Chapter Fifteen

Punching His Buttons

"Did you have a good time?" Woody softly asked from his bed. Jordan had returned from her dinner with Drew and had quietly let herself back in their room.

"Yeah. It was good to catch up."

"I guess Drew wanted to know about the baby?"

She nodded, not sure if he could see her in the dark or not. She was rummaging through her suitcase for her pajamas and toothbrush.

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth."

"The whole story?"

"Most of it."

"Jordan…"

"Look, Woody. It's late. Let's take this up in the morning…I'm tired. All I want to do is go to bed." She went into the bathroom and closed the door. A few minutes later she emerged in girl boxers and a tank top, face scrubbed, and teeth brushed. She climbed into her bed and settled down. Woody was breathing evenly and from that she assumed he was asleep. She rolled over on her side and grabbed the other pillow, holding it tightly against her chest.

She hadn't lied. Her body was tired…from the flight, the long day at the FBI offices, her dinner with Drew, and then the emotional rollercoaster of being with Woody all day. But her mind was going ninety miles a minute. What was Drew up to? How would Woody react?

Would Woody care at all?

The fluttering in her belly brought her back to the present... and what was really important. She gently rubbed where the baby had been kicking, causing the little one to quiet down. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, knowing that she needed her rest now, and would even more in the days ahead.

Woody heard her snuggle down in the bed and roll over, putting her back to him. He had been bothered…would tormented be too strong of a word…while she was gone with Haley…wondering what they were doing…what Haley was saying to her. Praying that the FBI agent and Jordan were truly just friends.

Praying that at the end of their dinner Jordan would return to their hotel room and not go home with Haley. When she had walked through that door a few minutes ago, he had been relieved…she was safe, back with him…and angry.

Not at Jordan, but at himself. His sessions with Dr. Stiles had shown him that the fury he was directing towards those people he loved was a result of all the anger he had locked inside over his assailant. Since he couldn't lash out at the sniper, he would lash out at whoever was in his path.

Now he was upset with himself that he hadn't already talked to Jordan about their future together as parents…of their time ahead together as a couple. Tonight, as he watched the clock and waited for her to hopefully return, he faced the cold, hard truth that he had no claim on her other than being the mother of their child. He hadn't discussed any of the relationship dynamics and issues with her. They had talked about the baby…her health now that she was pregnant, but had never broached the issue of them.

He needed to do so before it was too late. She was exhausted and sound asleep right now. But tomorrow was a brand-new day.

The next morning Haley sent Jordan to the FBI's medical examiner's office to look at the body, while he and Woody went through some more evidence in the agent's office. "Stay away from any x-ray machinery," Woody warned her. She simply nodded in response as she headed out the door.

"Keeping a close eye on her now, huh?" Drew asked, in a voice he knew Woody would take as baiting.

"I don't want anything to happen to her or the baby."

"I think Jordan's quiet capable of taking care of herself and anyone else that comes along."

Woody waited a minute before responding, until he knew he could answer without raising his voice. The last thing he wanted to happen was a scene at the FBI offices. "They're my responsibility."

Drew shrugged. "The baby, certainly. According to Jordan, you're the father. But that's all. Jordan's taking care of herself."

"She's the mother of our baby."

"And that's all. Why? Is there something you want to do about that, Hoyt?"

Woody slowed down long enough to think for a minute. What Haley said was true. At this point, that's all Jordan was … the mother of his child and he said nothing about anything else to her. Indeed, the one time she had told him that she loved him, he had resoundingly rejected her. "Why is it any of your business?"

Drew looked him steadily in the eyes. "Jordan is my friend. She laid everything she had on the line to help me catch a serial killer….putting herself in serious harm's way. I don't forget about things like that. Add to that the fact that she is a very beautiful woman, incredibly desirable, even pregnant, and she's unattached. It all makes for a very explosive mix, despite the fact she's carrying your child, don't you think?"

Gritting his teeth, and feeling his temper rise, Woody managed to spit out, "Stay away from her, Haley. Stay away from Jordan."

"Why? So she can be as alone and miserable as you are? That's kind of harsh, isn't it?"

"Just stay the hell away." Wood turned and walked out of the agent's office, barely keeping himself from slamming the door behind him.

Drew chuckled to himself as he picked up the phone to call Jordan. He had read Hoyt right…the detective cared for Jordan deeply…and his buttons were far too easy to push as far as she was concerned.

Woody found himself wandering down the halls until he found the ME's office. It was nearly lunch time. Maybe he and Jordan could have some lunch and then he would get her to commit to him for dinner. Then, if she felt like it…or hell, if she didn't feel like it, they could talk. He finally caught her eye. She held up five fingers…she'd be out in five minutes. He leaned against the wall and waited. She soon emerged.

"Feel like lunch?" he asked.

"You're asking a pregnant woman if she's hungry?" She grinned at him.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Starving. Is Drew joining us?" she asked, pretending ignorance of what had gone on between Drew and Woody a few minutes earlier. Drew had called Jordan immediately after it happened.

"No. It's just us for lunch. He's still working."

Jordan nodded. "Sure. Just let me get changed."