“She won’t bother me nearly as much if she thinks you’re filling in for her.”
“Huh?” He stood where he was, shaking his head. “I don’t get it.”
“Oh, you will,” she assured him, a tiny smile lifting the edges of her lips. “You most certainly will.”
Chapter Four
“Y ou’re late, Lyn,” Jordan chided Friday night, almost a week later. He straightened from his leaning position against his car and took her arm to walk her to the front door of her new home.
“I know. Two clients showed up after their scheduled times.” She opened the door and ushered him into the foyer. “I just want to change and then we can leave. Where are we having dinner?” she called over her shoulder.
It took only a moment to unlock the door and then they were inside. In the days since Jordan had reentered her life, eating together had become a ritual. He would either show up on her doorstep with take-out food or insist on escorting her to a restaurant. He claimed it was because of his mother. He’d even shown up once for lunch, drawing surprised stares from her co-workers. Now her friends Beth and Maryann were full of questions.
“Have a seat. I’ll be down in a few minutes.” She scooted up the stairs to change clothes.
In some ways Caitlin was grateful for Jordan’s attentions. She hated cooking after a long day at work and would have happily settled for hot buttered toast and tea even though she knew the folly of such a diet. Under Jordan’s insistence she ate a nutritious dinner without all the work of preparing it and none of the tedium of cleaning up afterward.
Then too, there was Eliza. As long as Jordan kept coming over, his mother seemed perfectly happy working on the Thanksgiving decorations for the annual fellowship supper. Caitlin felt confident that if she could only keep abreast of Eliza’s doings, as reported by Jordan, and keep herself out of her motherin-law’s path, she couldn’t possibly divulge any more secrets. The fact that Eliza sent Jordan over to Wintergreen on the most minor of things didn’t bother Caitlin at all. In fact, it was nice to have him to talk to.
But some evenings, like tonight, Caitlin would have preferred to stay at home and read a book in front of the roaring fire in Wintergreen. The old house seemed to wrap its arms around her and she’d felt comfortable there from the first night.
“Lyn? Hey, did you hear anything I just said?”
Jordan’s voice from the bottom of the steps pulled her from her musings and Caitlin tugged on her maternity pants, sweater and sneakers without further hesitation.
“Be there in a minute.”
“How about Giorgio’s?” he called up the stairs.
“Sounds fine to me.” She took a deep breath and let the busyness of work drain away. “I’m ready.”
An hour later, she stared at him across the table in a low-lit family restaurant. It was comfortable but not intimidating and she loved the wonderful pasta dishes Giorgio’s served.
“What did you do today?” she asked, curious about his work. Since he had bounded back into her life, his days seemed to be full of plans for bigger and better computer systems.
“Let’s see. We got that contract in London for the security order, so I’ve been trying to map out exactly how soon we can fill those needs.”
A tremor of fear coursed through her veins. “Does that mean you’re going overseas again?” she queried softly, half afraid to hear his answer.
“Nope.” He grinned that boyish smirk that made him look younger than his twenty-nine years. “Bank securities are my partner Devon’s specialty. When the times comes, he’ll go.”
Caitlin relaxed and then realized that what she really felt was relief. It wasn’t a good sign. She couldn’t allow herself to rely on Jordan. Or anyone else. God intended for her to manage things herself.
“I’ve got a deal pending in Banff that could be a biggie if I can land it,” he told her as they discussed the computer firm Jordan
“Huh?” He stood where he was, shaking his head. “I don’t get it.”
“Oh, you will,” she assured him, a tiny smile lifting the edges of her lips. “You most certainly will.”
Chapter Four
“Y ou’re late, Lyn,” Jordan chided Friday night, almost a week later. He straightened from his leaning position against his car and took her arm to walk her to the front door of her new home.
“I know. Two clients showed up after their scheduled times.” She opened the door and ushered him into the foyer. “I just want to change and then we can leave. Where are we having dinner?” she called over her shoulder.
It took only a moment to unlock the door and then they were inside. In the days since Jordan had reentered her life, eating together had become a ritual. He would either show up on her doorstep with take-out food or insist on escorting her to a restaurant. He claimed it was because of his mother. He’d even shown up once for lunch, drawing surprised stares from her co-workers. Now her friends Beth and Maryann were full of questions.
“Have a seat. I’ll be down in a few minutes.” She scooted up the stairs to change clothes.
In some ways Caitlin was grateful for Jordan’s attentions. She hated cooking after a long day at work and would have happily settled for hot buttered toast and tea even though she knew the folly of such a diet. Under Jordan’s insistence she ate a nutritious dinner without all the work of preparing it and none of the tedium of cleaning up afterward.
Then too, there was Eliza. As long as Jordan kept coming over, his mother seemed perfectly happy working on the Thanksgiving decorations for the annual fellowship supper. Caitlin felt confident that if she could only keep abreast of Eliza’s doings, as reported by Jordan, and keep herself out of her motherin-law’s path, she couldn’t possibly divulge any more secrets. The fact that Eliza sent Jordan over to Wintergreen on the most minor of things didn’t bother Caitlin at all. In fact, it was nice to have him to talk to.
But some evenings, like tonight, Caitlin would have preferred to stay at home and read a book in front of the roaring fire in Wintergreen. The old house seemed to wrap its arms around her and she’d felt comfortable there from the first night.
“Lyn? Hey, did you hear anything I just said?”
Jordan’s voice from the bottom of the steps pulled her from her musings and Caitlin tugged on her maternity pants, sweater and sneakers without further hesitation.
“Be there in a minute.”
“How about Giorgio’s?” he called up the stairs.
“Sounds fine to me.” She took a deep breath and let the busyness of work drain away. “I’m ready.”
An hour later, she stared at him across the table in a low-lit family restaurant. It was comfortable but not intimidating and she loved the wonderful pasta dishes Giorgio’s served.
“What did you do today?” she asked, curious about his work. Since he had bounded back into her life, his days seemed to be full of plans for bigger and better computer systems.
“Let’s see. We got that contract in London for the security order, so I’ve been trying to map out exactly how soon we can fill those needs.”
A tremor of fear coursed through her veins. “Does that mean you’re going overseas again?” she queried softly, half afraid to hear his answer.
“Nope.” He grinned that boyish smirk that made him look younger than his twenty-nine years. “Bank securities are my partner Devon’s specialty. When the times comes, he’ll go.”
Caitlin relaxed and then realized that what she really felt was relief. It wasn’t a good sign. She couldn’t allow herself to rely on Jordan. Or anyone else. God intended for her to manage things herself.
“I’ve got a deal pending in Banff that could be a biggie if I can land it,” he told her as they discussed the computer firm Jordan
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