Common Enemy (8 page)

“Hey Connor, I leave for a minute to bring you food and you start picking up women. What’s the deal?” Jordan looked at the woman with a forced smile. She was reminded of a modern day Mae West.

“Jordan, I’m glad you’re back. I want you to meet Joyce Walker. She owns the beauty salon in town. I don’t know how she is with people, but she does a hell of a job on kittens.” Connor turned to the woman, “Joyce, this is Jordan Holbrook my, umm, friend.”

“Oh! You must have helped Connor with Tom when he found him,” Jordan said.

“Your name is Holbrook? Like Patty Holbrook?” Joyce asked.

Jordan was stunned. How long had it been since she had heard that name?

“Well…yes. That was my mother’s name. Did you know her?”

“Oh, honey. Your momma and I were partners in crime in high school. I was so sorry to hear she’d passed away. That must have been almost a dozen years ago.”

“It will be twenty years in September. Thanks for not saying mean things about her, but I really don’t remember her. She left me with my grandparents long before that.”

“Well, honey, try not to judge too harshly. Sometimes people get lost in circumstances. Maybe you can come by sometime and let me do your hair. We could talk for a while. Call ahead and I’ll cut out some time when we can have a nice private chat.” Her smile had softened. Jordan could tell she had a story to tell.

“I think I’d really like that.”

Joyce waved and walked away.

“You’ve never mentioned your mother,” Connor remarked.

“I don’t know much about her. Maybe it’s time I found out more.”

The Douglases joined them later that evening to watch the fireworks. Holly begged to take Lizzy home with her for the rest of the weekend. They compromised on letting her go the next morning. Lizzy was already showing signs of exhaustion from her busy day.

Chapter Nine

On Sunday morning, Jordan dropped Lizzy off at the Douglas house. She only stayed for a few minutes before she drove to the cemetery. She wasn’t the kind to hang out at cemeteries, but she thought it would be a good place to think for a while.

She hadn’t seen Gram’s grave since the day of her funeral. The canopy and chairs were gone. The flowers had been taken away. The date of her grandmother’s death had been added to the double headstone shared by her and Pop. It had seemed creepy to see Gram’s name on the dark polished granite while she was still alive, but now, it was right. The loving couple was now laid to rest, together forever.

Finally, she forced herself to look at the gravestone to the left. Patricia Ann Holbrook, beloved daughter and mother. She’d been thirty-years-old when she’d died. It occurred to Jordan that her own thirtieth birthday was only one month away.

A single dove surrounded by a heart was etched above the inscription. She wondered why she hadn’t looked at this grave when she’d been here the month before. She knelt by the headstone and traced the words with her finger. “Who were you, Mom? Why didn’t I know you? What happened to you? All I have is questions. I’ve always been grateful to you, Mom. You knew I would be safe and happy with Gram and Pop. You knew they’d take care of me. They would have taken care of you, too. Why couldn’t you just come home?”

Jordan absentmindedly pulled a few weeds from around the small headstone, and then sat leaning against it. She looked up at the morning sky.
“
Well, that’s all in the past now. I hope Joyce can tell me more about you. I really would like to have good memories of you. I hope you found more happiness in heaven than you did here. Maybe I’ll bring Lizzy here someday when she’s older. She’s a wonderful little girl, Mom.” Jordan stood and brushed dry grass and leaves from her legs. “Thanks for everything.”

Jordan ran her hand over the cold stone. The next time she came she’d bring flowers to brighten the sad grave.

****

Jordan drove straight into the barn without looking at the house. Connor watched her from under the hood of his van, where he’d been checking the oil. She’d been going into the barn for long periods of time recently. She didn’t seem to do anything in there, but he followed her anyway. He wasn’t comfortable with her being alone outside the house anymore.

The sun filtered through the holes in the roof. The barn wasn’t safe. He needed to repair it before someone got hurt.

He found Jordan sitting at her grandfather’s desk in the tack room. Her feet were propped up and her eyes were closed as she lay back in the wooden chair. He lightly tapped on the doorframe.

“What are you doing out here?”

“I was thinking about baking a pie for dessert tonight. What sounds good to you?” She lowered her legs and sat upright.

“I’m getting to know you pretty well.” With hands on hips, Connor tilted his head to study her. “Pies are your comfort food. What’s the problem, boss?”

“I’m starting to feel like this barn. Run down, ragged, and empty. I’m just waiting to be torn down, a lot of past but no future. What do I have to offer my daughter besides trouble? Maybe that’s why my mother left me here. I don’t have anyone like Gram to take care of Lizzy, though. We’re on our own.”

“You don’t need to leave Lizzy with anyone. I’m here to help you. This is going to work out. Look around you. You have a good history here with your grandparents. This is the future they provided for you. It’s what you’ll pass along to Lizzy. This old place has seen a lot of love. If I have anything to do with it, it’s going to see a lot more.”

“This old barn sure has seen a lot of love.” Jordan smirked.

“You told me the first day I was here that this barn was special to your grandparents.”

“My grandfather came out here in the evenings to write his column for the paper. After her chores were done, my grandmother came out to let him know it was time for bed. Most of the time, they didn’t wait to get to the bedroom. Sometimes they fell asleep in the hay the whole night.”

“How do you know about that?” Connor was astonished she’d have such intimate knowledge.

“My grandmother told me after my grandfather died. She still came out here to think about him at first, but it made her too sad. Finally, she quit coming altogether.” Jordan stood to leave.

“She told you that she and your grandfather used to have sex in the barn!”

“They were in love. There isn’t anything wrong with loving someone. Thinking about it gives me hope that someday I’ll be that happy too.”

“It is kind of romantic to think this place was so well used for all those years. I wonder if you’ll still be out in this barn making love when you’re a grandma.”

“I hope so,” she murmured wistfully.

“It would be a shame to let an old tradition die, you know.” Connor wiggled his brows.

“We’re not in love. It wouldn’t be the same.”

Connor’s chest tightened as she walked away. He’d thought his heart had turned to stone, but now it felt like delicate porcelain that had just cracked a little.

On Monday, Connor had finished removing the rotted barn roof. He laid plywood over the exposed rafters. The new roof would go on the next day. As he worked, he thought about the conversation with Jordan the night before. It would be something special to be that much in love. He wished that kind of love for Jordan someday. He longed to be the man to share it with her. However, that just wasn’t going to happen. She had made that clear. Could he blame her? Not when he looked in a mirror.

As he sat up to take a drink of water he saw her car coming down the road. His watch showed that it was only three o’clock. Something was wrong. He raced down the ladder to meet her in the driveway.

Jordan glared angrily as she opened the car door for Lizzy. The little girl’s clothes were dirty and her hair had pulled loose from the braids on each side of her head. Her bottom lip stuck out indignantly as she kept her head down.

“You’re going to stay in your room for the rest of the day, young lady. Be ready to go to bed as soon as supper is finished.”

“What happened?” Connor looked Lizzy over for injuries.

“Mrs. Rogers called me and Mrs. Thornton to pick up our kids. They’d gotten into a fight on the playground. Lizzy was still trying to get at the other kid as we were leaving. She’s out of control. She gave him a bloody lip and refused to apologize.”

“Lizzy honey, why would you do something like that?” Connor asked.

“It’s not my fault.” She huffed. “Allen is a big bully. He should have to say he’s sorry.”

“You mean you got into a fight with a boy? And you gave him a bloody lip?” Connor was having a hard time hiding his smile, but Jordan punched his shoulder and frowned. “What did he do?”

“He said mean things about you. I told him I love you and he had better take it back. Then he kept saying, monster lover, monster lover, so I smacked him in the mouth.” She folded her arms high over her chest and jutted her bottom lip out again. “I’m not sorry either.”

“Your mom is right, Lizzy.” Connor’s smile was gone now, but his voice stayed calm and even. “She has to punish you. You were a bully today as much as Allen was. Go up to your room.”

“I’m sorry, Connor. I didn’t have time to ask her how it started.”

Jordan looked ready to cry, Lizzy was already crying, and Connor was giving it some consideration. How had an ordinary day gone to shit so quickly?

“It’s not your fault. It’s not Lizzy or Allen’s fault either. In a way, it’s actually my fault. I’ll figure out a way to fix things. Don’t worry.” Connor walked back to the barn and hammered nails until his arm ached. They were all quiet at the table that evening.

Lizzy began crying again on her way up the stairs after supper. “This isn’t fair,” she complained to Connor. Mom always says to stick up for what’s right. She didn’t even let me check the mailbox when we got home.”

“You’re going to have to figure out a way to get your message across without hurting the other person.” Connor carried her the rest of the way. It felt good to have someone stick up for him, even if she was just five-years-old. “And don’t worry about the mail. I’ll check it for you.”

Connor opened the roadside mailbox to find a large white envelope rolled up inside. He knew right away that it was trouble. He walked into the kitchen where Jordan stood, running dishwater.

“Jordan, you have a letter from the county courthouse. I think you’d better open it.”

“It would be just my luck to be called for jury duty a few weeks after moving here.” When she pulled out the notice and unfolded it, her hands started shaking.

Connor read over her shoulder,
Bobby Ray Butler VS Jordan Holbrook Re: Elizabeth Holbrook.
He led Jordan to a chair before he finished reading. He paced the kitchen as he flipped through the pages.

“I’m sorry, Jordan. I should have expected him to try something like this. It just didn’t occur to me that he’d think of it, especially this soon. I didn’t think he’d take any interest anyway, since you haven’t had any contact with him.”

“What does it mean?” Jordan looked helpless and confused. “I couldn’t even get past his name. What is he trying to do? Can you make heads or tails of it?”

“He’s suing you for joint custody of Lizzy.”

“Can he do that? He’s a convict. He’s a violent man.”

“I know that, but he’s done his time. He’s supposedly a reformed man now. He’s never done anything to hurt Lizzy or any other child.” Connor looked down at the letter to avoid eye contact. “He can try this, but he’ll probably only get visitation.”

“No. He can’t do this. I won’t ever let him near her. I’ll take her and run if I have to.” The desperation was clear in her voice.

“If you do that, you’ll only make his chances better. The court would see you as unstable and uncooperative. You’ll have to stay and fight. All the court knows, at this time, is that he is her legal father.”

“Don’t say that. He’s never even seen her.” Jordan was approaching panic quickly. “I don’t even know how he found out her name.”

“What does Lizzy know about him?”

“She doesn’t know anything. She hasn’t ever asked. If she did, I wouldn’t know what to tell her. I figured she could live without a father like I did.”

“But you had your grandfather.” To hell with the rules. Connor pulled her into a hug. “Didn’t you ever ask about your dad? Didn’t you ever want to know? Don’t you still wonder about him? I think I would.”

“Yes. I wonder every time I look in the mirror. I guess I was just fooling myself. I’ve been wrong about everything. Now I know Bobby Ray’s out there and I don’t know what to do. He’s mad. He wants to hurt me in the worse possible way. I can’t even think about what he might do to Lizzy.” Tears flowed from her eyes as she sobbed against his chest.

Connor grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. “You’re stronger than this, Jordan. Don’t you dare fall apart on me. You just do exactly as I tell you and we’ll be okay. This is going to take careful planning. Do you trust me? We only have two weeks. Please, tell me you trust me.”

“I guess I do.” Jordan sniffed. “I don’t know. I haven’t trusted anyone in a long time.”

“Go upstairs and run a nice warm bubble bath. I’ll be back in a few minutes, I promise.” Connor watched her walk toward the stairs without a word. She was doing as she was told, no question, no argument. She had subconsciously slipped back into the submissive role her ex-husband had taught her.

After a quick trip to his van, Connor returned with extra clothes and a bottle of whiskey. He set the alarm by the door before he went upstairs with a cup of hot tea. He found Jordan sitting in the tub covered in bubbles.

“Drink this.” He handed her the mug. She choked a little, as she tasted the unfamiliar burn of whiskey in the tea. She held the mug in both hands sipping while he ran the sudsy sponge over her shoulders and back. Once finished, he wrapped her in a thick bath sheet and carried her to bed. She was nearly asleep. Mental exhaustion could be as taxing as a day of hard labor.

He pulled a gown over her before tucking her into bed. He couldn’t help just looking at her. She was so beautiful. He couldn’t stand how helpless she seemed. He wanted the strong, funny, passionate Jordan back. The one he’d known before Bobby Ray Butler was released from prison.