A Better Man(101)

Jordan jammed a hand through his hair as he drove back to his parents' house after a quick trip into town later that day.

Holy shit.

Their father had stolen money from his own business.

But why?

What could cause a man to basically steal from himself or the welfare of his own family? Why would he risk endangering the business he'd worked so hard to make prosperous?

No doubt there was more to the story and more they needed to find out. Which was just one more reason Jordan came back to the house to explain the decision about his future to Nicole.

When he climbed the stairs to her room, he smiled when he heard the melodic chords from her guitar and the sweet sound of her voice. She had talent, and he'd support her whether she wanted to spread her wings and fly or devote the next four years to a college education. Whatever made her happy.

Especially after Aunt Pippy's bombshell had them all guessing.

He knocked, and the music stopped while she told him to come in.



       
         
       
        

"Hi." Like a Gypsy girl, she sat on her bed in a colorful skirt, T-­shirt, and scarf wrapped around her head. All that was missing were dangling gold earrings and bracelets.

"Hey." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I wanted to come tell you that I'm going to finish out the season."

"I'm so glad." She hugged his neck when he sat beside her. "I'd never want you to quit on my behalf."

"If and when I do leave the game, I want you to know it will be the right thing to do for me. Not because I feel forced into it. Okay?"

She nodded.

"And I want you to know that no matter where I am, I'm never too busy for you."

"Unless you're punching the Rock in the nose, right?" She grinned.

"Even then." He kissed her forehead. "I love you, Nicki. And as sorry as I am that I haven't been there for you in the past, I'm glad I'm here now."

"Me too."

"But . . ." He reached down and picked up the box he'd carried into the room. "Just in case you miss me too much, I brought you this to keep you company."

"What is it?"

The excitement in her eyes squeezed his heart in a good way.

"Open it and find out."

She pulled up the cardboard flaps and a smoky gray kitten jumped out and into her arms. A squeal of delight filled her room as she nuzzled the kitten. "He's mine?"

"He's all yours. I have all his accessories-­including an auto cleaning cat box-­down in the car."

She snuggled the kitten and smiled. "I'm going to name him something that reminds me of you."

He laughed. "Like what?"

She rubbed noses with the kitten. "Fezzik."

"Like from The Princess Bride?" He figured he'd get extra good brother points for even knowing that. "Why?"

"Because Fezzik is a gentle giant. And that's how I see you."

When his baby sister hugged his neck and cried tears of joy, Jordan knew that whether he ever won the Stanley Cup or not, home was where his heart belonged.

And nothing could ever be better.

Sunday afternoon Lucy sat at her kitchen table preparing her lesson for the following day and fanning the fumes from Ziggy's particularly raunchy toot. 

"Good Lord, dog. What is it you eat that makes you stink so bad?"

Ziggy looked up with his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his tail wagging the stench. When the doorbell rang he scrambled to his paws and headed for the door. Lucy wasn't particularly surprised to see Jordan standing on her front porch. And, as always, he looked good enough to eat.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course." She stepped back but he caught her up in his arms and planted a kiss on her mouth that immediately kicked into high gear. Before she could say, "Let's go upstairs," he broke the kiss and held her face between his hands.

"I'm heading to the airport right now."

Her heart raced. "You're going to Dallas?"

He nodded. "I wanted to come say good-­bye and . . ."

Relief danced through her veins. Then her heart went all jittery. Did he mean good-­bye good-­bye?

"And?"

"And I know I didn't say anything last night when you told me you were falling in love with me. I'm sure that stung. But I've never said that to a woman before."

"I understand." Being in love by yourself sucked. But she'd had a talk with herself when all this began and she guessed she never really expected him to fall in love with her.

"I don't think you do." His thumbs gently stroked the high bones of her cheeks. "There's been so much going on that the thoughts all started scrambling in my head. All my life I've taken. I've never given. I wasn't even sure I knew how."