Annie sighed. “Staci had a little crush on him. She used to tease that I did too.”

“Ah. So she’ll think you were lying to her.”

“Yes.” Annie waved a hand at Jordan. “I don’t do drama well. And I feel there’s going to be drama.” She leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. “And when Derrick finds out, he’s going to totally freak out.” She looked at Jordan. “Please promise me you won’t let him back here. Because he’ll try to storm back here and confront me.”

“I promise I’ll protect you.”

“Thank you.”

Jordan turned to go but again paused and turned back. “By the way, if we can both sneak out of here early today, I thought maybe we could take a Jet Ski ride out in the bay.”

“Really?” Annie grinned. “That would be fun.”

“They’re going to start on the pier in a couple of days. I need to move them anyway.”

“Okay. I’m game.”

Jordan nodded. “Good. I’ll pick up dinner at the restaurant.”

Annie was still smiling long after Jordan left. A Jet Ski ride in the bay? She could hardly wait.



Chapter Twenty

Jordan pulled the Jet Ski closer to the shore where Annie stood. She tried not to stare, but Annie’s bikini top was too revealing. It was also the first time she’d seen Annie in one.

“I know. My breasts are huge already,” Annie said.

Jordan laughed. “They are not.”

Annie actually cupped herself, and Jordan was surprised by the blush that caused.

“I’ve always been teased because of my small breasts,” Annie said. “So they are huge to me.”

Jordan pointed at herself. “This is small. When I was growing up, I was terrified I would never get breasts. Gym class was not fun,” she said, remembering the teasing from the other girls.

“I know. I hated it too.”

Jordan lifted the seat and pulled out two lifejackets, handing one to Annie. Those “huge” breasts were soon covered. She slipped on her own and tightened the straps.

“All set,” Annie said.

Jordan steadied the Jet Ski, then held her hand out to Annie. “Climb on then.”

Annie gripped Jordan around the waist, then loosened her hold, resting her hands on Jordan’s sides lightly. Jordan acknowledged that it had been a very long time since she’d been this close to another woman. But…this was Annie. It shouldn’t feel this good.

“Ready?”

“Yep.”

Jordan was conscious of the hands that squeezed tightly as she sped away from shore. Well, “sped” was stretching the truth. As she’d told Annie, it had been years since she’d been on a Jet Ski. During the summer months, she and Matt had been on them all the time. But once she left for college—and stayed away as much as she did—her love of speeding across the bay at breakneck speeds vanished. Or maybe it was just that she got older. She did, however, enjoy a boat ride from time to time on her visits. She was sorry that her father had sold the boat. She would much rather be cruising the barrier islands in a boat now than playing on Jet Skis.

The water was calm, and she dared to increase her speed a little. Annie’s hands tightened again as she sped up, then relaxed against her.

“I’ve lived here my whole life and I still don’t know the shrimping schedule,” Annie said. “There are no boats out.”

“Early mornings before dawn, I think,” she said.

Annie leaned closer. “If you’re worried about me, don’t be. You can go faster if you want.”

Jordan turned her head, finding Annie’s face only inches from her own. “I did promise I wouldn’t dump you,” she reminded her. “I’m not that experienced anymore.”

But she accelerated slightly, enjoying the breeze as it ruffled her hair. She stayed close to shore and did not venture out into the open water of the bay. They cruised along the north shore and she slowed from time to time, pointing out certain things to Annie that she remembered from her childhood. When they reached the east shore near the causeway, she turned around instead of going under it. Maybe another time they could go under it and go explore along the state park there to the south. Even though they had a nice view of the sunset from their deck, she remembered a spot at the park where they used to go with her grandparents. The entire bay seemed to be on fire as the sun set.

They encountered a fishing boat on the way back. Judging by the gulls following it, its crew was having success. The waves it created stirred the bay and Jordan had a little fun as they bounced over each one, causing Annie to laugh with delight.

As they returned to their own rickety pier, true to its name, four white pelicans were resting on the boards and another was coming in for a landing. Jordan slowed to a crawl so as not to disturb them.

“Oh, that was fun,” Annie said. “We should do that more often.”

“Yeah, it was. We’ll do it again,” she said.

The pelicans never moved as she crept closer. Instead of docking where Matt had kept the Jet Skis, she grounded it near the shore. The pier would be coming down in the next few days. She held the craft steady as Annie climbed off, then she swung her leg over the side and secured the Jet Ski between two pillars closer to shore. She kept the line taut enough so that during high tide it wouldn’t drift and slam into the concrete retaining wall. Once the new pier was in place, she’d replace the old bumper tires with new ones and keep the Jet Ski in a little deeper water, like Matt had done.

“You want to eat on the deck?”

Jordan got out of the water and walked up beside Annie as they headed to the house. “Do you mind?”

“Of course not. It’s pleasant out. Maybe because I’m a little wet.”

“There’s a place over by the state park,” she said, giving voice to her earlier thoughts. “We used to go out there to catch the sunset and have a late picnic. The causeway makes for a great background.”

Annie smiled at her. “Does that mean you want to go?”

“Maybe we’ll plan a trip for another day. We used to take the boat. I don’t know that’d I want to stay out that late on the Jet Ski though. It’s a long way back here.”

Annie nudged her. “You know, we could always drive over there.”

Jordan laughed. “I suppose we could, but it’d take all the adventure out of it.”

They each went into their separate bedrooms to change out of swimsuits and into shorts. Jordan loved the soft cotton fabric of her old gray athletic shorts and she rummaged in her drawer for a tank top. She picked up a bra, then tossed it down again. Since they’d already discussed breast sizes, she didn’t see the point of trying to hide them.

Feeling cool and comfortable, she grabbed a beer from the fridge and turned off the oven. She’d picked up fish and shrimp and two containers of gumbo from the restaurant and had left the oven on warm while they were out.

“What some cider?” she called.

“Please.”

It was still early and Jordan thought their dinner could wait a few minutes longer. She pulled two chairs closer to the deck railing where they could watch the changing colors as dusk approached. The low line of clouds shimmered in orange and red, almost like a stroke of a painter’s brush across canvas.

She turned when Annie came out, then quickly averted her eyes. Annie, too, had apparently decided a bra was too much this evening. Her white Fat Larry T-shirt was not quite as loose on her as before.

“Are you starving or can we wait a bit?”

“I’m fine,” Annie said as she sat down beside her. “Thanks,” she said, indicating the apple cider.

“So what did you decide to do about the festival?”

“You were right. They all thought splitting shifts at the booth made more sense. Except for Molly. She said she’d rather work the store. In fact, she volunteered to work all day.”

“What’s up with that?”

Annie shrugged. “I think she’s…well, a little awkward. Socially, I mean,” Annie said.

“She seems fine with customers.”

“Oh, I know. I meant with her peers. I’m only guessing, but I’d imagine she gets teased in school.”

“Teased? Why?”

“Come on, Jordan. She’s plain Jane. She’s nearly at the top of her class. She doesn’t dress in the most fashionable of clothes.” Annie glanced at her. “Even Jessica kinda picks on her.”

“I don’t like Jessica very much.”

Annie laughed. “You don’t say?”

“Compared to Molly, Jessica is as dumb as a box of rocks,” she said.

“She’s also very attractive.”

“If you say so.”

“You don’t think so?”

Jordan shook her head. “She’s not really my type.” As soon as she said that, she knew what Annie’s next question would be.

Annie turned in her chair. “And?”

“And?”

“And…what is your type?”

Jordan considered the question for a moment. Did she even have a type? As an adult, most of her dates had been with professional women. Like Debra. But was that really her type? When she’d been in college and first exploring her sexuality, she tended to gravitate toward the sporty, athletic type. But maybe that was just a byproduct of who her friends were and the fact that she played intramural sports.

“Maybe it’s not so much looks that define my type,” she finally said. “I think I prefer someone who is…real.”

“Real?”

“Yeah. Real. Honest. True. No agendas, no pretenses.” She looked at Annie. “Genuine. And people like Jessica fit none of those.”

Annie met her gaze, holding it. “And when you were dating before—Debra—did any of those descriptions fit her?”

Jordan smiled slightly. “Not really, no.”

Annie nodded. “Makes sense then that you ended things with her.”

Jordan arched an eyebrow. “Maybe she ended things with me.”

“She would be crazy.”

Jordan raised both eyebrows and Annie blushed slightly.

“I mean…you’re attractive, you’re nice. And you already said the sex was great.”

“Well, thank you for thinking I’m nice,” she said. Then she smiled. “And attractive.”

Annie laughed. “Oh, stop pretending you don’t know how cute you are.”

Jordan was usually indifferent to her looks, but for some reason, it pleased her that Annie thought she was attractive. She thought Annie was as well. Her blond hair was just dark enough to be natural and her blue-green eyes were warm and inviting. When she realized those very eyes were looking back at her, she blinked her thoughts away.

“How about dinner?”

* * *

Annie rubbed her belly and nearly groaned. She shouldn’t have had that last piece of fish. Or the last two shrimp. And she probably shouldn’t have requested seconds on the gumbo.

“I’m going to be as big as a house,” she said. “You’ve got to stop bringing home food from your parents’ restaurant.”

“I know. But it’s so easy.”

“Tomorrow night I’ll cook. Something healthy,” she said as she helped Jordan clear the table. It occurred to her how presumptuous she was being to assume they would have dinner together. But then again, not really. They shared dinner together most evenings. In fact, it was rare if they didn’t.

“How about something vegetarian?” Jordan suggested.

“God, not that healthy,” she said with a smile.

“How much weight have you gained?”

Annie stared at her. “Why? Can you tell I’m getting fat?”

“You’re not getting fat. It was an innocent question,” Jordan said.

Annie lifted up her shirt, exposing her belly. “Look. I can’t button my shorts any longer.”

Jordan surprised her by reaching out and touching her stomach and patting it lightly before taking her hand away. The touch was so unexpected she forgot to breathe.

“Yeah, that baby bump is starting to show.”

Annie grabbed her arm tightly. “Do you really think so? Is it time to tell people?”

“You’ll be three months along pretty soon, right?”

“Another two weeks, yes.”

So far, she’d only told Suzanne and Macy. And her parents, of course. The only others who knew were Jordan and her parents. She had hoped to keep it a secret for as long as she could. But then, why? Was she embarrassed by it? Well, to some extent, yes. She never once thought that she’d be an unwed mother. The truth was, once she got divorced, she had given little thought to ever having kids. Yet here she was, nearly three months pregnant.

“I’m scared,” she said. She felt tears in her eyes and wiped them away. “Damn my hormones,” she murmured.

Jordan pulled her into a hug, and Annie slipped her arms around Jordan’s waist as she pressed against her.

“I know you’re scared,” Jordan said. “But you don’t have to be.”

“My mother barely speaks to me,” she said. “She hasn’t invited me over once since I left.”