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“How do you know the size of my place?”
“Chelsea mentioned it.”
“Well, it doesn’t make sense to have something larger with all the traveling I do.”
It was true, but Jordan had also seen his condo as a message to the women he dated—evidence of his disinterest in starting a family. It was the same with his two-seater sports car—definitely not a family vehicle. Now both seemed a hollow gesture.
“I suppose.”
Nicole turned on the hose and gave Toby a drink before watering the new tree. It gave Jordan a strange sensation to watch her. Nurturing wasn’t a word he would have associated with a supermodel famous for wearing the hottest clothes in high fashion. Yet despite Nicole’s ability to look sensational in the simplest of outfits, she was a caring person.
Jordan sighed, thinking about all the stupid things he’d said since they day they’d met again. He’d dug a deep hole for himself, and not just in the ground.
Now he’d have to discover if he could climb out—and once he did, what he wanted to do.
* * *
CHELSEA SMILED AS Adam Wilding came into the reception area. When she first met him, she’d been dazzled by his good looks. Now she was able to see Adam as a nice boss who fit in well with Nicole and Rachel. The only partner she hadn’t met was Logan, but she wasn’t nervous about him any longer.
“It was a lucky day for us when you came looking for your brother,” Adam said, handing her a stack of paperwork.
“Thanks, I feel lucky to work here.”
“In three weeks I’ll be at the agency full-time. The Realtor gave me the keys to my new loft this week.”
The door chimed and a young man came inside. “I’m Drew Goldstein. I, um, have an appointment.”
“Please come to my office,” Adam invited. “I know you expected to see Nicole George today, but I’m one of her partners. She’s out, so we’ll be talking.”
To Drew’s credit, he didn’t look disappointed that he wouldn’t be meeting one of the hottest women to ever grace a magazine cover.
Chelsea went through the reports. She’d set up a computer program to track information on clients so they’d have a quick reference. She swiftly entered the data and after a while, realized she was smiling for no special reason.
Being happy was a new experience for her, but she was beginning to think it was a possibility, and not just on the job. Barton actually discussed things with her…significant things like feelings, choices and values. Most important, he was willing to consider how their behavior affected each other. The night before they’d kept talking while fixing dinner, and then long into the night. It amazed her that he was willing to set limits and make adjustments. Maybe it wasn’t that unique, but she’d never seen it before in a guy who was interested in her.
The way Barton was acting also made her think a future with him might actually be possible. On the other hand, they’d agreed neither of them were quite ready, even though he’d confessed that his own feelings were becoming more serious.
It worried her to think that by taking her time she could miss out on something special. But Barton insisted he was okay with going slowly, that he wanted them both to be sure.
Poor guy. He’d told her more about his marriage and how he still blamed himself for its failure, since the biggest problem had been Ellyn’s inability to adjust to his career change.
But Chelsea didn’t know what else Barton could have done. He’d hated being a stockbroker as much as Ellyn had hated being married to a teacher who didn’t have a stockbroker’s income. And he wanted kids, while she’d been opposed to having a family. Perhaps if they’d spent more time getting to know each other before marriage, they would have discovered how different their interests were.
“I rushed things,” Barton had said. “So you see, taking our time works well for me, too.”
In a way it remained hard for Chelsea to believe him. She supposed that was another thing she’d have to work on, learning to trust him and her own perceptions about the kind of man he was.
Still, hope kept springing up and making her happier. Maybe she should just be grateful.
