“Enough about us,” Taylynn waved one hand as she turned to Jordon.“Tell us more about you.Spider seems serious.”
“He is.He asked me to move in with him while he’s in Bozeman, then come back here with him.”
“Well?”Andy said.
“Are you going to do it?”Tania asked.
Jordon bit her lip as her gaze flicked from one face to another as she met each woman’s interested gaze.
“I think so.I’m not one hundred percent sure yet but I’m at about ninety.”She sighed.“I want to.I’m just worried about whether it will work.How will my family react?And that’s not about Spider.Daddy seems to really like him.He’s the only reason I even know Spider.But he doesn’t live alone.If I move into a house with two or more men, what will people say?There will be people who judge, even when they don’t know the facts.Will my decisions have blowback that affects my family?”
“That is a lot,” Andy said, slumping back into her seat.
“I have a question,” Taylynn spoke up.
“What?”Jordon was happy for anything that might help her decide.
“If you asked your dad what you should do, what would he say?”
Jordon blinked a couple of times, thinking about it.But she didn’t have to think for long before she knew.She could actually hear her father’s voice in her head as he told her to live her life and not worry about the rest of them.They knew the facts and everyone else could get over it.
“He’d tell me to do what makes me happy.”
“Then why are you hesitating?”Taylynn’s look was kind as she watched Jordon.
Jordon opened her mouth to say she’d already told them, but realized she’d just admitted Daddy wouldn’t care.What was holding her back?She closed her mouth and tilted her head as she thought about it, really thought.
It was fear.
Her eyes went wide as she continued to look at Taylynn.Taylynn nodded, a small smile curving her lips before she turned to the others.
“Tell me what you’ve been reading this week?I just finished Winter Traver’sDevil’s Knightsseries, so I’m on the prowl for something new.”
They talked for a while about books.Jordon pushed away her worries about taking things farther with Spider and enjoyed the talk, even making note of a couple books she needed to pick up.
By the time men’s voices came down the hall, letting Jordon and the other women know whatever meeting the men had been in was over, they’d all finished their drinks, with Jordon and Tania having ordered more.That spiked hot chocolate was to die for.She had to wonder why she’d never tried anything like it before.
“Hey, wildcat,” Spider said as someone pushed him next to her.She turned and found him sitting in a wheeled office chair, someone behind him.A quick glance at the man’s cut told her he was Hawkeye.She didn’t think she’d met him yet.
“Hey, name’s Hawkeye,” he said, holding out one hand.She shook it then turned to Spider.
“You’re done?”
“We are, well, mostly.We need to hang around here for a few more minutes, then we can do whatever you’d like.”’
“I’m good here, but let’s find a table for both of us.You want to stay in that chair or move to one of the others?”
“This is good for now.When we’re ready to go somewhere, whether back to the house or anywhere else, I’ll get one of the prospects to fetch my crutches.”
She shook her head but couldn’t hold back the smile that crept across her face.“You’re spoiled.Don’t think I’m going to wait on you hand and foot.I’ve got other things to do.”She moved behind his chair and turned him to face an open table.
“Like what?”he asked, tilting his head all the way back so he looked up at her.
“I’m not sure yet, but I’m sure I can find something.If I’m going to move into town, I’m going to have to find a job of some kind.I can’t sit around all day long, and you’ll have Dax around—you don’t need anyone else waiting on you.”She patted his shoulder before moving to sit at the table she’d positioned him at.“I get the feeling we’re waiting for something specific?”
“Yeah, but I can’t tell you what.We won’t have to wait long, just until everyone gets inside.”
David appeared with her second cup of hot cocoa and set it in front of her.
