Jordan tried to hang onto Bud's words in the week ahead. She had moved out of Stevie's house, using the excuse that she needed time to think so Stevie wouldn't be suspicious of anything. Steve knew that Jordan had been offered the chance to stay at the North Carolina ME's office until spring and to teach another class or two. She figured her Boston-bound friend was trying to make up her mind.
Now Jordan was surreptitiously meeting Nigel and Woody at the Raleigh/ Durham airport. Nervously, she paced the concourse. "Flight 421 arriving from Boston/Philadelphia," announced a voice over the intercom. That was it. They were here. She craned her neck looking for the lanky Brit she had missed so much. Finally, she caught sight of him.
"Nigel!" Jordan yelled as she launched herself into Nige's arms. She was as bad as Katie. Nigel spun her around and hugged her hard. "Hey lass, let me look at you." He pulled away, only to hug her again. "You're a sight for sore eyes. You look great."
"Hi Jordan." It was Woody.
"Hi Wood," Jordan said. There was an awkward silence. "Let's get your bags and get over to the ME's office. I can't wait to see Stevie's face."
"She still suspects nothing?" Nigel asked.
"Not a thing. I haven't told a soul."
Jordan helped the men load up their things her jeep and drove them over to the ME's office. "I think school should be out by now and Katie will be there waiting on Stevie to take her home," Jordan said. Stevie was getting off early today so they could start their Thanksgiving holiday. Pulling into the parking garage, Jordan looked around. "Let's have you take the freight elevator. That will dump us out in the crypt and I can shuffle you into my office and then call her in there."
Plans put into place, all went well. Woody followed them, feeling a little like a third thumb. Jordan made a mental note to make it up to him somehow. When Nigel was good and hid with the lights off in Jordan's office, Jordan walked down to Stevie's office.
"Hey Stevie...oh hi Katie," Jordan began, "Could you come have a look at something I found? It's in my office..I'm not sure what to do with it. You can come, too, Katie."
Stevie looked up from the last pile of paperwork she was trying to wade through before taking her time off. "What could it possibly be that Jordan can't figure out?" she thought, somewhat irritably. She was anxious to leave. But she got up and followed her friend out to her office.
Jordan opened the door and flipped on her lights. Nigel stepped out from behind the door. It was a Kodak moment. Stevie literally dissolved in tears as Nigel took her in his arms. Jordan and Woody both stepped outside to allow the couple to have a minute or two and let Stevie pull herself together. Katie was bouncing off the walls she was so excited about seeing "Mr. Nigel."
After a few moments, the couple emerged. Stevie had the glow of a woman that had been kissed well. "How long have you kept this little secret?" she asked Jordan.
"Only for about a month," Jordan smirked, rolling her eyes. "Guess the real reason I moved out of your house?"
======================================
After getting Nigel settled in at Stevie's house and introducing him to her family, Jordan faced the awkward task of figuring out what to do with Woody. She thought about seeing if he could stay at Bud's, but that didn't feel right. Somewhat reluctantly and anxiously, she loaded him up in her jeep and drove him back to her room. "It's kind of small, Wood. I usually live with Stevie, but I wanted to give her and Nige space this week."
"That's fine, Jo. I can take the couch. I don't expect anything else."
"I have to start a double shift tonight, so you'll be on your own. There's a couple of pizza delivery places, a few Chinese deliveries, and the room has cable."
Jordan opened up the door to her small apartment. Woody put his stuff on the couch and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "When do you have to go on duty?" he asked.
Jordan checked her watch. "In about an hour. I think there's some stuff in the bathroom that you can use to make the couch into a bed."
"Jordan, can we talk..."
"Not now Woody, not before work.." Jordan turned and walked into the kitchen area, her back to Woody.
"Please, Jo.." Woody crossed the small space between them and ran his hands down her arms. "I've missed you so much."
Jordan pulled away, "I thought you said you didn't expect anything," she accused.
"Not like that Jo. I just really want to talk to you," Woody said, following her, not letting her put any space between them.
"No...I can't now, not now," she replied grabbing her purse and keys, nearly running from the room. She quickly walked down the hall and out the door, not stopping to even catch her breath until she was safely inside her vehicle. This was going to be a long week and with a holiday stuck right in the middle of it...well, she was glad she had volunteered for a couple of double shifts.
Hours later, Jordan let herself back into her apartment. After the way she had treated Woody, she half expected him to have gone to a hotel. She didn't mean to be rude, it was just that her heart needed time to adjust to him being there. "And about the time I get used to it, he'll be gone again," she thought. But no, Woody was there, sprawled out on the couch asleep. "Well, at least he seems determined to talk to me."
When Woody woke up later, Jordan was still asleep. Softly, he walked over to her bed. She still slept on her side, curled up, hugging a pillow. He closed his eyes at the pain he felt – his own and the pain he had caused her. He wanted to talk – he needed to talk to her. But she was exhausted. The best he could do was wait it out and pray that she at least would give him an hour or two to explain himself.
=================================================
The next day passed much like the first. Jordan worked and Woody amused himself taking in the sights of Durham and Chapel Hill. He quickly learned the difference between the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels. And somewhere in the middle was a Wolf Pack. How in God's name did so many college basketball teams end up in a hundred mile radius? Woody shook his head at the logic.
Jordan had a regular work day, meaning she would probably get off around five. Woody had been over to the morgue once that day. If he thought the Boston morgue was busy, he hadn't seen anything like this one. He watched Jordan handle the heat with the same skill and finesse he had observed in Boston, but the atmosphere in North Carolina had fine-tuned and perfected it. He was proud, but didn't know how to tell her. Around five, she came out of the autopsy area and noticed he was sitting on a bench outside. He looked a little lost.
"Hi," she said. "Sorry things have been crazy."
He smiled at her, those blue eyes looking into her soul. "That's okay. I knew it was going to be hectic." Jordan felt herself melt. She was going to have to be careful. This man's seeming naiveté and innocence could be lethal. God, she had missed him. Even with all the pain she had felt, all the hurt, she missed him. Maybe Bud and Stevie were right...
"Look, could we go and grab some dinner some place where it's quiet? So we can talk?" Woody asked.
Jordan sighed inwardly. "Might as well get this over with," she thought.
"Look, Woody, you know me. I don't do too well sitting still talking. Could we maybe take a walk and get something on the way home?"
Woody nodded. He wasn't fussy at this point. Taking Jordan's hand, he led her outside and across the street to the gardens at Duke. For a while they walked in silence, just their hands intertwined. Woody suddenly squeezed her hand and pulled her down onto a bench. Taking both of her hands in one of his, he used his other hand to tilt her head up so that she was looking at him. Swallowing hard, he looked straight into those honey brown eyes. "I'm sorry, Jo. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am and what an ass I feel like. I know you didn't take that envelope. I was wrong to accuse you of such a thing. I know you wouldn't have hurt me by doing that..."
"But you didn't think so then."
"But I do now, and that's what's important."
Jordan shook her head. "If you really trusted me, you would have never thought that to begin with, at least not for long."
"Jordan, I can't go back and undo what happened. I can tell you honestly, from my heart, that I am sorry. And I would like to start over. I love you, Jo. I don't want to loose you. Please, please forgive me."
Jordan could feel the tears fill her eye and threaten to spill down her checks. But he hadn't said what she needed him to say. He hadn't said he trusted her. And without that trust, she wasn't sure their relationship would be able to ride out the highs and lows of life. She drew a shaky breath and looked Woody in the eye. "I'm sorry, but that's not enough for me, Woody. It's just not enough. You don't trust me. And the first time something else like this envelope incident happens again, I don't think my heart could handle it." Jordan rose, still looking at Woody. "I love you, Woody, I do. I always will. You will always be special to me. And that's why I'm letting you go. I love you too much to let you stay with someone that deep down inside you can't trust. It wouldn't work....it would come back to bite you. And I won't be a part of it." And with that Jordan turned and walked back to the morgue, leaving Woody to once again deal with the consequences of his actions.
Now Jordan was surreptitiously meeting Nigel and Woody at the Raleigh/ Durham airport. Nervously, she paced the concourse. "Flight 421 arriving from Boston/Philadelphia," announced a voice over the intercom. That was it. They were here. She craned her neck looking for the lanky Brit she had missed so much. Finally, she caught sight of him.
"Nigel!" Jordan yelled as she launched herself into Nige's arms. She was as bad as Katie. Nigel spun her around and hugged her hard. "Hey lass, let me look at you." He pulled away, only to hug her again. "You're a sight for sore eyes. You look great."
"Hi Jordan." It was Woody.
"Hi Wood," Jordan said. There was an awkward silence. "Let's get your bags and get over to the ME's office. I can't wait to see Stevie's face."
"She still suspects nothing?" Nigel asked.
"Not a thing. I haven't told a soul."
Jordan helped the men load up their things her jeep and drove them over to the ME's office. "I think school should be out by now and Katie will be there waiting on Stevie to take her home," Jordan said. Stevie was getting off early today so they could start their Thanksgiving holiday. Pulling into the parking garage, Jordan looked around. "Let's have you take the freight elevator. That will dump us out in the crypt and I can shuffle you into my office and then call her in there."
Plans put into place, all went well. Woody followed them, feeling a little like a third thumb. Jordan made a mental note to make it up to him somehow. When Nigel was good and hid with the lights off in Jordan's office, Jordan walked down to Stevie's office.
"Hey Stevie...oh hi Katie," Jordan began, "Could you come have a look at something I found? It's in my office..I'm not sure what to do with it. You can come, too, Katie."
Stevie looked up from the last pile of paperwork she was trying to wade through before taking her time off. "What could it possibly be that Jordan can't figure out?" she thought, somewhat irritably. She was anxious to leave. But she got up and followed her friend out to her office.
Jordan opened the door and flipped on her lights. Nigel stepped out from behind the door. It was a Kodak moment. Stevie literally dissolved in tears as Nigel took her in his arms. Jordan and Woody both stepped outside to allow the couple to have a minute or two and let Stevie pull herself together. Katie was bouncing off the walls she was so excited about seeing "Mr. Nigel."
After a few moments, the couple emerged. Stevie had the glow of a woman that had been kissed well. "How long have you kept this little secret?" she asked Jordan.
"Only for about a month," Jordan smirked, rolling her eyes. "Guess the real reason I moved out of your house?"
======================================
After getting Nigel settled in at Stevie's house and introducing him to her family, Jordan faced the awkward task of figuring out what to do with Woody. She thought about seeing if he could stay at Bud's, but that didn't feel right. Somewhat reluctantly and anxiously, she loaded him up in her jeep and drove him back to her room. "It's kind of small, Wood. I usually live with Stevie, but I wanted to give her and Nige space this week."
"That's fine, Jo. I can take the couch. I don't expect anything else."
"I have to start a double shift tonight, so you'll be on your own. There's a couple of pizza delivery places, a few Chinese deliveries, and the room has cable."
Jordan opened up the door to her small apartment. Woody put his stuff on the couch and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "When do you have to go on duty?" he asked.
Jordan checked her watch. "In about an hour. I think there's some stuff in the bathroom that you can use to make the couch into a bed."
"Jordan, can we talk..."
"Not now Woody, not before work.." Jordan turned and walked into the kitchen area, her back to Woody.
"Please, Jo.." Woody crossed the small space between them and ran his hands down her arms. "I've missed you so much."
Jordan pulled away, "I thought you said you didn't expect anything," she accused.
"Not like that Jo. I just really want to talk to you," Woody said, following her, not letting her put any space between them.
"No...I can't now, not now," she replied grabbing her purse and keys, nearly running from the room. She quickly walked down the hall and out the door, not stopping to even catch her breath until she was safely inside her vehicle. This was going to be a long week and with a holiday stuck right in the middle of it...well, she was glad she had volunteered for a couple of double shifts.
Hours later, Jordan let herself back into her apartment. After the way she had treated Woody, she half expected him to have gone to a hotel. She didn't mean to be rude, it was just that her heart needed time to adjust to him being there. "And about the time I get used to it, he'll be gone again," she thought. But no, Woody was there, sprawled out on the couch asleep. "Well, at least he seems determined to talk to me."
When Woody woke up later, Jordan was still asleep. Softly, he walked over to her bed. She still slept on her side, curled up, hugging a pillow. He closed his eyes at the pain he felt – his own and the pain he had caused her. He wanted to talk – he needed to talk to her. But she was exhausted. The best he could do was wait it out and pray that she at least would give him an hour or two to explain himself.
=================================================
The next day passed much like the first. Jordan worked and Woody amused himself taking in the sights of Durham and Chapel Hill. He quickly learned the difference between the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels. And somewhere in the middle was a Wolf Pack. How in God's name did so many college basketball teams end up in a hundred mile radius? Woody shook his head at the logic.
Jordan had a regular work day, meaning she would probably get off around five. Woody had been over to the morgue once that day. If he thought the Boston morgue was busy, he hadn't seen anything like this one. He watched Jordan handle the heat with the same skill and finesse he had observed in Boston, but the atmosphere in North Carolina had fine-tuned and perfected it. He was proud, but didn't know how to tell her. Around five, she came out of the autopsy area and noticed he was sitting on a bench outside. He looked a little lost.
"Hi," she said. "Sorry things have been crazy."
He smiled at her, those blue eyes looking into her soul. "That's okay. I knew it was going to be hectic." Jordan felt herself melt. She was going to have to be careful. This man's seeming naiveté and innocence could be lethal. God, she had missed him. Even with all the pain she had felt, all the hurt, she missed him. Maybe Bud and Stevie were right...
"Look, could we go and grab some dinner some place where it's quiet? So we can talk?" Woody asked.
Jordan sighed inwardly. "Might as well get this over with," she thought.
"Look, Woody, you know me. I don't do too well sitting still talking. Could we maybe take a walk and get something on the way home?"
Woody nodded. He wasn't fussy at this point. Taking Jordan's hand, he led her outside and across the street to the gardens at Duke. For a while they walked in silence, just their hands intertwined. Woody suddenly squeezed her hand and pulled her down onto a bench. Taking both of her hands in one of his, he used his other hand to tilt her head up so that she was looking at him. Swallowing hard, he looked straight into those honey brown eyes. "I'm sorry, Jo. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am and what an ass I feel like. I know you didn't take that envelope. I was wrong to accuse you of such a thing. I know you wouldn't have hurt me by doing that..."
"But you didn't think so then."
"But I do now, and that's what's important."
Jordan shook her head. "If you really trusted me, you would have never thought that to begin with, at least not for long."
"Jordan, I can't go back and undo what happened. I can tell you honestly, from my heart, that I am sorry. And I would like to start over. I love you, Jo. I don't want to loose you. Please, please forgive me."
Jordan could feel the tears fill her eye and threaten to spill down her checks. But he hadn't said what she needed him to say. He hadn't said he trusted her. And without that trust, she wasn't sure their relationship would be able to ride out the highs and lows of life. She drew a shaky breath and looked Woody in the eye. "I'm sorry, but that's not enough for me, Woody. It's just not enough. You don't trust me. And the first time something else like this envelope incident happens again, I don't think my heart could handle it." Jordan rose, still looking at Woody. "I love you, Woody, I do. I always will. You will always be special to me. And that's why I'm letting you go. I love you too much to let you stay with someone that deep down inside you can't trust. It wouldn't work....it would come back to bite you. And I won't be a part of it." And with that Jordan turned and walked back to the morgue, leaving Woody to once again deal with the consequences of his actions.