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“Next session’s classes don’t start until September. But be sure to sign Sonya up early. They fill up quickly, especially considering we’ll have to make some cuts so there won’t be as many classes to choose from.”
“I don’t think that will be an issue any longer,” Jordan stated before he could think to stop himself.
Her brows lifted in surprise. “Oh?”
The thick clouds threatening to dampen the day shifted over the sun, casting a grayness to the area. Jess’s tone was clipped, professional. She was simply one of the center’s instructors speaking to a parent. A brick seemed to have settled in Jordan’s stomach. He had to clench his fists by his sides to keep from reaching for her, from taking her in his arms and kissing away the tightness in her lips.
Just then the phone Jess held in her hands sounded an incoming alert. “It’s a text from Clara. She says she has some good news to tell me about.”
Jordan watched her expression as she put two and two together. She was too sharp not to figure it out.
“Jordan. Do you have something you’d like to tell me?”
He wasn’t going to lie to her. Releasing a sigh, he admitted what he’d just done. “I wanted to help out the center with a donation. The cuts can be avoided.”
A clear glint of disappointment and sadness settled over her features. He wanted so badly to wash that disappointment away. He wanted to ask her to sit with him again on the rickety bench just to watch the stream trickle by. He wanted her to let him hold her hand again. There appeared to be a standoffish quality about her this morning. A distance she was putting between them; one that hadn’t been there the last time they’d spoken to each other. But this Jess before him now seemed so different from the woman who had shared her story about visiting the father who didn’t want to see her.
This Jess didn’t seem at all likely to open herself up that way. Certainly not to him. Not now.
“How nice of you,” Jess began, speaking through tight, gritted teeth. “You saw an issue and you wrote a check. Thanks so much,” she added, her voice thick with sarcasm. Then she turned on her heel and began to walk back toward the building.
Jordan stayed silent and simply watched her walk away. Suddenly, the scene before him didn’t seem quite as picturesque as it had just a few short minutes ago.
* * *
Jordan stood up from the European-style oak desk in his study and walked over to stare out the window. The clouds from earlier this morning had grown thicker, and the afternoon had grown darker.
Which matched his mood perfectly.
“Aren’t you taking this brooding billionaire thing a little too far?” a feminine voice asked from behind him. He hadn’t bothered to shut his door. Not like he was focusing much on work emails anyway.
“Hello, Elise.”
She stepped into the room with a wave. “Sonya wanted me to come and see if you had any time later to watch her. She wants to show you some of her swim strokes she learned in her swim class.”
Jordan glanced at his watch. “I have a conference call from Japan scheduled in about fifteen minutes. Should take about an hour. I’ll come out then.”
“I’ll let her know. Oh, and she also asked that we invite her friend to come watch her, too. She’s become quite the little show-off when it comes to her swimming. Apparently, I’m no longer sufficient enough an audience.”
Jordan returned her chuckle. “That’s fine. Invite however many little friends she wishes.”
“Okay. But she’s not little. Sonya wants Jess to come see her.”
His laughter quickly faded. Damn. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Maybe they can see each other some other time.”
“Is there a reason? Sonya will wonder why. She’s actually been asking about Jess, wondering when her next art session will be.”
Jordan tried to clamp down on his frustration and annoyance. It wouldn’t be fair to direct it toward Elise simply because she happened to be the bearer of Sonya’s message. Nor could he blame his little sister. It made sense that she was wondering about the friendly teacher who’d shown her such kindness and warmth.
