Gerri Hill - Pelican's Landing

Annie rested her head on Jordan’s shoulder, snuggling closer. “I don’t want you to leave either.”

Jordan sighed again, wondering why she was trying so hard to convince herself leaving was the right thing to do. “I have to. I own a condo. My job…I worked so hard to get where I am. Peter is expecting me by September. I don’t think he’ll hold my job after that.”

Annie curled her arm around Jordan’s waist. “You’re going to come back though, right? You’re not going to disappear, are you? Because I kinda need you here.”

Jordan could hear the panic in Annie’s voice. She rolled to her side again, facing Annie. She kissed her slowly, her lips fitting between Annie’s. “I’m not going to disappear,” she whispered. “I promise.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Annie had just finished with a customer when a familiar face walked into the store. Her mother in Fat Larry’s was the last thing she expected.

“Shopping?” she asked.

Her mother shook her head. “I thought maybe you would have time for lunch.”

Annie’s eyebrows shot up. “Lunch? That’s a first.”

“Well, it’s been a while since you’ve been by the house. Or called, for that matter.”

Annie put her hands on her hips. “Really, Mom? You expect me to continue begging you for acceptance? The last time I called, you were too busy for me. Remember?”

“Yes, I remember. I’m sorry,” she said. Her mother’s gaze swept over her. “You look…really good, Annie.”

Annie smiled. “Thank you. I feel good.”

“So? Lunch? Can you take a break?”

“Sure. Let me tell Jordan. I’ll be right back.”

Annie found Jordan in the office, a smile on her face. She looked up when Annie walked in, and she pointed to the monitor.

“Look at this,” Jordan said. “Even though we give away Fat Larry T-shirts all the time, they’re still one of our top sellers. Especially the new design with Fat Larry sunning on the beach. Crazy.”

“Do I need to remind you who thought of that design?”

Jordan laughed. “No, you don’t.”

Annie touched her shoulder lightly. “It seems I have a lunch date,” she said.

“Oh, yeah?”

“My mother came in. Invited me to have lunch with her.”

Jordan nodded. “That’s good, right?”

“I guess. As long as she doesn’t launch into one of her speeches about how horrible it is to be an unwed mother. Or bring up me and Derrick getting back together.”

“Well, then go to lunch across the street at Pepe’s. That way, if she starts in on you, you can get up and leave,” Jordan suggested.

Annie smiled. “Good idea. I am craving Mexican food, after all.” She raised an eyebrow. “Want me to bring something back for you?”

“Yeah. The chicken enchilada platter would be good.” Jordan stood up and pulled some money from her pocket.

“I can get it,” Annie offered.

But Jordan placed the money in her palm anyway. “No need. You’re about to become a college student again.”

“Don’t remind me,” she said. “Because that means you’ll be leaving.”

Jordan’s smile faded. “I thought we weren’t going to talk about it.”

“I know.” She plastered a smile on her face. “I better get going. See you in a bit.”

“Have fun.”

Annie paused at the door, then turned around. “If I tell you something, will you promise me you won’t freak out?”

Jordan shrugged. “Okay. I don’t freak out too easily.”

Annie met her gaze across the room. “I just…well…I thought you should know that I’m falling in love with you.”

She turned on her heels before Jordan could respond and hurried out the door. God, it felt good to say that. Scary, but good. Because last night when they made love, she could almost feel Jordan taking ahold of her heart. She had felt a swelling of emotions that she’d never experienced before. Surely this is what falling in love feels like.

But should she have told Jordan? God, what if Jordan…what if she wasn’t feeling any of these same emotions? Was she being presumptuous to assume that Jordan was falling in love too? She very nearly panicked. She should go to Jordan, take back her words. Tell Jordan her hormones were all jacked up again.

“Oh, God, you’re so stupid,” she murmured.

But the sight of her mother stopped her from going back into the office. She took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves. So she told Jordan she was falling in love? They would deal with it just like they’d done everything else. It would be fine. She would be fine. And maybe it was her hormones. Who knows?

“All set?” her mother asked.

Annie nodded. “I’m craving Mexican food,” she said. “How about across the street at Pepe’s?”

“That’s fine. I haven’t been there recently.”

“I eat there quite a bit,” Annie said as she held the door open for her mother. “Or else Jordan picks up something and we eat in the office.”

“You live together, you work together and you eat together? You must be sick of each other’s company by now.”

Wow. They hadn’t even made it across the street yet and her mother was already starting. Annie decided she wasn’t in the mood to argue with her today.

“We get along great, thanks.” When they got to Pepe’s, she again held the door open for her mother. “And we don’t always work together. Jordan comes and goes, especially since Brandon can close now.” She smiled at Emily and held up two fingers, then turned back to her mother. “How is Dad?”

“Fine. He misses you. We both do.”

“Funny. He hasn’t called me once.” She smiled quickly. “Neither have you.”

Emily came up. “How’s a booth today, Annie?”

“Great. Thank you.”

They followed her to their table and sat down. Emily didn’t even bother to place a menu in front of her, only giving one to her mother. A basket of chips and two small bowls of salsa were brought out and Annie reached for a chip immediately.

“No menu?” her mother asked.

“I get the same thing every time,” she said. “Chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce.”

“Sounds good. I may try that too.”

Annie loaded a chip with salsa, nearly moaning at the taste. While she’d always enjoyed Mexican food, her sudden craving for hot and spicy food was a bit odd for her. Thankfully, she had no adverse effects from it and ate it at will.

“So I guess you’ve been to the doctor a couple of times now, right?”

“Yes.”

“And when are you due?”

“January fifteenth,” she said.

“That will be here before you know it.”

“I know. I’m told the last couple of months are the longest,” she said.

“So have you told everyone?”

Annie smiled. “It’s not like I can hide it any longer,” she said, motioning to the blouse she was wearing. “Suzanne went shopping with me, since you were too busy to go,” she said. “I didn’t get a lot though. I can’t believe how expensive maternity clothes are.”

Her mother ignored the jab at her. “Well, you look beautiful, Annie. Happy. Radiant, in fact.”

Annie felt a blush on her face. She wondered if her sudden radiance was due to being pregnant or to having the best sex she’d ever had in her life.

“I feel good,” she said. “My morning sickness stopped, thankfully. I’d read horror stories of women being sick for months during pregnancy.”

“I only had a touch of it myself,” her mother said. “You don’t look like you’ve gained weight. I hardly gained any when I was pregnant with you.”

“I feel fat and I eat like a pig,” she said with a laugh. “Jordan assures me that I’m not fat, however.” She looked up as Emily came back over.