Visiting Daddy

Normally I have no problems entertaining children, my brothers and friends all joke that I’m a natural mother; I personally don’t see it but I let them think whatever they want. But as I drove away from Heather’s with Jenna in my back seat, I didn’t know what to do with her. Jenna didn’t look too worried though, she was babbling incoherently to her Dora doll.

I was only a block or two from Jordan’s work when my cell rang, it was him. “Hey babe, what are you doing?”

“Driving,” I told him. “I’m actually near the shop. So you have a moment or two to see me?”

He told me he was taking a break, “They bought me lunch.” I laughed, partly because it was almost three and he was only getting lunch now but mainly because he sounded so happy about them buying him lunch, when they do it often.

When I pulled into the parking lot, Jordan came out of the building. “So did you check the oil? Was it low?” He asked as I got out of the car.

“Oh!” I shook my head, “I completely forgot about it!” I was about to tell him why I forgot but he started lecturing me.

“Anna how many times do I have to tell you not to overlook anything like that? Do you have any idea what can happen if your oil is too low?” Jordan pulled a dirty rag out of the back of his coveralls, “Pop the hood. I’ll check it.”

When I started to protest and tell him about Jenna, he sighed and pulled the front door opened. “It’s ok, I got it.” He was looking at me as he held the door open; the only time he turned away was when he glanced down to see where the hood release was.

Jenna, when she saw Jordan open the door, started to get excited. She was sitting there with her arms up in the air just waiting for him to pick her up but he didn’t see her. “Hi,” she giggled when he bent down to release the hood.

Jordan’s eyes went wide when he heard her tiny ‘hi’. And as if I was watching him in slow motion, he turned his head and gasped, “That’s my little girl!” He turned back to me, “What are you doing with Jenna?”

“I went over to see Heather,” I told him as he jumped away from the front door and yanked the back door opened.

“Hey Jenna,” Jordan unstrapped her but stopped before he picked her up, Jenna started to whine, she wanted to get up with him. “Daddy’s hands are icky, look.” He held out his hands to show her and she made a grossed out face.

“Ick?” She pointed at his hands while she looked up into his eyes. Jordan nodded and repeated ‘icky’ but Jenna didn’t seem to care, she launched herself at him. “Up!”

Having no choice but pick her up or see her face plant on my floor, Jordan gathered her into his arms and pulled her out of the car. I watched him give her kisses and tell her how happy he was to see her. That moment, I was so happy that I did go see Heather and walked out with Jenna and all her baby paraphernalia.

“Anna!” Jordan grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me into his. “Thank you so much! You have no idea how good I feel right now!” He went to kiss my cheek but I looked at him at the same time and his lips touched mine. He chuckled and then kissed me again, “Thank you babe,” he said when he released me.

I started up at him in shock; I couldn’t believe he just did that. Once by mistake was forgivable but twice on purpose? “Jordan you can’t do that!” He frowned and asked me what he can’t do. “Kiss me, you fool!”

He raised a brow and then smiled, “Ok. If you insist.” Before I could even think about what he meant, he pulled me close and kissed me again.

“Jordan!” I pressed my hands against his chest and pushed him away. “That wasn’t an invitation! I can’t believe you would do that! I just spent the last hour or so dealing with Heather and somehow managed to get Hank and Heather to let me bring Jenna to you so that you could spend some time with her and you do that?” I shook my head, “I can’t believe you!”

Jordan had the nerve to laugh, “Oh come on babe, you know I was just kidding around! Take a breath and relax.”

“No!” I snapped at him. “I won’t relax! Do you have any idea what that little ‘joke’ of yours could do to both our relationships if anyone saw it?” I took Jenna from him so I could put her back in the car. “You may not be serious about Bella but I’m dead serious about Josh,” I was poking him in the chest as I spoke now. “I won’t let you ruin this for me.” I half climbed in my car to strap Jenna in, I didn’t say anything else to him and he didn’t speak again until I had her secure in her seat.

“Anna you are overreacting, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Jordan sighed, “Babe there was a time when you could joke along with me about stuff like that. What changed?”

I spun around to look at him, he truly looked like he didn’t understand why it was such a big deal, and I remember a time when I didn’t think it was either but now I see what people meant. “Jordan,” I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Joking around like that with you is why everyone in this town thinks that I broke you and Heather up. Do you have any idea how that feels? To know that everyone thinks you are nothing but a home wrecker?”

Jordan rolled his eyes, “You aren’t the reason Heather and I aren’t together, she left, remember? I knew it wouldn’t really last, she was too serious all the time, she didn’t have time for the things I wanted to do and she treated you like crap. Anna,” Jordan reached out to touch me but I pulled away from his hands. He sighed, gave me a smile and shrugged. “I don’t care what anyone else thinks, I don’t blame you.”

I crossed my arms over my chest but I found I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. “Well I do,” I admitted to him. “I wanted your relationship with her to fail.”

“Why?”

Looking up at him finally, I gave a slight chuckle and sighed, “I was jealous.”

“Like you were with Bella?”

“Jordy,” I lowered my head and hugged myself tight. “I loved you then. I didn’t understand why you could act like you did with me and not want to be with me.” Turning my face upwards again, I smiled. “I had a crush on you since I was 16, I wanted to be your girl but you never once looked my way and I was right there! Totally obvious, totally in awe of you but you looked through me to the next pretty face.”

“Anna,” again Jordan went to touch me and again I moved away.

“No,” I shook my head. “None of that matters now. I’m in a relationship with the most amazing man ever and I’m very happy with him.” I frowned as I looked at Jordan, “I don’t know what I would do without Josh; just the thought of not being with him scares me. I don’t want to ruin it Jordy and I don’t want our friendship to suffer either.”

I lifted my hands to his chest and gazed into his green eyes, “So please,” I grabbed a handful of his coveralls in both hands as I tried to make my point, “don’t ever kiss me again.”