Chapter 44

"Yes she did," Jordan agreed reluctantly, returning the hug her mother-in-law had her in and then stepped back to add, "I thank you for the compliment, Mrs. Hoyt, but I can assure you I feel far from beautiful now…more like a beached whale."

"Now, now, that isn't true at all! And I want you to call me Mother, or Mom like Woody does, or even Evelyn until you know me better. None of this Mrs. Hoyt nonsense since we could both answer to that!"

"Ummm, thank you Evelyn," she said and then turning to Woody she added, "Could we go ahead and eat now? I'm starving and whatever you're making for dinner smells wonderful!"

"I agree that it smells great, but I have no idea what it is," Woody told her cheerfully.

"Oh it's nothing all that special. Just a pot roast with the usual trimmings and a cherry cobbler for desert," Evelyn stated as both the younger people turned to her.

"I'll set the table," Jordan volunteered.

But Woody stepped in front of her. "Why don't you let me do that and you can have a few minutes to put your feet up," he suggested tenderly, seeing the look of weariness around her eyes.

With a sigh and nod she said, "That sounds like a good idea, if you're sure you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind! Go in the living room and put your feet up. I'll call you when dinner is on the table."

"Okay, but as nice as your mom is being right now, I did hear the things she was saying to you when I came into the house. If she starts that again you let me know! I won't let her treat you that way!"

Woody merely nodded as Jordan left the dining room to go to the living room. As he started to set the table he wondered why Jordan had acted the way she had. It was almost as if she cared for him! Well…he knew she cared, but this had seemed a bit more than that. It was like she had been defending her man… almost as if she loved him!

No, that couldn't be it. Jordan was never shy about how she felt about things and knowing that he loved her if she had figured out she loved him, she would have just come out and told him. She wouldn't have had any reason to keep something like that from him. He probably would have gone around about it in his head several more times, but before he could, his mother came in with a serving platter full of the roast, potatoes, and carrots.

"That looks as good as it smells, mom," Woody told her.

"Thank you son, I hope your pretty wife thinks so too. Where is she?"

"I told her to put her feet up for a few minutes before we ate. I'll go and get her."

The meal was as good as it looked and smelled. Both Jordan and Woody told Evelyn this several times over, but the truest test was that Jordan had asked for seconds and Woody, thirds! Evelyn was very pleased at that, but she warned them they needed to save room for desert.

"Oh, but I couldn't eat another bite!" Jordan protested.

"Mom! Why didn't you say that when I asked for thirds, rather than when I was done eating them?!"

She grinned and told him, "Maybe I wanted more for Jordan and I!" At his look of outrage she said, "Don't worry it will keep until after the two of you open the gifts I brought."

The three of them cleared the table together and then Evelyn told them to go to the living room while she went to her room and brought out the presents.

As she came into the room with a suitcase, Evelyn announced, "These are from your four sisters. I had to remind them that I could only take things that would fit into a suitcase several times!" She opened the case and pulled out a rather large three inch thick square box. "This is from Kim, she will be a senior at Beloit College. She is studying to be an accountant and is the oldest of my girls."

Woody reached out to take the gift from his mother and then passed it to Jordan to open. Inside was a beautiful blue leather baby album. Mrs. Hoyt said, "She was going to have his name put on it, but we didn't know what you had chosen then. You could have it done when you come and visit."

To be continued…