Rough Hands and Kind Eyes

After a day long drive and a quick rest stop at a motel Jordan and Ellie made their way to Thunder Bay. Jordan pulled his car up the gravel driveway of his house on the lake.

"It's incredible," Ellie stated as she got out of the Escalade. She looked at the area surrounding the house. You could see the lake span out behind it, the dock and all the trees around it. Ellie was used to the city. An occasional forest now and again, but nothing like this. It was beautiful and very calm.

"Thanks," Jordan smiled, getting their bags out of the trunk. He carried their bags to the front door and unlocked it, letting her in first.

"I love this," Ellie smiled. She looked around the house, the glossy wooden floors all through the house, the light tan coloured cabinets, the stainless steel fridge, the leather couches and stone fireplace.

"C'mon, I'll show you the room." Jordan smiled, carrying the bags down a hallway towards a room at the very end of it. The walls of the hall were covered in pictures of Jordan and his family. His brothers, his brothers and their wives, his mom and dad, family portraits, and who Ellie was assuming were Jordan's nephews.

"Are these your nephews?" Ellie asked, stopping to look at the picture of two little blonde boys.

"Yup," Jordan smiled. "That's Parker and Levi. My brother Eric's sons."

"They're beautiful," Ellie smiled. "Does everyone in your family have those beautiful blue eyes?"

"Pretty much," Jordan smiled. He led her back towards his bedroom and Ellie beamed.

"Jordan," She smiled. "Did you decorate this yourself?"

"Yeah," Jordan laughed. "My mom helped, but I did most of it."

A mahogany sleigh bed with a light grey duvet, matching mahogany bedside tables, and another stone fireplace.

"It's beautiful," Ellie smiled up at him. "You did good, Staal."

"Thanks," Jordan laughed, putting their bags down on a chaise lounge near the window.

"So," Jordan began. "My family will be here around 2. Do you want to take a shower and have a nap?"

"Yes," Ellie sighed happily. "I would love that."

They had a shower and had a nap for a couple of hours. They were woken up abruptly around 2 to people banging around in the kitchen and children's laughter.

"Did we have a kid in the last 2 hours?" Ellie muttered, into his chest.

"Nope," Jordan laughed. "That would be my nephews."

"Go get him," Came a man's voice followed by the tiny patter of feet across the hardwood.

"Uncle Jordan!" Giggling a tiny, high pitched voice.

"Hey, buddy." Jordan smiled, leaning over the edge of the bed and picking up one of the small blonde haired boys from the picture.

"Let's give my friend Ellie a minute and we'll go see Grandma, okay?" Jordan smiled, standing up and walking out of the bedroom, but not before giving Ellie a wink and a smile.

Ellie got up out of the bed, straightened her clothes and hair then walked out of Jordan's room to go meet his family.

"Jordan?" She called softly when she found that the house was empty.

"You must be Ellie," Came an unfamiliar voice behind her, startling her. She turned around and came face to chest with another Staal.

"It's okay! I'm Marc. Jordan's older brother," Marc smiled. "I'd shake your hand, but it's holding all my wife's suitcases."

"I'll get you later with that," Ellie smiled. "Did you need help?"

"No, that's all right. Thank you, though. Everyone's out at the dock," Marc stated, nodding outside. "I'll be right out."

Ellie nodded and opened the door for him before making her way across the back deck, across the lawn and towards the dock. She gave Jordan a small wave. He smiled and walked over to her.

"Family," He called. "This is my girlfriend, Ellie."

"That's my mom, my dad, my brother Eric, his wife Tanya, you already kind of met Parker and that's Levi. Over there is my brother Jared, my brother Marc's wife Lindsay and Marc is somewhere," Jordan introduced everyone, keeping Ellie close at his side.

"I already scared her in the house," Marc stated, coming up to the dock.

"Already?" Jordan laughed. "It hasn't even been 20 minutes yet!"

"Sorry," Marc laughed, walking over to his wife.

"It'll be fine," Jordan whispered to Ellie. "They already like you, I can tell."