“M-Miss you.” Jordan’s words were slurred.
“I missed you, too.” She’d only missed one scheduled visit, but Samantha knew Jordan looked forward to them. It wasn’t like her baby sister had a lot in life to pull her out of bed in the morning. “Have you been eating?”
“Yes,” she said with her mouth, but her head shook in denial. One of the things that Samantha had learned to do was to read Jordan’s body language more than her words. The words didn’t come easy, and often didn’t match Jordan’s thoughts. Facial expressions and gestures were the key to understanding her.
“Do you want to help me with some of this Mongolian Beef? It’s from the Golden Wok, your favorite place.”
Jordan smiled. “I like there.”
“I know. Me, too.” Samantha opened a box of takeout and the scent of spicy beef spilled into the air. After fixing a rolling tray in front of her sister and a small plate of food, Samantha pressed a fork into Jordan’s hand. Jordan hated to be fed. Even though her sister struggled to get the food in her mouth, she wasn’t happy if she didn’t do it on her own.
“I-I seen… uhm… I see—” Jordan struggled to find the words.
“You saw who?” Samantha bit into her late lunch, realizing for the first time that she hadn’t eaten all day. She and Blake had arrived late the previous evening and slept in. Before lunch, they’d both gone their separate ways, Blake to the office, Samantha to see Jordan. Food didn’t even cross her mind. The tantalizing flavors exploded in her mouth and her stomach rumbled with appreciation.
“Mom.”
Samantha’s fork stalled.
Jordan nodded.
Samantha placed her fork down. “Honey, Mom’s been gone for a long time.”
Jordan’s brow pitched together as if searching for a memory. “At night. Seen her at night.”
“In a dream?”
“Yes.” Jordan shook her head. “At night.”
Now Samantha was confused. Did Jordan see someone who looked like their mother? Maybe a new aide at the home? Or was she dreaming of their mother and signals were crossed in her brain.
“I think of her sometimes, too.”
“I miss her.”
Samantha placed a hand on Jordan’s knee. “I miss her, too.”
****
“I need to fly to New York,” Blake told Samantha nearly a week later.
“I was wondering when you’d start traveling again.”
She knew Blake spent more time in his jet than in any of his homes. To have had him in her bed every night for nearly a month was a luxury she didn’t think would continue forever.
“You can come with me.”
They were drinking coffee on the veranda overlooking the ocean. A routine they’d both enjoyed since their return from Europe. Part of her wanted to jump at the invitation. But the practical part of her kept her from accepting. The internal clock in her head, counting backwards with the time she had remaining as Blake’s wife, was getting louder every day. The harder she tried to ignore the click, the worse it dug into her soul. There were times, like now when he was smiling at her and encouraging her to travel with him, that Samantha felt like their marriage was more than a piece of paper. More than a mercenary act they’d both wanted. The way Blake made love to her and held her even if they were both too tired to do anything else, dripped into her heart daily.
“I shouldn’t,” she sighed.
“Why not?”
“I’ve neglected Jordan. She didn’t eat well while we were away and she’s been having trouble sleeping.”
Blake reached for her hand. “You don’t have to feel guilty for having a life, Samantha.”
“I know. But it’s hard. I’m all she has.”
“You can always move her in here. We can hire full time help.”
It was the second time Blake had offered to relocate her sister. And if her marriage to Blake wasn’t temporary, she’d take him up on his offer in a millisecond. “We’ve been over this. It wouldn’t be fair to bring Jordan here, then pull her away after...she won’t understand. That kind of stress results in illness and medical setbacks.”
“But—”
“Please don’t. I know you mean well, but I have to look out for her long-term interest.”
Blake drank his coffee and dropped the subject. “I’m only going to be in New York for the weekend. Senator Longhill is having a small campaign dinner and I should attend.”
“He’s the one who wants to give tax cuts to exports, right?”
“You have been listening.”
Samantha tossed her unruly hair back and raised an eyebrow. “All this beauty and a brain. Shocking isn’t it?”
“It’s nice to have a conversation with a woman outside of the bedroom.”
“Oh, ouch.”
“I suppose that isn’t fair.”
“I hope not. Otherwise I might have to draw a line between your words and what I’ve pictured as your father’s personality.”
Blake slammed his hand into his chest. “Oh, that hurt!”
“Honesty is our code word, my darling Duke. I’m sure all the women haven’t been that bad.”
“All the women, you make it sound like I had a harem.”
“You had a lot more than me.”
He laughed. “That wouldn’t have taken much, my darling Duchess.”