Page 103 of Under Daddy's Spell

Chapter Twenty-Nine

THEIR SUNDAY DIDN’Tend as dramatically as it started.

Although he didn’t have to, Jordan drove her to work and kept her company for thirty minutes while she prepped for opening. It wasn’t difficult, and it didn’t take the entire half hour, but it had to be done, or customers waiting when she unlocked the doors had to wait more. It wasn’t the exemplary customer service she wanted to offer. When Georgia was scheduled, who often flew in the door at 7:58 rather than being behind and playing catch-up from the start, Tessa always planned on doing it herself.

Jordan returned with lunch, which they ate under the big shade tree out back—her first time. That the temperature was ten to fifteen degrees sitting beneath it, and she was only finding out now, ticked her off a little. But she probably wouldn’t have partaken without someone special to share it with anyway.

He drove up in his Audi as she was locking the doors at six, which was closing time on Sunday. They were on the road ten minutes later and, when she walked into his lake house, her and Rufus’ new home away from home, a mouthwatering smell greeted her.

It turned out to be St. Louis style ribs, which he’d slow cooked all day. He tossed them on his fancy indoor grill for a few minutes before serving, and they were fall-off-the-bone amazing.

Although he cooked, Jordan refused to let her help clean up since she’d worked all day. Instead, he settled her on the couch with a book, a fizzy wine cooler, and her feet up. She rarely indulged in liquid calories, but after barbeque and a ten-hour workday, it hit the spot.

She had only read a chapter when he came rushing in with beer—Michelob Ultra, naturally—grabbed the remote, and plopped down next to her.

“Book closed, baby girl. It’s lesson time.”

“What kind of lesson?”

An answer became unnecessary when electric guitars started blaring and Carrie Underwood in a rhinestone-studded dress and boots, some well-place wind machines blowing her long blonde hair, strutted across the screen into a lit-up football stadium.

“This should be a good game. Philadelphia is undefeated, at the top of the NFC East, and New York is only one game back.”

Hearing the excitement in his voice, she felt a glimmer of interest. She put her book aside and settled in to watch and learn from an expert.

By the end of the first quarter, she understood scoring and downs and change of possession, but when he started talking about sacks and slots and backfield penetration, which frankly sounded dirty—a lot of the terminology did—he lost her.

She hung with him into the second quarter, but, by halftime, she was snuggled up to his side with her head on his shoulder, fast asleep.

***

“WHAT ARE YOUR PLANSfor the day?”she asked as Jordan, driving his truck today, turned into the lot behind their stores. The feeling of familiarity, since they’d done this six days in a row, made her smile.

Routine didn’t bother her. In fact, she thrived on it.

She enjoyed driving to and from work with him, discussing their days. Heck, she liked simply being with him. And she didn’t miss having her car with her since anything she needed was a short walk down the strip, and, except for her Friday Costco run, she rarely left the bookstore once she arrived in the morning until it was time to close up for the night.

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