Happiness

Jordan was panicking. Two weeks may have seemed like a lot of time to pack and move but from where he was standing it wasn’t, especially since it was actually 10 days, not 14. “I work 11 hours a day,” he told me as I went back to sorting through the piles of stuff in his spare bedroom. “And with Jenna being here, I figure that I may only have a couple hours to pack and clean.”

“Well, Jordan, we’ll have to make those couple hours matter.”

“Yeah,” he dropped into a pile of clothes next to me. “Are you ok with that?”

I shot him a confused look. “Ok with what?”

“Not having real time with me for the next little while?” Glancing around the room, he sighed. “There is so much to do here Anna, if I’m spending all my free time packing and cleaning for the next 10 days, I won’t have time to look at houses or….” He trailed off as his eyes drifted over me.

Chuckling, I told him that he’d find time for the stuff that matters. “You don’t need to sleep, right?”

“Right,” he laughed but there was a sparkle in his eyes as he told me that sleep was highly overrated anyway. “I guess it’ll all work out.”

“Of course it will,” I insisted as I pushed him backwards into the clothes and curled up at his side. “You have me to help you.”

“Lucky me,” he murmured against my temple as he squeezed me tight.

Despite telling me that he wouldn’t have time to do anything but work and pack, Jordan insisted that we take a run out to the house Josh told me about to see if it appeared to be something we would be interested in viewing. “It just makes sense,” he told me as we stood in the lobby of KFC waiting for our order of hot wings, poutine and a drum kid’s meal for Jenna. “If we take a run out there and don’t like what we see, we don’t have to waste our time actually going inside.”

It was almost 8pm when we finished eating and headed out to take a drive into the country to do a visual on the house. “Damn,” Jordan cursed. “I feel like a horrible dad.” Turning in my seat, I watched as he latched Jenna in - she gave a couple huge yawns, signalling to him that she would rather be tucked into her warm bed at that moment, not strapped into a car seat for the third time in an hour.

Once Jenna was strapped into her seat, Jordan covered her up with her blanket and handed Dora to her. “Did I tell you Zack stopped by the shop today?” He asked me before giving her a kiss on the forehead. “He brought his car in for a flat repair and I just happened to be out front.”

“No,” I replied. “You didn’t mention it.” He pulled out of the back and closed the door as I asked how Zack was doing.

“Missing Mary a lot from the sounds of it,” he informed me as he took his seat next to me. “Apparently, she’s missing the girls and him; she’s coming home Friday.” He went on to tell me that Zack asked how Jenna was and what I was up to. With a grin, Jordan glanced my way. “I told him you were up to no good.”

I laughed, “Figures, I am spending time with you.”

“Hey!” His grin disappeared as he faked hurt. “That’s what Zack said!”

“See?” I reached out to pinch his cheek. “Even Zack knows you are trouble.”

“HA!” He shook his head. “I believe, Babe, you are the one who’s trouble.”

“Yeah…” I let my hand drop to his lap before I leaned across the center arm rest, my hand slipping up his thigh. “And we both know you love trouble.”

“Damn rights!” He confirmed with a groan as our lips met in the darkness.

****

“Did you see that sign?” Jordan eased the breaks as he shot a look over his shoulder. “Did you get that number?” He squinted for a second before shaking his head. “I can’t make it out. Hold on,” he slipped the truck into reverse and pressed the gas a little harder than he should have – the tires just spun in the snow for a moment before the back end started to slide sideways. “Damnit!” He cursed as he released the gas and shifted into drive. “I’ll just find a place to turn around,” he informed me. “Keep watch for a good place.”

It was snowing and dark, unless he was going to crawl along, I probably wouldn’t see anything faster than he would. We ended up having to drive a couple minutes before we were able to turn around. “This area is not too far but just far enough out of town,” he stated as we waited for the on coming car to pass so we could make our turn. “And it’s not right on the highway, so traffic shouldn’t be too bad.”

I nodded.

“I hope the house Josh told you about is as nice on the inside as it seemed from the outside.” Pulling out onto the road again, he told me that he was against looking at the house at first because Josh mentioned it but now, he was excited to see it. “And maybe,” he eased on the breaks as the ‘for sale by owner’ sign came into sight. “This house will be something special too and we’ll have two to choose from.”

Smiling, I told him that sounded awesome. “I really like this area, it feels so peaceful and…” Trailing off, I turned to look at Jordan. “I think our home is around here somewhere.” Then, with a frown, I asked him if that sounded crazy.

“Not at all,” he assured me as he wrote down the phone number on the sign. Once he finished, he handed me the paper and asked if I could call the owners the next day. “We should try to set it up to view both houses on the same day.” Pausing briefly, he told me that Saturday would be a good day, ‘since we’d be in the area already’.

“What do you mean?”

He shot me a funny look. “Dinner?” He stated but I still didn’t know what he was talking about. “With Zack and the family?”

“When?”

“Saturday evening Anna,” he sounded a little frustrated. “I told you earlier, he asked me if we had plans when he stopped by the shop with his car. He said that he wanted to have a family dinner; Chad, Susan and the kids will be there as well.”

“You didn’t tell me,” I informed him. “You told me Zack stopped by and that he asked what Jenna and I were up to but nothing about dinner with them.”

He started to say something but stopped short and gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry Babe, I thought I mentioned it.” With a slight chuckle, he continued, telling me that Zack seemed really excited about the prospect of having everyone at the house.

“Really?” Jordan nodded as he steered his truck back onto the road. “Hmmm, I wonder what he’s up to.”

With a shrug, Jordan told me that he guessed we’ll have to wait to find out. “Now,” he smiled. “Are you ready to go home, put Jenna to bed and start packing?”

“Oh Jordan,” I pressed my hand against my heart and gazed up adoringly at him. “You know how to make a girl feel special.”

****

The rest of the week flew by. I remember calling the owners of the houses we were interested in viewing to set up a meeting on Saturday and I know Wanda called us to let us know that she had another house, in the country, for us to check out. “I’m certain this one is the one,” she told Jordan.

Also, I know that Jordan and I managed to pack the entire spare bedroom – sacrificing hours of sleep in the mean time but just with the way our schedules were, there wasn’t much choice.

“I can’t wait to get out of here,” Jordan told me late Friday night when we finally made it to bed. “This house had served me well for the last few years but I’m ready to move on to better things.”

His hand slipped around my waist and I sighed happily as I waited until he fitted his body tightly against my back before asking, “Better things?”

“Yeah,” he pressed his lips against the back of my neck. “Trading in and up.”

“What do you mean Jordy?”

“Well, I never thought I would sell this house. When I bought it, I figured I would end up living out my entire life here, alone. I never planned on settling down, let alone being in a committed relationship. I always thought I would be a bachelor for life.”

“Oh,” I glanced over my shoulder. “I thought you…” Looking away, I shook my head, it didn’t matter that his words hurt a little. I was under the impression that he loved me for a long time, but yet he was saying he never planned on settling down.

His arm tightened around me. “What did you think Babe?”

Once again, I shook my head. “It’s nothing honey.”

“I don’t believe you,” he whispered against my shoulder as he moved up to gazed down at me. “I feel the tension in your body – tension that wasn’t there a moment ago. So, tell me what thought just crossed your mind.”

Turning slightly, I told him I was just a little confused. “You never planned on settling down?”

“No,” he replied firmly. “I never planned on settling down. Do you know why Anna?”

I shook my head; I didn’t even have a guess as to why.

He didn’t speak right away; he studied my face as his hand travelled down my arm and side before coming to rest on my hip. “I never thought I had a chance Anna.” His eyes locked on mine, “You were my best friend and I loved you more than I ever loved anyone but it never seemed like it would happen.” He chuckled softly, “Even now, as I hold you – when I make love to you – I can’t believe this is real. It’s so…crazy. I never planned on settling down because I never thought you would love me back.”

It was my turn to study him. “You’ve known that I had feelings for you, how could you not think there was a chance?”

A slight shrug was his only reply.

“Jordy…” I rolled towards him and slipped my hand around his shoulder.

“I know,” he dropped to the bed and gave me a half smile. “Logic tells me I had a chance. Hell everyone told me I had a chance. I was just too stupid and scared of losing you forever, to see it. I needed you as my best friend and I wanted you as my girl – it was hard for me to figure out a way to let you know without losing everything.”

“Well,” I grinned as I wiggled against him in an effort to get closer. “Looks like you managed to find a way to get everything you wanted.”

“I did,” his smile widened as he gently rolled me onto my back. “I managed to get everything I ever needed and now, I’m doing everything I can to keep it going.”

“Trading in and up?”

“Yes, in and up.” He brushed his lips against my cheek. “Trading my ‘bachelor’ life for a committed, long term relationship with a woman I would move heaven and earth for.”

A smile spread across my face and my brow arched, “Heaven and earth, eh?”

“Yeah, heaven and earth.”

As I pressed my lips against his bare chest, I told him I wouldn’t mind if he felt the desire to demonstrate his methods of moving heaven and earth.

“Your wish is my command Babe.”