Home is Where the Heart is(22)

He thought back to the text he sent Cassie, hoping she wouldn’t be too upset by his choice to bail on becoming someone’s father. It was better this way. Jake and Cassie were better off without him in their lives. Jake didn’t need him; Cassie had already proven that little fact. She was doing well as a single parent and didn’t need him turning their lives upside-down, which was all he ever would have done.

But his mind kept flashing back to the afternoon he caught Cassie at home. His mind thought back to the little boy with ice cream around his mouth. His child. He still couldn’t believe it. He had a son, and Jake looked every little ounce like him.

Jordan couldn’t help but wonder if leaving so soon was really the right decision for him. Knowing he was a father, could he simply walk away from getting to know his own kid?

Conflicting feelings were building up from within. Jordan was suddenly torn over what to do. There was a time when leaving Yellow Valley seemed like the easiest thing to do, and although he was sitting at an airport waiting on his plane that would be ready to take him a thousand miles away from home, he doubted this time would be as easy as the last.

Leaving home seemed like the easiest option, but it was also the coward’s way out. Sure, for Jordan, it made sense that getting out of Yellow Valley meant he was also getting away from his pretentious father, but it also meant that he would be a thousand miles away from Cassie and Jake. Was it really his best option right now?

Jordan had already made the mistake leaving town once before, and by doing so, he had missed out on the opportunity to be a part of his son’s life—not to mention, share a life with Cassie. Was bailing this time around really worth missing the chance to get to know Jake?

There were both pros and cons for his present life in Miami, where he had settled nicely into his Quarterback position with the Dolphins, residing in a luxury waterfront three-bedroom house. Had he not discovered Jake, it would’ve been so easy to slip back into his Miami life. But now, Jordan’s old life in Yellow Valley was on the brink of being yearned for.

Suddenly, Jordan knew what he had to do—what would be the best outcome for everyone, including his father, Cassie, Jake, and those living in his new life in Florida. He just hoped that at some point he would be able to have the best of both worlds.





Following the baseball game, in which The Little Devils won seven-to-two, Nick treated his entire team to pizza at the local Pizza Palace in town, serving as a good way for both children and their parents to unwind from a long week of work, school drop-off and pick-up, and other kinds of duties residents of Yellow Valley were involved in.

Cassie was sitting in a booth alongside Gabby and Nick, devouring a slice of her favorite pepperoni pizza and chatting together, while Nick was in the play area of the restaurant watching Jake play with the other boys on the team and talking to their parents when a tall figure came in through the front doors of The Palace, walked to the front counter, and ordered a pizza.

After paying for his pizza, the children’s glee and exhilaration distracted him from his usual headspace, and he turned around, spotting someone he knew all too well.

She was here. Everywhere he went, there she was.

Now was his opportunity to see her again, weaving around endless tables and chairs in the dining area until he was standing behind the booth she and her friend were occupying. Both of their eyes flicked to him. She didn’t look pleased either.

“Hello, Cassie,” he said. His eyes lingered on her momentarily for the first time since the night she pushed him out the door.

“Jordan, you’re back.”

Jordan nodded his head. “I am.”

“But I got your text,” she stated confused.

“Yeah, I know what I said, but I got as far as the airport and realized I couldn’t walk away again, not when I could have the opportunity to get to know Jake as his dad. I want to be a part of his life—if you’ll let me.” He said it like it was Cassie’s decision whether she allowed Jordan to be a part of his son’s life. If she didn’t, then she would forever be known as the bad guy.

Gabby stayed silent, but Jordan caught her rolling her eyes like she couldn’t believe the bullshit coming out of his mouth and she hoped her friend wouldn’t fall for the crap he was feeding her.

“Well, you are his father, and I would never intentionally cut you out of his life. You should know your son. He should be a part of your life. I’ve always believed in that,” Cassie replied, maintaining eye contact with Jordan. Of course, he should have known she wouldn’t be cold and heartless enough to keep him completely out of Jake’s life. Cassie wasn’t like that.