Page 48 of An Unexpected Love

Jordan didn’t immediately catch her joke, but when he did, he laughed out loud.

“You know what they say about hindsight being twenty-twenty? In this case it’s true. If failure hadn’t taught me to appreciate success when I got it, I might have fallen into a nasty trap.”

“What was that?”

“Thinking I deserved it, believing I was so talented, so gifted, so good that I’d never lose.”

Jordan fell silent. Jill waited a moment, then said, “Mr. Howard told me something…about the shopping-mall project. I didn’t say anything to you at the time because…well, because I wasn’t sure he wanted me to.”

She had Jordan’s full attention now.

He straightened, his eyes searching hers. “What did he say?”

“He hasn’t often gone in on construction projects with you, has he?”

“Only a handful of times.”

“There’s a reason for that.”

“Oh?”

“You’ve never failed.”

Jordan’s head came up sharply. “I beg your pardon?”

Jill knew he found such thinking preposterous. If anything, his successes should have been an inducement to his financial supporters.

“Mr. Howard explained that he doesn’t like to deal with a man until he’s been devastated financially at least once.”

“That makes no sense,” Jordan returned irritably.

“Perhaps not. Since my experience in the financial world is limited to paying my bills, I wouldn’t know,” Jill admitted.

“Who’s going to lend money to someone who’s failed?”

“Apparently Andrew Howard,” Jill said with a grin. “He told me the man who’s lost everything is much more careful the next time around.”

“I didn’t realize you and Howard talked business.”

“We didn’t.” She did her best to appear nonchalant. “Mostly we discussed you.”

This didn’t please Jordan, either. “I’d prefer to think I owe my success to hard work, determination and foresight. I certainly wouldn’t have come as far as I have without them.”

“True enough, but—”

“Is there always going to be a but?”

Jill tried to hold back a laugh. Actually she was enjoyingthis, while her tired husband was left to suffer the indignities of her insights.

“Well,” he said shortly, “go on, knock down my argument.”

“Oh, I agree your intelligence and dedication have played a large role in your success, but others have worked just as hard, been just as determined and shown just as much foresight—and lost everything.”

Jordan scowled. “My, you’re full of cheer, aren’t you?”

“I don’t want you to put so much store in this one project. If it falls apart, so what? You’re beating yourself to death with this.” She didn’t mention what it was doing to their marriage.

He considered her words for a few seconds, then his face tightened. “I won’t lose. I absolutely, categorically, refuse not to succeed.”

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