Chapter 12
LIBBY
The next day, I meet Baylee for lunch before we have dinner with her and Jordan’s parents.
I don’t want the first time we see each other to be an act for both of us, being careful about what we say.
I’d like for my relationship with at least one member of Jordan’s family to be genuine, if it can be.
So I invite her to the bistro where Jordan and I met for lunch.
I’m already sipping on a Diet Coke when she gets there, halfway through it thanks to my nerves. Jordan didn’t share a lot about his conversation with Baylee right after the wedding, but enough for me to know she doesn’t think this was a good idea and he’s been avoiding her for several days.
I stand when she walks through the front door.
I’m seated in a corner, away from other diners, since heat is really picking up about me and Jordan even though we haven’t announced anything yet, but I sat in the chair that faced the front of the restaurant so I could see when she came in.
I recognize her from the fundraiser where I met Jordan, although I never spoke to her that night.
I wave when she turns my direction. She smiles and starts toward me.
“We should probably hug,” I say in a low voice when she holds out her hand.
“True,” she agrees, leaning in and wrapping her arms around me. She holds me longer than I expect, and it sends warmth churning through me. It shouldn’t surprise me that she’s as thoughtful as her brother.
She settles in the chair across from me at the small table when we pull away and tucks her small purse next to her at the table.
“Jordan says you drink Diet Pepsi,” I say, gesturing to the soda. “I won’t hold it against you.” I fake a teasing grimace. Jordan joked about it when he told me everything he thought I should know about his sister before lunch today.
She rolls her eyes and gives me a wink. “Coke people are so judgmental.”
“Honey.” I lean forward. “It’s the Dr. Pepper people that are the worst. I got a Pepsi once at a restaurant because they didn’t have Coke, and my sister acted like I’d betrayed my entire family.”
Baylee lets out a burst of laughter, and my insides ease. “You can’t be talking about Janelle.”
My turn to giggle. “Oh, Ellie would feel so vindicated to hear you say that. Everyone thinks Janelle is the sweet one.”
Baylee’s mouth drops. “It was Janelle?”
I smirk and nod, then drop my voice to a fake whisper.
“Ellie’s just as bad about it.” The waiter interrupts to take our order, and once he’s gone, I get serious.
“I know you probably have big reservations about me and Jordan.” I have to speak in generalities since we’re in public and I never know who’s listening.
She draws in a long breath and presses her lips together. “I do,” she admits. Her quick honesty surprises me a little, but I don’t react right away, especially since she goes on. “But I trust Jordan.”
“Oh,” I breathe. And then, “Thank you.”
“Just…” She twists her lips around and looks down at her plate. “Just, please don’t take advantage of him.”
My heart stops. I want to stand up and gather Baylee in my arms, the way I have a hundred times in my office for women who have been broken like she has.
But my heart stops for another reason too—the love Baylee has for her brother.
Even before what happened with Grayson, my sisters would have given the same warning to someone interested.
It makes me feel connected to her, which should be scary, but it’s not.
“I would never take advantage of him. I promise,” I say fervently. Jordan has already done so much for me. I’ve vowed to myself to make sure he’s treated fairly in this arrangement we have.
She nods but doesn’t look convinced. “Okay.”
I reach across the table to put my hand on top of hers.
“You don’t have to believe me the same day you met me.
I’d never expect that of you, but I’ll do my best to show you that I mean it.
” I want her to see that I understand what it feels like to feel so adrift, to not know if anyone is telling you the truth.
“I want us to be friends too. I really want that.”
She smiles. I can track the hesitancy in her expression. I’ve gotten good at that, but the smile is still warm. “I’m sure you understand better than most how hard trust can be.”
“I do,” I say simply. She squeezes my hand in return. Then our food arrives, breaking the moment.
We settle into discussing my and Jordan’s trip to Maui, and I wish I could talk to her about my arrangement with Jordan, all the rules and boundaries we have in place to make sure no one gets hurt—or taken advantage of.
But there are too many people around for me to risk someone finding out that Jordan and I got married so I could buy a hockey team.
Baylee doesn’t bring it up either, further reassuring me that Jordan was right: she could be trusted.
“What’s next, after Redhaven?” I ask her. They’ve recouped all the money they need to help their town, and I’m curious what Baylee will do once it’s all disbursed and everything is settled.
She sits back to sip on her coffee. “I’d like Redhaven Foundation to keep on going. Jordan and I originally set it up to help Bryce’s victims, but I love getting to be a little superhero. Helping people put their lives back together.”
I wonder what Baylee’s doing to put her life back together, but though we may be sisters-in-law legally now, we just met. “You’ll let me know if I can help with any of that?”
She chuckles. “I’m not going to keep asking you for money after you gave us ten million dollars.”
I shrug. “What else should we do with it?” I tease. “Shopping? Vacations?”
Her expression turns contemplative. “This could be a cool partnership, Libby.”
I grin back. “It really could.”