Wearily, Jordan climbed the stairs to her bedroom. It had been a long day. And while she was glad to hear from Nigel today, the fact that Woody was calling her tonight and coming in for Thanksgiving...the only thing she could hope to do was talk him out of it. She didn't know what he had to say, but she knew her poor heart had about had all of this it could take. "This falling out of love," she mused as she got ready for bed, "is harder than I imagined." Just the mention of Woody's name made her heart ache. Her cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, Jordan knew who it was.
"Hello," she said quietly. She had been both dreading and looking forward to this.
"Hello, Jo," Woody said. There was an awkward pause. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. You?"
Woody sighed, blowing his breath out through his teeth. She wasn't giving him an inch. He knew he'd have to take the initiative.
"I'm not okay, Jor. I'm confused. I'm a little hurt and angry. I'm not doing too well."
"Sorry to hear that."
"Jordan, I never wanted you to leave like this."
"That's funny. Seems to me that you wanted me gone. Especially since I took the damn envelope."
"Can I tell you something?"
"You found the envelope?"
"No. It still hasn't shown up. But I don't believe you took it."
"But you still don't have it?"
"No."
Jordan traced the pattern on her bedspread with her finger. He admitted that he didn't believe she took the envelope. But it still hadn't surfaced. As long as that envelope was hanging out there, between them, there could be no resolution. Like Stevie had said, this was bigger than the envelope, but that thing was still intricately involved the outcome of their relationship.
"I heard you were coming to North Carolina," Jordan said.
"Yeah, I'm flying out with Nigel on November 22. We're staying the week."
"Don't you think you're wasting your time and your money?"
Woody knew Jordan was still hurt over his accusations. He ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't blame her. "What have I done?" he wondered. "Garrett was right. No trust, no relationship..."
"Look, Jo, I know you don't trust me right now, but can I at least come out there and talk with you?"
Jordan made an impatient noise in the back of her throat. She knew this thing was going to have to come to some sort of a conclusion. "Yeah, you can come out. But I warn you, I'm pulling a couple of double shifts that week to allow Stevie time off with Nigel."
Woody was not in a position to be choosey, nor did he want to be. He'd take what he could get. "That's fine. We'll still have time to talk, won't we?"
He sounded like a kid begging for candy at the grocery store. Grudgingly, Jordan relented. "Yeah. We'll find time to talk."
========================================================
The wedding was beautiful, Jordan thought as she sat back in the pew of St. Mary's. She had never really listened to the wedding vows before...at least closely. "Vows..." she thought. "That's exactly what they are. Sacred promises." Slowly, her head lowered and a tear found its way down her cheek. For her, there could be no vows with Woody as long as he didn't trust her. With the vows exchanged and Travis and Jenna pronounced husband and wife, Jordan went out to the reception and receiving line. She hoped to make her way back to the house as quickly as would be politely possible. She had taken advantage of Duke's furnished rooms for rent during the week that Nigel was going to be there with Katie and Stevie. She wanted to give the couple as much privacy as possible. She planned to move her stuff over this afternoon and get settled in. She had no idea where Woody was going to stay. She just knew it wasn't going to be with her.
"Yeah, these things still get to me, too," a deep voice said. It was Bud, Stevie's oldest brother, who noticed Jordan had been crying. "Theresa and I have been married 12 years and I still tear up over weddings. Kind of odd for a man, don't you think?"
Jordan smiled at the big man. "No, it's kind of sweet. You must really love your wife."
Bud looked away for a minute, as if picturing Theresa in his mind. "I do. I've known Theresa nearly all my life, but the moment she walked down that aisle when we got married, I knew I'd never forget how she looked and how much I love her."
Tears were threatening Jordan again. "How long did you know Theresa before you married her?"
Bud led Jordan towards the reception, gently taking her hand and laying it in the crook of his arm. "I met Theresa in the third grade. I can't explain it, Jordan, but from the moment I met her, I knew she was the girl. I never wavered. Even though in high school, we'd break up and get back together, I always knew I'd end up with her. As soon as I finished college, I married her. I was too afraid she'd change her mind," Bud said, chuckling at the memory of his haste. "And now I hear Stevie may have found someone. A guy name Nigel?"
"Yeah. Dr. Nigel Townsend. He's a ME in Boston that I work with. He's from England. Very intelligent."
"That must be the attraction. Stevie likes smart men. But is he a good guy?"
"Bud, Nigel is the best. I've worked with him for several years. He's a great guy."
Bud grunted. "Well, she deserves the best after Tom."
Jordan nodded. "I agree"
"How does he feel about Katie?"
"He adores her. And I think Katie adores him."
"She sure talks about him a lot."
They continued to stroll on in silence. For a moment Jordan realized what it might have been like to have a real big brother. She envied Stevie. "So what about you, Jordan. I know you've dated Paul a few times since you've been here...do you have anyone special in your life?"
Jordan sighed. "Yes and no. I did, but we had a disagreement before I left to come to North Carolina. I haven't heard much from him since."
Bud pulled away from Jordan so that he could look at her. "So that's what's been the matter with you."
"Is it so apparent?"
Bud chuckled. "You must love him a lot."
Jordan thought for a minute. "I do Bud, but I need to stop. This is not like Stevie and Nigel. We have major issues. It's not going to work."
"How do you know it can't work?"
Jordan knew to try to explain the whole situation would take entirely too much time. So she simplified the situation. "Let's just say he thinks I did something to make him mistrust me. But I didn't. But I can't make him see that it wasn't me – that I wouldn't do that to him."
"Jordan, I don't know you very well and I don't know the young man you're talking about, but I do know a thing or two about relationships. You're right. Trust is very important, but you're short changing yourself."
Jordan gave Bud a puzzled look.
"If it's really love, honey, he's going to figure out sooner or later that you didn't do whatever it is he thinks you did. So you just hang in there and give him time. Don't fall out of love with this guy. Love will turn him around. Just wait and see."
"Hello," she said quietly. She had been both dreading and looking forward to this.
"Hello, Jo," Woody said. There was an awkward pause. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. You?"
Woody sighed, blowing his breath out through his teeth. She wasn't giving him an inch. He knew he'd have to take the initiative.
"I'm not okay, Jor. I'm confused. I'm a little hurt and angry. I'm not doing too well."
"Sorry to hear that."
"Jordan, I never wanted you to leave like this."
"That's funny. Seems to me that you wanted me gone. Especially since I took the damn envelope."
"Can I tell you something?"
"You found the envelope?"
"No. It still hasn't shown up. But I don't believe you took it."
"But you still don't have it?"
"No."
Jordan traced the pattern on her bedspread with her finger. He admitted that he didn't believe she took the envelope. But it still hadn't surfaced. As long as that envelope was hanging out there, between them, there could be no resolution. Like Stevie had said, this was bigger than the envelope, but that thing was still intricately involved the outcome of their relationship.
"I heard you were coming to North Carolina," Jordan said.
"Yeah, I'm flying out with Nigel on November 22. We're staying the week."
"Don't you think you're wasting your time and your money?"
Woody knew Jordan was still hurt over his accusations. He ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't blame her. "What have I done?" he wondered. "Garrett was right. No trust, no relationship..."
"Look, Jo, I know you don't trust me right now, but can I at least come out there and talk with you?"
Jordan made an impatient noise in the back of her throat. She knew this thing was going to have to come to some sort of a conclusion. "Yeah, you can come out. But I warn you, I'm pulling a couple of double shifts that week to allow Stevie time off with Nigel."
Woody was not in a position to be choosey, nor did he want to be. He'd take what he could get. "That's fine. We'll still have time to talk, won't we?"
He sounded like a kid begging for candy at the grocery store. Grudgingly, Jordan relented. "Yeah. We'll find time to talk."
========================================================
The wedding was beautiful, Jordan thought as she sat back in the pew of St. Mary's. She had never really listened to the wedding vows before...at least closely. "Vows..." she thought. "That's exactly what they are. Sacred promises." Slowly, her head lowered and a tear found its way down her cheek. For her, there could be no vows with Woody as long as he didn't trust her. With the vows exchanged and Travis and Jenna pronounced husband and wife, Jordan went out to the reception and receiving line. She hoped to make her way back to the house as quickly as would be politely possible. She had taken advantage of Duke's furnished rooms for rent during the week that Nigel was going to be there with Katie and Stevie. She wanted to give the couple as much privacy as possible. She planned to move her stuff over this afternoon and get settled in. She had no idea where Woody was going to stay. She just knew it wasn't going to be with her.
"Yeah, these things still get to me, too," a deep voice said. It was Bud, Stevie's oldest brother, who noticed Jordan had been crying. "Theresa and I have been married 12 years and I still tear up over weddings. Kind of odd for a man, don't you think?"
Jordan smiled at the big man. "No, it's kind of sweet. You must really love your wife."
Bud looked away for a minute, as if picturing Theresa in his mind. "I do. I've known Theresa nearly all my life, but the moment she walked down that aisle when we got married, I knew I'd never forget how she looked and how much I love her."
Tears were threatening Jordan again. "How long did you know Theresa before you married her?"
Bud led Jordan towards the reception, gently taking her hand and laying it in the crook of his arm. "I met Theresa in the third grade. I can't explain it, Jordan, but from the moment I met her, I knew she was the girl. I never wavered. Even though in high school, we'd break up and get back together, I always knew I'd end up with her. As soon as I finished college, I married her. I was too afraid she'd change her mind," Bud said, chuckling at the memory of his haste. "And now I hear Stevie may have found someone. A guy name Nigel?"
"Yeah. Dr. Nigel Townsend. He's a ME in Boston that I work with. He's from England. Very intelligent."
"That must be the attraction. Stevie likes smart men. But is he a good guy?"
"Bud, Nigel is the best. I've worked with him for several years. He's a great guy."
Bud grunted. "Well, she deserves the best after Tom."
Jordan nodded. "I agree"
"How does he feel about Katie?"
"He adores her. And I think Katie adores him."
"She sure talks about him a lot."
They continued to stroll on in silence. For a moment Jordan realized what it might have been like to have a real big brother. She envied Stevie. "So what about you, Jordan. I know you've dated Paul a few times since you've been here...do you have anyone special in your life?"
Jordan sighed. "Yes and no. I did, but we had a disagreement before I left to come to North Carolina. I haven't heard much from him since."
Bud pulled away from Jordan so that he could look at her. "So that's what's been the matter with you."
"Is it so apparent?"
Bud chuckled. "You must love him a lot."
Jordan thought for a minute. "I do Bud, but I need to stop. This is not like Stevie and Nigel. We have major issues. It's not going to work."
"How do you know it can't work?"
Jordan knew to try to explain the whole situation would take entirely too much time. So she simplified the situation. "Let's just say he thinks I did something to make him mistrust me. But I didn't. But I can't make him see that it wasn't me – that I wouldn't do that to him."
"Jordan, I don't know you very well and I don't know the young man you're talking about, but I do know a thing or two about relationships. You're right. Trust is very important, but you're short changing yourself."
Jordan gave Bud a puzzled look.
"If it's really love, honey, he's going to figure out sooner or later that you didn't do whatever it is he thinks you did. So you just hang in there and give him time. Don't fall out of love with this guy. Love will turn him around. Just wait and see."