And what did that say about her previous long-term relationship? Had she ever actually felt a quake in her center when Gary had walked into the room? If so, she couldn’t recall. No, she’d admitted to herself long ago that Gary had simply been a grasp at some sort of stability. After the constant upheavals that defined her childhood, she’d been more than impatient to find a grounded life with some semblance of a routine and a steady anchor. So she’d rushed into a relationship that was doomed to fail.
Studying Jordan now, she realized the two men really couldn’t be compared. There really was no comparison. First of all, Jordan had apologized for being rude to her, even if he had done it in a somewhat overblown way by ordering half the flower selection at Bower’s Flowers.
Gary had never once uttered the word sorry, no matter how much in the wrong he’d been during their arguments. Arguments that had only grown more and more frequent after she’d made her decision to leave grad school.
Not to mention Jordan had been trying to protect his little sister when he’d confronted her. Jess couldn’t really take his reaction personally.
“I suppose that makes sense,” Jordan said. “You can’t have a moat without a drawbridge.”
“True.”
He stepped closer to examine her work and the scent of him reached her, a subtle woodsy scent that well suited him.
It was settled. She was way too distracted to keep trying to draw. She tucked her pencil above her left ear and turned to face him. He had on an ocean-blue T-shirt that brought out the dark hue of his eyes and fit him just well enough to see a hardened, muscular chest underneath.
“Do you mind my asking what made you change your mind? About the diorama?” she asked. A disquieting thought had been nagging at her about the whole turnaround since he’d asked and she’d accepted the other day.
He shrugged. “It’s quite a simple answer, really.”
“Which is?”
“You were right. She did like it. Her reaction upon first entering the room was one of pure joy and awe.”
The thought of that made her heart tingle in her chest. Yes! That was exactly why she felt such a calling to do such things, for the joy it would bring to others. Particularly when it came to little children.
“I’m so glad to hear that. And a little relieved.”
“Relieved?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I thought maybe you were just trying to make amends. Like with the flowers.”
He laughed. “No, the flowers were an apology. This was more of a mea culpa. To admit that you were spot-on that day. Sonya did love it when she saw it, exactly as you said. Sonya will be thrilled to see the artwork has been extended.”
“She’s not here?”
He shook his head. “No, Elise took her out to do some shopping.”
Elise. So she’d been right. There was a girlfriend, after all. Maybe she was even more than that. For all she knew, he could actually be married. Hardly surprising given the man in question. Handsome, successful, charming. Men like Jordan weren’t often single. Not for long anyway.
Not that it was any of her business.
“In any case,” Jordan continued. “Thank you for giving up your Saturday to finish up. I know it has to be an inconvenience.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Jess responded, somewhat disheartened now that she knew another woman would be returning to the house soon. A woman that shared his house and his ward. And most likely, his bed. “I’m glad I got a chance to finish.” The best thing to do for her now would be to just finish up and then be on her way. Back to her ordinary, staid life where she had to pretend Jordan Paydan did not exist. She pulled her pencil back out. The sooner she made progress on the painting, the better. Then she could start the process of licking her proverbial wounds.
“You’ll have to tell me what Sonya thinks when she sees it,” she said as she went back to work.
“I’m sure she’ll love it. In fact, she’ll be thrilled. She’s a very exuberant little girl.”
Jess couldn’t help but laugh. That was certainly the impression she’d gotten of Sonya during their brief encounter the other day. “It definitely shows just by the sparkle she seems to have in her eyes.”