“So it’s just family?” said Jordan.
“With Zachary always bringing home strays from college, I’ve gotten into the habit of setting extra places.”
Jordan asked again what she could do to help, and when Leah shooed her away, she went upstairs to her old bedroom. Her parents used the room for guests these days.
She’d heard from Kate and Dylan. They were back in South Carolina, and Kate wanted Jordan to come down and recuperate there. Jordan hadn’t yet made up her mind whether or not to go. She felt so restless and out of sorts.
What remained of the afternoon Jordan spent in her old room reading. Thankfully, the police had found her copied pages from Professor MacKenna’s research undamaged in the back of Pruitt’s rental car. And now that she had access to research sources, she could check out the validity of the professor’s stories.
At sunset, Michael came upstairs to get her. He actually suggested that he carry her down the stairs.
“My recovery period is officially over,” she announced during dinner. “And I don’t want any more pampering.”
“That’s nice, dear,” her mother crooned. “Did you get enough to eat?”
Jordan laughed. “Yes, thank you.”
“Nick’s in the sunroom. Why don’t you go say hello?”
She headed in that direction, stopping when she heard laughter. She knew that laugh. Noah was with her brother.
She backed up, stopped, thought about it, and backed up another step. She suddenly noticed how quiet it had become in the dining room. No wonder. When she looked back, she saw her family members all leaning forward, intently watching her. Now she had to go into the sunroom to say hello. Jordan took a deep breath.
Nick was sprawled on the sofa. Noah sat in an easy chair. Both were drinking beer.
“Hey, Nick. Hey, Noah.”
They both laughed. “Well hello to you,” Nick said.
“Hey back at you. Jordan, you’re not in Serenity now,” Noah interjected. “How are you doing?”
“Fine. I’m fine. I guess I’ll see you later.” She turned around to walk away.
“Jordan?” said Noah.
She turned back. Noah set his beer on the end table. “Yes?”
He stood and started toward her. “You remember our deal?”
“Yes, of course.”
“What deal?” Nick asked.
“Never mind,” Jordan said. “What about the deal?” she asked Noah.
“What deal?” Nick asked again.
“When we left Serenity, Jordan and I agreed to go our separate ways,” Noah answered.
“Did you have to tell him?” she said, disgruntled.
“Yeah, well, he asked.”
“If you’ll excuse me,” Jordan said, beginning to pivot again.
“Jordan?” said Noah.
She stopped once more. “Yes?”
He was slowly advancing. “Like I was saying…about that deal we made…” He stopped in front of her. “It’s just not gonna happen.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but didn’t know what to say. “What do you mean?”
“Deal’s off, that’s what I mean. We’re not going our separate ways.”
“I’ll give you two a little privacy,” Nick said, rolling off the sofa.
“We don’t need privacy,” Jordan insisted.
“Yes, we do,” Noah countered.
“Why?”
“Because I want to be alone with you to tell you how much I love you.”
Jordan felt as though the wind had just been knocked out of her. “You do…No, wait. You love all women, don’t you?”
Nick pulled the door shut behind him.
Noah wrapped Jordan in his arms and whispered all the words he’d been storing in his heart. He nudged her chin up and kissed her. “And you love me, don’t you, Sugar?”
All her defenses melted. “Yes, I do.”
“Marry me.”
“And if I do?”
“You’ll make me the happiest man in the world.”
“Noah, if we were to get married, you couldn’t date anymore.”
“There you go. Always giving me attitude. I don’t want any other women. Just you. Only you.”
“I may be cutting back some, but I’m not giving up on computers,” Jordan warned.
“Why would you think I would want you to?”
“My comfort zone? Remember that little speech?”
“Yeah, I know. It got you out of your apartment, didn’t it?”
“And into your bed,” she added. “You know what I’ve decided? I’m going to write a program that a four-year-old would understand. Then I’m going to figure out a way to get computers in schools and community centers that can’t afford to buy them. You get a child started early, she’ll become a natural. Technology is here, and I want to use it to write the future with.”
He nodded. “That’s a good start. A simple program. I’m sure Jaffee will be happy to hear about that.”
“Speaking of Jaffee, I talked to Angela yesterday. She says the restaurant has been packed ever since they heard about Trumbo. The whole town is reeling from the news.”
“They’ve had a lot to deal with lately. Chaddick tells me this bombshell has overshadowed J. D.’s list. He and Street are about to wrap things up.”
Jordan shared a couple of other ideas with Noah and then listened to him talk about his work. His job was so stressful, but he made such a difference when he succeeded. The failures were devastating to him. He wanted and needed to come home to her.
He sat down on the sofa and pulled her onto his lap. “Do I need to get down on one knee?”
She smiled. “Loving you isn’t easy.”
“Marry me.”
“You’re arrogant and egotistical…” she paused, “…and sweet and loving and funny and charming…”
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Noah kissed her passionately, and when he realized how much he didn’t want to stop, he pulled back. “I guess you’ll want a ring,” he said.
“Yep.”
“What about a honeymoon?” he asked.
She nuzzled his neck. “You mean before or after the wedding?”
“After.”
“Scotland. We have to go to Scotland for our honeymoon. We could stay at the Gleneagles, and then we could drive up into the Highlands.”
“And look for your treasure?”
“I don’t need to look. I know where it is.”
“Yeah? You figured that whole feud thing out?”
“I did,” Jordan boasted.
“Tell me,” said Noah.
“It all started with a lie…” she began.