Shadow of Doubt (20 page)

The next few days felt as if they had never parted.  She had gone to the hotel and gathered up her clothes and moved back in with Jordan where she felt she belonged.  She nearly forgot again the world in which she had left, but happily. She didn’t care to be anywhere else but right here in Daytona.   All the luxury in the world couldn’t compare to what she had now.

She and Jordan had shared all their time together smiling and laughing.  They rode in his car and walked on the beach nearly daily.  She had even gotten him through the grocery store without embarrassment.

As soon as they finished supper tonight though, Jordan’s phone rang.  Jordan answered it but didn’t look all too happy as he handed it to her.

“Barb I need you,” she heard Guy pleading from the other end.

“What now Guy?  Can’t big brother live without me?” she asked with frustration at the mere sound of his voice.  She knew he was just scared but had to learn to make it by himself sooner or later.

“C’mon Barb I’m serious.  I haven’t been able to find another manager yet.”

“It’s only been two weeks Guy.  You’ll survive.”  She felt like hanging up on him but just couldn’t.  He sounded so desperate.

Jordan nervously paced the living room and listened to the conversation.  He didn’t like Guy one bit, but he was Dolly’s brother he knew.  Dolly had explained how hard she worked during her youth to help him make it big.  Jordan realized the bond they must share and sympathized with Guy’s sudden fret to an extent.

Yet he feared if she ever returned to him again, their relationship may not be able to survive it.  He feared the glamorous lifestyle she had lived before and thought it to be hard to leave once she tasted it again.  Besides, he was family and family usually comes first.

“No Guy…I won’t come back.  I’m happy here and you’ll be fine trust me,” she said just before finally getting the nerve to hang up on him.

Dolly flopped on the couch and sighed in frustration.  “I don’t know what to do with him.  He’s acting like I pulled out his vocal cords or something.”

Jordan sat next to her and put his arm lazily about her shoulder.  “Look Dolly…if he needs you I’ll understand.”  But he didn’t mean any of it.  He did not want her to leave him ever again.

“You actually want me to go running back to him just like that?  If I do he’ll never leave us alone.”  She now had more fear in her eyes than surprise.

“Well…no,” he stuttered out.  “But if you think he really needs you maybe you should just check on him.”  He didn’t want her to go, but thought he needed to sound concerned about her brother.

“If I do it this time he’ll just keep calling.  I wanna stay right here with you.”

Jordan seemed relieved to hear her say this.  He smiled his pleasant little lazy grin and kissed her cheek.  “Then stay right here with me,” he whispered as he nibbled his way to her ear lobe.

“I intend too…as long as you’ll have me.”

“Oh I intend to have you all right,” he laughed out.

Dolly was a little more than a month pregnant now she was sure and decided she needed to tell Jordan about it soon.  She still wasn’t sure he would be happy about the baby though.  Things seemed to be moving so rapidly yet they hadn’t talked about a permanent commitment of any kind other than living together for now.  She was still afraid if he knew about the baby he would feel trapped and be furious enough to kick her out, but she knew she couldn’t hide it from him much longer.  Sooner or later she would begin to show and have no choice but to tell.

The October air was cooler now and Dolly put her jacket on as she watched Jordan hook the trailer to his truck and begin to prepare everything for their journey back to North Carolina.  They were leaving in two more days.

That night they cuddled on the couch and tried to watch television, but found themselves lying side by side kissing and touching as if nothing else in the world mattered.  Then Jordan’s house phone again interrupted their pleasant evening.

“Damn it and I was just getting going good,” Jordan teased as he playfully kissed her nose before rising to answer it.

“Yeah sure, hold on,” she heard him say then he motioned to her that it was for her.

She wasn’t surprised.  “Not Guy again?” she asked in a whisper as she reached for the handset.

“Uh-uh, your mom.”

Dolly was pleased by this but a little confused.  Her parents rarely phoned her for no reason.  Only to talk to Guy and see how his career was going.

“Hi Mom, what’s up?”

“He what?”

“When?”

“Oh no…”

Jordan knew immediately Guy was stirring up more trouble.  He wanted to tell Dolly so badly what Guy had done to him while she was in California, but didn’t want to cause more trouble between her and her brother than necessary.  Guy was a little more evil than she knew but Jordan knew it first hand but refused to come between family when there were problems.

“I don’t know Mom.  I’ll call you back okay?”

She slammed down the phone and irritably turned to face Jordan.

“What happened now?” Jordan asked as soon as she ended the call.

“My dear brother is on a drunken spree.  He was arrested last night for disorderly conduct at a Nashville bar.  Mom blames me for it.”  Dolly was near tears.

“How can she blame you?  You weren’t there?”

“Exactly.  She says I ran out on him.  Don’t they understand that I have a life of my own too?   I’m a living breathing human being just like he is.”

“I can vouch for that,” he teased as he hugged her.  “Now what?” he then asked as if he knew the answer already.

“I’m not sure.  They want me to come to Nashville and try and talk some sense into him.  He keeps muttering that his career is over without me and my Mom is beside herself.”

The concern in Jordan’s eyes drew her attention.  “Maybe you
should
go.  The man does seem awfully dependent on you.”

Now Dolly grew even more depressed than ever.  Even Jordan seemed to be turning on her.  It seemed like he was constantly trying to get rid of her every chance he got and try and send her home to her family.  Dolly paced and nervously bit at her nails.

“Maybe I was wrong to walk back into his life the way I did.  If he wanted me he would’ve made the first move.”

Jordan could tell she was tensing up.  “Hey.  C’mon and let’s go to bed and get some rest.  You look exhausted.”

“Okay.  You’re right.  Maybe in the morning everything will be okay and everyone will just leave us alone already,” she replied not at all believing her own words.  Guy was good at playing games she knew and they hadn’t heard the last of him yet she was sure.

As they cuddled next to each other Dolly couldn’t stop staring into Jordan’s gorgeous eyes.

“What now?” he asked.

“Nothing.  I just love you so much is all.”

“I love you too Dolly.  Now get some rest.  You’ve got way too much on your mind.”

The next morning started out so peacefully.  They had an uninterrupted shower together, then a romantic little breakfast.  Then it started all over again.  Only it was Dolly’s cell phone this time.  She cringed at the thought of even picking it up.

“Aren’t you gonna answer it?” Jordan asked as he watched her just sit there on sofa and stare back at it.

“I’m afraid too.”

He laughed fully understanding her misery.

Finally she picked it up.  “Hi Mom.  What now?”

“Look…Mom I love you too.  But you have to realize Guy is grown man now.  He has plenty of money and stamina and he’s perfectly capable of finding someone else to manage his concerts.  He just refuses to do so!”

“Okay…Okay.  I’ll think it over and call you back…I promise,” Jordan then heard her say just before ending the call again.

She slumped forward resting her arms on her legs and looked to Jordan with total exasperation.

“Look, maybe you’d best go and see for yourself just what exactly is going on over there.  I mean, if for nothing else, make sure your mom’s okay,” Jordan then responded.

“Okay Jordan.  Okay…I’ll go,” she suddenly retorted angrily.

Jordan didn’t like her tone of voice at all.  He was just tired of Guy’s constant nagging and hoped she could calm him down and get him to leave them alone.

“Look don’t get mad at me okay?  I’m just trying to be helpful.  Trying to come up with a solution for all of this.”

“Sure you are,” she retorted sarcastically as she made her way to the bedroom and began packing up her things.  Her nerves were about shot.  Guy was acting like a little baby…Jordan didn’t seem to want her around any more and she was a month pregnant facing a life of raising a child alone and having no father to look up too.

Jordan followed her into the bedroom.  “Why are you so mad at me?  What did I do wrong?”

“I’m not mad at you,” she insisted as she slung her luggage around the bed and never looked up at him.

“Well…can’t you at least wait until after the race is over to go?”

“No.  I’ll catch a flight to Tennessee tomorrow morning.  May as well get this over with,” she pouted.

She didn’t see any reason in inconveniencing this man any longer than she had too.  He obviously wanted her to go away.  He kept pushing and pushing her to return to her unbalanced family.

Jordan watched as she packed up everything.  Not leaving one piece of clothing behind.  He could tell she wasn’t sure whether or not she was coming back at all.

“Calm down would ya?  It’s not the end of the world,” he began to worry.

“You don’t think so huh,” she mumbled.  “Give me a ride into town will ya?”  She began to sniffle back the tears now as she held the suitcase in her hand.

This was really driving Jordan insane now.

“Tonight?  Why tonight?”

“Cause you’re leaving in the morning remember?” she reminded him sounding annoyed.  “I don’t wanna be stranded here.  I’ll stay the night at the hotel and catch a cab to the airport in the morning.”

“Okay…if that’s what you want,” he gave in a little unsure but found himself helping her carry her things down the stairs.

He took his time unhooking the trailer and sat quietly in the truck as they drove into town trying to figure out what he had done to make her so angry at him.  He only hoped now it was Guy she was mad at, but he could tell she was annoyed with him too for some reason.

Jordan watched as she checked into the hotel then followed her up to her room.

“I’ll stay the night if you want me too,” he offered wanting to stay with her, but was nearly afraid to admit it now.  She was terribly frustrated and snapped at him every time he spoke.  He thought she was even more beautiful when her blue eyes threw him an evil glare.

“If I want you too?” she mocked.  “Can’t you men ever do anything on your own?  I’m sick and tired of making everyone’s decisions for them.”

Jordan grinned now at her rage, understanding her anger a little better. He grabbed to tops of her shoulders and steadied her in front of him.

“Little lady, don’t you yell at me like that.  I’m only trying to be helpful.”  Then he bent and kissed her forehead.  “I’ll check on you in a couple of days okay?  I know you need time alone now so I’ll go.”

“Sure you will,” she thought.  “You’ll call everyday just like you did last time.”

“Okay?” he asked again as he bent his knees playfully to bring himself down to her height and look her eye to eye.

“Okay,” she mumbled.  As he reached for the door Dolly became suddenly frightened and grabbed his arm.

“I love you Jordan.”  She said it as if she’d never again get the chance.  Jordan didn’t like this at all.

“I love you too Dolly,” he whispered then turned again and left the hotel.

Dolly cried nearly the entire night not wanting to return to Nashville, where she would again return to being Barbara Jean Radlee.  And again be surrounded by a family who really didn’t give a damn what she was called as long as she catered to dear old Guy Radlee.