Chapter 68

The shirt said, in bold black letters, "I was NOT playing with the baby!"

When it was clear that Jordan's laughter was going to continue for some time, Garrett told her, "You can leave now."

She barely managed to get out, "Yes, boss," and leave the office before she was once again overcome with laughter. Heading to the break room because she figured that the culprits would be waiting there for her report, she discovered she was right. Lily, Bug, and Nigel were all there eagerly wanting all the details of Garrett's reaction.

During the day Garrett got asked several times if he was wearing his new shirt. Until at one point he threatened to fire the next person that asked. The questions stopped, but not the snickers from those in the know.

Jordan and Riley had been home that evening for a little more than an hour before Woody got there. She had picked up the mail and checked for any packages. Happily there was nothing from Palmer in either. However, that was not the case when Woody, out of habit, checked when he got home.

Unlike his wife had on Sunday, Woody brought the package with no return address into the apartment and called out for Jordan as he came through the door. The box was addressed to her, so Woody handed it to her when she came out of the kitchen. With a glare at the box and a resigned sigh at Woody, she grabbed a pair of scissors and cut through the packing tape. Inside the box was a slinky silver satin nightgown with an envelope on top of it.

After looking at the Polaroid of Woody whistling as he left the apartment building heading for his car on Monday morning, Jordan passed it to her husband as she opened the note that had come with it. It read, "Clearly my previous gift worked! Here is another to help you keep the smile on his face!" and was signed simply, "CP".

Jordan crumpled the note in her fist and threw it back into the box. She was stomping across the room when Woody read the note and on her way back when he looked up at her with a question in his eyes.

"Yeah, I threw out the 'gift' he sent on Sunday! I didn't want it to spoil our special night!" she pleaded for understanding.

Taking her into his arms, Woody said, "Jordan, I love you and nothing can change that! Nothing Palmer does will ever spoil anything between you and I! Okay?!"

Never more thankful for Woody's gentle understanding and love, she nodded and raised her head for a kiss.

The next morning, Garret found a rattle in a package addressed to him on his desk. Minutes after that happened young Master Hoyt was back in his mother's office with instructions from her boss not to make him regret the move. She had let Garrett know they had gotten another message from Palmer the night before. Even though everyone wanted to know what he creep had said this time, Jordan, refused to tell them what the latest taunt had been.

Jordan didn't want anyone to know how 'personal' Palmer's messages had become. Not even Lily could get her friend to reveal what had been in the note or package. Lily was hurt by this, but Jordan just felt that the latest contacts had become too private to share with her co-workers.

The next couple of days nothing was heard from Palmer and Jordan was very glad. But for some reason she felt like she should be braced for the weekend. Maybe it was just that on Saturday Woody would be off all day with Colonel Mackenzie, leaving her home alone with Riley, but she just had a feeling something big was going to happen.

That feeling multiplied one hundred fold when Nigel came back to the morgue on Friday after his regular weekly visit with Clara Rose. He was out of breath from rushing into the building. As soon as he spotted Jordan he grabbed her by the arm and insisted that they go to her office…no, not there because Riley was there now, maybe to the lab instead! Once there he pushed her on to a stool, telling her she had better be sitting down for what he had to tell her!

To be continued…