She briefly shut her eyes against the image that tried to crop up in her head. Thinking about Jordan and his steady hands was bound to get her in trouble.
At the far end of the long vanity sat a stack of disposable diapers, along with more baby wipes, lotion and powder. She grabbed a plush towel from the wooden towel rack and gently laid Mason on top of it.
She’d just pulled off his pants when she heard Jordan say, “I can do that.”
Vicki’s back stiffened. She’d been so busy with Mason that she hadn’t heard him approach.
“I’ve got it,” she called over her shoulder.
The tingle that raced down her spine was completely inappropriate, but wholly expected. Those tingles were par for the course when it came to being in close proximity to Jordan. The new Vicki was supposed to be done with those tingles, but apparently she hadn’t gotten the memo.
Standing watch just over her shoulder as she efficiently went about changing Mason’s diaper, Jordan said, “You handle that like a pro.”
“Changing a diaper?” she asked.
“Yeah, especially with the way that one squirms.”
As if on cue, Mason immediately started to writhe around on the vanity. Vicki caught his feet together in one hand and moved her hip to block him from rolling right off the counter.
“I see what you mean.” She leaned over and nibbled Mason’s chin. “But your cute little booty isn’t getting away from me.” She looked back at Jordan. “Goodness, is there anything more adorable than those two bottom teeth that peek out whenever he smiles?”
“Nothing I’ve found,” he said with a laugh.
He finally backed away, making it easier for Vicki to get her breathing under control. His nearness was pure torture on her new quest to not be affected by him.
He settled in the doorway and leaned a shoulder against the jamb. “How’d you learn to change a baby’s diaper?” Jordan asked. “You don’t have any kids of your own.”
Vicki snorted as she glanced over her shoulder. “Thanks for pointing that out.”
“Damn. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to sound the way it did. I’m just impressed,” he continued. “It took me a while to get the hang of diaper changing.”
“I guess it’s instinctual for some,” she said. She gave the two pieces of tape a firm pat before pulling Mason’s corduroys up over his fresh diaper. “There you go, sweetie,” she said, tickling the baby’s belly. He giggled and treated her to that wide, sweet grin that was sure to break hearts.
“So did you reschedule your date with the doctor?” Jordan asked.
Vicki’s head jerked up. She met his eyes in the bathroom mirror.
“Uh...no,” she stammered, caught off guard by the subject change. “He was already at the hospital when he called earlier. He didn’t really have time to talk.”
“Oh. Well, maybe you two can find a time that works later this week.”
Hefting Mason into her arms, Vicki turned and faced him. “I doubt there will be any future dates with Declan.”
“Really?” Jordan’s brows rose. “So it wasn’t anything serious, whatever it is you had with the doctor?”
Should she tell him the truth, that before it was canceled, her date with Declan would have been her first in well over a year? And that the last date she went on—with the cousin of a friend of a friend—was so unremarkable that she couldn’t even remember the guy’s name?
Vicki considered it for a moment, but decided against mentioning it. She had no desire to be pitied, especially by Jordan.
Instead, she said, “It’s pretty obvious that Declan is too busy for even a casual relationship, let alone something more serious.”
Still leaning against the doorjamb, he crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. “And you’re opposed to casual?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m opposed to it. But it’s not what I want.” When it came to this particular issue, Vicki decided that being vague would do her no good. “I’ve done the casual-dating thing in the past. I’m ready for something more stable...something that has potential.”
She fought against the self-consciousness brought on by Jordan’s thoughtful, probing gaze.
Several long moments passed before he asked in a curious tone, “Does this have anything to do with Sandra and Janelle both getting married? Are you feeling left out?”
Vicki’s head reared back. Had he really just asked her that?
“You do realize how insulting that is, don’t you?”
He looked completely baffled. “Insulting?”
“Yes. Your question insinuates that I only want a serious relationship because my two best friends have recently found their soul mates. It’s insulting.”
He grimaced, bringing his hand up to massage the back of his neck. “Now that you put it that way...” When his eyes returned to hers, they were filled with contriteness. “I’m sorry if that offended you. I swear that wasn’t my intention.” He lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. “It’s just that the three of you have always done everything together. With Sandra getting married so soon after Janelle, it just seemed natural that you would be next.”
Vicki had to work hard not to release a deflated sigh. He was likely one of many who shared that same sentiment.
“It’s okay, Jordan. Both Janelle and Sandra would tell you that of the three of us, I’m the one who they both suspected would be the first to marry.” She gave him a wan smile. “Things don’t always turn out the way we expect.”
“Tell me about it,” he said with a gentle smile of his own. His gaze shifted to the little boy in her arms. “But sometimes those unexpected detours in life turn out to be the best thing to ever happen to you.”
The complete adoration in his eyes made her heart squeeze.
“A blessing in disguise,” Vicki said.
“Ball,” Mason said, pointing in the direction of the living room. “Ball, ball, ball.”
She laughed. “We were playing with the ball before the diaper change became mission number one.” She scooped up the towel she’d used to cushion Mason and tossed it on top of the overfilled clothes hamper before heading past Jordan on her way out of the bathroom. Her elbow brushed against his chest and a shudder went through her.
Pitiful!
“You are going to nap, right?” Vicki called over her shoulder. When he didn’t say anything, she turned and scowled. “Jordan,” she said in a warning tone.
“I will,” he said, following her out of the bathroom. “I just need to finish rerunning some polling data.”
“Seriously?” Vicki rolled her eyes. “You can’t keep going at this pace. This election is going to drive you crazy.”
“It already has.” He ran a hand down his face, the exhaustion in his eyes becoming more apparent with every second that passed. The man was dead on his feet.
“Maybe I’m missing something here, but if Oliver Windom can accept the election results, why can’t you? I don’t understand why you’re allowing this to consume you.”
“Because I messed up, and I can’t figure out what went wrong.” He shook his head. “I’ve