“Come on, Mom!”
I laughed. “I’m coming, Son. We don’t have to run. They’re not going anywhere. Doctor JoJo is with us.”
Speaking of Doctor JoJo, he lingered a few steps behind as we made our way to the class. I could feel his eyes on me, but I refused to acknowledge him. When we made it to the classroomwhere they set up the Sprouts program, I found a place in a back corner of the room to stay out of the way.
Cameron found a seat and listened intently as Jordy and Mr. Brown, who happened to be one of the science teachers, gave them instructions for the day. There were about twelve other kids who were participating in the program. They all seemed excited to resume their projects.
When they gave everyone permission to get started on the assignment of the day, Jordy moved toward Cam and another little boy around his age who was also new to the program. I hated to admit it, but JoJo was a natural with the kids. As he moved around the room, stopping at each designated station to offer his help, that became even more evident.
The ease in which he spoke to them and even assisted them with whatever they were doing caused a gentle stirring in my belly. Jordy’s attentiveness was one of the things I loved most about him. No matter what I was going through, he could always comfort me. Well, almost always. Whatever I felt was something that I wasn’t ready or willing to acknowledge.I was so entranced with watching Jordy interact with the kids that I let my guard down enough to let him slip up on me.
“Relax, Harper,” he said once he stopped in front of me. He let his eyes rake down to the base of my throat before they flashed back up to meet my eyes.
“I will once I’m out of here.”
“Why are you making this so hard for me, Harper? Let me in, baby. You know who I am. You know I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. I don’t want to make excuses for breaking your heart. I just want access to it again.”
“I just want my son to have fun and hopefully find something that will help him adjust to this move. That’s the only reason I came here, Jordy.”
His smile never faltered. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying watching me fight to hold on to the fraying threads of my resolve. I would not give in to him so easily. Too much time had passed. There was too much on the line now. I had a son to think about.
Cameron was the only thing that mattered to me anymore. I had to make things right for him. Right on cue, my son looked over at me, grinning from ear to ear. He held up what he was working on, and even though I had no idea what I was looking at, I smiled.
“I’m here, JoJo. What more can you ask for? You can’t expect me to enjoy myself. I’m only here for my son.”
Jordy’s boyish grin widened as he leaned in a little closer, invading too much of my space for my liking. He looked like he had this big secret, but I refused to ask him what it was. There was something unnerving simmering in his eyes. His cockiness made heat crawl up my neck. That, too, was something new.
Jordy was confident, but cocky was more of a Jase’s thing. I swallowed as I tore my eyes away from that gorgeous smile and put them on my son where they belonged. I was here for Cameron. At least that was what I kept chanting over and over in my head. Jordy was magnetic. It was the reason I had stayed away for so long. No matter how hard I tried to resist, I was always drawn to him.
“At least unfold those arms off your chest. You’re over here looking like someone put you in the corner for misbehaving in class.”
I laughed. I didn’t know how he got to me, but JoJo had successfully made me laugh. I hated him, but he was so adorable that I didn’t care.
“Shut up, JoJo,” I said, rolling my eyes playfully.
“There’s my girl. I missed you, baby,” he said, winking before turning back to the class.
I took a shuddered breath, knowing that letting him talk me into going to that class was my most recent mistake. I could have sent Cam alone. I trusted JoJo enough to leave my son alone with him. That wasn’t the issue. I was just being stubborn by coming.
I knew how much I wanted to be around JoJo. No matter how much I refused to admit it, I missed him. Denying my feelings for him had been easy when I was hundreds of miles away. With him popping up every time I turned around, being his sweet and charming self, I knew that I didn’t stand a chance against him.
I was going to have to find other ways to avoid him. It was too late for us. There was no use in dredging up the past and reliving all our mistakes. There was still so much pain in my heart when it came to my relationship with Jordy and Jase that I didn’t even know where to start unpacking it.
My hurt and shame were the reason that I had shoved thoughts of them down so far into my subconscious. Jordy standing right in front of me brought back the feelings of guilt and anger that I felt when I made the decision to disappear. Now I was questioning how rational I had been. Regret was the last thing I wanted to feel.
Meeting Kendrick had been one of the best things for me at the time. Although we were divorced, I didn’t hate my ex-husband. He helped me heal from the pain and despair I went through after Jordy and I broke up. Kendrick loved me. If he had never betrayed me the way he did and lost my respect, as well as my trust, I would still be married to him.
The loyalty I felt toward Jordy made me want to forgive him. My heart wanted to give him another chance, but my mind was stubborn. It never wanted to experience the pain he put us through again.
For the next twenty minutes, I was content sitting in the background watching the students build their robots with Jordy and the science teacher’s help. Cameron jumped up from his seat and darted to the back of the class.
“Mom, come see what I did!”
I was all too eager to get up and see what my son had to show me. I loved that he was having fun doing something scientific. Over the years, I bought him so many educational toys and sets for his age group that he literally tossed to the side after a few minutes. I smiled as I followed my son to his station. He stopped when he made it to his destination and leaned over a partially finished something.
“Look!” Cameron raved.
“I know, right!” I said, hoping to sound as enthusiastic as he deserved for me to be.I was enthused, but I had no idea what I was looking at.
