“Thanks for the compliment,” Lori said dryly. “I didn’t want to marry just anyone. I wanted to marry someone I trust.”
Maria’s mouth formed a perfect O. “You are in love with Jackson.”
“I didn’t say that,” she quickly said, not ready for the words to be said aloud.
“You are,” Maria said. “You are in love with him.”
“But he’s not in love with me.”
She shrugged. “You’re married to him. Make him fall in love with you.”
“Like it’s so easy,” Lori said. “Excuse me, but I’m fresh out of fairy dust and I’ve lost my magic wand.”
Maria gave a careless shrug. “It’s not so hard. Men are easy. You show them love, you tease them and please them, and they will beg. It happens all the time.”
“Maybe for you,” Lori said, envious of Maria’s confidence. “ Jackson is a very strong man. I’m not sure any woman could make him fall in love.”
“Then maybe you’re not the right woman for him. Maybe you’re not strong enough for him,” Maria said lightly. “Maybe you should let another woman have him.”
A sizzling possessiveness raced through her with the power of a freight train. “Absolutely not. Why would I let another woman have him? He may not love me, but he’s married to me.”
Maria put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side. “You’ll have to decide if you are strong enough for him.”
Maria’s words haunted Lori during the next days. The woman seemed to boil it all down very nicely, but Lori knew that seducing Jackson didn’t mean he would give her his heart. If she were a different person, she would go after him and tell him she loved him, but she was terrified he would feel awkward because he couldn’t return the affection. Her quandary drove her crazy.
After she didn’t hear from him for two days, she decided to buck up and initiate the call. She dialed his number, and the rings continued so long that she almost hung up, unwilling to leave a message. Just before she decided to hit the disconnect button, his voice came on the line. “Jackson James.”
Her heart raced at the sound of his voice.
“Hello? Jackson James,” he repeated, impatient.
“Hello?” she blurted.
A half second of silence followed. “Lori?”
She nodded even though he couldn’t see her. “Yes, it’s me.” She cleared her throat. “How are you?”
“Okay,” he said. “Busy as hell, but okay. Is there a problem?”
Yes, I miss you. “Not really. I just wanted to check in with you.”
“Hmm. Do you need more money? Did you want to make another donation?” he asked.
“No,” she said, feeling more awkward with each passing second. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, after all. “Well, I’m glad everything’s okay with you. I guess I’ll talk to you some other-”
“Wait,” he cut in. “Why did you call?”
“I told you,” she said. “I just wanted to check in with you.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, mustering courage. “I wanted to hear your voice.”
Silence followed. “Okay. Everything keeps moving very quickly on the construction deal. I never imagined it would move this fast.”
She heard the excitement in his voice and smiled. “That’s great. Did you decide if you’re going to have a pet park?”
“Yes. Good idea. The construction people love it. What about you?”
“I’ve been helping Maria with classes with the campers,” she said proudly.
“Really? You’ve been riding?”
“So far just leading, no riding, but it’s been a lot of fun. Those kids are amazing. They have all kinds of problems, but their disabilities don’t keep them from trying.”
“Yeah, it’s fun to watch. Wait. Excuse me a minute,” he said, and she heard him say something to someone else. “Listen, I’m meeting for drinks with some of my new business contacts. I’ll give you a call tomorrow or the next day.”
“That would be great,” she said, the longing inside her stretching like the Grand Canyon. “Good to hear your voice,” she said.
“Yeah,” he said. “Good to hear yours, too. Bye.”
Pushing the disconnect button, she replayed his last words five times in her head. Then another five. And another. Then she stopped, because she knew she was being goofy.
They talked every other day for the next week. Short calls that made her wish for his closeness. Every time they talked, she hoped she meant something special to him, but she couldn’t be sure. She hated her sense of uncertainty.
Thursday dragged by. Rain started in the morning and didn’t let up all day. Outdoor classes were cancelled, and Maria and Lori played games with the children. One of the children, Reese, was especially challenging. Although mentally handicapped, red-haired Reese was physically strong and active, full of energy that Lori tried to help defuse by running races with him around the cabin.
In early afternoon, Maria announced that she and Geoffrey were going to town.
“Is it a date?” Lori asked, feeling a pinch of envy at the open affection Maria and Geoffrey shared.
Maria’s cheeks bloomed. “Geoffrey wants to take me to dinner.” She paused a half beat and lowered her voice. “We’re also going to apply for the marriage license.”
Lori couldn’t help feeling a rush of joy. She was glad someone would get the marriage thing right. “Then you really need to decide on a dress.”
Maria nodded. “I never thought I would be marrying an English duke. I never really thought I would be getting married at all. I still can’t believe that Geoffrey thinks I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. Even with my scar,” she said, lifting her hand to the jagged mark on her cheek. She sighed, then shook her head. “But yes, I want to get a dress. Did you wear a dress for your wedding to Jackson?”
Lori shook her head. “No. It was all done so quickly there wasn’t time.”
“Didn’t you miss that? Didn’t you want that romantic experience?”
Lori felt a knot form in her throat. “It wasn’t supposed to be romantic. We don’t have that kind of relationship,” she said.
“Maybe you could if you would stop hiding your marriage,” Maria said.
“That will happen eventually,” she said. “But we weren’t discussing my wedding. We were discussing your wedding.”
Maria shot her a look of disapproval, but she couldn’t hold it long. Her lips curved into a big smile of joy. “He is the sweetest man in the world. Thank you for not agreeing to marry him.”
Lori laughed. “He wouldn’t have been able to go through with it with me. He fell for you the first time he met you.”
“True,” Maria said. “Now, if you have any problems at all, just call my cell. Hopefully we wore out the little kiddies enough that they will settle down easily tonight. That cutie Reese was a little terror, wasn’t he? I couldn’t believe how many times you raced him around the cabin.”
“And in the rain,” Lori added. “There shouldn’t be any problems here. Enjoy your afternoon and evening. You deserve it.”
“Thanks,” Maria said, then impulsively hugged Lori. “You’re not as much of a stuck-up, clueless rich girl as I originally thought.”
“Thanks,” Lori said. “I think.”
After Geoffrey and Maria left, Lori stayed indoors until dinner, when she delivered the evening meal to the campers. She and Virginia organized simple relays to entertain the children, then followed up by reading books to help the campers calm down.
Since Reese was still wound up with energy, Lori opened a big umbrella and took him for a walk to the barn. He enjoyed visiting the horses and protested when she took him back to the cabin.
Worn out from the day, Lori climbed into her bed and stared at her cell phone, willing it to ring. It remained silent, and she felt the distance between her and Jackson more than ever. She couldn’t help wondering what the future for the two of them held. She fell asleep, cradling the phone in her hand.