That Ol' Wind

By: Kasey

" She dropped her boy at school on time...one less worry on her mind...now it's off to work and on the radio...come an old familiar song...and then the DJ's voice comes on...and says he's back in town for one last show..."

Kasey pulled her car to a stop outside the school. Her beautiful little son unsnapped his seat belt and turned to her, a sweet smile on his face, so reminiscent of his fathers, and leaned over towards her.

" Bye mum," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

" Bye sweetie. Now you remember that Wayne will be picking you up after school okay?" Kasey said and her son nodded. She ran a hand over his silky black hair and her heart mourned. Her son was so beautiful, so handsome for a nine-year-old. He looked so much like his father that every time she looked at him, she saw Jordan.

" Okay. Bye!" he said and got out of the car. She watched him run up the path to meet up with a group of his friends. Kasey sighed as she pulled away from the curb and leaned over to flick the radio on. She headed towards her workplace as the music played on. Her thoughts weren't really on anything or anyone special until she heard the song. It was his song, a song she loved but hadn't heard on the radio since he was in town. She wanted to turn the radio off but instead she turned it up and let his sultry voice wash over her. God how that song brought back the memories. Of the night they had met. The same night her son had been conceived. She wondered why the DJ was playing the song when the song finished and she found out.

" And that was one of Jordan Knights last hits. For those of you who want to see him just one more time before he retires, he'll be in town tomorrow night, along with several other artists. The tour ends..." Kasey had to pull over to the side of the road. He was coming here? Tomorrow? How come she hadn't found out about this earlier? God she was shaking. Just the mere mention of him coming here was enough to set all sorts of emotions off in her. She knew that no matter what she told herself, she would end up going. She couldn't miss him. Although she doubted he would remember her.

" Her eyes welled up with tears...God could it be it's been ten years...since that autumn night outside the county fair...when two strangers shared a night...and in the darkness found a light...that to this day is still alive and burning there..."

It had been so long. Ten years. Ten long, lonely years. She had never met another man who could make her feel what Jordan had in that one night. In less than twelve hours Jordan had taken her heart away. He had said that his feelings for her were the same but then a year after that, just three months after the birth of their son, she had seen his wedding announcement in a magazine. His bride was very beautiful. They looked happy. So she had given up any hope of him coming back. Instead, she had thrown herself into getting her journalists degree while Nathaniel had still been a baby so that she could provide for him. By the time Nathaniel started school, she had started working at one of the women's magazines as a features writer. She loved what she did but she loved her son more and thankfully the magazine was a lot less strict on time off than some other places had been. She hadn't been willing to let her son lose both his parents. She was thankful that Wayne had stuck by her, often stepping in and helping her out. He was a godsend. Sometimes she felt guilty that she didn't love him the way she loved Jordan but Wayne wasn't bothered by it. He was happy being the bachelor, playing uncle to Nathaniel. He knew about Jordan, the fact that he was Nathaniel's father and unlike so many other people, he hadn't judged her. He had been the one she had cried to, the one who had coached her through Nathaniel's birth, the one who took Nathaniel when Kasey felt she couldn't take it any more.

Her thoughts drifted back to that night when she had met Jordan for the first time. It had been during his very first tour as a solo artist. She had attended his concert and had been blown away by how good he had been by himself. But she had been even more blown away when his bodyguard had approached her and told her that Jordan wanted to see her in his dressing room. So she had followed the man, somewhat dazed and nervous backstage. The minute she and Jordan had met, they had instantly clicked. It had been as though they had known each other for their whole lifetimes. They had spent the whole night talking, laughing, making love...She had been so very lonely at that stage in her life. All her friend were getting married, having babies and she was still single and had thought she would stay that way. Jordan had been devastated over the break up of his long time relationship. They had found each other at the time when they had needed each other. Or so Kasey had thought.

Kasey pulled up in the parking lot of the magazine where she worked and rested her head on the steering wheel. She had to compose herself before she walked inside. No one knew Nathaniel's father's identity here and she was planning on keeping it that way.

" Hey Kasey! Did you hear?" that was the first thing Lisa greeted her with. And she instantly knew what Lisa was talking about. Kasey couldn't remember the times Lisa had mentioned how much she liked Jordan as a singer.

" On the radio on the way over here," Kasey said and Lisa nodded excitedly.

" Are you going?"

" If I can get tickets yes," Kasey said, placing her bag and mobile on her desk.

" Hey no problem there! My boyfriend works at the concert venue. He said he'd get me as many tickets as I wanted<" Lisa said and instantly left to ring her boyfriend. Kasey sighed as she sat down in her chair. Maybe this was a bad idea. She had a feeling that if she saw him, if he saw her but ignored her she would be broken. Kasey wasn't sure if she could handle that. She still loved him so much and it was hard not to be reminded of him when she had his son with her every day. She leaned back further into her chair and closed her eyes, picturing that last morning, as dawn had approached. She could see him standing there, his shoulders hunched against the cool wind, his hair blowing in every direction, his eyes so eager and honest.

" He asked her twice to come along...they said goodbye at the break of dawn...'cause you cant hold back the wind...if its meant to be again...then someday he'll find his way back to her arms..."

" Come with me," he said. Kasey shook her head, not looking at him. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes. Why was he doing this? He knew she had a life here, friends here. She couldn't just pack up and leave.

" I cant Jordan. Don't ask me to do that."

" Please, come with me. I need you with me. I don't want to lose you," he had said again and again Kasey has refused him. So they had hugged, kissed and whispered their goodbyes. She could still see him standing in the bus as it drove away from her. He looked so lost, so alone. She had wondered so many times if that had been the reason why he had married that other woman. Because she had refused him when he had asked her to come along. He would never know how much she had wanted to accept that, to just go with him and leave everything behind. But she had friends, family...people she couldn't leave, problems she had to face. She had thought he would come back to her after the tour had finished but he hadn't. When she had found out she was pregnant, she had wanted to get in touch with him but she hadn't. When she had her son she had wanted to go to him, just to say to him 'Here's your son' but she hadn't. Her hopes, her dreams had been kept alive wit the thought that he would come back at any time, pick her up and make her his wife. But that day when she had read about his marriage, she had packed away her dreams and locked them away. She was a mother now. She had someone other than herself to care for, to look after. So she had raised Nathaniel the best way she knew how. He had such a wonderful talent in singing, a beautiful falsetto. He was in the school choir and loved singing. Kasey didn't discourage him. Instead, she had started sending him to a singing teacher, and offered him music lessons with some sort of instrument. He had eagerly accepted, playing not only the keyboards, but also the guitar. Kasey was raising him the way she thought Jordan would want him raised - and if that meant giving him music lessons and letting him explore his musical ability, then so be it.

"The marquee misspelled his name...and not too many people came...but that didn't matter to them...they laughed and loved all through the night...and as they faced the morning light...they found themselves there again..."

Kasey stirred in the male arms and stretched. She turned to face the man she was being held by and watched him sleep. He was still as gorgeous now as he had been ten years ago. The night before, at the concert, she had been surprised at the low turnout. For a finale concert, not many people wanted to be there. The fact that the promoter had spelled his name wrong on the banner did little to discourage what enthusiasm the small crowd had. How could they spell Jordan Knight wrong? It seemed almost impossible and yet they had. Gordon Knight, performs for the last time. How was that possible? But Jordan had only laughed it off. She had stood in the crowd, aching to be with him, watching as he strode around the stage, still wearing the tight jeans he always wore. He had aged little, still looked twenty-eight, had the energy of a fifteen year old, sang like the twenty year old he had once been. And the minute he had seen her, his eyes had lit up. His smile had widened and her heart had expanded. He remembered her! She had been so happy after that, even more so when his bodyguard, the very same one who had been there ten years ago, had approached her again. She hadn't needed him to lead her this time. She had all but run into Jordan's waiting arms. They had kissed, whispered long forgotten words of love and the rest of the night had moved on from there. They had talked...Jordan about his marriage, why he had married, why he had divorced; Kasey about her job, her life, Wayne...but never mentioned their son. She wasn't ready to break the closeness they had. And once the talking had finished, they had made love. It had been as though they had never parted. He had still known where to touch her, how to touch her. And his touch was so familiar, so much like coming home. They had fallen into a relaxed sleep...but now it was morning again. Kasey prayed that what had happened last time wouldn't happen again, but her gut feeling was telling her different.

"And he asked her twice to come along...they said goodbye at the break of dawn...as his bus left out she cried...with him standing by her side...that ol' wind had once again found its way home..."

" Please come with me Kasey. I gave you up once, I'm not doing it again," Kasey's heart sank. No. Not again! Please!

" We've been through this! This time though, I have more to stay here for. I have a good job, a job I like. I have friends. I have a life here," Kasey said and Jordan bowed his head.

" I'm only going to ask once more Kasey. Come with me. Home with me. Back to Boston. You can have a life and friends in Boston. I just need you with me," he said but Kasey refused, placing a hand on his arm.

" I love you Jordan. I do. But my life is here," she said and he nodded slowly, accepting it. Then he made a decision that surprised Kasey more than anything had ever done.

" Then I stay with you."

" What?"

" I am not losing you again. I made many mistakes in the last ten years and all of them resulted from leaving you without a fight. Not this time. I'm retiring anyway, we have two more concert dates to do, I don't have to go. I'm staying with you. We can make a life here, or we can go to Boston, whatever you want. I don't care where we are as long as I'm with you," Jordan said, wrapping his arms around her. Kasey cried on his shoulder then. He was staying. He was really staying. He was hers. And not just for one night. He was hers, she was his, forever.

"Someday he'll tell her about the money he hid...and someday she'll tell him that the boy is his kid...but for right now they're both in love...the only thing they're thinkin of...is that they're finally where their hearts have always been..."

The End

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