. “They are going to want to know everything there is to know about you.”

  “Did they do this to the guy Jordin married?”

  “They’ve known Ethan since he was eleven or twelve,” she responded with a grin. “Are you scared?”

  Landon shook his head no. “Nah...should I be?”

  “I guess we’ll see on Sunday.” Jadin stopped swinging and rose to her feet. “I’m tired, so I’m going to call it a night. I’ll see you in the morning.” She paused in the doorway. “I usually grab some toast and a boiled egg for breakfast.”

  “I get up early enough to cook,” Landon said. “I’ll have something prepared for you by the time you’re ready to leave.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “You’re my wife. It will be my pleasure. Besides, you need to eat more than just an egg and toast.”

  Landon got up and walked to where she was standing. He turned to face her, his warm gaze delving into hers, drawing her in and making her thoughts drift away on the evening breeze. He planted a soft kiss on her lips, then said, “Good night.”

  Jadin stepped away from him. “Good night,” she murmured.

  Upstairs in her room, she still felt the warmth of his kiss. At least she imagined she could. After all this time, Landon still had a strong effect on her.

  She felt a thread of guilt over the way her red blood cells had instantly responded to his kiss with the shocking eagerness of a young girl experiencing her first love. Their connection had short-circuited all the hormones she had placed in cold storage until she and Michael could be together.

  One kiss from Landon, and they had instantly defrosted.

  Chapter 7

  Landon punched his pillow with his fist. He was having a tough time sleeping, knowing that Jadin was just down the hall. Although she tried to keep her expression blank, he knew that their connection was still very much alive. He caught a glimpse of it in her eyes right before she walked away.

  He knew that she believed her heart belonged to Michael, but Jadin was wrong. Landon was convinced that there was still a part of her heart that belonged only to him. Just in the brief time that he was in Michael’s presence, he could tell that the man was all wrong for Jadin. In time, she would realize it, as well.

  Landon had no doubt that Michael was a good man. He was just not the right one for Jadin.

  She is my wife. I should be in bed with her.

  He did not need excuses or reasons why he was so determined to win Jadin back. It was clear. She was his wife and soul mate. They belonged together.

  “I have to get my wife back,” he whispered. “There is no me without her.”

  Landon lay on his side, listening to the heavy silence and wondering if Jadin was having as tough a time sleeping. His body hungered for hers, but it was too soon for intimacy. He was willing to wait until Jadin was ready, even if it killed him.

  He finally gave up on sleep and got out of bed.

  Landon left his room and went downstairs. On nights he could not sleep, he would make himself a cup of tea. He knew Jadin was a tea drinker a
s well, so he was sure he could find some in the kitchen.

  * * *

  Jadin was sitting in her office in front of her laptop when she heard Landon coming down the steps. She had not been able to sleep, so she decided that she could get a head start on her work.

  She got up and opened her door tentatively.

  He went into the kitchen.

  “Landon?” she called out.

  “Did I wake you?” he asked.

  Jadin walked out to where he could see her. “No, I was actually down here, trying to get some work done.”

  “You can’t sleep, either?” Landon opened the door to the pantry. “Is this where you keep the tea?”

  “Yeah,” she responded. “On the second shelf.”

  He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Do you normally have problems sleeping?”

  Jadin sat down in one of the chairs at the counter and played with the vase of flowers in front of her. “No, not really. You?”

  Landon shook his head no.

  “Do you think it’s because we’re nervous?”

  He grinned. “I’m not nervous, Jadin.”

  “Whatever...” she muttered. His presence gave her unexpected joy. It reminded her of the late nights they spent studying and writing legal briefs.

  “I know this feels a bit strange,” Landon said as he poured hot water into two cups. “If you want to know what’s really keeping me up—”

  “I do,” Jadin quickly interjected.

  “It’s you. It’s hard to sleep knowing that you—my wife—are sleeping just down the hall. You’re so close, but there’s still a gulf between us.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Don’t apologize, Jadin. None of this is your fault.” Landon handed her a mug.

  “Thanks.”

  “I don’t want this transition to be uncomfortable for you.” He took a sip of tea. “I’m going to only ask this one more time. Are you really sure about this, Jadin?”

  “You wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”

  Jadin had always thought she would find her soul mate, be married and have children of her own by now. Maybe that was why she was so willing to settle down with Michael. She certainly did not want to be miserable in a mismatched marriage. This was why she wanted to give her marriage to Landon a chance.