Clearly, she was eager to meet Jordan. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
“Don’t be so grouchy,” she admonished. “You’d be just as curious.”
She had an excellent point, so I said nothing else as I led her into the kitchen. Jordan looked up from chopping tomatoes when we entered.
“Oh my God, he really is cooking,” Lucy murmured.
“I told the girls he would,” I whispered back.
“I know, but I thought that was code for he would go buy the dinner and bring it here.”
“Seriously?” I hissed.
“What?”
“Never mind. Just let me introduce you.”
When I looked back at Jordan, he was grinning at us as he wiped his hands on a towel. Obviously he’d heard our whispered conversation.
“I’m Jordan Hawke,” he stated, coming over to us.
“Lucy Daniels,” she replied, holding out her hand for him to shake.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Lucy. Tanya has said a lot of nice things about you.”
Lucy giggled, actually giggled, at his words. “It’s nice to meet you as well. I love your accent. Tanya didn’t tell me you were from England.”
I barely refrained from rolling my eyes as I went about my business of pouring Lucy a glass of the chardonnay I’d opened earlier.
“I haven’t lived there since I was a child,” he replied. “I got my citizenship many years ago.”
“So what brought your family to America?” she asked.
“My parents passed away and I came to live with my aunt.”
Lucy glanced at me with a stricken expression. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Jordan shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a reasonable question.”
I handed Lucy her glass of wine, but looked at Jordan when I asked, “Do you want us to stay in here and keep you company while you cook?”
“That’s okay. You and Lucy go enjoy the fire and your wine. The other ladies will probably be arriving soon, won’t they?”
I nodded.
“I’ll finish up the salad and join you in a few minutes,” he stated.
Lucy and I carried our wine into the living room and she waited until we were seated on the couch before she whispered, “You should have warned me about his parents dying when he was young.”
She was right. I should have. I honestly hadn’t thought of it when we were making plans for the girls to come to dinner. “I’m sorry, Lucy. I’ve never done this before so it didn’t occur to me.”
“Done what?”
“Introduced the man I’m in love with to my friends.”
Her annoyed expression faded instantly and she patted my knee. “You’re right. You haven’t. You were probably more worried we wouldn’t like him.”
I shook my head. “No, I wasn’t worried about that. I was more concerned you’d all run him off with your level of crazy.”
