Jordan's Return by Samantha Chase Read Free Book Online

the contact. His hand was large and warm and callused, and it felt wonderful. Without conscious thought, she turned her own over in his and let their fingers mesh together.
    â€œI’m sure you do,” he whispered. There was no condemnation in his words, and for the briefest of moments, Jordan believed he really did understand how she felt. She looked up at him with gratitude as he began to lean into her, hoping to feel her warm breath on his face before he kissed her.
    â€œHey, Mom, check out these great shells! I’m going to keep them and start a huge collection for when we go home. Aren’t they cool? Hey, are we going to be able to find our way home in the dark?” Jake had cluelessly bounded over to ask the questions, unaware of what he was interrupting.
    Jordan forced herself to move away from Rob’s warmth. “We should go,” she said with a ragged voice. Rob nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet. They stood and told the boys to go on ahead but to stay close as they made their way slowly back up the sand and to the road.
    During the walk back to the house, the kids commented on how much fun they’d had and thanked Rob and over and over for the ice cream. He smiled and took it all in. They were such a sweet little family, and Rob found himself wishing they were his. His split with Amy had been amicable and he had eventually convinced himself he could live without fulfilling his dream of a wife and kids. But now as he walked with Jordan, he knew it wasn’t possible. He wanted the dream. He wanted the original dream he and Jordan had shared.
    Once back at the house, while the boys each took their turn in the bathroom showering off all the sand and ice cream, Jordan and Rob sat and made small talk in the den.
    â€œSo, where are you living now?” he asked.
    â€œWe have a house down in Raleigh, but I’m planning on selling it. It’s too big for just the three of us and it’s a lot to take care of.” He nodded. “What about you? How long have you been here on the coast?”
    â€œI moved down here after college. My grandparents were living here at the time, and it just seemed like the perfect place. I had vacationed here as a kid and it had always been a secret dream of mine to move here.” He shrugged. “So, I got my degree and lived with my grandparents for a year while I got my architectural firm up and running and now…here we are.”
    â€œI had no idea you wanted to live here. I remember you talking about your trips here but I didn’t think—”
    â€œIt’s no big deal,” he interrupted. “I never told anyone about wanting to live here. It all just sort of fell into place that way. I don’t think it was a conscious decision to move here but I don’t regret for a moment doing it. I’ve always loved it here.” Looking back, Jordan thought it seemed odd that Rob had never shared that part of his dream with her. “Anyway, I’m very fortunate that I’m living part of my dream. Not too many people can say that.” Jordan nodded sadly and they both grew silent.
    Rob hung out until both boys were clean and ready for bed. Jake had insisted on showing him the room he was sharing with his brother and then sharing in great detail all about their rooms at home. Joseph told him about trophies he had won that were proudly displayed in his room as well as his dreams of a more grown-up room—since he was getting to be almost a teenager. For all the hard times they’d suffered lately, they still seemed content. He only wished he felt the same about his own life.
    When Joseph and Jake walked back to the living room to kiss their mom good night, Rob wished them both a good night and told them he’d be back when he could, not wanting to step on Jordan’s toes. Both of the boys were too worn out to argue the point and thanked him again. The excitement of the evening had worn them