Chapter 62

On the back of the rattle there was a hand painted picture of an eyeball. Clearly Palmer was saying "I am watching you."

Once Woody and AJ were aware of what she had seen, both rallied to protect her. After throwing the damn rattle to the far side of the room, Woody got up and put his arms around both Jordan and the baby. AJ simply declared, "I am changing my return flight to after yours leaves for Wisconsin tomorrow!"

"But aren't you expected at work tomorrow morning?" Jordan questioned.

"Colonel Mackenzie is a wonderful Chief of Staff and can handle a day without me."

"Thank you AJ. The more protection for Jordan and Riley, the better in my book," Woody said.

"Don't mention it, I feel the same way," AJ replied.

When AJ and Jordan into the dining room for dinner, Woody did what he was now sorry he hadn't done when he first thought of it. He picked up the rattle and tossed it, box and all, down the trash shoot in the hall. Dinner was vey quiet that night, each of them lost in their own thoughts about Palmer.

The original trip to Wisconsin had been planned for a week after Max' wedding so they only had a week to stay before the end of Jordan's maternity leave. However, once Jordan and Evelyn had met and come to like each other the trip was moved up and they would stay two weeks. Now Woody was gladder than ever those plans had been changed. He would feel a lot better having his family several states away from Palmer.

AJ was also glad that they were going to be leaving for Wisconsin the next day. He had no problem changing his airline ticket or by getting Colonel Mackenzie to take charge of the office for the day. However, when given the choice of forty five minutes or two and a half hours between their flight out of Boston and his, AJ chose the longer time. He planned to stay in the airport and make sure no one with even Palmer's general features, like height and weight, took the same flight or a later one than Jordan, Woody, and the baby.

At the gate to their flight the next afternoon, Woody and AJ shook hands as the first thanked the second for helping him watch over his family. Jordan, on the other hand, had developed quite a liking for the man her aunt should have married and passed off Riley to Woody so she could hug AJ good bye.

Both Woody and Jordan breathed easier once the plane had taken off and AJ did the same after prowling the airport to be sure Palmer was not following them.

What none of them had stopped to consider, was that Palmer could have caught a flight to Wisconsin the night before after he had posed as a delivery man and dropped off the baby rattle to their house.

So, believing they had gotten safely away from Boston to have a nice vacation in Wisconsin getting to know his mother even better and meeting his sisters as well as introducing them to their nephew, they all enjoyed a pleasant flight. At the same time, AJ Chegwidden was returning home to Virginia knowing he had done all he could to make sure the young family was safe, but with a niggling fear in the back of his mind because he knew just how treacherous Palmer could be.

Their arrival in Wisconsin made Woody and Jordan feel like visiting royalty. Evelyn and all four of Woody's sisters were there to greet them. It was quickly clear that all four of the girls wanted to be the first to get a chance to hold Riley. Evelyn settled the matter by taking the baby from Jordan and telling her daughters to get the luggage even over their protests that the situation wasn't fair. Woody and Jordan were allowed to do nothing other than point out which suitcases were theirs.

Before long they were all set to go, and heading to the farm house.

To be continued…