Chapter 20
JORDAN
Sometime during the ride back to my place, Ginger fell asleep with her hand still wrapped around the empty cup.
I kill the engine and glance over at her.
She’s always beautiful, but right now she’s unguarded and peaceful, with her lips parted softly, shoulders relaxed, and hair spilling over her coat collar.
She reminds me of an angel. I guess she’d have to be one to be with me.
Only an angel would be this forgiving, this patient, this willing to see something in me I don’t see in myself.
She grounds me and makes me a better person without even trying.
I reach over and rub her thigh. “Hey. We’re home.”
Her eyes flutter open. “Already?”
“Already,” I say, smiling. “Come on. Let’s get in the house and get out of some of these layers.”
I grab the thermos and meet her on the path to the porch. Still drowsy, she moves slowly as I follow her up the steps. Inside, warmth wraps around us instantly. We pause in the entryway, shedding jackets, hats, gloves, and boots in a heap by the door.
She lets out a long exhale. “I think I dropped ten pounds just from taking all that off.”
I grin. “Right? Going out in the winter should count as a workout.”
“Tubing was worth it, though. I had an amazing time… even though you cheated.”
“You say ‘cheated,’” I tell her, “I say ‘took advantage of an opportunity to win.’”
She laughs. “Okay, I see how it is.”
“Are you hungry?” I ask, already heading toward the kitchen. “Because I’m starving.”
“Yes,” she agrees, following me.
Earlier today, I cleared away all the remaining wood and paint leftover from our first date and removed the vinyl tablecloth. Her wooden sign sits in the center, dry and finished. I nod toward it. “Looks great, huh?”
Her face lighting up, she walks over and runs her fingers along the painted surface. “It’s perfect. And you even cleared the table.”
“I couldn’t let your masterpiece sit in the middle of all that mess. Now that it’s dry, I figured you’d want to take it home.”
She turns it over, eyes widening when she spots the leather cord strung neatly through the pre-drilled holes. “Thank you for taking care of this for me.”
I shrug. “I thought you’d want to hang it up right away. I found the cord in my garage and figured it would be strong enough to support its weight, and it also looks great with the wood.”
She traces over the leather with her thumb and then her eyes find mine. “You thought of everything.”
“Except for what we’re gonna eat for dinner. I forgot all about that detail.” I move over to the fridge and start pulling things from the shelves and drawers. “I hope you’re okay with cold cuts because that’s our only option.”
She comes over to stand beside me at the counter. “I love a good sandwich. Especially when someone makes it for me.”
“I hope you still feel that way when you taste it,” I say, snickering under my breath.
She watches as I layer the meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. I catch her smiling at me more than once. When I slide her plate over, her eyebrows rise. “You even cut it diagonally. That’s the correct way, you know.”
“Of course. It makes the sandwich taste better.” I grab two bottles of water from the fridge and a bag of chips from the pantry, setting them down on the table. “Let’s eat.”
She slides onto the chair across from mine, and we both dig in as if we haven’t had a meal in days. We talk between bites, and she tells me how she met Irene last night via FaceTime.
“What’s she like?” I ask.
“She seems very sweet, and looks like a strawberry-blonde version of Nina. She’s stunning. We should set her up with Drew.”
I laugh. “Drew isn’t ready for a relationship. He’s still figuring out his career path.”
“So?” Her eyebrows pinch. “Maybe he needs someone to help him along the way. Plenty of couples get together when they’re younger and work through those things together.”
“We could set her up with Reed,” I suggest, which earns me an exaggerated eye roll. “Maybe then he’d be less of a pain in my ass.”
She shakes her head. “I told you he and Willow are going to end up together.”
“I know you did, but I don’t think it’ll happen. They’ve been best friends since high school. That’s a long friendship to put at risk. You and I had reservations about ruining our friendship, and we were nowhere near as close to each other as Reed and Willow are.”
She shrugs. “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, and there’s no stopping it from happening.”
“We can agree to disagree on this,” I say.
“We can.” She aims a pointed glance at me. “But when they get together, be prepared for the giant I told you so coming your way.”
I laugh. “Okay. Thanks for the warning.”
“No problem,” she says, winking.
The sound of the front door opening reaches us. “Jordan? You home?” Gramps calls out.
“We’re in the kitchen.”
Ginger wipes her mouth. “Do I look like I just inhaled a sandwich?”
I grin. “You look adorable.”
Gramps ambles into the kitchen wearing his heavy coat and cap. “Good evening, sweetheart,” he greets Ginger with a warm smile. “I didn’t expect to find you here.”
“Yeah, Jordan made me dinner,” she says.
Gramps smiles. “He did?”
“If you can call a sandwich and chips dinner,” I add.
“It was delicious,” she says.
“If you’re cooking now, I might have to start eating meals over here.”
“You’re welcome anytime,” I say.
“Before I forget, your mother needs a cup of milk for some dessert she’s making, and I volunteered to fetch it.”
I stand and move to the fridge. I grab the quart of milk from the shelf and hand it to Gramps. “Maybe you shouldn’t be out walking at night.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, don’t make it sound like I’m wandering around the neighborhood. I walked four houses down.”
“I know, but there can be black ice on the sidewalk or driveway,” I explain.
Gramps looks at Ginger and hooks his thumb toward me. “Do you believe this guy?”
She nods. “Actually, I do. I also have a stubborn grandfather who doesn’t like to listen.”
“Touché,” Gramps replies, patting her on the shoulder. “It’s always nice seeing you, Ginger.”
She smiles. “You as well.”
I walk Gramps to the door and give him a hug.
He tips his head in the direction of the kitchen. “What’s that all about?
I smirk. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“I would, which is why I asked,” he says.
I open the door and cup my ear. “You’d better go. I think I hear Mom calling for you.”
He makes a scoffing sound and walks past me, grumbling, “You used to be my favorite grandson.”
I grin. “Yeah, I’m sure.” I close the door and return to the kitchen.
Ginger smiles. “He’s sweet.”
“He’s nosy,” I correct. “But, yeah, he’s sweet too.”
We clean up the kitchen together, moving around each other easily. Honestly, it feels like we’ve been doing this for years. I like the way she hums softly as she loads the dishwasher, and the way her shoulder brushes mine when she reaches for the towel.
I glance up at the clock on the wall. It’s after eight-thirty, and her bedtime is approaching quicker than I’d like.
“I guess I'd better get you home since you need to be up so early,” I tell her.
She pouts. “I wish I could stay longer.”
“Me too,” I agree. “How about this weekend? Can you spend the night?”
“I’ll think about it,” she teases, picking up the snowman sign. “I still can’t believe you did this for me.”
I come up behind her, slipping my arms around her waist. “You worked hard on it. Plus, it’s a reminder of our first date. Is it selfish of me to like the idea of you seeing it all the time?”
“Not at all.” She leans back into me. “If you keep doing things like this, I’m going to start expecting it.”
“Good.” I brush my lips over her temple. “I plan on keeping it up.”
She tilts her head, looking over her shoulder at me. “Do you mean the sandwich making or being sweet?”
“Both,” I whisper against her mouth as I kiss her. The softness of her lips sends a now-familiar flutter through my chest.
She arches back into me as our tongues tangle together. My fingers trace a slow path up her sides and move back down to grip her hips. I fight the urge to grind my hard cock into her ass. If I do that, the only place I’ll be taking her is my bedroom.
When we finally break apart, her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are bright.
“I should make you sandwiches more often,” I say.
“Maybe you should.” She turns to face me, placing her hands on my shoulders before her palms slide down to my chest. “Though, I think your real skill lies with the sweet part.”
I catch her hand and press a kiss to her palm. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”