Chapter Six
Let Brotherly Love Continue
"So how's it going, bro?" Calvin asked, warily sticking his head in Woody's office two days later. "Any word on when you ascend into the highest echelon of police work?"
"Good afternoon, Cal," Woody bit out between gritted teeth. Cal was his only brother, but they were as different as day is from night. Where as Woody was responsible, hard-working, dedicated…to the point of almost single-mindedness, Cal was irresponsible, somewhat of a slacker, and had his interests blown in a thousand different directions. Woody had practically raised Cal after their parents' death, and still acted more like a parent than a brother, despite the fact that Cal had been grown for years…and responsible for his own actions.
"Gee…I thought you'd be in a better mood now that your lovely wife was back at home." Cal came in, shut the door and plopped down in a chair in front of Woody's desk.
"I told you this situation was only temporary. As soon as a decision about the chief's position is made, she'll be back in New York." Woody responded smoothly, in a low tone.
"Yeah, and I thought you'd come to your senses and tell her you were sorry for being a jerk and ask her to stay…permanently."
"May I remind you that she left me."
"And may I remind you that she had a valid reason. You had to play cops and robbers all the time….leaving a very lonely ME at home. She did it to get your attention."
"Well…it didn't work."
Cal toyed with Woody's nameplate on the desk. His fidgeting was making Woody nervous and Cal knew it. It was the mood he was going for. "You know…that stubborn pride of yours is going to get you in trouble. You're going to lose her for good one day…and then you will regret it."
Woody blew out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "And what do you want today, Cal? Money? A call to get you out of trouble?"
Standing up and looking his brother in the eye, Cal replied. "No. Believe it or not, I actually came by just to see how you were doing. I was hoping you and Jordan had both come to your senses and decided to really reconcile. Any fool with at least one good eye can see you two are meant for each other. Look, I don't know everything that happened between you two…"
"That's right, you don't," Woody interjected, trying to cut his brother off. It didn't work.
"But I know somewhere down in that heart of yours you still love your wife."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Otherwise, you still wouldn't keep her picture on your desk," Cal said, pointing to a photo of Jordan under the glass on top of his desk, "and you would at least be going out some by now. Unless you're working, I can't blast you out of that house to do anything other than occasionally go get a drink or watch a BoSox game. Any women you are introduced to, you blow off like steam."
"I'm still married, Cal. Despite the fact that she 's in New York and I'm here, I'm still a married man."
"And why is that? It's been three years."
"It's none of your business."
Cal sighed and ran a hand through his hair, a near mirror of his older brother. "I give up. Look, if being police chief makes you happy, go for it. I hope you get it and have a long and successful career as Boston's top cop. Just don't hurt Jordan in the process. And you may want to think about not hurting yourself, either." Cal got up and walked to the door.
"Where are you going?" asked Woody.
"Seems my only sister-in-law, whom I am very fond of, works next door. I think I'll go see if she wants to go to lunch."
"Cal…" But it was too late. The door slammed and Cal was gone.
Woody sat down heavily in his chair and rubbed his hand over his face…as if trying to clear out the cobwebs of thought left by the pervious conversation. In many ways, Cal had been dead-on. He did still love his wife. That was why Jordan's wedding picture still stared out at him from under the piles of paperwork on top of his desk…why a copy of the same photo was in his wallet…
Why he had never filed for divorce.
After the miscarriage, things had gotten such a muddled mess. They both had retreated to their own emotional corners afraid to touch each other. Jordan had shed her own ocean of tears over the loss of the baby…and he had no idea how to comfort her this time…not when he felt like it was his fault. He had retreated into his own cold, hard shell, trying to push those feelings away, and provide for her in the only other way he knew how…monetarily. With each promotion came a raise. She could afford to work part time …take some time off for herself to get over her grief.
But with each new job position, came added responsibility. Woody found that the price of each fatter paycheck was even more hour spent at the precinct. He knew what had happened….
Jordan thought that he stopped caring about her as a woman and turned from him….left to go see what else was out there in the world for her.
He understood…and realized that part was his own fault, but still his male pride had taken a hit. She left me. No discussion….no warning. He came home one day and she was gone. Just a note that said I hope you'll be happy with your life…I'm going to try to make a life for me, too…
It had surprised him that she agreed to come back to Boston and put up with this charade. Until the other night in the kitchen. I love you, Woody. I never stopped. Please…She would never know how hard it was for him to send her up stairs to her bedroom then. But that had been the best decision for the both of them, no matter how soft her skin was under his fingers…how wonderful she smelled…how sweet her kisses were…To have taken it any further…made love to his wife the way he wanted to … would have complicated matters emotionally.
Woody sighed. No, it was probably better that things were left the way they were. She'd be going back to New York in a few weeks. He didn't want her taking anymore of his heart with her than she already had
"Hey gorgeous."
Jordan looked up from her paperwork. "Calvin Hoyt," she exclaimed, coming out from around her desk to hug her brother-in-law.
Calvin swung her around in a tight hug. "How have you been, Jordan?"
"Good…it's good to be back in Boston." She led him over to the couch in her office and they sat down facing each other.
"So you missed your hometown…."
"Yeah, I did. Not that New York isn't a happenin' place to live…but there's no place like home, you know?"
"Whatever you say…never can say I felt that way about Kewuanne, though."
"Kewuanne is a whole different issue…."
Calvin laughed, knowing Jordan's feelings about their tiny hometown. She was definitely a big-city girl. The only time Woody had taken her to Kewuanne, Jordan had said she felt like she was at a crossroads of Mayberry meets The Shining.
"So….how's my brother?"
"You would know better than I do."
"He still works all the time, doesn't he?"
Jordan lowered her eyes. Of the two brothers, Cal was often the most perceptive. She had always been sort of surprised that he didn't follow Woody into police work. He would have made an excellent detective. She had always assumed it was due to the fact that Cal always had been in just enough trouble to permanently set Woody's teeth on edge….and the fact that Cal probably didn't want to keep being compared to Woody…Police work would have put him back in that cycle of comparison. She carefully couched her next answers. "Yeah, he does…but he's having to right now…being up for police chief has its own set of standards."
Cal nodded. "Including Gains preference for family men…even if it's not real."
Jordan took a deep breath. "You know, don't you?"
Cal hesitated. "Yeah. I do." He didn't tell her he was the one that had suggested that Woody try to get her back to Boston for less-than-scrupulous reasons.
Jordan bit her lip. "This is probably the hardest thing I've ever done, Cal."
"Pretending to be his loving wife?"
She nodded. Her skin still throbbed when she remembered the other night in the kitchen…they had come so close, then he turned her away again. She had run upstairs, shut her bedroom door, and cried the rest of the night.
"You could give up the charade and go back to New York. I'm sure there's a plane out of Logan tonight…or I could drive you tomorrow. I have business there at the end of the week." Jordan raised an eyebrow. "And it's legal business, sis. Don't worry." He flashed her a smile reminiscent of Woody's…dimples and all.
"No…I promised Woody I'd stay until they announced a new chief….not that the offer isn't tempting, believe me. But, I'll keep my promise to him."
Cal nodded and stood, taking her with him. "Whatever you want to do. Just….if it gets to be too much, call me. I'll talk you down off the ledge. Now…how about some lunch?"
