Free Jordan's Return by Samantha Chase Page A

you up tomorrow around four if that will work for you?”
    â€œAbsolutely,” he responded, his hand resting on the small of her back, and Jordan felt her spine stiffen at the sight. With his free hand, he reached into his pocket and fished out his car keys. “Here are the keys, Jordan,” he said as he handed them to her. They were being dismissed. “Why don’t you and the boys go on out to the car? I just need to speak with the manager before we go. I’ll be out in a minute.”
    â€œOh, sure,” she said quietly and looked away. “Come on, boys. It was nice to meet you,” she mumbled as she ushered the boys out the door and to the car as quick as she could.
    â€œWho was that, Mommy?” Jake asked as Jordan unlocked the truck.
    â€œI don’t know, sweetheart. Maybe she’s Rob’s girlfriend,” Jordan said sadly. Glancing back into the restaurant, Jordan saw Rob was still talking to Kelly. She couldn’t seem to tear her gaze away and almost let out a cry when the woman wrapped her arms around Rob’s neck as she hugged and kissed him again. Jordan climbed into the truck testily, and the boys noticed.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Joseph asked as he got comfortable in the backseat.
    â€œIt’s nothing, baby.” She couldn’t let them know she was jealous of this woman, this blond-haired nightmare who had ruined what was promising to be a perfect night.
    The sad fact was she really didn’t expect that Rob was living the celibate life, waiting for her to come back and find him, right? She had to accept that, as she had told her children, Rob was not here just for their entertainment. He had a life of his own. Jordan simply hadn’t expected that life to tear at her heart so badly.
    Forcing her gaze away from the restaurant, she turned to the boys. “So, what movie are we getting?”
    Rob joined them a few minutes later and asked the same exact question. Joseph told him of a comedy he had wanted to see, and without any input from Jordan, they took off driving in the direction of the video store. If Rob noticed Jordan’s cool demeanor or the way she was staring out the window ignoring him, he chose to say nothing.
    Once in the video store, Rob joked with the boys by picking up “chick flicks” and asking if any of them were the movies they had in mind. Jake laughed hysterically every time. By the fifth movie, the joke had gotten a little stale and they all finally headed over to the comedy section.
    Within minutes they decided on a movie and Rob very respectfully asked Jordan if it was all right for them to get some microwave popcorn to eat while watching the movie. After his behavior earlier in the day at the movie theater, he certainly didn’t want to take a chance on offending her again. The boys had eaten quite a bit of junk food in the afternoon and had just consumed a ton of pizza. He wanted to be certain Jordan was okay with the plans before he plowed on through with them. She mumbled her response, but the boys were so busy chattering at him that Rob didn’t notice her disinterest.
    Once they were back at the house with movie in hand, Joseph asked Rob if he was going to stay and watch it with them and he readily agreed to. Jordan excused herself and went to the sanctuary of her bedroom to calm her nerves and change her clothes. She could have told them all her plans but their conversations at this point clearly did not include her.
    As she closed the door behind her and flipped on a small lamp, questions flooded her mind. Why would he be hanging out here with them when he had a girlfriend waiting for him? Wouldn’t this Kelly person be peeved at all the time Rob was spending with Jordan and her kids? It made no sense.
    Stepping into her large closet, she kicked off her sandals rather aggressively before grabbing a change of clothes: yoga pants and an oversized T-shirt. She looked at her reflection in the