“I know you won’t believe this, Dilly, but that was a sacrifice. I really wanted you with me. I felt like such a loser to let you go.”
“Well, thank you for the sacrifice.” Dillon’s smile felt sad. “At least we’re learning to get along better now. That’s something.”
Margot nodded. “Yes, I hope so.”
Now Dillon did something she couldn’t remember ever doing before. She leaned down and hugged her mother. “Hopefully we’ll get better at it too.” She could see that Margot was starting to cry again, but with nothing more to say, Dillon excused herself. Whatever this was that Margot was struggling through might be good for her. And perhaps it was a trial she needed to face alone.
Although Dillon had thoroughly enjoyed her days off thanks to her new campsite, she was glad to get back to her weekday routine on Monday. It was fun seeing the kids again and she could tell they were happy to see her too. As her last class began—and Janelle dropped off the twins, then left—Dillon wondered if Jordan might possibly pick up his nieces. She hoped so. But before class was over, Janelle showed up. And she was just in time to see both twins performing face-floating accompanied by kicking.
“That’s wonderful,” Janelle told Dillon after the class ended. “I am so impressed with their progress. Thank you for working so hard with them.”
“They’re doing the work,” Dillon told her as she wrapped her towel around her shoulders.
“Can Dillon come to our party?” Chloe asked her mom.
“Yes, yes,” Emma chimed in. “Can Dillon come?”
“Of course.” Janelle smiled at Dillon. “If she wants to come.”
“What kind of party?” Dillon asked the twins.
“Our birthday!” they said in unison.
“When is your birthday?” Dillon asked.
“Tomorrow,” they answered.
“And the party is a barbecue at my house tomorrow night,” Janelle explained. “We’d love to have you join us, if you’re interested.”
“I’d love to come.” Dillon nodded. “Sounds like fun.”
Janelle gave her the details, and Dillon assured her she’d be there. As Dillon went into the dressing room, she felt fairly sure this would be an opportunity to see Jordan, but that wasn’t why she’d agreed. In fact, the idea of facing him made her a bit nervous. She’d come to the conclusion that if she was flaky and fickle, he was equally so. And under the circumstances, she’d nearly convinced herself to forget all about Jordan Atwood. She didn’t need to be jerked around like that.
Dillon tried to relax as she rang Janelle’s doorbell. This is no big deal, she told herself, and it’s not about Jordan. To her surprise an attractive gray-haired woman answered. “Oh?” Dillon smiled nervously. “I thought this was Janelle’s—”
“This is Janelle’s house.” The woman opened the door wider. “I’m Janelle’s mom.” She stuck out her hand. “Donna Atwood.”
“I’m Dillon Michaels.” She shook her hand.
“I guessed that already.” Donna smiled, but her eyes looked serious. “You have a pair of sincere fans in my granddaughters.”
“It’s mutual.” Dillon held up the pair of wrapped packages for the girls. “I hope they’ll like these.”
“Janelle and the girls are in the kitchen.” Donna lowered her voice. “But I was hoping to get in a private word with you.”
“Oh?”
Donna took the presents, setting them on the foyer table. “We can go in there.” As Dillon was led into a den-like room, a brand-new wave of nerves hit her. What was going on? For some reason she felt like she was in trouble . . . like being called on the carpet.
“I know you probably think this is quite mysterious.” Donna closed the door, standing in front of it. “But I wanted to ask you a couple of questions.”
“Questions?” Dillon pursed her lips.
“It’s not that I’m trying to manage my son’s life, Dillon. Goodness knows, he’s a grown man. But I suppose it’s hard to stop being a mother . . . and I’m still somewhat protective of him.”
Dillon felt her brows rising, but said nothing.
“I know that Jordan has become interested in you, Dillon. Don’t ask me how I know, because as you may have guessed, Jordan is rather tight-lipped about his feelings.”
Dillon simply nodded, waiting with curiosity.
“So I’m going to tip his hand a bit, Dillon. I’m sure Jordan would throw a fit if he knew, but I suppose a mother has some rights.”
Dillon wasn’t so sure. She resented it when Margot had attempted to influence her own love life. Still, she just waited.
“Jordan got his heart badly broken about six or seven years ago. He never speaks of it, but I know it took a toll on him. He’s very careful now.”
Dillon nodded. “I’d wondered if something like that had happened. But if it’s been that long . . . wouldn’t he have moved past it by now?”
“Most people would . . . but Jordan is the sort of fellow who—when he gives his heart—goes all out.”
“That’s an admirable quality.”
“I agree. And although I can tell he’s interested in you—and, according to my daughter and the twins, you’re worthy of his interest—Janelle mentioned there’s another fellow vying for your attention.”
Dillon attempted to briefly explain the trouble with Brandon. “I keep telling him that it’s completely over, but he just kept pressuring me. Fortunately, he’s gone back to Colorado now and I assume it’s the last I’ll hear from him.”
Donna sighed. “Well, that’s a relief.”
“I suspected that Jordan may have resented Brandon a little. But I wish he would’ve given me the opportunity to explain it to him . . . instead of jumping to conclusions.”
“Well, like I said, when it comes to his heart, Jordan has a tendency to hold back.”
Dillon nodded. “May I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Can you tell me a bit more about this heartbreak that happened to Jordan? Just a little heads-up to help me navigate.”
“Sure. He met this girl in Seattle. They went together for a few years. He brought her home several times. We all liked her and thought she was the one. So did Jordan. He planned to propose at Christmas, but just a week before the holidays, she broke up and ran off to Vegas to marry Jordan’s best friend.”
“Ouch.” Dillon frowned. “That’s pretty harsh.”
“Yes. It wasn’t a very festive Christmas that year.”
Dillon put her hand on Donna’s arm. “Well, I can assure you I’d never do anything like that.”
“But you just told me how you suddenly left your boyfriend in Colorado, Dillon.”
“That was different.” Dillon quickly explained Brandon’s neglect and fear of commitment and how he took her for granted.
“But it sounds like he’s changed.”
“I admit he was acting like he’s changed, but I wasn’t convinced. Besides that, my feelings for him changed when I left Colorado.”