The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [287]
“Moving here was a blessing,” Ruth agreed. “And you know, it was my ex-husband who made it possible.”
Jordan raised a brow. He hoped the man had somehow redeemed himself, had supported his daughter and her decisions—mistakes included—after all. “How’s that?”
“He died.”
Not the happy ending he’d been looking for. Jordan sighed, wishing Georgia had been able to resolve things with her father before his death, but he had the feeling even that had been denied her.
“He hadn’t ever gotten around to changing his will. He had money that he’d hidden during our divorce. It all came to me. Not that there was a fortune or anything. But it was enough to finance the move and put a down payment on the house. I just hate seeing Georgia work so hard to keep it all together.”
“I intend to help her with that.”
Ruth shook her head. “She won’t like it. Everyone she’s ever relied on has let her down. Her father, her husband, her in-laws. She’s determined to be totally independent this time.”
“You never turned your back on her.”
“No, but I made some awful mistakes.”
Jordan pushed to his feet, anxious to see Georgia again now that he had a better understanding of her. “Making mistakes is the name of game. We’re human, so it happens. Trying to atone for mistakes is what makes you a mother.”
She grinned at that. “True. So what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“One thing, Jordan, before you leave.”
“Yes?” He turned to face her.
“If you think there’s any chance at all you might hurt her, it’d be better if you walked away right now.”
Jordan stared down at his feet. He didn’t want to hurt her. Ever. But even more than that, he didn’t want to walk away. He wanted to gather her closer, much closer. He wanted to bind her to him in some undeniable way.
He made plans for the coming weeks, how he’d ingratiate not only himself, but his best selling tool—his family. They were irresistible, and once Georgia got comfortable sharing with them, relying on them and letting them rely on her, she’d soften. She had to.
Jordan shook his head. No doubt about it, he was in over his head. But damned if he wasn’t starting to like it.
8
WITH AN OUTRAGED and appalled gasp, Georgia slapped the stage curtain back into place. “Damn him!” Her heart felt lodged in her throat, and with a lot of trepidation, she looked down at her costume.
“Oh, God.” It looked worse than she’d first thought, given that Jordan was about to see her in it. Again she pulled the curtain aside and peeked out. But Jordan was still there, sitting at a front-row table as had become his preference, scowling at every other man in the room. He resembled a dog guarding a bone.
What in the world was wrong with him? She should have been able to ignore him, and in fact, when he’d first shown up as part of the audience, she hadn’t even realized he was there until she’d almost finished. She made it a point not to look at the men in the audience; it was the only way she could get through putting herself on display that way. But she’d felt something different that night, something that had affected her deep inside. Against her will her gaze had sought out the source of her discomfort—and clashed with Jordan’s hot green stare.
She’d missed a step and nearly fallen on her face. He’d looked as menacing as Morgan ever had. Of course, now that she knew Morgan better, she knew most of his dark countenance was bluster. Not so with Jordan. His brothers insisted on telling her—in private little whispers-that Jordan was the most even tempered one, the pacifist, the gentlest of men. Ha! Twice now, he’d almost started another fight.
Bill had threatened to ban him from the bar and Georgia had silently prayed that he’d follow through. But then Jordan had slipped her boss a twenty, and Bill had grinned and walked away. Curse him.
The music was getting louder, her cue had come and gone, and she could hear the rumble of impatient voices out front. If she didn’t get going, she’d have to start the CD over.
She lifted her chin. So what if this particular costume left