Chapter 7
Author' Note: Harbor Park is a real place in Kewaunee Wisconsin.
Jordan was sitting at her desk doing paperwork when she heard the distinct sound of Woody walking down the hallway with his cane.
"I have to go back to Wisconsin." He announced from the doorway.
"Hello to you too. What do you mean you have to go back?"
"My uncle died."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had any other family there."
"Yeah, well he let us live with him after dad died. Family obligation and all. He wasn't really interested in kids, but it kept us out of foster care."
"So you're going back out of a similar obligation?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"You don't have to."
"That's not what I asked. Do you want me to come with you?" She said emphasizing the word want.
"It would be the one thing that would make this enjoyable." He answered with a genuine smile.
"Okay, then. Take me away, Farm Boy."
They landed in the late morning the next day. As they drove, Jordan had to admit that fall in Wisconsin was beautiful. It seemed to Jordan that the closer they got to Kewaunee the quieter Woody became. When they got into town their first stop was the sheriff's station.
"Hi, Steve." Woody shook hands with the sheriff. In his early forties, he was stocky and bearded, exactly what Jordan imagined a small town sheriff should look like.
"Woody, good to see you."
"You too. This is Jordan Cavanaugh, my fiance."
"Nice to meet you." Jordan said, extending her hand.
"You too." He looked over to Woody. "You really meant it, didn't you, Woods? Moving to the big city and making a whole new life for yourself."
"You needed me to do the formal ID?" Woody asked changing the subject.
"Yeah. I would have asked Cal, but he left back in the spring. I left some messages, but I never heard back. Have you heard from him?" He handed him the picture.
"No."
"Well, I hope he's doing okay. I appreciate you coming."
"It had to be done." Woody looked down at the picture. "That's Charlie." He stated matter of factly. He handed back the picture and turned back towards the door.
"Right. It was good to see you, Woody. And nice to meet you, Jordan"
" You too, Steve." Jordan said quickly because Woody was already out the door.
Once they were outside Jordan gave him a look, but if he noticed he didn't give any acknowledgement.
"We still have to go to the funeral home." Woody said without looking at her. Jordan wasn't sure what to think or say, so the short ride was silent.
When they walked into the funeral home there was a blonde woman in her early thirties waiting to greet them.
"Hi Lucy." Woody said, giving the woman a hug.
"Woody. It's so good to see you, of course the circumstances could be better. I'm sorry about Charlie."
"It's alright." He said with a weak smile. "This is Jordan Cavanaugh, my fiance." He said, gesturing to Jordan.
" Very nice to meet you."
"You too. "
"Woody, my dad is in his office if you want to go back there and finalize the details? Jordan, could I get you some coffee?
"Sure." Woody and Jordan answered in unison.
Lucy got the coffee and Jordan sat down.
"So you've known Woody awhile? " Jordan asked.
"Yes, we grew up together. My dad and Mr. Hoyt were friends since they were kids. He always felt for the boys and all they went through, especially Woody. Always so responsible.I know he wasn't close to Charlie, but I just feel horrible he has to do this again. A 16 year old shouldn't have to plan his father's funeral. Of course, Woody did it without complaint. He's just been through so much. I was glad when he left here. I'd hoped that he would have an easier time away from this place. But from the look of it, I'm not sure he has."
"He was shot back in the spring, the bullet nicked him in the spine. He's putting in the work, he's determined to recover.
"Of course, that's who he is. Congratulations on your engagement. How long have you two been together? "
"Our relationship was complicated for a long time, but I guess we've been "official" since he was shot."
"Really?"
"It took me a while to admit how I felt."
"Well, it's obvious he loves you. It's all in the way he looks at you." Jordan smiled at her observation.
The day had been draining. After getting lunch and checking into the hotel. They decided to go to a local bar. Not long after Woody got up to go to the bathroom, a man sat next to Jordan.
"Hey, beautiful. I haven't seen you before. What brings you to Kewaunee?" The man was wearing a plain black t-shirt and a backwards baseball cap.
"Just getting a drink after a long day." Was Jordan's curt reply.
"How 'bout I buy you another?"
"I don't think my fiance would appreciate that." Was her short answer.
"Well, you're not married yet." He whispered as he leaned closer to her. The smell of alcohol was pungent.
Jordan just laughed.
"What's so funny? You don't have to be a bitch."
"How do you figure? You're the one trying and failing to pick up an engaged woman."
Just then, Woody came out of the restroom.
"Is there a problem?"
"Hoyt, Woody Hoyt?" You're back for Charlie's funeral?"
Woody only responded with a stiff nod. His question still hanging in the air.
"Don't worry, nothing that concerns you, Hoyt."
"I think it might." He said, looking over to Jordan.
"She's your…? " He trailed off after making the connection. "A lot has changed, huh, Hoyt?"
"Yeah, Tommy. A lot has changed."
"Well, at least there's one thing that hasn't." There was an edge to his voice. " You still can't kick my ass." Tommy eyed Woody up and down lingering on the cane.
"Yeah?" Woody asked.
"Woody." Jordan warned.
Without another word Woody punched Tommy right in the face. The punch stunned Tommy and he stumbled back. The punch also served to knock Woody off balance, but he was able to catch himself. Just as he was able to right himself, Tommy countered with a punch to Woody's face. That was all it took for Woody to fall backwards, but as he went down he used his cane to take out Tommy's legs from under him. Both men landed on the ground.
"Tommy!" A booming voice rang out. There stood the sheriff. " Get the hell out of here." He ordered.
Tommy took one last look at Woody before turning and leaving.
"Woody!" Jordan exclaimed as she went to his side. After helping him up, Woody walked out of the bar. He started walking up the street toward the hotel.
"What the hell, Woody?" Jordan asked as she caught up with him.
"It's over, Jordan." Jordan thought she saw the smallest of smiles grace his lips before he turned back around.
"You could have been hurt."
"I'm fine, Jordan."
"I think your face might disagree. Seriously, what was that?" She asked, grabbing his arm.
"It was just something I needed to do, Jo. Can that just be the end of it?" He touched her face tenderly.
"Okay. " Jordan responded.
They went back to the room. After icing his eye, Woody fell asleep. Jordan couldn't. This whole day had shown her so much about Woody. Not just him, but how this tiny town perceived him. His reaction after the shooting making so much sense to her now. Why he'd been so concerned about pity and judgment. She remembered something he said to her not too long after they met. How he could be complicated too. At the time she really hadn't believed him. Now, as she stared at him sleeping beside her, she felt she was really beginning to understand the truth in that statement.
Jordan woke up first. Having gotten little sleep, she got dressed quietly and went in search of coffee. She decided on a bakery she'd seen in town yesterday. She was about to go in when someone approached her.
"Are you Jordan?" A small woman with auburn hair asked.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"I'm Annie."
"Oh." Was the only response she had.
" I'm sorry, I hope I'm not bothering you."
"If you're looking for Woody…"
"I'm not."
"Okay…?" Jordan responded hesitantly.
"It's just that I heard that he was here and he brought his fiance. I guess I just wanted to meet you and tell you that Woody is a good man."
"Yes, he is." Jordan agreed quickly.
"Even after what my father did, he still went to California to find his killer. I just wish I had known sooner what he said to him."
Jordan offered a confused look.
"He didn't tell you... that makes sense. Woody wanted to propose. He asked my dad for permission and my dad said he wasn't good enough. "
"Oh, Woody." Jordan couldn't help, but let the utterance slip out.
"I only found out after my dad died what really happened, why Woody left so suddenly. I wished things could have been different, but I guess everything happens for a reason." Annie responded, rubbing her swollen stomach.
"I guess maybe it does. "Jordan said, offering her a smile as she absentmindedly played with her ring.
"Well, I better be going. It was nice to meet you."
"You too." As strange as the encounter had been, Jordan was glad to have met her.
Jordan was still processing her run in with Annie as she stood next to Woody at the graveside. The priest was talking, but she couldn't focus on his words. She grabbed Woody's hand and squeezed. He glanced over to her and gave her a small smile. After a minute, she felt someone stand next to her. She tried to stifle her shock at seeing Calvin Hoyt. She now stood between the two brothers. Cal offered a sad smile, and she couldn't help it. She grabbed his hand. She looked back at Woody. He kept attention on the priest. If he'd noticed his brother, he did not react.
Once the priest was done, Woody went over to thank him. Still holding on to Jordan's hand, he silently led her up a small hill. Cal followed behind them.
Woody stopped at the graves of John and Claire Hoyt. They stood there in reverence. Cal broke the silence after a couple minutes.
"Woody, I know you're probably not happy to see me, but I'm glad to see you. You're looking better."
"Better? Better than what? I'm walking with a cane and have a black eye." Woody was confused and clearly still angry at his brother.
"Ummm, I just meant it's good to see you." Cal offered quickly.
Jordan narrowed her eyes, feeling something else was behind his comment.
Both brothers stood next to their parents' graves, doing their best to not make eye contact.
"How about we grab a bite to eat?" Jordan suggested.
Jordan looked between the brothers.
"Sure, Jordan." Cal responded, almost sadly.
"I'm not hungry. I'm going back to the hotel. Try not to get in any trouble." Woody said before walking away.
Jordan and Cal walked to the restaurant in silence. It wasn't until they sat down that Jordan spoke.
"Care to explain your comment to Woody?" Jordan asked, getting straight to the point.
"What do you mean? I just misspoke, alright?"
"Cal?" Jordan asked. She had a suspicion. When Woody was sick she didn't just call Garret. The message she left Cal still stuck in her mind.
Cal, it's Jordan. I don't know if you got my last message that Woody… that Woody was shot, but things… they aren't really good right now. He has an infection and they aren't sure… I just wanted you to know. I know he's angry at you, but he loves you. If you want to see him you should come now. Okay, bye, Cal.
"When I got your message that Woody had taken a turn for the worse I came to Boston."
"You did?"
"When I got to the hospital I saw you two. Woody was awake and seemed to be doing okay. I figured he wouldn't want to see me and I didn't want to upset him. He had you, so I knew you'd take care of him."
" He tried to push me away, Cal. After he was shot."
"Boy, is my brother stupid. Why would he do that?"
"I admitted my feelings right before they took him into surgery. Before that, things weren't great between us. He wanted a relationship and I drug my feet. He had a right to be angry. My point is, he pushes away the people he loves when he's upset."
"Jordan, there's one big difference there. He loves you, really loves you. Soulmate kind of love. Not a love out of obligation. I'm just the little brother that he was saddled with raising. I took advantage of any love he had for me and disappointed him at every turn. He has every right to be mad. At this point I have to earn his respect back."
They talked for a while longer. Cal told Jordan about his move to Milwaukee and his new job. Jordan looked up when she heard the bell above the door of the diner ring and saw Woody enter. He walked over slowly.
"I decided I could eat." Like many times in the last two days his face was unreadable. Jordan gave him a smile. She moved to the inside seat on her side of the table so Woody and Cal were now across from each other.
At first, neither man said anything. Jordan jumped in and served to recap the highlights of the conversation she and Cal had so far. Then she excused herself and went to the bathroom. Both men gave her an identical desperate look as she left.
After a tense moment of silence, Cal spoke first.
"It really is good to see you, Woods."
"Yeah…" Woody paused and pursed his lips before continuing. " I don't want to be angry with you anymore. After everything, it's just not worth it. But it doesn't change what I told you. I can't bail you out anymore. It doesn't do any good for either of us."
"I know, Woody. I have a pretty good job, it keeps me busy. It may be hard to believe, but I'm really trying this time, really." Cal replied earnestly.
Woody just nodded in response. Both men looked at each other knowing this time was different, it had to be.
"So what happened to your face?" Cal asked, nodding at Woody's bruised face.
"I punched Tommy Harren." The pride was evident in his voice.
"What?! That's awesome!"Cal enthusiastically replied. Giving his brother a high five.
"I'm sure Jordan thinks I lost my mind."
"Speaking of my future sister-in-law, way to go!"
"Yeah, I almost screwed that up." He let out a loud breath." I was never more grateful for her stubbornness than on that day. I couldn't imagine getting through the last six months without her."
"Plus she's hot."
"Calvin."
" I know she's off limits. I'm just kidding, but really, you deserve to be happy."
"So do you Cal. " Cal looked away.
I'm serious, Calvin. I'm glad you left this place, it doesn't have anything good to offer you."
"You made leaving look easy. I wasn't sure I could do it."
"It wasn't, it was just something I had to"
"I'm trying to make you proud, I am."
"Don't. Don't do that. If you're trying to make me proud, you'll sabotage yourself. You have to build a life for yourself."
"Okay, Woods."
Just then Jordan headed back to the table.
Cal stood up as she approached.
"I should get going, I need to get back for work." Cal said.
"Alright, we'll walk out with you." Jordan offered.
The three made their way out of the restaurant. As they were about to go their separate ways, Woody stopped his little brother.
"Hey, Cal? Keep in touch, okay?"
Cal looked at him and gave his older brother a genuine smile and nodded.
Once Cal was out of sight Woody and Jordan continued to walk to Harbor Park. They found a bench by the water and sat down.
"That was a good thing you did back there."
"I just want him to be alright."
"I know. You're a good brother."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Jordan took in her surroundings. She looked to the old lighthouse and listened as the water rhythmically lapped against the shore.
"It really is beautiful here." She offered.
"Yeah" he replied absentmindedly.
"Woody?" She questioned.
"It's just this place. It's true, you really can't go home again." She heard the conflict in his voice.
"It's evolution. Home changes as you do. Even if this place isn't home anymore, you still have a home." Jordan said as she looked into his blue eyes.
"I know where my home is." He said, matching her gaze.
"Good. " She said, grabbing his hand. "So, Annie found me this morning." She continued.
"What? What did she say to you? " He stammered, completely bewildered.
"She wanted me to know you were a good man. She's sorry for what happened with her father. "
"I really thought when I asked him for permission to marry her that I had changed. That I really wasn't that stammering chubby kid who lost his parents. When he said I wasn't good enough, I knew I could never stay here. I had to leave if I ever wanted to be more." He said looking out over the water.
"She's right. You're a good man, Woody Hoyt. Don't let this place make you doubt that." Jordan was quiet after that and had a far off look.
"What are you thinking about?" Woody asked.
"The last two days, I feel like I learned so much about you. I'm just thinking, what does it say about me that Boston has always been my home? All the places I've lived, I always come back. Have I evolved?"
"Seriously? The fact that we are sitting here together is proof you've evolved. The Jordan I met in that bank four years ago would never admit she loved me. She wouldn't have just let it go when I got in a bar fight and asked her not to ask me about it. She wouldn't have agreed to marry me. And she certainly wouldn't have come back to me when I told her to leave. She would have run for the hills. Don't you doubt that for a second!"
"I love you, Woody"
"I love you, too. Now let's go home."