Chapter Twenty-One

She showered quickly and did her hair and make up. She wasn't sure what she was going to say when she saw him. What do you say in situations like this? After rehearsing speech after speech in her mind, she finally quit trying. She was going to his apartment, open her mouth, and let her heart speak. She threw some of her things in a bag and made her way to his apartment.

It was still early when she arrived. He may not even be up yet…tentatively, she knocked at his door. He didn't answer. She knocked again, harder this time. A minute later, he opened the door, dressed in his bathrobe. He had been in the shower. "Jordan?"

"Can I come in? Please?"

He pushed the door open and let her come in. Dressed in a pink shirt and matching skirt, she looked fresh and lovely, even if the look on her face told Woody her mental state was anything but peaceful. "Peter Brannigan came by to see me this morning," she began.

"He flew in already? He told me he would try to get here as soon…"

"He told me everything, Woody," Jordan interrupted. "Why did you decide to do it this way, Woody? Why? Didn't you realize how badly I'd miss you….how badly I'd grieve?"

He lowered his eyes. "I knew…but I didn't want to come back into your life as an injured man and you feel obligated to take care of me."

"It wouldn't have been an obligation…you know that."

"I didn't want to interrupt your life either…and being an invalid would do that. Likewise, if you had already moved on and found someone else."

"So after you got better and came back to Boston, why didn't you just tell me right away who you were and what happened?"

"Would you have believed me? I had to have time to get used to this new me, too. I knew once I adjusted to all these changes, I could help you adjust, too. That is if you wanted…want to."

She walked over to him, arms crossed defensively. "Oh, I want to…my God, Woody…I saw the pictures. What did you think I do?…." Her voice broke… "Woody… you nearly did die…" It did break then and the tears began to fall down her cheeks. She reached for him….and he caught her up in his arms.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there…in each other's arms…just feeling thankful that they had each other again. Finally, he pulled back and took her face in his hands. "We have a second chance, Jordan…not many people get that."

"I know…" she reached up and gently stroked his beard. "I don't care what you look like…on the inside, you're the same man I met over ten years ago at a crime scene. I've missed you, Woody. So much…" She raised her lips then to meet his…and this time there was no conflict in her soul. This was her husband…this was Woody.

He kissed her softly at first, letting her set the pace…not knowing exactly where she was emotionally. When she brushed his bottom lip with her tongue, he knew. He deepened the kiss and felt her respond by brushing his bathrobe aside and running her hands down his chest. She broke the kiss to trail her lips down his neck and across his collar bone. He moaned. She chuckled. "Feel like taking your wife to bed?" she inquired.

"I thought you'd never ask…" keeping his arm around her waist, he led her to his bedroom and began to kiss her all over again….fumbling with the buttons on her blouse, then pushing it off her shoulders…sliding the zipper down on her skirt and letting it glide down over her hips. He laid her down on his bed and brushed her hair back with his hand… "Do you know how long I've wanted to do this?" he asked.

"I know how much I've missed you," she said, gravely, running her fingers through his hair, noting the scars on his forehead. She'd ask about those later…much later. Right now, he was kissing her again and she couldn't think straight. She never was able to rationalize when he was kissing her. She let her hands wander down to the tie on his bathrobe and loosened it, running her hands down him from his shoulders to his thighs. She pushed it off his shoulders and he paused long enough from his exploration of her body to shrug out of it.

He turned his attention to the front clasp of her bra then, undoing it and pushing it off. "You're still as beautiful as I remember," he whispered, gently gliding his hands down her body…They both spent endless moments just relearning each other's body…until finally neither one of them could wait any longer. She moaned against his lips and arched against him. He slowly filled her, knowing it had been over two years for her. She drew a sharp breath and looked into his eyes…now shining an intense blue at her. "Okay, sweetheart?" he asked. She nodded and arched against him again.

He loved her until she couldn't catch her breath again… until she felt her body tighten around his and felt his response. When it was over, she wrapped her arms around him and just held him close to her…feeling an indescribable thankfulness for just having him back with her. He finally rolled over on his back, taking her with him. "Jordan…" he said, still a little breathless. "Was it always like this?"

She grinned down at him mischievously. "Most of the time. Depended on how tired we were…remember those Friday nights in the hot tub?"

He groaned. Those were some of his favorite memories. "Yes…tell me we still have the hot tub."

"Yeah. We do. I just haven't filled it since I thought you were gone…didn't have the heart to."

She laced her fingers with his, and nestled her head on his chest. "So…how are we going to tell everyone … that you're not dead…you're very, very much alive?"

Woody shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it. My main concern was you…getting you adjusted to everything…"

She playfully moved against him. "I think I've adjusted just fine….thanks to your efforts."

"You're welcome," he replied grinning up at her.

"You know, Nigel and Ronnie are coming to Boston next week…we ought to wait until they're here to make the announcement. Especially since Nige signed your death certificate."

"Think you can keep calling me Charles for a few more days?"

"I think so… but I want you home. With me."

"That's not a problem. There's nowhere else I'd rather be."