Beautifully Knight (Jordan Knight Fanfic, Liadan #5)

Pots and Pistols

-JORDAN-

I struggled to stifle a yawn as I slowly dragged my tired body down the hall and past the bedrooms where my family slept soundly. Streams of sunlight had just begun to filter through the closed blinds, signaling the start of a new day, but my mind was stuck on yesterday's events.

Emotions that I'd yet to process tugged at my heart and weighed heavily on my shoulders as I slipped my phone in the pocket of my pants. I readjusted my arms to keep a grip on Finn who wriggled back and forth while painting my face with puppy kisses.

Unlike Jem and Finch who enjoyed getting as much sleep as they possibly could in their senior dog years, he was wide awake. I wasn't sure exactly how he'd found his way out of Logan's room and into mine and Lia's, but as soon as he had, he'd made his presence known.

After a few minutes of listening to him endlessly scamper back and forth across the hardwood floor and pant for attention at my side of the bed, I'd determined that he was probably in need of a bathroom break and scooped him up before he could disturb Lia.

"Hang in there, buddy, I'm going to let you outside in just a second," I whispered as I reached the steps.

Halfway through my descent, the unexpected aroma of coffee wafted up the stairs and lured me the rest of the way down to the kitchen.

Jack stood over the stove, stirring a steaming pot with one hand while he gripped a pink iPad case in the other and whispered to himself.

"Mornin'," I spoke.

Jack's gaze slowly pulled from the iPad and over to look at me, "Oh, Jordan, hey. Good morning. You're up early."

"I could say the same about you."

"Yeah, well, I couldn't sleep," he mulled. "I figured I might as well get on up and have a cup of devil juice or two before Glenda catches me." he flashed a mischievous smile and I felt my own lips tip upwards.

"I thought she'd relaxed her stance on coffee over the years."

"For you kids, yes. She figures you all can do whatever you want in your own houses, but she still holds me to the fire. Or at least I let her think she does. What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

I chuckled as I let Finn out to the backyard, "Well, your secret is safe with me. I won't say a word."

"I appreciate it," he smiled and adjusted his glasses before he returned his gaze to the iPad. He murmured silently to himself and I couldn't help seeing glimpses of Lia nestled in his mannerisms.

I contemplated asking him one of the many questions warring in the back of my head that I didn't want to ask her, but the squeak of the garage door opening interrupted my thoughts.

I turned to watch as my youngest son entered the door. The bruise along his left cheekbone had already been noticeable hours before, but now it was even more prominent and nearly as dark as the smudges of dirt on his tattered shirt and filthy work boots.

"Logan? Is that you?" Jack raised an eyebrow as his gaze followed the same path as mine.

He turned from trying to stop the door from slamming and took an unsteady step forward.

"Grandpa," Bloodshot eyes looked at Jack and then me in surprise. "Dad. You're up early."

"We could say the same thing to you," Jack echoed my earlier comment to him and a frown wrinkled his brow. "Did you not come home last night?"

"No, I, uh," Logan took another step forward before tripping on the single stair up to the kitchen and braced himself on the doorframe. His jaw shifted in a grimace. "I mean, yeah. I came home. I just couldn't sleep. So I, uh, I figured I'd run a few errands."