longâjust long enough for her boys to take note of the man walking on the opposite side of the street.
âHey, look! Thereâs Rob!â Joseph yelled. Jordan rolled her eyes.
This cannot be happening! she thought, frustrated.
Looking amazing in faded blue jeans and a snug red T-shirt, Rob smiled brightly as he spotted them and jogged over. Her sons were jumping up and down, waving him over.
âHey, you guys!â he said, beaming at both boys. âDoinâ a movie today, huh?â
âYeah! Mom let us pick the movie and weâre gonna see explosions and blood and everything!â Jake said excitedly.
Rob looked at Jordan with amusement and she shrugged. âWow!â he said with exaggerated enthusiasm. âShe is a great mom!â Rob had to suppress a laugh because he remembered well how much Jordan hated violence in any form. If she was willing to sit through this particular action flick, she had to be truly desperate.
The boys dragged Jordan forward with the line, barely able to stand still for all their excitement.
âCan you come with us, Rob?â Joseph asked.
Rob looked at the boy, who seemed to have a trace of desperation in his eyes. âWell, thatâs up to your mom,â he said diplomatically, firmly placing the ball in her court, although secretly hoping sheâd think it was a good idea.
âIâm sure Rob is working right now and far too busy to take the afternoon off to go to a movie,â she said with confidence. âArenât you?â she urged, hoping heâd get the hint.
But Rob decided to have some fun with her. âYouâre in luck!â he said with a huge grin. âTodayâs my day off and I had been hoping to see this movie. I hear it is especially bloody.â He watched Jordan pale. The boys jumped up and down, cheering with glee, and Rob nearly choked when he looked back at Jordan, who was shooting daggers at him with her eyes. This probably wasnât the best way to get in her good graces, he realized a little too late.
For days, Rob had been trying to come up with a believable excuse to see Jordan and her boys but could come up with none. It was just a coincidence that he had seen them here today and he was thrilled.
It had taken every ounce of strength he possessed to leave Jordanâs house days earlier. His original plan had been to stay after the boys had gone to bed and try to rekindle some of those old feelings theyâd once shared. Heâd longed to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. At some point while they had sat and talked, sanity had returned and heâd realized he would need to proceed slowly and with caution. They werenât kids anymore and Jordan had kids of her own to consider. Plus, she had been put through the wringer with Eric. She might not be feeling too kindly toward the male sex as a whole right now.
No, he couldnât act impulsively. He would have to earn her trust and respect, as well as the respect of her sons. Somehow, he felt heâd achieved that part already as he looked down and saw Jake standing close to him, looking up at him with a wide, bright smile on his young face.
âYou excited, sport?â
âYes, sir,â Jake said, clearly pleased with the nickname. âMom never lets us see these kinds of movies. This is going to be so cool! Iâm real glad youâre here to see it with us.â
âMe too,â Rob said as he placed his hand on Jakeâs shoulder. Once the tickets were purchased, they went inside and lined up at the concession stand to pick out snacks.
âRemember what I told you on the way here, guys,â she reminded them as they pressed their faces up to the glass. She was only allowing for popcorn and a shared soda. Each boy whined at the reminder. Rob, meanwhile, decided on several different boxes of candy, nachos, and the jumbo-size soft drink.
Jake and Joseph stared at him in awe. âIs all that