Natural Born Daddy (9 page)

Lord knew, she had her own. She remembered lazy summer days beside the creek, fishing poles in hand, as she and Jordan talked about their hopes and dreams. She'd been the first he'd told about his hunger to work the oil fields. She recalled winter skating parties at the same creek, with a bonfire and mugs of hot chocolate and Jordan's arm casually thrown around her shoulders to keep warm. She recalled the two of them racing each other and the wind on horseback. Jordan always won, but it was the ride itself that was exhilarating, that and being with the boy she knew she loved.

Sometimes it seemed what she remembered most was the sense of anticipation, the belief that at any second Jordan would look into her eyes and discover the woman he loved. She remembered, too, the bitter disappointment at each and every lost opportunity. More, she'd never forgotten the sense of having failed dismally because not even the man who knew her best wanted her.

“Tell me, Jordan.”

Dani's command cut through her reverie and Kelly studied the two people she loved most in the world. Dani had a streak of tomato sauce on her face and a faint soda mustache. Jordan wore a faded chambray shirt, open at the collar. He hadn't bothered to tame his hair into the style he wore in Houston. Just from the one day in the sun, she thought she could detect blond highlights scattered in the rich brown. A few
more days of outside work and it would be streaked with lighter strands.

Her gaze dropped to his hands, already sporting the beginnings of a golden tan. She knew the strength of those hands. For years, it seemed, she had longed to feel them caressing her, had dreamed of them waking her senses. Instead, it had been Paul Flint's rougher touch that had awakened her sexuality.

“Well, now,” Jordan began with a touch of drama in his voice as he responded to Dani's insistent demand. He glanced into Kelly's eyes and a smile curved the corners of his mouth. “Did you know that your mother once locked me in the attic?”

“I did not,” Kelly retorted indignantly, recalling the incident vividly, but with a decidedly different spin.

“Did, too,” he accused.

“The door stuck. That wasn't my fault.”

“You were the one who slammed it so hard it rattled the hinges.”

“Because you were tormenting me.”

Jordan had the same innocent expression on his face now that he'd had then when he'd explained to her parents why he was hidden away in their attic after suppertime. He'd told only part of the story, just enough to worry her, just enough to get her and not himself into trouble. Kelly scowled at him. “You were a brat then and you're a brat now.”

Dani's fascinated gaze clung to Jordan. “What happened then? Did Mommy get punished?”

“She did, indeed,” Jordan said with an expression of smug satisfaction on his face. “She was grounded for a whole week and she had to clean the attic. She
hated that the most because it was all dusty and covered in cobwebs.”

“You mean, there were spiders?” Dani asked. At his nod, she said, “Ugh! That's disgusting.” She glanced worriedly at Kelly. “You wouldn't make me clean the attic, would you?”

“Depends on whether you're ever bad,” Kelly declared, purposely injecting an ominous note into her voice.

“I'm never bad,” Dani protested. “Well, hardly ever and I never, ever, locked anyone in the attic.”

“Then we won't have a problem, will we? Now then, I think that's enough reminiscing for one night. I think it's time we were getting home.”

As they were driving back to the ranch, Kelly sensed Jordan's gaze on her. He'd been in an odd mood ever since they'd left the restaurant, a little withdrawn, maybe a little nostalgic.

“Do you remember what I was tormenting you about that day in the attic?” he inquired eventually in a lazy drawl.

Kelly glanced into the back seat and saw that Dani had fallen asleep. “I remember,” she admitted. Even now the memory had her scowling. “You wanted to practice kissing.”

“I wanted to be sure I got it right. I didn't want to kiss my first date and get it wrong. It would have been humiliating.”

“And kissing me wrong wouldn't have bothered you?” she inquired just as irritably now as she had then.

“Nope. I knew you'd forgive me. I was trusting you with my fragile ego.”

“Do you have any idea how infuriating it was to a teenage girl to be considered target practice for some boy? What you were telling me was that I was not good enough for the real thing.”

His expression sobered. “I never meant for you to see it that way.”

Unexpected tears gathered in her eyes. “Then why would you be doing the same thing to me now?” she asked quietly.

He looked over at her, shock written all over his face. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Aren't you asking to practice marriage on me, just the way you did with kissing back then?”

“Of course not!”

“Sounds that way to me.”

“Marrying you won't be practice, Kelly. It'll be for keeps.”

He said it so emphatically that she almost believed him. Still, there was no getting around the point that he had never once, not in all the years she'd known him, said he loved her. Even Paul Flint had given her that much. Maybe the words hadn't meant much in the end, but at least they'd started off with a promise of undying love. If that hadn't been enough to sustain a marriage, how could she possibly trust a commitment that started with anything less?

* * *

After he'd dropped Kelly and Dani off, Jordan drove home, pondering the evening. He wasn't exactly sure where he'd gone wrong. He'd thought the entire day was going really well. He'd actually enjoyed being with Dani, answering her endless questions, awestruck by her inquisitiveness. He'd loved teasing
bright patches of indignant color into Kelly's too pale cheeks. He'd thought the taunting and the memories had stirred exactly the right kind of amorous thoughts.

But there had been no mistaking the sudden souring of the mood on the drive home. He had no idea how to combat this absurd notion Kelly had gotten that he viewed a marriage between them as practice. That wasn't it at all. When he made a commitment, he kept it. Businessmen he dealt with trusted him on the basis of a handshake. Why couldn't a woman he'd known all his life trust him on the basis of a sacred vow?

He was still mulling over what had happened when he glanced into his rearview mirror and noted a pair of headlights bearing down on his car. Whoever it was was driving erratically and far too fast given the nighttime conditions on the winding country road. Jordan clung to the wheel a little more tightly.

There was a sharp curve coming up just ahead and even though he knew the road like the back of his hand, he felt his palms turn sweaty. That curve was no place to be with a crazy driver on his tail. Opting not to take a chance, he pulled off onto the shoulder of the road to let the car pass. As it whizzed by, he realized with a sense of dismay that the bright red pickup was Cody's.

“What the hell?” he muttered, pulling out behind his brother and speeding up a little.

The truck took the curve on two wheels, causing Jordan's breath to lodge in his throat. A sense of impending tragedy made his stomach tighten. Dear God in heaven, he wasn't sure the family could take another loss. Erik's death had shaken them all,
especially Luke, who had been there when that tractor overturned, and their father. Harlan Adams was tough, but they had all known he felt a terrible burden of responsibility for not recognizing that Erik wasn't suited for ranch work. If anything happened to Cody on the heels of that, it would destroy him.

Staying a safe distance behind—not that he was willing to drive fast enough to catch his brother—he followed him all the way to the turnoff that led to the small house Cody had built for himself a few miles from the main house at White Pines.

Dust churned and rocks flew on the unpaved lane. By the time Jordan pulled to a stop, Cody had already leapt from the truck and stormed into the house.

Whatever had him in such a state must have been pretty bad, Jordan surmised. He'd left the truck door and the front door of the house standing wide open. Just to be on the safe side, Jordan leaned inside the truck and nabbed the keys Cody had left in the ignition. His brother wasn't getting back on the road tonight, if he had anything to say about it.

Jordan approached the house cautiously and peered inside. “Cody?”

The sound of objects slamming against walls carried from the bedroom. He followed the clatter. The sight that greeted him almost made his heart stop. Cody's face was twisted in fury. When he wasn't throwing lamps and boots against the wall, he was haphazardly jamming clothes into two open suitcases on the bed. He was cursing a blue streak at the same time.

Jordan tried to make sense of what he was saying, but other than gathering it had something to do with
Melissa Horton, the rest was lost in a tangle of expletives.

“Cody!” He had to shout to make himself heard over the racket his brother was making.

Cody whirled as if he'd been shot. “What the hell do you want?” he demanded. “Who let you in?”

“Since there's no one here except you and me, I guess the answer to that is obvious,” he said lightly, hoping to calm his younger brother down by staying cool himself. “So, what's going on?”

“What does it look like?”

“It would appear that you're packing.”

“A hell of an observation. No wonder they pay you big bucks in Houston.”

“Want to tell me what this is all about?”

“Not particularly. I just want to hit the road.”

“To go where?”

Cody paused for a minute and a fleeting expression of indecision passed over his face. It was rapidly chased away by an all-too-familiar look of stubborn defiance. It was the one trait the Adams men shared in spades.

“Who knows?” he said.

“Sounds like you've really thought this through,” Jordan commented dryly.

“Look, I didn't invite you here,” Cody snapped. “And I don't need to listen to any of your pompous sermons.”

“You must have me confused with Daddy.”

Cody almost grinned at that, then caught himself. “Jordan, just stay out of this, okay?” he said in a calmer, more resigned tone. “Please.”

“I don't think I can do that. You're obviously upset about something, too upset to be taking off without thinking things through.”

Cody slammed the suitcases shut and headed for the door. “Your opinion is duly noted,” he said as he exited.

Jordan watched him go and counted to ten. Cody tore through the front door, steaming mad.

“What have you done with my keys?”

“Tucked them away for safekeeping,” he admitted. “I saw the way you were driving earlier. You're not getting back on the road until you cool down.”

Cody crossed the room in three strides and stood toe-to-toe with him. Cody was only an inch or so taller, but he was broader through the shoulders. If it had been anyone other than his brother, Jordan might have been intimidated. With Cody, though, he stood his ground. There was too much at stake for him to back down now. He was willing to risk a black eye and a tender jaw, if that's what it took to keep him here, at least for tonight.

“Give me the keys,” Cody demanded, his hands balling into fists.

Jordan met his furious gaze evenly. “I can't do that,” he said softly. “You know I can't, Cody.”

Apparently Cody recognized the note of determination in his voice. As if he were a balloon that had been punctured, Cody seemed to deflate before his eyes. He combed his fingers through his hair and sighed. “Damn.”

“Come on, little brother. Sit down and tell me what this is all about,” Jordan encouraged. “Did you and Daddy have a fight? You know how muleheaded he is. He'll give in eventually, though.”

“This isn't about Daddy.” Cody's mouth twisted in a mockery of a smile. “For a change.”

“Melissa?”

There was a haunted look in Cody's eyes when he finally lifted his head and met Jordan's gaze. “I caught her out with my best friend,” he admitted. Every painful word seemed to be wrenched from deep inside him.

“Maybe it was totally innocent,” Jordan said, standing up for the girl he knew absolutely worshiped his brother.

“Trust me, that's not the case,” Cody said bitterly. “They were in each other's arms. They didn't have to spell it out for me.”

“So you're going to run off and leave the field open for him to move in on her?”

“I'd say it's a bit late to be worrying about him moving in. He's claimed her as his already.”

“I don't believe it,” Jordan said emphatically. “She's crazy about you.”

“Maybe she was,” Cody conceded. “Not anymore.”

Jordan saw the anguish the admission cost him. Everyone in the family had teased Cody at one time or another about taking Melissa for granted. It appeared his baby brother had finally recognized the depth of his feelings for her, just in time to discover it was too late.

Cody met his gaze. “Will you explain to Daddy?”

“What do you want me to tell him?”

“Just that I had to get away.”

“You will be back, though, right?”

Cody's gaze shifted away. “I don't think so. I think it's time I cut the ties to White Pines.”

“But you love it here, more than any of us,” Jordan protested, realizing at last the depths of Cody's despair. “It's in your blood.”

“I know,” he admitted, unshed tears visible in his eyes before he turned away to hide them. “Look, you can get out of here now. I'll be okay.”

“I'm not leaving,” Jordan insisted stubbornly. “Sleep on this. Maybe in the morning things will look different to you.”

“Nothing will change,” Cody declared grimly.

“Just give it until morning.”