Home is Where the Heart is(27)

Cassie hoped he was right. The last thing she wanted was to regret letting him back into her life to play daddy to their son, like he should have been doing the day Jake was born. She would believe it when she saw it; she needed to see his authenticity with her own eyes.

When Jake ran out with his bag and hat, ready to show off his newly discovered dad to his little school friends, Cassie let Jordan know she would inform the school of who was dropping him off today, and when she wished him good luck, Jordan wondered why.

He didn’t need good luck. He was just taking his son to school.



Jake had never been more excited to go to school than he was today, knowing his dad was the one taking him. With his backpack strapped to his back, Jake marched into the classroom mighty pleased with himself, and ready to share his big news with his fellow classmates.

From the doorway of the classroom, Jordan watched the way Jake put his bag away and mingled in with the other children already in the room. Waving back at him, he heard Jake say to his friends with a big smile on his face, “That’s my dad.”

Jordan felt a grin form on his own face, which didn’t go unnoticed by other parents dropping their kids off too.

“Excuse me?” One mother approached him. “You’re new to the school, aren’t you? I’ve never seen you here before, and I’m here every morning and afternoon with my daughter.”

Jordan turned and noticed a woman with auburn-colored hair speaking to him. She appeared to be looking him up and down, giving him the once-over like she didn’t know if he was good or bad.

“I am. Jordan Castillo.” He held out his hand, and it seemed as soon as he spoke his name, a small crowd of parents—mostly women—formed around him.

Obviously, they all knew him as the town’s golden boy football player.

“Oh, so you’re the infamous ex-boyfriend of Cassie and father of her son. We were beginning to wonder when you would make a return to town,” another mother with straight blonde hair and thinly framed glasses said. “We thought maybe she had made up that she once had a thing with you. At one stage, there was rumor going around she had adopted that sweet little boy. Of course, we know it’s not true now. Jake just takes after you.”

Jordan knew what she meant by that comment. Gossip spread like wildfire in Yellow Valley, and it was something he certainly did not miss while he was away. They just assumed Cassie couldn’t possibly be Jake’s birthmother because he looked nothing like her.

Jordan couldn’t keep up with everyone surrounding him. So maybe his popularity right now had nothing to do with his sudden rise as football player in the NFL. Did everyone know he was Cassie’s ex-boyfriend? Did no one in his hometown have anything better to do than gossip about people’s personal lives?

While they huddled around him, waiting for any kind of response to come out of his mouth, another arm quickly pulled him from the group.

“Okay, ladies, there’s nothing to see here. So we haven’t seen a real-life football player hail from Yellow Valley and suddenly make a return to his roots before—big deal. Move on. Let’s leave the poor guy in peace,” said the woman coming to Jordan’s defense. He was suddenly grateful for this woman, whose short brown hair fell into a neat little bob just below her shoulders.

Once the attention turned away from Jordan, he relaxed a little and said thank you to the kind stranger.

“Oh, that’s okay. I know they can be a little intimidating to anybody new to the classroom sometimes. By the way, I’m Sierra.”

“Well, thank you, Sierra. I can see what you mean. I’m Jordan, but I suppose you already know that.”

She laughed, lightening the mood. “Yeah, Cassie and I are friends. She’s told me about you, and warned me this morning you would be the one dropping Jake off instead. I guess she figured you would need saving from the Mother’s Club. My son, Caleb, and Jake are best friends.” Sierra pointed toward a boy with sandy blonde hair and freckles on his face sitting next to his son, and then she leaned in toward Jordan, whispering, “Between you and me, Cassie and I are two of the only normal ones here. We don’t get into gossip.”

Jordan was relieved to know he had an ally at the school, one that didn’t judge him based on his past mistakes and actions.

“If you hold on a moment, we can walk out together. I’ve just got to throw my son’s lunch into his bag,” she told him before rushing into the classroom, making her way to where the kids kept their belongings.

While he waited, the same gossipy woman from before approached him one final time with a favor request.