Page 11 of Then Came Love
Chapter Three
JORDAN PROBABLY SHOULD have refused Jax’s dinner invitation, but she hadn’t wanted their day together to end. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d talked so openly about her family. It was cathartic, as if she’d finally allowed herself to expose a dirty secret that had been eating away at her. Only it wasn’t a dirty secret. It was the most important thing she thought about day and night, and Jax had treated it as such. He hadn’t tried to hurry her along or shut her down the way Todd or her aunt and uncle did.
She glanced at him as he turned off the main road, and the flutters in her chest that had stuck with her all day turned to something deeper. Sure, he was strikingly handsome, but that’s not what she saw this time. She saw the caring man who encouraged her to hold on to her hope. The man who had looked gutted when he’d learned the truth about her family and had held her when she’d needed it, so different from what her life with Todd had become. But Jax had called her noble, and she wasn’t. She was selfish for putting her hopes ahead of her relationship.
Jax glanced over as he turned down a residential street. “You okay?”
“Mm-hm.” He pulled into the driveway of an enormous brick and stone manor-style house. “Whose house is this?”
“My parents’. I need to pick up my dog, Coco. It’ll only take a few minutes. She usually stays with a nanny while I’m at work, but it’s Sunday, so she got to be spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa instead.”
“Your dog has a nanny?”
“Of course. Would you leave a two-year-old home alone?”
“We are talking about a dog, right?”
“Yes. But she gets lonely when she’s home alone, and with Heidi, her nanny, she goes on walks, plays with other dogs, and gets lots of love.”
Who was this man that worried about his dog being lonely? Todd was so busy at work, he didn’t even know where Jordan was most of the time, much less asked if she got lonely. “I think it’s great. I’ve just never heard of anyone having a nanny for their dog.”
“That’s because you don’t live in a booming metropolis like the Big Apple or LA, where everyone’s dog has a nanny. The way I see it, Coco will only live for ten to fifteen years, and it’s my job to make sure every one of them is as good as it can be.”
That makes you a little irresistible.She caught herself as the thought hit and added, As a friend. Geez…“What kind of dog is she?”
“An Australian retriever. Nick’s golden retriever had a tryst with his neighbor’s Australian shepherd, and Coco is from that litter.”
He climbed out of the car and came around to open her door. As she took his hand and stepped out of the car, she said, “Coco is lucky to have you.”
“Thanks, but I think it’s the other way around.” They headed up to the front door. “Do you have any pets?”
“No. I always wanted a dog. Even more so after losing my family because they symbolize hope. But my uncle was allergic, and Todd said it’s too hard to have a dog in the city, so I never got one.”
“I know plenty of people who have dogs in the city, but to each his own.”
“Do you ever feel guilty for working long hours?”
As they climbed the front steps, he said, “I don’t usually work many evenings or weekends, and I’m pretty sure once Coco meets you, she won’t mind the exception.”
He opened the front door, and as they walked in, Jordan’s nerves prickled. What would his parents think about them going to dinner together? Just as the thought hit, an adorable fluffy tan and white dog bounded down the hallway.
“There’s my girl.” Jax scooped up his pooch, letting her lick his face. “Were you good for Grandma and Grandpa?”
“Jax, she’s beautiful. Can I pet her?”
“Absolutely.”
“Hi, sweetie.” She nuzzled against Coco’s fur, enjoying her puppy kisses. “No wonder your daddy spoils you. You’re the cutest girl around.”
“Did I hear someone call my granddog spoiled?” his mother asked as she came down the hall, casual in jeans and a navy sweater, her straight blond hair brushing her shoulders. Jax set Coco down, and she trotted over to his mother, who petted her.
“I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” Jordan reassured her.
“I was only kidding, honey. Jax’s little princess is most certainly spoiled.” His mother hugged her. “What a lovely surprise, seeing you again.”
As his mother embraced him, Jordan was struck by how warmly she’d welcomed her. Todd’s parents were kind but chilly, and she and Todd would never show up at their house unannounced. Todd considered it a rude intrusion. She’d never really thought much about that until now.
“Our meeting ran a little late, so I convinced Jordan to have dinner with me. I thought we’d go to Travilla’s and take Coco with us.” Travilla’s was an old farmhouse that had been converted into a pet-friendly bed-and-breakfast and outdoor café on the outskirts of town.
“The café can be crowded on Sundays. Why don’t you join us for dinner?” his mother suggested. “We’re having one of your favorites: spareribs with mint sauce and grilled vegetables, and we have three-berry tart pie and vanilla ice cream for dessert.”
“Sounds delicious. What do you think, Jordan? My mom is a great cook.”
“I don’t want to intrude on your family dinner. You stay. I can call an Uber to take me home. I have a spare key there, and I can come by tomorrow to get my bag from your office.”
Jax shook his head. “You’re kidding, right?”
