Jordan sat on the floor and leaned back against the couch. She could see
why Garret loved this house. A fire was roaring in the fireplace warming
the vaulted ceiling room toasty. It felt wonderful after arriving earlier
in the evening to a drizzle of sleet and snow. Looking through a stray
lock of hair she raised her eyes to the second story opening on each side
of the massive fireplace. One led to the master bedroom and the other to
the guestroom that she and Jack would be sharing. The air should be
warming up nicely up there also.
A sharp yank on her hair brought her eyes back down.
"Ouch!"
"Sorry Mama." Jack said pulling the brush through his mother's hair slower.
"That's okay a woman has to put up with a certain amount of discomfort when world famous Mr. Johnny Jack does her hair."
Jack only giggled and put yet another banana clip in her hair.
"You're going to be beautiful Mama."
Jack jumped off the couch, his Mickey Mouse sleeper bunched around his body. He handed Jordan the hand mirror he grabbed from bathroom when he gathered every hair clip he could find in her pocketbook. It reminded Jordan it was passed time to clean out her bag.
"Oh my, it's something buddy."
Jordan had to smirk at her son's handy work; she figured it would take her at least an hour and a deep conditioner to get all the snarls out. She was still admiring it when there was a knock on the door.
"Jack, stay right here while I get the door."
Jordan walked through the great room the kitchen. She assumed it was Garret's neighbor who watched the place. Garret said he would call and tell them that she was going to be spending a few days there, but they must have wanted to check up on her anyway. Cautiously she opened the door. She wasn't prepared to see Woody with his back to her on the windy porch.
"Hi" he said turning around.
Jordan noticed that he was dressed in a somewhat rumpled suit. His wingtips were soaked from walking up the unpaved drive that was white with the accumulating wet snow. For a moment she was reminded of that day when he should up at her door, wet from the falling rain and looking like the weight of the world was dragging him down for the last count. She pushed the memory away.
"May I come in?"
"Why are you here?"
"We need to talk Jordan."
"How did you know were to find us?"
Woody wrapped his arms around himself wishing he hadn't of left his coat in the car.
"Your father gave me the directions. Please Jordan; I'm freezing my ass off out here."
Jordan opened the door wider and stepped aside so he could come in.
"Nice place" he said looking around the interior of state of the art kitchen. He could only make out one side of the large great room off to his right.
Jordan closed the door and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips ready to tell him to leave.
"Nice do."
Jordan's hands snapped up to her hair and patted it down looking for somewhere to start to get all the rubber bands and clips out of it.
"I think she looks pretty."
Woody turned to the little voice that was coming from the corner of the refrigerator. He smiled widely.
"I think so too. Did you help her?"
"Yep, she likes it when I play with her hair."
Woody turned back to Jordan. "I'll have to remember that."
Jordan knew he was talking to Jack but she couldn't help but feel a flutter in her stomach. She remembered when he brushed her hair out after they took a shower that night. He had barely got all the snarls out of it before they put them all back again. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"What do you want Woody?"
"Just to talk.....hey Jack, did you see all that snow coming down out there?"
"Mama says there won't be enough for a snow man, but she says we can go outside and play in it tomorrow."
"That sounds like fun..."
Jack became more animated as he spoke.
"Dr. Garret says we can come back when there's lots of snow and build one. But...but tomorrow we're going to make snow angels if it's not too wet. You wanna make some too?"
Woody couldn't believe his luck. He was prepared to camp out on the doorstep if he had to. If he worked it right he would be staying inside.
"Honey, Agent Hoyt only stopped by for a second..."
"The weather is going straight down hill out there Jordan."
"Mama, there's lots of room here since it's just us."
"I don't think it would be a good idea...."
Woody lowered his voice so only Jordan could hear him.
"I'm not leaving until we've had a chance to talk."
"Come on Mama. I bet Agent Hoyt could make a big snow angel."
Jack was bouncing around with his arms spread wide. Woody didn't know how and why he stopped being the boogieman, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He gave Jordan the identical smile her son was presenting her.
She was powerless.
"I would feel guilty if you slid off the road trying to get off this hill...Okay, only until morning and your sleeping on the couch."
"He can sleep in Miss Renee and Dr. Garret's bed Mama...it's so big I bet wouldn't fall off or nothing."
"Miss Renee? Like as in Walcott?"
"Yeah, she and Dr. Garret are married...I got to go to the wedding and eat all the cake I could! Mama said I could because it was a special day and Hell just froze over...opps."
Jordan arched her eyebrow at her son.
"Sorry Mama" he said looking at his feet.
"Go brush your teeth it's time to go to bed....I'll be up in a minute."
Once Jack was out of earshot Jordan began to grab madly at her hair and hissed "You stay right here. I'll be down in a minute."
Woody laughed to himself and he heard her yelp as her rounded to corner to follow Jack.
Once he heard her light footfalls on the stairs he kicked off his shoes and walked further into the house. The great room looked like it took up most the space of the high two story. The massive natural stone fireplace stood impressively freestanding in the middle of the house. His brother would call it a three pig fireplace because of the sheer size of the hearth.
He could hear Jordan talking to Jack about his teeth brushing technique and realized the upstairs must be an open loft. From a bank of tall windows and French doors in the back of the room he could make out a wood and flag stone deck that ran the length of the house. The darkness obscured the view but he would bet his next paycheck that it would be fabulous with the sunrise.
The fire took the last of the chill out of his bones and he took off his damp suit coat and laid it over the back of a winged back chair along with his tie. He was debating about going to get his stuff out of the car when he heard Jordan coming back down the stairs behind the fireplace.
Jordan rounded the corner and stopped when she saw him.
"I thought I told you to stay put."
"Sorry Jordan, I'm tired and I'm cold and I'm not going to stand by and wait for you to quietly kick me out."
Woody sat down in the middle of the couch picking up Jordan's brush that Jack had left lying there.
"Nice place. It would kind of make it worth having to be married to the wicked witch."
"I wouldn't say that too loud, Jack thinks she is Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny rolled into one. He's head or heals in love with her."
"Now that's a scary picture."
"He's taste runs for totally unsuitable women ...He's your son, what do you expect?"
Jordan seconded guessed her words too late.
"My son. God, I love the sound of that."
"Yes well, donating sperm doesn't make you a father."
"I couldn't help but notice he's still calling me as Agent Hoyt..."
"He apparently didn't hear or understand what happened in the Crypt...He was just scared because he heard raised voices....which, by the way, I'd like to keep him from at all costs." Jordan looked toward the kitchen.
Woody smiled. He was not in the mood to fight with her. Thanks to his son's gracious invitation he was not going anywhere.
In fact he didn't need to be back to work for one hundred and twenty nine point five days if he didn't want to. He hadn't taken a day of vacation time since he joined the Bureau.
His old boss pressured him into using some of it but he never saw the reason, until now. While he was throwing some clothes in a bag, he called Tillman and asked him for some leave. He gladly told him to take his time.
Woody liked to think it was because Tillman wanted him to take a vacation, but he knew it was because he had already moved forward on more cases in the last week than the rest of the staff put together. His co-workers were a little grumpy trying to play catch up.
Yes, they'd talk; but he could afford to postpone it for as long as he could.
Woody defiantly settled back in the sofa and looked back at Jordan who was busy trying to pull the left over snarls out of her hair. He held up the brush and patted the couch cushion next to him.
"Come here, maybe I can help."
A sharp yank on her hair brought her eyes back down.
"Ouch!"
"Sorry Mama." Jack said pulling the brush through his mother's hair slower.
"That's okay a woman has to put up with a certain amount of discomfort when world famous Mr. Johnny Jack does her hair."
Jack only giggled and put yet another banana clip in her hair.
"You're going to be beautiful Mama."
Jack jumped off the couch, his Mickey Mouse sleeper bunched around his body. He handed Jordan the hand mirror he grabbed from bathroom when he gathered every hair clip he could find in her pocketbook. It reminded Jordan it was passed time to clean out her bag.
"Oh my, it's something buddy."
Jordan had to smirk at her son's handy work; she figured it would take her at least an hour and a deep conditioner to get all the snarls out. She was still admiring it when there was a knock on the door.
"Jack, stay right here while I get the door."
Jordan walked through the great room the kitchen. She assumed it was Garret's neighbor who watched the place. Garret said he would call and tell them that she was going to be spending a few days there, but they must have wanted to check up on her anyway. Cautiously she opened the door. She wasn't prepared to see Woody with his back to her on the windy porch.
"Hi" he said turning around.
Jordan noticed that he was dressed in a somewhat rumpled suit. His wingtips were soaked from walking up the unpaved drive that was white with the accumulating wet snow. For a moment she was reminded of that day when he should up at her door, wet from the falling rain and looking like the weight of the world was dragging him down for the last count. She pushed the memory away.
"May I come in?"
"Why are you here?"
"We need to talk Jordan."
"How did you know were to find us?"
Woody wrapped his arms around himself wishing he hadn't of left his coat in the car.
"Your father gave me the directions. Please Jordan; I'm freezing my ass off out here."
Jordan opened the door wider and stepped aside so he could come in.
"Nice place" he said looking around the interior of state of the art kitchen. He could only make out one side of the large great room off to his right.
Jordan closed the door and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips ready to tell him to leave.
"Nice do."
Jordan's hands snapped up to her hair and patted it down looking for somewhere to start to get all the rubber bands and clips out of it.
"I think she looks pretty."
Woody turned to the little voice that was coming from the corner of the refrigerator. He smiled widely.
"I think so too. Did you help her?"
"Yep, she likes it when I play with her hair."
Woody turned back to Jordan. "I'll have to remember that."
Jordan knew he was talking to Jack but she couldn't help but feel a flutter in her stomach. She remembered when he brushed her hair out after they took a shower that night. He had barely got all the snarls out of it before they put them all back again. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"What do you want Woody?"
"Just to talk.....hey Jack, did you see all that snow coming down out there?"
"Mama says there won't be enough for a snow man, but she says we can go outside and play in it tomorrow."
"That sounds like fun..."
Jack became more animated as he spoke.
"Dr. Garret says we can come back when there's lots of snow and build one. But...but tomorrow we're going to make snow angels if it's not too wet. You wanna make some too?"
Woody couldn't believe his luck. He was prepared to camp out on the doorstep if he had to. If he worked it right he would be staying inside.
"Honey, Agent Hoyt only stopped by for a second..."
"The weather is going straight down hill out there Jordan."
"Mama, there's lots of room here since it's just us."
"I don't think it would be a good idea...."
Woody lowered his voice so only Jordan could hear him.
"I'm not leaving until we've had a chance to talk."
"Come on Mama. I bet Agent Hoyt could make a big snow angel."
Jack was bouncing around with his arms spread wide. Woody didn't know how and why he stopped being the boogieman, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He gave Jordan the identical smile her son was presenting her.
She was powerless.
"I would feel guilty if you slid off the road trying to get off this hill...Okay, only until morning and your sleeping on the couch."
"He can sleep in Miss Renee and Dr. Garret's bed Mama...it's so big I bet wouldn't fall off or nothing."
"Miss Renee? Like as in Walcott?"
"Yeah, she and Dr. Garret are married...I got to go to the wedding and eat all the cake I could! Mama said I could because it was a special day and Hell just froze over...opps."
Jordan arched her eyebrow at her son.
"Sorry Mama" he said looking at his feet.
"Go brush your teeth it's time to go to bed....I'll be up in a minute."
Once Jack was out of earshot Jordan began to grab madly at her hair and hissed "You stay right here. I'll be down in a minute."
Woody laughed to himself and he heard her yelp as her rounded to corner to follow Jack.
Once he heard her light footfalls on the stairs he kicked off his shoes and walked further into the house. The great room looked like it took up most the space of the high two story. The massive natural stone fireplace stood impressively freestanding in the middle of the house. His brother would call it a three pig fireplace because of the sheer size of the hearth.
He could hear Jordan talking to Jack about his teeth brushing technique and realized the upstairs must be an open loft. From a bank of tall windows and French doors in the back of the room he could make out a wood and flag stone deck that ran the length of the house. The darkness obscured the view but he would bet his next paycheck that it would be fabulous with the sunrise.
The fire took the last of the chill out of his bones and he took off his damp suit coat and laid it over the back of a winged back chair along with his tie. He was debating about going to get his stuff out of the car when he heard Jordan coming back down the stairs behind the fireplace.
Jordan rounded the corner and stopped when she saw him.
"I thought I told you to stay put."
"Sorry Jordan, I'm tired and I'm cold and I'm not going to stand by and wait for you to quietly kick me out."
Woody sat down in the middle of the couch picking up Jordan's brush that Jack had left lying there.
"Nice place. It would kind of make it worth having to be married to the wicked witch."
"I wouldn't say that too loud, Jack thinks she is Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny rolled into one. He's head or heals in love with her."
"Now that's a scary picture."
"He's taste runs for totally unsuitable women ...He's your son, what do you expect?"
Jordan seconded guessed her words too late.
"My son. God, I love the sound of that."
"Yes well, donating sperm doesn't make you a father."
"I couldn't help but notice he's still calling me as Agent Hoyt..."
"He apparently didn't hear or understand what happened in the Crypt...He was just scared because he heard raised voices....which, by the way, I'd like to keep him from at all costs." Jordan looked toward the kitchen.
Woody smiled. He was not in the mood to fight with her. Thanks to his son's gracious invitation he was not going anywhere.
In fact he didn't need to be back to work for one hundred and twenty nine point five days if he didn't want to. He hadn't taken a day of vacation time since he joined the Bureau.
His old boss pressured him into using some of it but he never saw the reason, until now. While he was throwing some clothes in a bag, he called Tillman and asked him for some leave. He gladly told him to take his time.
Woody liked to think it was because Tillman wanted him to take a vacation, but he knew it was because he had already moved forward on more cases in the last week than the rest of the staff put together. His co-workers were a little grumpy trying to play catch up.
Yes, they'd talk; but he could afford to postpone it for as long as he could.
Woody defiantly settled back in the sofa and looked back at Jordan who was busy trying to pull the left over snarls out of her hair. He held up the brush and patted the couch cushion next to him.
"Come here, maybe I can help."