Page 113 of John + Siena: The Complete Duet

“I thought you were coming over a little later,” Jordyn said.

He heard the question his mother didn’t ask out loud. She wanted him to be there when his father was also at the house.

John had different plans.

The men of his family were no longer going to be messing in his business or life. Not if he could help it.

“Some stuff came up, Ma,” John said, taking a seat at the other end of the table. A couple of chairs away from his sister, Cella finally looked like she relaxed a bit. Usually, his guilt would compound at the idea that being near his sibling caused her anxiety, but he simply brushed it off. What was done, was done. “I don’t think Dad will mind.”

“Your father was looking forward to having dinner with you tonight, John.”

John shrugged. “If he wants information, Ma, he’s got all sorts of ways to get it when it comes to me.”

Jordyn outright frowned at that. “What are you talking about?”

“Ask Dad.”

He wasn’t going to hurt his mother like that.

Jordyn sighed, and reached over to stroke the top of the newborn baby girl’s head as she spoke again. “Well, what came up, then? Because I was looking forward to having you come over tonight to eat, too.”

“I’m here.”

He would always make time for his mother. Sure, he had alienated himself away from his family over the years. He put up walls, and made the distance grow as time went by. His mother never factored in to that. Ever. He would figure a way around anything that put up a roadblock when it came to his mom. Simply because he loved her enough to do it.

Jordyn had constantly loved him, after all.

Through everything.

No matter how awful he could be.

She loved him.

“I know you’re here, John,” Jordyn said as she stood from her chair, and headed for the stove that started to beep. “I also like to have you here when everyone else is, too. You’re always coming and going when it’s just me, but there’s more than just me in this family, my boy.”

Jordyn turned around to point a finger at him. “And your father loves you, too.”

“Sure, he does.”

He also didn’t trust John.

How could the two ever repair the burned bridges when something like that came into play? He didn’t explain that to his mother because she wouldn’t understand. She loved them both—Lucian and Johnathan. Their faults were not something she liked to look at for very long.

“I also didn’t forget that you avoided my question about what came up,” his mother said.

Cella smiled at that, and looked down at her daughter. “She never misses a click.”

“Tell me about it,” John muttered. Then, louder for his mother, “I promised to take Siena to a new restaurant and bar in Manhattan, actually. I forgot that the opening was tonight.”

He didn’t forget anything usually, but it was happening lately. Little things—unimportant things. He figured as long as it didn’t bleed over into business, it wouldn’t matter.

Jordyn hesitated as she pulled a cake pan from the oven. “You forgot?”

“Yeah. She reminded me this morning.”

His mother waffled in her gaze before she finally settled on asking, “Was she with you this morning?”

“Usually is.”