A Mistletoe Affair (8 page)

“Then what do you say we do a little ornament shopping?” Jordan said.

As they browsed the department store shelves stacked high with glittering hanging ornaments, fake fur-trimmed stockings and tree toppers, Vicki came to her most shocking realization of the night.

Jordan Woolcott was utterly charming.
And
funny.

To hear Sandra talk about her brother, one would think he was an oaf with zero personality.
He’s an attorney,
Sandra would always say, as if that explained it all.

But Jordan had no problem making a fool of himself in the middle of a crowded store, especially when it came to trying to get Mason to laugh. He grabbed a Santa hat from the shelf and plopped it atop his head. He put on a plastic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer nose that blinked like a beacon, then did an awful rendition of the beloved Christmas song, mixing up the words and skipping some lines entirely.

Vicki laughed until her eyes watered, but Mason’s crabbiness only grew.

Jordan’s shoulders sagged with defeat. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He woke up irritable and it’s just gotten worse as the day’s gone on.”

Frowning, Vicki took the baby out of the stroller and pressed her lips to his forehead. “He’s a little warm, but I can’t tell if it’s a fever. You wouldn’t happen to carry his thermometer in his diaper bag, would you?”

He shook his head. “It’s at the house, but I can get one from the pharmacy department.”

“Do it. It doesn’t hurt to have a spare, especially at his age. I’m going to bring him to the car and away from all this noise.”

Jordan gave her the keys before going off in search of a thermometer. Less than ten minutes later, Vicki spotted him exiting the store’s sliding doors, both hands burdened by several bags. He walked up to the passenger side and handed her a bag through the window.

“Can you open this up while I put these in the trunk?”

She hadn’t bothered to put Mason in his car seat, so the task of opening the ear thermometer’s hard plastic packaging wasn’t the easiest. By the time she got it open, Jordan had slid behind the wheel. Vicki held the squirming baby in her arms as Jordan placed the thermometer in his ear. A second later it beeped.

“Ninety-nine point one,” he said, looking at the readout.

“That’s not bad as far as fevers go, but apparently that’s enough to make him irritable,” Vicki said. “Do you have a fever reducer at home, or do you need to go back in and get one?”

“I have some at home from the summer cold he caught back in August.”

“I remember when he had that cold,” Vicki said, pressing a kiss to the side of Mason’s head. “I think he’ll be okay in a bit, once we get a little medicine in him.”

Jordan got out of the car and came around to her side. “Let me get him strapped into his car seat, then we can get out of this cold.”

He drove Vicki to the Victorian so she could pick up her car, but she insisted on following him back to his place to make sure all was well with Mason. When they arrived at his house, a Christmas tree wrapped in blue netting was leaning against the front door.

The tree, along with all of the ornaments, remained exactly where they were until after Jordan had given Mason some cherry-flavored syrup. Vicki carried Mason over to the sofa in the great room and watched while Jordan carted the bags of ornaments into the house.

Cuddling Mason to her chest, she folded her legs beneath her and pulled an afghan over the both of them. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she relished in the feel of the baby’s soft weight against her, so close to her heart. She murmured a soothing lullaby into Mason’s ear as she watched Jordan bring in the stand that had also been delivered with the tree. He set it up in the corner of the great room, and then he walked over to where she sat.

“Vicki, I don’t want to keep you here any longer than you need to be,” he said. “I’ll hold Mason until he falls asleep, then I’ll finish getting the tree up.”

“Jordan?”

“Yeah?”

“Get the tree,” she said.

His forehead creased in a frown. “Vicki, you don’t have—”

“As someone whose job calls on you to read people for a living, you should be able to tell that I am perfectly content right where I am.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure, Jordan.” With a brazenness the old Vicki never would have even contemplated displaying, she finished, “I can’t think of anywhere else I would rather be right now.”

That surge of electricity, the one she’d felt before leaving here Tuesday night, pulsed between them again.

“I can’t think of anyone else I would want to be here,” Jordan said in a voice so soft she could barely hear it, as if the admission both surprised and thrilled him as much as it surprised and thrilled her.

His eyes slid closed and he dropped his head, releasing a weary breath. He brought a hand up to massage the back of his neck before lifting his head and looking at her.

“What’s happening here?” he asked.

“You tell me, Jordan.”

She knew he was questioning his feelings again. She could tell by the confusion clouding his face.

He held his hands out, as if in a plea for her to understand. “I know what I’m feeling,” he said. “I just don’t know what to do about it. I don’t want to give you mixed signals.”

“Good, because I don’t want them.”

“I just need...” He shook his head again. “Can I take some time to figure this out? I feel what’s happening, but I need to be sure.”

“This doesn’t have to be complicated, Jordan.”

“That’s the thing. From here on out, it will always be complicated.”

Now it was her turn to look confused.

Before she could question him, he continued, “I accepted months ago that the choice to bring another woman into my life will never be an easy one. I’m more cautious now than I’ve ever been in the past. I have to be. I have Mason to consider.” He put a hand up before she could say anything. “I’m not suggesting that you would ever treat Mason unfairly in any way. The way you are with my son, the care you take with him, I can’t tell you how much that means to me, Vicki.”

He paused for a moment. “But it’s hard for me to drop my guard where he’s concerned. His own mother refuses to put him first. I have to make sure I’m with someone who will.”

“What makes you think I wouldn’t?” she asked.

“I know you would,” Jordan said. He shook his head. “But I still can’t help but feel cautious when it comes to him.”

“Here’s the thing, Jordan.” With the hand that wasn’t cradling Mason, she reached out and captured his wrist. “Whether or not you decide that you have romantic feelings for me, I would still do exactly what I’ve been doing as far as Mason is concerned. This little guy wormed his way into my heart from his very first visit to the Silk Sisters.” She paused for a moment before continuing in a softer voice. “But it’s my heart that I’m thinking about right now. I don’t want to be hurt.”

“I won’t hurt you. But I’ll be honest. This scares me, Vicki. I trusted my heart the last time, and look what happened.”

“Don’t make me pay for her mistakes,” Vicki said. “I’m nothing like Allison.”

“No, you’re not. I know that. But you also said you weren’t looking for casual, that you want serious. A part of me thinks I’m ready, but another part—”

“I have an idea,” Vicki said, cutting him off. Nothing good could come of him continuing to overanalyze his feelings like this. “Why don’t we just enjoy the time-honored tradition of putting up a Christmas tree? We can think about casual versus serious and just what all of that means later.” She pressed a kiss to Mason’s soft head, then looked up at Jordan. “Right now, I just want to enjoy this time with you and Mason.”

He shook his head, a grateful smile spreading across his face. “You have to be the most understanding woman I know,” he said. “I promise I’m going to figure this out—”

“Jordan, get the tree.”

He smiled again, then nodded. “I’ll get the tree.”

Chapter 6

T
he moment Jordan left the room, Vicki exhaled the unsteady breath she’d been holding in. Not too long ago, she would have shied away from what was happening between them, too afraid to take a chance.

But things were different now.
She
was different. She was no longer willing to sit on her feelings. She was putting it all out there, and whatever happened, happened.

Vicki didn’t even try to hide her amusement as Jordan struggled to get the eight-foot tree through the door. Back at the tree lot, she’d told him that he would be just fine with a small five-footer, but he had proclaimed that if he was going to get a tree, it would be a
real
tree.

He set it up in the corner of the great room and filled the stand with water, then turned to her. “This feels more significant than I thought it would,” he said.

“Having a tree?”

He nodded. “It’s yet another of those milestones, you know? House, kid, Christmas tree. I’m gradually moving into this new phase of my life. At one time it scared me, but I’m beginning to realize that I’ve been ready for this for a long time now. I’m enjoying all of these new experiences.”

She had been insanely attracted to him well before fatherhood had turned him into this insightful person who actually took the time to appreciate something as simple as decorating for the holidays. To see him embracing life’s simple pleasures made him a thousand times sexier.

He clapped his hands together. “Now that I have the tree, I guess it’s time to put stuff on it.” He reached over and lifted Mason from her arms. “Let’s see if my little man is feeling well enough to help out.”

Vicki looked on as Jordan showed Mason how to hang the ornaments. Her chest swelled with emotion every time he put his hand up for a high five and Mason responded with an awkward little slap of his palm. This was all beginning to feel too domestic for her own good.

Instead of shying away from it in an attempt to shield her heart—just in case Jordan decided he really didn’t feel the same way about her as she felt about him—Vicki decided to hold on tighter. She would enjoy this while she had the chance and deal with the consequences later.

“You know what this calls for?” she said, pushing up from the sofa. “Hot chocolate.”

“That sounds great,” he said.

“Will I find everything I need in the kitchen?”

He nodded and she turned toward the kitchen.

Vicki felt his eyes on her, following her as she walked out of the great room. Once in the kitchen, she had to brace herself on the counter and catch her breath. She was still getting used to dealing with the consequences of this new Vicki’s boldness. Inviting herself into a man’s kitchen to make hot chocolate was something she never would have done before.

A smile drew across her face.

She liked this new Vicki a hell of a lot more than the old one.

She searched around for the things she needed, grimacing when all she found was a box of instant hot chocolate mix. She should have known a man who had never bothered to put up a Christmas tree wouldn’t have the real stuff. She was able to doctor it up with vanilla extract and cinnamon sticks; both were surprise findings in the pantry.

She carried two mugs of hot chocolate back into the great room, but stopped short when she discovered Jordan taking the ornaments off the tree. Mason sat on the floor a few yards away, playing with the packaging the glittery reindeer ornaments had come in.

“What happened?” Vicki asked.

Jordan looked over at her and gave her a chastising frown laced with humor. “I would have expected better advice from a person who does this for a living,” he said.

Vicki lifted her shoulders in question, unsure what he was talking about.

His hands burdened with ornaments, he nodded toward the coffee table.

Her head flew back with a laugh when she spotted the boxes of Christmas lights. “Ah, yes. The lights go on first.”

“I realized that after we’d already put about twenty ornaments on the tree.”

“Well, why don’t you sit and have some hot chocolate while I hang the lights? Then you and Mason can do the fun part.”

Their fingers touched when she handed him the mug, setting off a torrent of tingles up and down her arms. Jordan undoubtedly felt it, too. Their eyes held over the steaming mug and Vicki’s inner muscles pulled tight with need.

He set the mug on the coffee table, then lowered himself on the floor next to Mason, who remained mesmerized by the array of shiny plastic ornaments.

Vicki did her best not to feel self-conscious as she walked around the Christmas tree, stringing the lights on its full branches. She couldn’t help but be hyperaware of every move she made, because Jordan’s eyes remained on her the entire time.

“How did your interest in floral design come about?” he finally asked after some time had passed. “I doubt that was one of the majors offered at Nillson.”

“No, it wasn’t,” she said with a laugh. “I majored in art history.”

“So you’ve always had this artistic side?”

“I can’t draw to save my life. Not like Sandra, for sure. But there is a certain artistry to floral design. It’s all art, I just happen to create my pictures with flowers.”

“According to Sandra, your ‘art’ has acquired a number of new admirers.”

Vicki could tell by the inflection in his voice that he was fishing for information about those new admirers, but she wasn’t taking the bait. Instead, she kept their conversation lighthearted.

“Don’t get me started on Sandra. She and Janelle have had their share of fun at my expense this past week. However, they’ve been so supportive of my plans to participate in the float competition that I’ve pretty much forgiven them both.”

The glint in his eyes told her that he saw right through her subject dodging. Thankfully, he didn’t press her.

“It’s unbelievable that you all have remained such great friends,” Jordan said. “It must be comforting knowing you always have someone you can count on.”

The envy in his voice caused a bit of sadness to tug at her heart. “You have people you can count on, Jordan.”

“I know I do. But I also know that I’ve made a few enemies lately.”

“If you’re talking about the election—”

He held up a hand. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not get into all of that. Not tonight. I’m decorating my family’s Christmas tree,” he said, running a hand over Mason’s smooth hair. “I want to enjoy this.” He looked up at her. “Having you here with us is going a long way in making tonight special, Vicki. Thanks for sticking around.”

“I said it before, but I guess it bears repeating. There is nowhere else I’d rather be right now, Jordan.”

They shared a smile before Vicki went back to stringing the lights on the tree. As she continued to thread the multicolored lights through the branches, she wondered if she’d eventually convince Jordan to trust her, not just with Mason, but also with his heart.

She understood his hesitancy. At the height of Allison’s treachery, a fair amount of the conversations over Monday-night dinner at the Quarterdeck had centered on the debacle between Jordan and his ex-wife. Sandra had kept Vicki and Janelle abreast of his ordeal and the toll it seemed to take on Jordan.

Suppressing her reaction to the demise of Jordan’s marriage became harder and harder with every story Sandra shared. She hadn’t wanted to appear overly interested. Even though Sandra and Janelle were the closest things she had to sisters, Vicki had kept her feelings for Jordan hidden from her two best friends.

If even half of what Sandra had claimed Allison had put him through was true, Vicki couldn’t blame Jordan for being gun-shy, but she had to think about herself, as well. She knew what she wanted out of life. As she caught glimpses of Jordan and Mason playing on the floor, she couldn’t help but think of how much the scene resembled everything she’d fantasized about for herself.

If she dwelled too long on just how close it was within her grasp, yet how far, it would crush her mood. Tonight was about living in the moment and enjoying it for as long as she could.

Jordan tried to get Mason to resume their decorating duties, but the little boy was more interested in the cylindrical container the Christmas balls had come in than actually putting the balls on the tree. When it was time to place the pointy star on the very top of the tree, Jordan grabbed a two-step ladder from the utility closet and held it steady while Vicki climbed. After a brief wobble, she positioned the star in the place of honor.

“There,” she said. “That looks pretty perfect to me.”

“I agree,” Jordan said.

She glanced over her shoulder and realized he wasn’t looking at the tree.

“I was talking about the star,” she said.

He lifted his eyes from her backside, a slight, sexy grin tipping up the corners of his lips. “Yeah, that, too.”

As she gingerly climbed down from the stepladder, acutely aware of Jordan’s eyes still on her, Vicki just knew her cheeks were flaming red.

“Where are the stocking hangers?” she asked once she was off the ladder.

That grin still on his lips, Jordan reached into one of the shopping bags and retrieved the hangers. He handed them to her, deliberately brushing his fingers over her palm.

“Do you remember what I said about needing time to figure this all out in my head?” he asked. Vicki nodded. “It’s taking me a lot less time than I thought it would.”

His words sent a rush of pleasure shooting through her veins, but she refused to allow herself to be overwhelmed by it. Despite how long she’d wished for this very thing, she knew she needed to be careful. Jordan was still “figuring this all out.” Meanwhile, her heart was in this—had been in this for far longer than he knew.

She walked over to the fireplace and placed the brass-plated stocking hangers between framed pictures of Mason. Vicki refused to acknowledge the envy that streaked through her at the sight of Jordan’s ex-wife holding an infant Mason in her arms. Allison was all smiles, yet judging by Mason’s size, she had left Jordan and her new son only weeks after this photo was taken. Vicki still didn’t understand how the woman could do such a thing.

But, in the most selfish way, she was happy Allison had. Because the thought of Allison here tonight, sharing in this wonderful evening with Jordan and Mason, made Vicki sick to her stomach.

“Let me see if he’ll at least hang up his own stocking,” Jordan said, going over to the couch where Mason now lay with his toy centipede clutched to his chest.

Jordan picked the baby up and frowned.

“Something wrong?” Vicki asked.

He touched Mason’s forehead with the back of his hand and his frown deepened. “He seems warmer than he was even before I gave him the fever reducer.”

Vicki quickly made her way to his side and pressed her lips to the baby’s forehead. “His fever has definitely spiked,” she said, gingerly lifting the baby from Jordan’s arms. “Get the thermometer.”

Jordan was gone before she finished the statement. He came back seconds later with the thermometer and stuck the instrument in Mason’s ear.

The readout said 103.4.

Vicki’s eyes shot to Jordan’s. “That’s a dangerous number. We need to get him to the doctor.”

They quickly bundled Mason into his outerwear and were out of the house in less than three minutes. Jordan’s thumbs tapped nervously on the steering wheel as he tested the speed limit of Wintersage’s roadways.

Vicki reached over and covered his forearm.

“It’ll be okay,” she said.

He looked over at her, but he didn’t respond—only nodded.

Less than ten minutes after leaving the house, they pulled into Wintersage Urgent Care. The twenty-four-hour medical clinic that had recently opened was closer than the area hospital. Their wait was brief but agonizing. Vicki could see Jordan’s anxiety increasing with every second that passed. Mason, on the other hand, was quiet. Despite his high fever, his fussiness from earlier in the day had actually dissipated.

Once in the exam room, Vicki stood next to Jordan while the young doctor assessed Mason. She didn’t even hesitate before taking his hand and threading her fingers through his. He looked down at their clasped hands and gave hers a squeeze. His grateful expression, mixed with the underlying worry over Mason, tugged at her heart.

“Just as I expected,” the doctor said, wrapping the stethoscope around her neck. “This little one is cutting a few new teeth. He must be a late bloomer.”

“He only got his first teeth a few months ago,” Jordan said.

“It happens. Anywhere from six to sixteen months is normal. However, he also has an ear infection. Have you noticed him pulling on his ear or favoring his right side lately?”

“He’s been doing that for the past few days,” Jordan said.

Vicki nodded. She’d noticed it Tuesday night. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t picked up on that.

“They’re prone to ear infections at this age,” the doctor said. “I’m going to give you some drops. They won’t be easy to administer, especially to a baby Mason’s age. One of you will probably have to hold him down while the other inserts the drops, but it should all clear up in a few days.”

“So that’s it?” Jordan asked.

“That’s it.” The doctor nodded. “It looks as if those teeth will break through any day now. He’ll be back to normal soon.”

“Thank you,” Jordan said. Vicki detected the faint catch in his voice and her heart swelled with empathy. The minute the doctor vacated the room, Jordan slumped back against the exam table, his entire body sagging with relief.

“Jordan, he’s okay,” she said in a soft voice.

He blew out a weary breath and ran both palms down his face.

“This is never going to get easier, is it?” Vicki saw his throat move as he tried to swallow. “When he was eight months old he rolled off the bed and hit the back of his head on the hardwood floor. I rushed him to the E.R. Nothing came of it, just a little bump that went down in a couple of days.” He looked over at her, his eyes filled with worry and pain. “I thought I was going to die when that happened. I felt the same way tonight.” He shook his head. “I’m never going to not worry about the next time he bumps his head, or gets an ear infection, or any of that stuff, will I? This will never get easier.”