Pelican's Landing

Chapter Seventeen

Annie paced nervously in the living room, back and forth across the rug. They would be arriving any minute, she knew, and she wasn’t really prepared.

“Relax.”

She looked up, finding Jordan watching her. She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m nervous.”

Jordan came closer. “They’ll be shocked. Then they’ll be excited.”

“You don’t know that. They could hate me. They could—”

“Annie, they’re not going to hate you.”

Annie plunged her hands into her hair. “I’m not ready. I’m not—”

“It’ll be fine.”

Annie’s “easy for you to say” reply was stuck in her throat. Jordan had taken her hands and linked their fingers, holding Annie’s arms to her side. They were standing only inches apart, and Annie was having a hard time catching her breath.

“Look at me.”

Annie blinked several times, trying to focus on Jordan’s gaze.

“We’re going to have a nice, casual dinner. They’re going to get to know you better. They’ll love you, Annie. How could they not?”

Annie tilted her head. “Do we have to tell them?”

Jordan laughed, then pulled her into a tight hug. Annie sank against her, loving her strength, loving the security she felt in her arms. But something else was just below the surface, just out of reach. She closed her eyes, trying to find it, but it eluded her. Instead, gentle hands rubbed her back, and she let out a contented sigh. She could have stayed there for hours, but Jordan loosened her hold and Annie took that as her cue to take a step away from her.

“So? You okay?”

Annie nodded. “I guess.”

“Good. Because I think they’re here.”

Annie’s heart beat nervously as Jordan went to the door to greet her parents. Annie had met them before, of course, but it was always at the store and their conversations had been short and polite, nothing more than a greeting really. Now, here she was about to have dinner with them, about to tell them that she was carrying Matt’s baby.

“Oh, dear God,” she murmured. But then, it couldn’t be any worse than her own parents’ reaction. And she had survived that. So she plastered a smile on her face and waited while Jordan greeted them both with hugs and a kiss on the cheek.

“You know Annie, of course,” Jordan said.

“Yes, of course. How are you, dear?”

Annie greeted Jordan’s mother with a smile and then a quick handshake with her father. “I’m good, thanks,” she said, hoping the words sounded a little less formal to them than they did to her own ears.

“How do you like living out here on the bay?” Jordan’s father asked.

“Oh, I love it. Jordan was a lifesaver,” she said, taking a quick glance at Jordan, who smiled back at her.

Jordan’s mother took her arm and led her into the kitchen, and she looked over her shoulder, hoping Jordan would join them. Instead, Jordan and her father headed out to the deck.

“I heard about…well, about your mother not taking the news too well.”

Annie stared at her. “News?”

“About you being pregnant. I try to put myself in her shoes, but you just can’t deny your children, no matter what. I’m glad that Jordan offered the spare room to you.”

“Thank you. My mother, well, she’s not quite ready to accept it yet. I’ve found the less we talk, the less we argue.”

“She shouldn’t miss out on this. You look beautiful, Annie. I’d even say glowing.”

Annie blushed. “Mrs. Sims, I don’t know that I’d say glowing, but at least the morning sickness has subsided somewhat.”

She laughed. “You will call me Loraine. None of that Mrs. Sims nonsense,” she said with a wave of her hand. “And David goes by Dave to his friends.”

“Thank you.” Annie couldn’t believe how totally at ease she felt around her. Of course, once she told Loraine who the father was, that all could change.

“Now, I know Jordan,” Loraine continued as they stood in the large kitchen. “She’ll have steaks and baked potatoes and nothing else.”

Annie laughed. “Yes, you do know her. But I did pick up some vegetables to steam. I hope that will be enough.”

“Oh, good. I meant to bring the fixings for a salad but completely forgot,” she said. She went to the fridge and opened it. “It looks so different than when Matt lived here. Beer and a carton of milk were usually all you’d find.”

The mention of Matt’s name brought a nervous flutter to Annie’s heart. Should she just blurt out the news?

But Loraine was sporting a smile, and Annie didn’t want to chase it away. “I like to cook, so you can blame me,” she said.

“Then I’ll quit worrying that Jordan is eating takeout every night.” She surprised Annie by taking two beers from the fridge. “For Jordan and Dave,” Loraine explained. “I can’t stand the stuff.”

“I drink sparkling apple cider when Jordan has wine,” Annie said. “I will admit, I do miss having a glass of wine from time to time.”

“Yes, I like wine too. Matt used to keep a stash here for me,” Loraine said.

“I think Jordan has already gone through all that,” Annie said with a laugh. “She thought it was Matt’s stash, not yours.”

“Oh, he would join me, but he was like Dave and preferred beer.” Her smile faltered somewhat. “While I’ve finally accepted that he’s gone, I sometimes miss him so much.”

“I know. We miss him too,” she said.

Loraine’s smile was gentle. “You and Matt were…close?”

Annie nearly panicked. She knew what Loraine meant by that question, but she had no idea how to answer it. No, they weren’t close, not like that. But yes, there was sex involved. Thankfully, she heard the back door open and she let out a relieved sigh when Jordan came in.

“Ah, just what I was looking for,” Jordan said, taking the beer from her mother.

“Did you show him the pier?” Annie asked.

“Yep. And he agrees with me. He’s going to have some guys come out to look at it next week.”

“It needs repair?” Loraine asked.

“It needs replacing,” Jordan said. “Why don’t you come out on the deck? The breeze is nice.”

“I think your mother would like a glass of wine,” Annie said.

“Merlot?” Jordan asked.

“Whatever,” Loraine said. “Something red.”

Jordan handed the beer to her mother. “Here. Take that out to Dad. We’ll be right out.”

As soon as Loraine was out of earshot, Annie turned to Jordan. “Thank you. She was about to ask if Matt and I were dating,” she said.

“How did that come up?” Jordan asked.

“We were just chatting,” she said. “I like her. She said I should call her Loraine.”

Jordan nodded as she turned the corkscrew. “Then that means she likes you.”

Annie watched as Jordan pulled the cork out, then she went to the cabinet and took down two wineglasses, one for Loraine’s wine and one for her cider. “Do you want me to bring the frozen mugs for your beer?”

“Just one for me. My dad likes the bottle.”

They joined Jordan’s parents out on the deck, and indeed, the breeze was nice. Annie didn’t think they even needed the ceiling fan but Jordan put it on anyway.

“We used to come out here all the time when we were younger,” Loraine said. “Well, when Jordan and Matt were young. Dave’s parents were still alive then.”

“Why did you stop coming?” Annie asked.

“Oh, I don’t know. We just got so busy. And spare time was spent taking care of our home, we didn’t make time for out here.”

“That pier should have been replaced years ago,” Dave said. “I wonder why Matt never said anything.”

“You know how Matt was,” Loraine said. “Jordan can attest to that. The house was a wreck.”

“Housekeeping wasn’t his strong suit,” Jordan agreed.

“Had you been out here, Annie?” Loraine asked.

She nodded. “A couple of times,” she said. “The last two summers, Matt would have an office party out here.”

“Yeah, she’s trying to talk me into having one too,” Jordan said. “Annie thinks they might like me better if I do.”

Loraine frowned. “Why don’t they like you?”

Annie gave a quick laugh. “Because she has rules that Matt never did.”

“Yeah, like showing up to work on time,” Jordan said.

“So? Business has been good?” Dave asked.

Jordan shrugged. “I guess. Annie would know better than me. I’m not sure what summer crowds are supposed to be like.”

Annie nodded. “Yes, it’s been good.” She turned to Jordan. “Which reminds me, we need to order some more Fat Larry T-shirts. Brandon said he gave out a lot of them yesterday.”

“If we give out free T-shirts, doesn’t that deter customers from buying them?” Loraine asked.

“Matt said it put them in a good mood and then they were more apt to buy something than not,” Annie said. “Not sure if that was just his opinion or an actual marketing strategy,” she added.

“It seems to work,” Dave said. “I love seeing those T-shirts around town.”

“We’ve got a new design,” Jordan offered. “Fat Larry is still the same, of course, but with a new background.”

Annie noticed the expression on Loraine’s face and quickly added, “I think you’ll love it. I know Matt would have.”

Jordan gave her a nod and a subtle smile—a silent thank-you.

Loraine’s expression softened a bit. “I know we said for you to run the store as you wanted,” she said. “I just don’t want to change up too much. Matt had everything running smoothly.”

“I’m not changing stuff, Mom. A few tweaks here and there, that’s all.”

“She can handle it,” Dave said. “I have to agree. Matt was a little lax sometimes with his employees. There has to be accountability. You know that from the restaurant.”

Loraine nodded but didn’t reply. There seemed to be a little tension in the air, and Annie assumed it was because they were discussing Matt as much as they were.

“I should get the steaks going,” Jordan said. “Want another beer, Dad?”

“Thanks.”

“Mom?”

“I’ll take another glass of wine.”

Annie stood quickly. “I’ll get it.”

She followed Jordan back inside, through the living room and into the kitchen. Their eyes met and Annie felt a little relief.

“I guess talking about Matt…”

“Yes, Mom still has her moments. But she’s a lot better.”

“Right before you came in earlier, she asked me if Matt and I were close,” Annie said. “I nearly panicked. Should I lie? Should I tell her we were dating?”

“I don’t think you have to lie, Annie.”

“So I either lie to her or she thinks I’m a slut.” She covered her face with her hands. “God, she’s going to hate me.”

She felt Jordan move closer, and she let her take her hands from her face.

“It’ll be okay.”

“You keep saying that. I’m not sure I believe you.”

Jordan’s fingers tightened around her own. “Trust me.”

Annie nodded. “I will. But there’s no easy way to tell them. Before dinner? During? After? Regardless of when, it’ll still ruin dinner.”

Jordan smiled at her. “Let’s make it after dinner. Don’t want to waste those expensive fillets.”