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Jennifer comes home to Georgia, divorced. The last thing she expects is loving again. |
| Bongo drums beat a tempo inside Jennifer's head as she forced herself out of bed. It seemed like she'd had less sleep on the ranch, where she was supposed to be relaxing, than she did in the city. She heard Chloe's high pitched voice before she made it to the kitchen. Tension took up residence between her shoulder blades. She forced a smile and pushed the door open. Chloe spotted her and charged, hitting her with enough force to rock her back. The door hit her in the butt as her daughter's hands clamped around her waist. “Guess what Mama. The vet said he thinks Junebug will make it.” Jennifer raised an eyebrow. “Junebug?” Chloe nodded fiercely. “My filly.” Jennifer's head tilted to the side. “Your filly?” Her daughter stepped away. “Momma, are you feeling okay? You're repeating everything I'm saying.” Jennifer rubbed her temples. “I didn't get much sleep. And I'm a bit lost on what you're talking about.” Chloe sighed. “The baby horse that was born this morning? Remember her?” Jennifer nodded. “Pa told me I can have her. I named her Junebug. The vet said he thinks she'll be okay, even though she's early. Isn't that great?” “Yeah baby. That's wonderful.” Chloe grabbed her hand and pulled her to the table. She pointed at a chair. “Sit.” Jennifer opened her mouth to protest but Chloe tapped her foot. She sighed in reluctance and took a seat across from Pa. The room began to spin. She crossed her arms on the table and laid her head on them. A few seconds later, she felt a tap on her right shoulder. She twisted her head and squinted out of one eye. Chloe held out a cup of coffee and two white pills. Jennifer smiled with gratitude and took both. “Thanks sweetie.” She shrugged. “No problem. I figured you'd have a hangover. I guess that means you wouldn't want breakfast either. I've heard greasy fried eyes aren't good on a morning after stomach.” Just the thought of food caused Jennifer to feel like retching. She downed the pills with a large gulp of coffee and shook her head. She grimaced as streaks of pain shot down her neck. “I wish I could blame this on a hangover, but I think it's a migraine.” Chloe sat at the bar and swirled around. “You haven't had one of those in forever. Do you need to go to the doctor?” “No, I'll be okay. But I don't think I'll be up to doing much today.” Chloe bit into a piece of toast. “Then I have a great idea. How about I spend the night with Skylar tonight? You can stay in bed all day and sleep in tomorrow morning. Miss Roxy can bring me home when you feel better.” “I can't impose on Roxanne. It wouldn't be fair.” Skylar peeked over Chloe's shoulder. “I talked to my mom about it yesterday. She said it was fine.” A day of rest did sound good and Chloe deserved to have some fun. Glancing at her daughter's hopeful eyes, she couldn't say no. “Okay. But I'll pick you up. No sense in Roxanne making two trips out here.” Chloe and Skylar high-fived. “I'm glad both you charming ladies are happy to see me.” A jolt of pleasure ran through Jennifer at that sexy voice. She raised her eyes and met Jordan's. He winked as he passed by the bar. “Help yourself to some coffee and breakfast Chief.” He shook his head as he filled a coffee cup and gazed longingly at the platter of food on the bar. “I wouldn't want to impose.” Chloe shrugged. “Momma's not eating so there's extra.” He looked over, his face twisted in concern. “You okay?” “She has a migraine.” Jordan's mouth twitched. “Or a hellacious hangover.” Chloe giggled. “That's what I thought.” “I can hear the two of you. It's not a hangover damn it.” Chloe and Jordan shared a look and laughed harder. He grabbed a plate and piled it high with food before taking a seat next to Jennifer. The smell of the bacon wafted to her, causing her stomach to dance in protest. “Sure you don't want some?” Jennifer glared at him. “I'd rather eat nails.” Chloe stood up and put her hands on her hip. “Hey, my cooking's not that bad.” Jennifer bit her cheek and looked at her daughter. “I know baby. I just don't feel like eating anything right now. But if it would make you feel better, I'll try something small.” Chloe waved a hand through the air. “Don't worry about it. The chief looks like he's enjoying it enough for the both of you.” Jordan sopped up some egg yolk with a piece of toast and popped it into his mouth. He washed it down with a swig of coffee and nodded. “Dang right. You're an awesome cook Chloe. I might have to start coming here instead of the diner. Just don't tell Kay that. She's liable to kick my butt.” Chloe beamed. She walked over to the coffee pot and brought it to the table. She topped off Jennifer's half empty mug before rotating around, taking care of Jordan, Ma, Pa, and Scott. “So Chief, what brings you by this early in the morning?” He slid a glance at Jennifer and grinned at Pa. “Besides the pleasant company of your granddaughter and the good looks of those two ladies over there?” He nodded to the island. Both teenagers blushed. “I wanted to see how the filly was doing. And I need to talk to Jennifer about something.” “My baby's doing great.” Jordan laughed. “Why am I not surprised that another Matthews' lady has taken a love of horses. What're you going to do with her Chloe?” She shrugged. “Ride her when she's big enough, I guess.” “You gonna barrel race?” Chloe frowned. “What's that?” Jordan shook his head. “Jennifer, you should be ashamed of yourself for never letting Chloe experience a horse show.” He turned back towards her daughter. “The rodeo's coming through town next weekend. There'll be a barrel racing competition. How about I take you and your mom? I think you'll enjoy it.” Chloe seemed to think it over for a few seconds. “Okay. But it's not a date.” He nodded, solemn. “Yes ma'am.” Jennifer could hear her bed calling her name. She wanted to give in to the temptation to pull the shades and hide under the covers. “Jordan, is it important?” His eyebrows arched. “The rodeo? I'm sure a lot of folks would think so.” “No, I meant what you wanted to talk to me about. I'm ready to go lay back down.” He cleared his throat and looked around the room. His mouth twisted into a mischievous grin. “Well, I wasn't planning on doing this with an audience, but will you be my date for the party tomorrow night?” Jennifer felt frustration build in her chest. She'd already told him she wouldn't go out with him. Why was he persisting? “No.” Jordan seemed unfazed by her answer. “Give me a few minutes to make my proposition. If you don't like it, you can turn me down and there'll be no hard feelings.” Jennifer rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Jordan, don't badger me. Nothing will make me chance my decision.” Pa tapped the table. “Jennifer, at least hear the man out. Looks like he took the time to work up a good speech.” Jennifer waggled her fingers through the air and stared into her coffee. Streaks of milk swirled through the black liquid. She cupped the warm cup in her chilled palms and took a sip. “Maybe this isn't a good idea. Forget I asked.” Pa's cup clanked against the table. “No sir. You came out here, intending to talk to her. Do it. She's just being cantankerous. She never was a good drinker.” Jennifer scoffed. Like he would know. She'd never been drunk around them. She felt Jordan's eyes on her and looked his way. He seemed indecisive. She winced. “Sorry. I'm cranky. Say what's on your mind.” His jaw flexed. “Okay. First, you should know it wouldn't be a real date.” Jennifer wondered why the admission bothered her. She refused to acknowledge the disappointment. “Then what would it be?” “A friend, helping a friend. Last night, one of my deputies confided that he has an interest in Roxanne, but she keeps turning him down. You know how stubborn she is. He asked me if I had any ideas on how to get her to go with him to the party tomorrow night. I got to thinking about it, and realized Craig's the kind of guy Roxy needs. She's been alone for so long. She needs to be around a guy that can prove they aren't all the same.” Jennifer rolled her eyes. “If Roxanne doesn't want to go out with him, I won't try and intervene.” Skylar walked over and put her hand on Jennifer's arm. She knelt down and looked up at Jennifer with pleading eyes. “Miss Jennifer, please do this. Mr. Jordan's right. My mom needs to date. She won't admit it but I know she's tired of being alone. I hear her crying late at night sometimes. And I see the way she looks at happy couples.” Jennifer thought about it. Is Roxanne ready to get back out there but too scared to try? “What did you have in mind Jordan?” He smiled. “I can go to Roxanne and tell her I want to take you to the party but you won't give me the time of day. I'll tell her I think you'd be more comfortable if it was a group dating sort of thing, so there's no pressure. She's a good friend, just like you are, so she'll agree that we should go together. I can mention that my friend needs a date, which would be good because she's not interested in him and knows there wouldn't be any awkwardness between them. She can pretend that it's a real date and she doesn't want to go by herself so she'll ask you to tag along too.” Jennifer tried to keep up. “So, you're going to switch the scenario around, except you'll be the desperate fool instead of your friend?” His eyes narrowed for a brief second before he nodded. “Basically. You know she'll agree to it.” “I don't know. It sounds a bit fishy.” Skylar stood up. “Please Miss Jennifer?” Chloe came to stand beside her friend. “You should do it Mom. Roxanne's your best friend. This could be good for her.” Jennifer frowned. Even Chloe's on Jordan's side? She groaned. “Fine. Be here at six tomorrow night. I'm going to bed. Nobody bother me unless it's an emergency.” Jennifer stood up and reached out to brush a wavy piece of hair from her daughter's forehead. “Come say bye before you leave?” Chloe nodded. Jennifer heard the voices get louder as she walked into the hallway. She whimpered as pain ripped through her brain tissue. She hustled to her room and fell across the bed, hoping she wouldn't regret her decision to help Roxanne. Jordan felt like he was walking on air as he headed to his truck. Part one of his plan had worked. He’d even managed to convince Chloe it was for Roxanne's own good. Now, he just had to finish phase two: getting Roxy on board. He hadn't lied about Craig wanting to go out with her, or her constant refusals. He'd just left out the part that he was gaining something from the whole scenario: some legitimate alone time with Jennifer. He heard footsteps behind him and turned around. Chloe was stomping towards him, her face red. He stopped and waited for her to catch up. “Everything okay?” She cocked a hip out and glared at him. Her finger poked his chest. “You better not be trying anything fishy mister.” Jordan arranged his face into a mask of innocence. “What do you mean?” She scoffed. “Come on. I can see right through that charade you pulled in there. If this is your way of getting my mom to fall for you, I'd suggest thinking it through. She's still married to my dad and he'll be here soon to bring us back home.” Jordan scratched his jaw. “That's not what this is. If you had a problem with it, why didn't you say so in there?” She rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, and listen to the lecture? Besides, I didn't want Skylar to get upset.” Jordan's mouth twisted into a frustrated smile. “Yeah, better not piss off a friend that you won't be seeing much longer, right?” Chloe stamped her foot. “Whatever. Just remember what I said. No funny business.” She whipped around and marched back to the house. Jordan watched the door close behind her before getting into his truck and heading back to town. Once he got to his office, he flipped through his messages. His chair slammed down as he dropped his feet to the floor and reached for the phone. He dialed the number Phyllis, the dispatcher, had wrote down and waited for someone to pick up. “Atlanta Realty. How can I direct your call?” “John Mooningham, please.” “One moment. I'll see if he's available.” Classical music replaced the snooty voice. He groaned. Give him Hank Williams any day over that instrumental crap. He continued flipping through his messages. His hand hovered over the second to last one. Your mother called...again. He'd avoided her for a week now. If he didn't call her back, she'd make his life miserable. He needed to check on his sister anyways. If he could get a word in. His mother's latest topic seemed to be his bachelor ways. She wanted him to settle down and give her more grandbabies. As if one wasn't enough. His thoughts turned to Jennifer. What would his mom think if she found out he was trying to see her again? He laughed to himself. She'd probably start planning our wedding. “This is John Mooningham.” Jordan pushed thoughts of Jennifer from his mind and focused on business. “Hi, this is Chief Jordan Taylor. I've received a complaint about one of your realtors, a Phillip Argen. There seems to be a suspicion that his identity has been stolen. Is there any way you could tell me if he or your agency is interested in a place called Bar M Ranch.” Papers rustled on the other end. “I don't have a note of that. Where's it located?” “In Collinsville, Georgia. It's about an eight hour drive from Atlanta.” Jordan heard a grumble. “What sort of ranch is it?” “A horse ranch. An offer of three million dollars has been made.” Mooningham laughed. “Yeah right. You're dealing with a con artist. With the way the economy is right now, the price of rural properties is at a low. The owners' would be lucky to sell for half that. Did they place a listing with my company? Because I don't see anything in our system.” Jordan jotted down some notes. “No sir. As a matter of fact, the ranch isn't up for sale. The visitor told Mr. Matthews, that's the owner, that he has a client interested in purchasing a horse ranch with a good reputation and found the Bar M Ranch through a search on the internet.” Wood slammed and hinges squeaked. “That's preposterous. That is not the way we do business here. Now, you said you think the con artist is misrepresenting my company, and one of my realtors?” “Yes sir. He even left a business card for Phillip Argen.” “Hold on one moment please.” The music resumed. Jordan leaned back in his leather office chair, and considered the various possibilities. A few moments later, the music shut off and Mooningham came back on the line. “As I thought, Phillip has no knowledge of your area or the property. I'm afraid you are dealing with an identity theft. I'd like to file a report and press charges for misrepresentation, fraud, and identity theft.” Jordan transferred Mooningham to one of his deputies. He spun his chair around so he could pull a Coke from the mini-fridge behind him. After popping the top and taking a swig, he pressed the intercom button. “Phyllis, send in Craig and Albert.” He rapped his knuckles on his desk while he waited for the deputies. Once they were seated, he filled them in on the conversation with the realtor. “Did you finish making the rounds of the other ranches?” Both men nodded. Craig sat forward, his elbows on his knees. “No one else has been approached.” Jordan cursed. “What do you think it means boss?” He looked at Albert and shook his head. “I'm not sure. We need to find this guy. I'm going to have Jennifer and her daughter come by. Albert, I'll need you to do a sketch of the man. Craig, I want you to stop by the bank, the hotel and Bed and Breakfast, as well as the real estate agency, to see if anyone recognizes him.” “You got it boss.” After both men left, Jordan picked up the phone. He started to dial his mother's number but chose Jennifer's instead. When he heard her groggy hello, he balled his fist up and punched his leg. In his eagerness to hear her voice, he'd forgotten that she wasn't feeling good. “Hey Jennifer, it's Jordan.” She groaned. His throat tightened. He didn't want her to be disappointed at hearing from him. Maybe he was pushing her too fast. He had to say something though to cover his ass. “I just wanted to let you know that I talked to the agency in Atlanta, and the agent confirmed we're dealing with a fake.” He heard fabric rustle. An image of Jennifer laying in bed, her hair fanned across her pillow, her arms stretched out to pull him down next to her flashed through his mind. He forced the thought away as he shifted in his seat. He had it bad when just the thought of her had him hard. “That's great. Now what?” “Tomorrow, I'd like you and Chloe to come in and give a description of what the guy looked at. My deputy's going to make a sketch and we'll pass it around town to see if anyone recognizes him. Then we'll run it through the criminal database. My guess is a man like this has a criminal past.” “Doesn't that take a while?” “Probably a week but it's better than sitting on our hands, waiting for him to come around.” “Yeah I guess.” “Did you see what he was driving?” Jennifer was silent so long Jordan wondered if she'd hung up. Maybe she'd fallen asleep. He thought of having her nestled against him, her head in the crease of his shoulder. He shook his head and cursed his stupidity. “No, I didn't pay attention. Maybe Chloe did.” “Okay, we'll find out tomorrow. You go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you up.” “It's 'kay. I'm glad you told me what you found out.” He loved the sound of her husky voice. She was starting to slur her words. “We still on for tomorrow night?” Idiot. Don't pressure her. “Sure. It'll be nice. I haven't been with a man in years.” Jordan froze. He wondered if she'd meant that the way it sounded, or if her fuzzy brain had her forming words the wrong way. The discomfort in his jeans grew worse. His heart picked up speed. “I hope you'll enjoy it. Sleep well Jennifer.” “Thanks. You too Jordan.” The phone clicked off. Jordan sat there feeling like an idiot. He'd been getting excited, thinking she was being seductive. What a chump. The light lit up for his personal line. He pressed the button and uttered a greeting. “You should be ashamed of yourself Jordan Taylor.” He sighed. “Hi Mom.” “I need you to come to dinner this Sunday.” Jordan racked his brain for an excuse. He knew the dinner would be another excuse for match-making. He waved his hand around, stopping when he realized it was still stained from the fire. “Sorry Mom, but I have a huge case to solve.” “Don't me that mess. Your father always managed to put his family first.” He's also retired now. “I know Mom, but I really need to figure out who started the fire at the Matthews' place.” He heard his mom's breath suck in. “Was anyone hurt? Oh I hope there wasn't too much damage.” This was one of those times he wished he could lie to his mother. “No ma'am. It was just the barn, but it could easily have been the house. Two men almost lost their lives.” A bit of an embellishment, but close enough. She groaned. “Jordan, if you'd just settle down and get married, I wouldn't have to keep arranging these disastrous dates for you.” “I know you're ready for more grandbabies, but I want to choose my own bride. I promise it will happen.” “Yeah, when I'm too old to enjoy them.” Jordan laughed. As much as she tried to butt into his life, he wouldn’t have it any other way. Her transformation from the meek, depressed woman she used to be was nothing short of amazing. His thoughts turned to Jennifer, again. He needed to get to the diner. “Mom, I love you but I have to run.” “Fine. But promise you'll come out soon?” “Soon as I get a chance.” He hung up the phone and stood up. He grabbed his hat off the coat tree near his door and settled it on his head. “Phyllis, I'll be out patrolling. You can reach me on the radio.” “Be safe Chief.” He nodded to the aged woman wearing a headset over her stiff helmet head and stepped into the bright sunshine. He looked left, then right. People were all around, getting ready for the weekend. Most of the stores would be closed until Monday. He crossed the street and went left. Five buildings down, he pulled open the glass door to the diner and stepped in. Fried onions and fresh coffee tickled his nose. He spotted his target at the cash register. He strode forward, nodding a greeting or shaking a hand on his way. “Roxanne, got a minute?” She looked up, her eyes bloodshot. He held back a laugh. Maybe Jennifer wasn't the only one with a hangover. “You look...awake.” She glared at him. “Don't think I won't pop you just cause you're the chief.” He held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry.” “I can spare a little time for ya. I need a break anyways. Seems like everyone decided to bring a megaphone this morning to talk.” Jordan arched an eyebrow. The noise level didn't sound any louder than normal but he chose not to point that out. He led the way to a booth in the back, along the wall and waited for her to sit down. “You going to the party tomorrow night?” Roxanne shrugged. “Thought about it. But changed my mind.” “Can't find a date huh?” Roxanne scoffed. “You know I don't do the clingy girl thing.” Jordan feigned disappointment. “That makes my plan a bit more difficult.” He knew she wouldn't be able to resist his bait. “What plan?” “I want to help Jennifer get over her ex. By falling for me.” The redhead threw her head back and cackled. “That would be great, but you must not know much about Jennifer. She's not moving on until her daughter lets her.” “Chloe gave me permission to take her to the party tomorrow night.” Roxanne stopped chuckling to stare at him, her mouth open in shock. “How'd you manage that?” “Well, I might have tricked them into thinking it was to help you.” Her mouth tightened as she dipped her head and stared at him. “Explain.” He sighed. “I told Jennifer I needed her to go out with me, so you'd give Craig a chance.” Roxanne sucked in a hard breath and sat back against the red pleather. A tear in the seat caught a strand of her hair. She gave it an impatient tug. “What kind of crap are you pulling?” “I'm an idiot. I've asked Jennifer out twice and she keeps rejecting me. Then last night, Craig asked if I had any ideas for how to get you to go on a date with him. I knew you'd do anything to help Jennifer, and the same for her, so the double date idea came up.” “Craig's part of this too?” Jordan shook his head hard. “Of course not. I don't even want him to know that I tricked you into going as his date, if you agree.” “If I don't?” Jordan's hands shook. He hid them under the table. “Then I may never get another chance with Jennifer.” Roxanne cursed under her breath. “Jackass.” He grinned. He had her. “Don't think this means either of you are getting lucky. Tell Craig to meet me there. I'll be early so me and Jennifer can get ready.” |
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