Chapter 6
The weekend was uneventful. My mom had the grandkids over for the weekend which gave me time to send my résumé all over the state.
It really pissed me off that Kendrick’s crimes had affected my life so much that I was immediately lumped in with him when it came to my job search.
Being an athletic trainer for some of the top boxers in the game had been my crowning glory, until the assumption that I had been gambling on their matches, alongside my husband, tarnished my reputation.
Aside from going out for my morning run and working out in the yard a little bit to keep my edge, I hadn’t left the house until it was time to pick Cam up from my mom’s Sunday night.
I was so bored that I was almost irritated that I’d turned down Jase’s invitation to dinner.
At least I would have had something to do.
My cousin Trish, who had been my best friend growing up, worked nights, so I had been catching hell linking up with her since my return.
I had only seen her a handful of times in the past couple of years and looked forward to reconnecting.
Mondays were usually hectic, but in Lakeview, nothing was ever out of the norm.
Everything moved at a snail’s pace, so there was no rush to get things done.
It was one of the things that drew me back.
Cameron sat across from me at the table completing his homework assignment as I finally tackled the task of balancing my checkbook. I knew it would either eliminate or exacerbate my stress, but it was something I knew I needed to do. I had to know where I stood so I could budget appropriately.
The check that JoJo sent me was hidden at the bottom of my purse somewhere because I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. I knew I needed the money, but I didn’t want to open the can of worms that came with accepting it.
As I stood from the table, I shook my head at the dwindling balance in my account. I knew it was risky, but I was definitely depositing that check in the morning. I would be a fool not to. As soon as I made the decision to take the money, I literally started to feel better.
I jumped when someone knocked on the door.
I didn’t know why in the world I looked over at my son as if he might be expecting company.
At the same time, I was sure that no one was coming to see me either.
More than likely, one of my brother’s sons had ridden their bicycles over here to see if Cam could come out to play.
I smiled and shook my head as I marched over to the door and snatched it open.
I was all prepared to see one or both of my nephews on the other side of the door.
Although Cam had been getting into trouble in school, I didn’t want to deprive him of growing up in a small town with his cousins.
I missed riding bikes and searching for tadpoles in shallow pools of water.
We had a ball growing up. It wouldn’t hurt for him to get outside a little more.
I had almost decided to let him go out for a while.
All of that went out the door when instead of one of my brother’s sons, I came face-to-face with one of the most handsome milk chocolate doctors on God’s green Earth.
His locs were out of the bun they had been in when I saw him at Cam’s school.
Now they fell forward over his left eye, slightly covering the edge of his dark rimmed glasses.
The glasses were new. God, JoJo was extra sexy in glasses.
When his lips parted, my eyes betrayed me by homing in on one of my favorite parts of him.
His lips were still kissable, but the beard was another new development.
My JoJo wore a neatly trimmed goatee. The grown man version sported a full beard that was so luscious that I got jealous about who might have been keeping it so thick and moisturized these days.
Jordy was aging so well. I wanted to tell him that, but it didn’t matter how good he looked. His presence disturbed me.
“What are you doing here, Jordy?” I asked, rolling my eyes.
“I needed to see you again, Harper.”
“Now you’ve seen me. Satisfied?” I asked, grabbing the door and preparing to slam it in his face.
I huffed when JoJo stuck his foot in the door. “Stop, Harper. Talk to me, baby. At least give me a chance to talk to you.”
“I don’t want to talk, Jordy. I don’t need to hear what you have to say at this point. I don’t want to relive that shit.”
“Well, at least let me in,” he said, easing the door open.
I shook my head as I stood back and let him in. I folded my arms across my chest and tapped my foot as I waited for him to say whatever he had to say so he could get the hell out. He reached out and touched my face before I sidestepped him.
“Damn, you look better and better with time, Harper.”
“Jordy, what do you want?”
“I want you back, baby. I’ve been losing my mind wondering how I would live if I never saw you again. I tried to be happy without you. It doesn’t feel right even trying.”
“Keep trying.”
“I don’t have to try anymore, Harper. You’re back, and I’m not letting you get away from me this time.”
“Not for you, JoJo. I didn’t come back to get tangled up with you again. I came back here to start over with my son.”
“Start over with me, baby.”
“I’m not entertaining this, JoJo. Is that all you wanted?”
“No, ma’am. I came to pick Cameron up for Sprouts.”
“Nobody told you to do that.”
“I didn’t need anyone to tell me to do anything. I told you I was coming.”
“Well now you can go,” I said, attempting to close the door in his face.
“Cameron!” he called, looking past me into the house as he stuck his foot in the door again. Obviously, he didn’t value his feet.
“Doctor JoJo!” Cameron sang as he sprinted into the living room.
My heart sank at how much my son’s face lit up when he saw Jordy.
“Put on your shoes, buddy. You and your mom are coming to robotics.”
His statement made me freeze in place. JoJo didn’t even flinch. When did he ever? Cameron didn’t notice the growing tension between us as he turned and went to get his shoes. As soon as he was out of ear shot, I turned my attention back to Jordy.
“I’m not going anywhere with you. You should not have come here, Jordy,” I hissed.
“It’s Monday, Harper. I told you I was coming. I decided to show up before class because I knew your stubborn ass wouldn’t let him come. Seeing you pick him up this afternoon only confirmed it.”
“You shouldn’t have come here,” I repeated in case his hardheaded ass wasn’t listening.
“Stop being stubborn, Harper. It’ll be good for our little genius.”
Jordy’s referral to Cam as ours made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I opened my mouth to further my argument. When my eyes moved to my son, whose little hands were fumbling to put on his shoes, my chest tightened. I whipped my head back around to Jordy.
“Fine. Cameron can go with you because you’ve gotten his hopes up, but I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said through clenched teeth.
JoJo was way too pleased with himself right now. I wanted to shake him for that smug ass grin on his face, but I wouldn’t give him the pleasure.
“You know you’ll be worried about him if you don’t go. You’re going. You ready, little guy?” he asked Cam.
“Yes, sir,” Cam responded, standing to his feet.
“I’ll go, but don’t start getting any ideas. I’m only going because I don’t want to send him with you anywhere alone.”
“That only works in my favor.” I wanted to roll my eyes at the adorable smile plastered on Jordy’s face, but instead, I turned to my son.
“Come on, Mom. This is about to be so fun. Doctor JoJo knows how to make a robot that moves.”
Seeing the joy on my son’s face almost made my surrender worth it, even if I had to spend time with Jordy. I shook my head as I accepted my fate.
“Let me grab my keys. Get a jacket, Cameron.”
“OK,” my son said, springing to his feet and dashing to his room, leaving me and Jordy alone in the living room.
“You used our name,” he noted as he followed me deeper into the living room.
Jordy and I used to say we would name our children James and Cameron after our favorite movie director, James Cameron. That way his name would start with a J and carry on his family tradition. Although Jordy and I were no longer together when I had my son, I used the name anyway.
“I saw your crazy ass brother the other day,” I said, rolling my eyes and hoping to change the subject as I walked over and picked up the discarded checkbook from the table.
“He told me. You made dinner plans, right?” Jordy asked, dropping his eyes to my lips before they flickered back up to my waiting eyes.
“He said some crazy things, as usual, and I shot it down. I have enough sense not to get tied up in his foolishness anymore.”
“Go, baby. Let him show you a good time. I’m sure you could use it, and I’m more than sure you deserve it.”
“I’m not getting entangled with you or your psychotic brother, JoJo.”
“Don’t be like that, beautiful. You know he misses you. Give him a chance to apologize.”
“And what about you?” I quizzed, tilting my head.
“I figured you might be more receptive to what he has to say. You’re stressed out right now. I need you relaxed when I get to you. All I want is your undivided attention when I explain how I plan to love and worship you for the rest of our lives.”
“You’re still so full of yourself.” I laughed. Before he could respond, his eyes fell to my hand where my unbalanced checkbook was clutched. “Give me that,” I said, when he snatched the checkbook from my hand.
“What do you need, Harper?”
“Jordy, give me my checkbook and get out of my house. I didn’t invite you in as it is.”
“Don’t change the subject. Did you deposit the check I gave you? What else do you need, Harper?”
“I don’t want anything from you, Jordy. You shouldn’t have come here in the first place.”