cautious now than I’ve ever been in the past. I have to be. I have Mason to consider.” He put a hand up before she could say anything. “I’m not suggesting that you would ever treat Mason unfairly in any way. The way you are with my son, the care you take with him, I can’t tell you how much that means to me, Vicki.”
He paused for a moment. “But it’s hard for me to drop my guard where he’s concerned. His own mother refuses to put him first. I have to make sure I’m with someone who will.”
“What makes you think I wouldn’t?” she asked.
“I know you would,” Jordan said. He shook his head. “But I still can’t help but feel cautious when it comes to him.”
“Here’s the thing, Jordan.” With the hand that wasn’t cradling Mason, she reached out and captured his wrist. “Whether or not you decide that you have romantic feelings for me, I would still do exactly what I’ve been doing as far as Mason is concerned. This little guy wormed his way into my heart from his very first visit to the Silk Sisters.” She paused for a moment before continuing in a softer voice. “But it’s my heart that I’m thinking about right now. I don’t want to be hurt.”
“I won’t hurt you. But I’ll be honest. This scares me, Vicki. I trusted my heart the last time, and look what happened.”
“Don’t make me pay for her mistakes,” Vicki said. “I’m nothing like Allison.”
“No, you’re not. I know that. But you also said you weren’t looking for casual, that you want serious. A part of me thinks I’m ready, but another part—”
“I have an idea,” Vicki said, cutting him off. Nothing good could come of him continuing to overanalyze his feelings like this. “Why don’t we just enjoy the time-honored tradition of putting up a Christmas tree? We can think about casual versus serious and just what all of that means later.” She pressed a kiss to Mason’s soft head, then looked up at Jordan. “Right now, I just want to enjoy this time with you and Mason.”
He shook his head, a grateful smile spreading across his face. “You have to be the most understanding woman I know,” he said. “I promise I’m going to figure this out—”
“Jordan, get the tree.”
He smiled again, then nodded. “I’ll get the tree.”
Chapter 6
T he moment Jordan left the room, Vicki exhaled the unsteady breath she’d been holding in. Not too long ago, she would have shied away from what was happening between them, too afraid to take a chance.
But things were different now.
She
was different. She was no longer willing to sit on her feelings. She was putting it all out there, and whatever happened, happened.
Vicki didn’t even try to hide her amusement as Jordan struggled to get the eight-foot tree through the door. Back at the tree lot, she’d told him that he would be just fine with a small five-footer, but he had proclaimed that if he was going to get a tree, it would be a
real
tree.
He set it up in the corner of the great room and filled the stand with water, then turned to her. “This feels more significant than I thought it would,” he said.
“Having a tree?”
He nodded. “It’s yet another of those milestones, you know? House, kid, Christmas tree. I’m gradually moving into this new phase of my life. At one time it scared me, but I’m beginning to realize that I’ve been ready for this for a long time now. I’m enjoying all of these new experiences.”
She had been insanely attracted to him well before fatherhood had turned him into this insightful person who actually took the time to appreciate something as simple as decorating for the holidays. To see him embracing life’s simple pleasures made him a thousand times sexier.
He clapped his hands together. “Now that I have the tree, I guess it’s time to put stuff on it.” He reached over and lifted Mason from her arms. “Let’s see if my little man is feeling well enough to help out.”
Vicki looked on as
He paused for a moment. “But it’s hard for me to drop my guard where he’s concerned. His own mother refuses to put him first. I have to make sure I’m with someone who will.”
“What makes you think I wouldn’t?” she asked.
“I know you would,” Jordan said. He shook his head. “But I still can’t help but feel cautious when it comes to him.”
“Here’s the thing, Jordan.” With the hand that wasn’t cradling Mason, she reached out and captured his wrist. “Whether or not you decide that you have romantic feelings for me, I would still do exactly what I’ve been doing as far as Mason is concerned. This little guy wormed his way into my heart from his very first visit to the Silk Sisters.” She paused for a moment before continuing in a softer voice. “But it’s my heart that I’m thinking about right now. I don’t want to be hurt.”
“I won’t hurt you. But I’ll be honest. This scares me, Vicki. I trusted my heart the last time, and look what happened.”
“Don’t make me pay for her mistakes,” Vicki said. “I’m nothing like Allison.”
“No, you’re not. I know that. But you also said you weren’t looking for casual, that you want serious. A part of me thinks I’m ready, but another part—”
“I have an idea,” Vicki said, cutting him off. Nothing good could come of him continuing to overanalyze his feelings like this. “Why don’t we just enjoy the time-honored tradition of putting up a Christmas tree? We can think about casual versus serious and just what all of that means later.” She pressed a kiss to Mason’s soft head, then looked up at Jordan. “Right now, I just want to enjoy this time with you and Mason.”
He shook his head, a grateful smile spreading across his face. “You have to be the most understanding woman I know,” he said. “I promise I’m going to figure this out—”
“Jordan, get the tree.”
He smiled again, then nodded. “I’ll get the tree.”
Chapter 6
T he moment Jordan left the room, Vicki exhaled the unsteady breath she’d been holding in. Not too long ago, she would have shied away from what was happening between them, too afraid to take a chance.
But things were different now.
She
was different. She was no longer willing to sit on her feelings. She was putting it all out there, and whatever happened, happened.
Vicki didn’t even try to hide her amusement as Jordan struggled to get the eight-foot tree through the door. Back at the tree lot, she’d told him that he would be just fine with a small five-footer, but he had proclaimed that if he was going to get a tree, it would be a
real
tree.
He set it up in the corner of the great room and filled the stand with water, then turned to her. “This feels more significant than I thought it would,” he said.
“Having a tree?”
He nodded. “It’s yet another of those milestones, you know? House, kid, Christmas tree. I’m gradually moving into this new phase of my life. At one time it scared me, but I’m beginning to realize that I’ve been ready for this for a long time now. I’m enjoying all of these new experiences.”
She had been insanely attracted to him well before fatherhood had turned him into this insightful person who actually took the time to appreciate something as simple as decorating for the holidays. To see him embracing life’s simple pleasures made him a thousand times sexier.
He clapped his hands together. “Now that I have the tree, I guess it’s time to put stuff on it.” He reached over and lifted Mason from her arms. “Let’s see if my little man is feeling well enough to help out.”
Vicki looked on as
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