Page 63 of Dreaming About Forever

“Oh, all the time?” Martha asked.

“All the time.” He was on the clock twenty-four seven, whether it was his shift or not.

Martha clicked her tongue behind her teeth. “Well, that’s a shame. But you’ll be at the practices, won’t you? It’s so good to see your face around here again.”

Jordan glanced at Alicia. “Wherever Miss Carver goes, I go.”

For the next few weeks, at least. After that, all the professional and pretend ties they’d formed would disappear.

Martha nodded, seeming content with his answer. “Good. We’ll see you two on Thursday.”

22

ALICIA

Caroline stopped in front of a store window and gasped. “I love that necklace!”

Alicia stepped to Caroline’s side and looked for it. It was a simple black chain with turquoise pendants in the shape of teardrops. “Wow. It is nice.”

“Can I see how much it is?” Caroline asked the group.

Everyone nodded and shooed her into the store. They’d been shopping around town for hours, and the only one who had found a dress was Nora. At the first store they’d entered, she’d grabbed up a deep-green dress that reached her knees.

Alicia had thousands of dresses, and she could have any of them flown to Redemption Ridge within a few hours. Designers would send dozens within the day if she put out the word, but she wouldn’t trade this shopping trip with her new friends for the most expensive wardrobe in the world.

Nora and Vicci followed Caroline into the store, and Alicia hung back on the sidewalk with Jordan. He’d kept a few feet of distance behind the women all day, and despite the great conversation with her friends, she’d been aching to talk to him.

“Having fun?” she asked.

Jordan scanned the streets for the three hundredth time. He never let his guard down in public places, and rarely in private. “Fun is a strong word.”

Alicia swatted his arm and got a quick reminder of the carefully contained strength behind those rock-hard muscles. “Admit it. You love shopping with us.”

“I’m a big fan of the truth, Miss Carver.”

Alicia sighed, feigning exasperation. “Maybe we can herd some cattle later or something else more thrilling.”

“Now you’re onto something, but I’m not sure getting on a horse is the best idea.”

“Why not?” Alicia asked. Was there some reason he couldn’t ride a horse with his prosthetic?

“Horses are unpredictable. Even the well-trained ones. It wouldn’t be good if you fell off a horse and got injured. Your tour prep starts in a few weeks.”

Oh, of course, that’s what she should have been thinking about too. Her health had always been a top priority for the reason Jordan gave. Hundreds of people were employed because of her tour, and she had a responsibility to do anything and everything to make sure things went well.

Caroline stuck her hand into the small bag as she stepped out of the store. “Can you help me put this on?”

“Sure,” Alicia said as she took the necklace from her friend. “It looks great on you.”

“Thanks.” Caroline hooked her arm around Alicia’s. “Let’s get moving. We’re running out of time to find dresses.”

The next store they went into had a nice selection, and Caroline picked up a few. Alicia combed through the racks but didn’t find anything that caught her eye.

Except for Jordan, who stood like a statue by the entrance. His gaze met hers but quickly moved to the right, then back to her. Following his looks, she spotted two men whispering to each other near the dressing rooms. One had dark hair and wore a black coat, while the other had lighter brown hair mostly covered by a baseball cap.

The shop worker had her attention on the two men too. The store sold men’s clothing, but the two men in question didn’t seem to be looking at the selections. Their attention darted around the store as they whispered.

Caroline walked past them toward the fitting rooms, and the two men watched her until she disappeared behind the corner. Then, their focus shifted to Alicia.

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