Page 75 of Then Came Love
“You’re taking on a lot, meeting with Reggie and potentially opening up her sister’s case again,” his father said. “On one hand, I’m so damn proud of you, and on the other, I’m worried for both of you.”
“We know the odds are against us finding her, and I’m sure it’ll be agonizing in many ways if she decides to reopen the investigation. But Jordan believes her sister is alive, and there is nothing I won’t do to help her try to figure out what happened. I’ll make sure she’s supported every step of the way, no matter what.”
“And we’ll make sure you are,” Nick said. “Sorry about the shit I said about being a rebound. I didn’t know she’d been into you since last summer, too.”
“No sweat.”
“Do you want me and Char to go with you to New York?” Beau asked. “We’ve both lost people we love. We could be a comfort to her.”
“I appreciate that, but I think we’ve got this.” He talked with them for a little while longer, catching stolen glances from Jordan. She was glowing as she chatted with the girls.
When he finally went back to the table, Jillian was talking a mile a minute. “There are ten bridesmaids, and Katrina wants unique designs for each one.”
“New project?” Jax asked as he sat beside Jordan and slid his arm around her waist.
“Yes, and I want to take it on, but I’m starting Johnny Butthead—I mean Bad’s—project soon, and once I start, I won’t have much free time.”
“Do you mean the Johnny Bad? The rock star?” Jordan asked.
“Yes, but he’s a real self-centered you-know-what. He’s already rescheduled twice. As if my time isn’t important.” Jillian rolled her eyes.
“Most rock stars just need a stylist, but he wants a custom wardrobe, and Jilly isn’t used to working with divas,” Trixie chimed in.
“More than one diva in a room is too many.” Jillian wiggled her shoulders. “But as I was saying, I want to take on the bridesmaid gowns. If only I knew someone who could help me design them.”
“What about Jax?” Jordan asked.
“He’s all about bridal gowns, and he’s totally booked. But there is someone else at this table who could help me.” Jillian and the other girls all looked at Jordan.
Jax chuckled. “I think she means you, sweetheart.”
“Me?”Jordan looked at him like he was crazy.
“Yes!” Jillian exclaimed. “Jax showed me your sketches. I’m sorry, your doodles. I love your style, and he said you’re great to work with. So why not give it a try?”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I think you should do it,” Trixie said.
The other girls chimed in with their encouragement.
Jordan shook her head. “That sounds amazing, but I’m not a professional designer. I don’t have any idea what I’m doing.”
“Yes, you do.” Jax held her a little tighter. “You’re an excellent designer, and you’ll have Jilly to guide you.”
“Thanks, but when would I even do it?” she asked nervously. “I work full time, and you and I just got together. Don’t you want time for us?”
“There will always be time for us,” Jax promised. “I want you to realize all your dreams. Besides, you doodled the designs in the sketchbook. I’m sure you can find time if you want to. The question is, do you think you’d like to try it?”
She looked at Jillian. “Are you serious? You’re not just being nice?”
“I’m not that nice.” Jillian laughed. “I’ve been thinking about it since Jax showed me your sketches. You don’t have to decide tonight. We can get together in a few days to talk more about it, and if you decide to try and it ends up being too much, or you don’t enjoy it, then you can stop. No hard feelings.”
“Won’t that leave you in a bind with your client?” Jordan asked.
“No, because I’m taking credit for you coming here today, which means my overbooked brother owes me one.” Jillian flashed a cheesy grin.
Jordan turned to Jax. “I can’t do that to you.”
“You’re not. I’d help her no matter what, and she knows it.”
“In that case…” Jordan’s eyes lit up. “I’d love to try. But, Jilly, you have to promise that if you don’t like my designs, you’ll tell me.”
Jillian gave her a deadpan look. “Do I seem like the kind of girl who holds back?”
“Jilly couldn’t hold back if her life depended on it,” Carly chimed in.
“Okay, then,” Jordan said. “I’ll give it a try.”
“Yay! This is so exciting.” Jillian told Jordan about her client and her client’s vision for the bridesmaids’ dresses, and the two gabbed up a storm.
As the evening wore on, Jax showed Jordan around Nick and Trixie’s ranch, pulling her into an empty horse stall and kissing her breathless. She gushed over the animals almost as much as she loved the poster-sized pictures of him and Jillian. His family told her stories about when they were growing up, and she soaked it all in. When they sat down to eat, Graham and Morgyn told them about a new passive tiny house community they were developing with Graham’s business partner, Knox Bentley, whose wife, Aubrey, was one of the founders of LWW Enterprises and the force behind one of Char’s books being made into a movie.
“They finally finished filming,” Char said. “You’ll all have to come to the red-carpet premiere. I’ll let you know when I get the date.”
“We’re all so proud of you, Char. We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” his mother said.
