Epilogue 2

Jordan

Jordan's truck idled for a moment before he killed the engine. Rhonda’s headlights flashed as she turned into the driveway, and his pulse quickened. He’d been sitting on the street for barely twenty minutes, and it had felt interminable.

He stepped out into the cold as soon as she parked. By the time she opened her door, he was there behind her, boots crunching on the snow-covered driveway.

“You beat me home,” she teased.

Jordan followed her in, shaking the snow from his boots. “If you didn’t treat every party like a closing ceremony, I wouldn’t have.”

She laughed, hanging her keys on the hook by the door. “I like it when you’re jealous.”

Jordan grabbed a handful of her left butt cheek as he walked past to the kitchen. He placed the white bakery box on the counter.

Rhonda sidled up next to him. “Those look amazing.”

“You can take one. But the rest are for the breakfast.”

She grinned, shoving a hand into his back pocket. “Mm. Generous.”

He couldn’t take it a second longer. He’d worked three shifts over the past two days, and he needed her clothes off. Immediately.

Jordan turned and pulled her against him, but Rhonda wriggled free. “What’s this?” She pointed at the small wrapped box next to the cinnamon rolls.

“Something you can open in the morning.”

She scoffed. “You can’t dangle that?—”

“All I do is dangle.” He slipped his cold hands up the back of her shirt, and she gasped.

“Hilarious.”

“You set me up for that one.”

Rhonda kissed him, then dragged her lips over his jaw and sucked his earlobe into her mouth. He panted involuntarily as she said, “If you let me open it, I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

Jordan groaned and fumbled for the gift with his free hand. Rhonda pulled back, her eyes shining. She took the box from him, and he kept his hands looped around her waist as she opened it.

He watched her initial reaction when she saw the gold tennis bracelet, waiting for the moment when?—

“Jordan.” She stared at the charms. One for Pucks Deep. One for the Snowballs. Rhonda looked up, her eyes glassy.

He smoothed a thumb over her cheek. “I’ll never make you choose. Your life can be whatever you want it to be. Just tell me I can be a part of it.”

Tears welled up, and he pressed against the corner of her eye, letting them spill over onto his fingers.

“I have a gift for you, too. I can?—”

“Give it to me in the morning.” Jordan grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the bedroom.

Rhonda laughed. “It’s a good one.”

He spun and pressed her hand to his jeans. “Morning.”

Her cheeks flushed. Her teeth scraping over her lower lip. “Morning it is.”

_____

Rhonda and Jordan pulled up to Anne and Tina's house, the warm glow of Christmas lights twinkling in the windows. Rhonda's breath fogged the air as she exhaled, her excitement palpable. "Okay, I need you to know why this is funny."

Jordan turned off the ignition and looked at her expectantly. "I'm all ears."

"On the group chat. Anne and Tina wanted to invite the mystery guy to a hot tub night.”

Jordan smirked and reached for the door handle. "So this is all women."

“Yes.”

“And they don’t know I’m coming?”

Rhonda shook her head.

“Fantastic.”

They walked up the steps to the house, and Rhonda knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Tina stood in front of them, laughing. “You actually brought him!"

Rhonda grinned. "You asked for it.” She scanned the room nervously. Jenna was the only wild card. She didn’t know how she was going to react.

Tina stepped aside to let them in, and Rhonda was immediately enveloped in warmth and the smell of spiced cider. Anne was already in her swimsuit. "Well, I’ll be damned."

Rhonda shrugged out of her coat and hung it on a hook by the door, then turned to face her friends. "Jordan, this is Tina, Anne, and—" She paused as Jenna walked in from the kitchen. “Jenna.”

Jordan nodded at each of them, his expression neutral. "Nice to meet you. Officially.”

Tina pointed to the back door. "Oh this is going to be good.”

Rhonda flashed Jordan a mildly apologetic smile as they walked to the patio. They stripped off their clothes—they were already wearing their suits—and Jordan climbed into the tub with four women. It wasn’t exactly how he saw this fantasy playing out, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The questions started instantly, but as the women got more tipsy, they forgot all about him and he got to sit back and enjoy.

Tina brought out pies around ten o’clock, and when she slipped back in the hot tub, she said, “Your story is way better than the one I made up in my head.”

Rhonda’s nose scrunched. “About Parking Lot Guy?”

“Oh, I still want to have an affair with my version of Parking Lot Guy.” Anne laughed. “Not you, Jordan. No offense.”

They laughed and ate, and Jordan mostly just watched Jenna. Her smile. Her laugh. He loved all of it. Her dark, curly hair framed her face, and he couldn't help but notice the way her cheeks flushed from the warmth of the hot tub, the pink on her cheeks. She was captivating. Magnetic.

Rhonda looked up and caught him staring. She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He reached out and placed a hand on her knee, and her skin prickled. "Hey." Jordan leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear. "I think I love you.” He said it on a breath, then pulled back, rejoining the conversation. He didn’t want to pressure her or make her feel like he needed a response. He didn’t. He just wanted her to know.

When Rhonda didn’t move forward, he turned back. She hung her arms over the edge of the hot tub, her phone in her hand.

“Everything okay?”

Rhonda bit her lip, then turned the phone so he could see the screen. It was a message from Cassie.

Hey. Thanks for that. Merry Christmas

Jordan blinked. “Holy shit.”

Rhonda nodded. “She texted me.”

“She texted you.” He pulled Rhonda into his arms, almost making her drop the phone. That reaction prompted questions from the others, and Rhonda filled them in on the saga with her sister.

It wasn’t until ten minutes later that Rhonda turned to him. She nodded toward the deck and mouthed, “Check your phone.”

Jordan waited a second as she turned back, laughing at something Tina said. Then he twisted and dried his hand on a towel and pulled his phone from the deck boards next to hers.

There was a text from her. When had she sent that? He tapped on it, and his heart stopped.

I love you, too

Next in the Series —

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There's a story I tell people of how my husband and I met. All of it is a lie.

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When Jason got selected for World Juniors in Germany, I thought I’d get a reprieve. I could handle the quiet loneliness of his absence. What I couldn’t handle was Rob. He’s still here, stomping around the house with that cocky grin, pushing every button I have. And somehow, when it’s just the two of us, the air feels heavier, charged with something I don’t want to name.

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Sometimes the lines blur. And sometimes, you cross them…