Read Online Brave the Heat by Sara Humphreys - Free Book Online Page B

the windows to the street, and a lump formed in Jordan’s throat because she wasn’t a McGuire—and she never would be. Divorced with two little girls and enough emotional baggage to sink a ship, she was not exactly a catch. She was not the kind of woman who would marry into that family. No way. Gavin deserved someone far less complicated than she was. That ship had sailed, and no matter how many do-overs they gave each other, nothing could erase the past.
    “Here you go,” Jordan said without looking up. She placed the paper-wrapped bouquet on the counter. “A dozen yellow roses.”
    Gavin strode over slowly, the sound of his rubber-soled boots on the tile announcing his approach. She saw that lopsided, dimpled grin out of the corner of her eye while she punched the sale into the register. Jordan didn’t look him in the eye even though she wanted to. The swirl of emotions and physical sensations she was feeling were fogging up her head the way they had fogged up the glass of the refrigerator door.
    “Her birthday is tomorrow.”
    “Oh, right. You needed these tomorrow. I suppose you’ll want them delivered.” Jordan’s cheeks heated. She grabbed the bouquet but stilled when Gavin’s hand swiftly covered her own. Her heart hammered in her chest as the warmth of his skin spread over hers. Licking her lower lip, she whispered, “I-I guess I forgot to ask you that.”
    “Things happen.” Gavin’s voice was tight and serious. Strong fingers curled around hers and squeezed, but Jordan slipped her hand from his. His features hardened when she took a step back. “Right. Well, maybe too many things have happened.”
    “Maybe,” Jordan whispered. Folding her arms over her breasts, she met his challenging stare with one of her own. “Life isn’t a game of kickball, Gavin. We can’t yell ‘do-over’ and make everything go away. We’re not kids anymore. I’m not a kid. For goodness’ sake, I have kids and they have to be my top priority.”
    “Maybe you’re right,” Gavin bit out. His jaw clenched again and his brows furrowed, casting a shadow over his face. “We aren’t kids anymore, but hiding behind yours won’t change anything either.”
    Anger fired up her back, and her hands curled into fists. He could call her anything he wanted, but she would be damned if he would accuse her of using her children to avoid him. She was trying to protect them from any more upheaval in their lives, and jumping back into a romantic relationship with Gavin could be dangerous. They all needed some calm after the storm, and her feelings for Gavin were anything but calm.
    “How dare you?” Jordan seethed. “I am not hiding behind my children. I am trying to do what’s best for them and give them some semblance of a normal life. You have no idea the kind of turmoil we’ve had in our lives.”
    “Lots of people get divorced, Jordan.” Gavin’s tone softened. “It’s not the end of the world.”
    “Maybe not.” Her mouth set in a tight line. She’d figured it was only a matter of time before he found out. Even though it shouldn’t, being divorced made her feel like a failure. “I’ve got too much going on right now and too many changes in my life to get my head all screwed up by getting involved with this .” She gestured back and forth between the two of them. “I have to focus on helping my girls adjust to their new home, to say nothing of what’s happening with my mother. It’s too complicated. I can’t afford the risk that would be involved.”
    Silence hung heavily in the air, and for a second, she thought he was going to tell her to go to hell or call her out for being the coward she knew she was being. To her great surprise, he did neither. He studied her intently while holding his ground.
    “How’s your dad doing?” Gavin asked in the mother of all subject changes. His cell phone beeped in his pocket, and after checking it quickly, he hit a button and turned his attention right back to her.