Pelican's Landing

Chapter Thirty-One

Annie drove home, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. She tried not to be nervous, but she was. Would Jordan be waiting for her?

“Yeah, she’s going to be naked and in bed already,” she said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

Would they make small talk? Would they have dinner? She shook her head. No, she was far too nervous to think about eating.

But what? Would they talk about it some more? What would that accomplish other than delaying what they both wanted? Because, yes, she did want it. Her certainty of that surprised her a little. If it was a mistake, could they go back? She gripped the steering wheel even tighter, remembering their kiss. Not counting the seventh-grade smooch she’d gotten from Paul Cassel, she’d been kissed by three guys in her life—Derrick, Jason and Matt. Never once had it felt anything close to what Jordan made her feel in those few heated seconds. It couldn’t possibly be a mistake.

Her mouth dropped open.

“Oh, my God,” she whispered. “Am I a lesbian?”

Then she laughed. Why did that question just now surface? She was heading home with the intention of…well, of making love with another woman.

Making love? With Jordan?

She very nearly drove off the road.

* * *

Annie pulled into the carport and parked next to Jordan’s SUV. She cut the engine and sat there for a few seconds, trying to get herself under control. Futile, perhaps, but she took several deep breaths. As Jordan had said, it didn’t have to happen tonight.

The house was quiet when she went inside, and she glanced through the large windows in the living room. She found Jordan exactly where she thought she’d be—out on the deck. She wasn’t sitting though. She was leaning against the railing, a wineglass within arm’s reach. It was still more than an hour until sunset, but clouds to the west would obscure it this evening. She took one more deep breath, then went outside. She knew Jordan would have heard her drive up, so she wasn’t surprised when Jordan didn’t even turn around.

“Hey.”

Jordan turned then, and Annie saw that she wasn’t the only one fighting nerves. “Hey,” Jordan replied.

Annie went and stood beside her, mimicking her position on the railing like she often did.

“Dinner?”

Jordan shook her head. “I didn’t get anything. I wasn’t sure what you’d be in the mood for.”

“I’m not really hungry right now.”

Jordan smiled. “That’s a first.”

Annie laughed, feeling some of the tension leave her. “I’m a little nervous,” she admitted.

Jordan turned, facing her. She reached out a hand, letting her fingers slowly caress Annie’s cheek. Annie met her gaze, seeing her brown eyes darken just a bit.

“We’re going to take this slow, Annie. Give you time to…absorb what’s happening.”

Annie stared at her. “You think I don’t know what’s happening?”

“In case you decide it’s not what you want.” Jordan’s thumb raked across her lower lip. “I don’t want you to think you’ve jumped into something that you can’t back out of.”

Annie could feel her heart pounding in her chest from Jordan’s gentle touch. It sounded loud in her ears, and she wondered if Jordan could hear it too. She swallowed with difficulty, finally wetting her lips where Jordan’s fingers had touched.

“What if…what if you decide it’s not what you want?” she asked. “I mean, I’m pregnant. That’s probably a huge turnoff. And the fact that Matt—”

“Stop,” Jordan said, putting a finger against her lips. “You’re beautiful, Annie. I’m very attracted to you. The fact that you’re pregnant with Matt’s baby has no bearing on that.” Jordan leaned closer, lightly brushing her lips against hers. “I find you beautiful inside and out. And if possible, being pregnant makes you even lovelier.”

The sincerity of her words nearly melted Annie’s heart. She moved nearer, into Jordan’s arms. They stood close together, holding each other. She let her eyes slip closed as her arms circled Jordan’s waist. There was nothing sexual about it, not this time. It was all about comfort, security, peacefulness. The stress she’d been feeling earlier vanished, and she rested against Jordan, letting Jordan’s strength seep into her.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

Jordan pulled back a little. “How about we drive into Fulton, go to that Italian place you like.”

“Oh? You think I can eat now?”

Jordan smiled. “I don’t want to face you in the morning if you go to bed without eating.”

Annie playfully slapped her arm. “I am not that bad.”

“You get cranky.”

Annie took a step back. “Something with Alfredo sauce sounds good.”

“Yes, it does. My treat.”

She studied her for a moment. “You must be tired. You’ve had a long day. If you’d rather not go out, I could—”

“I’m fine,” Jordan said. “I took your advice.”

“A nap?”

“Yeah. A nap.”

“Okay.”

Annie touched her arm, waiting until Jordan’s eyes met hers. She leaned closer, kissing Jordan lightly on the mouth. It was enough to send her pulse racing again.

“Just so you know,” she said, “I get butterflies in my stomach when we kiss.”

Jordan’s eyes softened. “So do I,” she whispered.