Annie nodded. “I did. And she became a very good friend. But we were closer than that. I think from the moment we met, we were closer than that.”

Suzanne ran a hand through her hair. “If you think Derrick flipped out over you being pregnant, this will send him over the edge.”

Annie shook her head. “Hello? Divorced, remember?”

Suzanne smiled. “Hello? Derrick, crazy man, remember?”

Annie laughed. “I know it will be a shock to him, but I don’t think he’ll go crazy over it. I told you we had a good talk. He knows it’s over with us.”

“A small town like this,” Suzanne said. “When people find out his ex-wife is now suddenly gay…” She paused. “That’s what this is, right? Or is this just a phase or something?”

“It’s not a phase, Suzanne.”

“So you’re…gay now? Or do you call it bi?”

“I don’t call it anything. I call it being in love with Jordan.”



Chapter Forty-One

Jordan stared out the window, surprised at how claustrophobic she felt surrounded by high-rises in every direction. She tugged at the collar of her blouse, then shrugged out of her jacket and casually tossed it over the back of her office chair. She never thought she’d miss wearing shorts and Fat Larry T-shirts to work, but she did.

She again turned her gaze out the window, slowly shaking her head.

What the hell are you doing here?

Four days back, and she had a terrible ache in her heart. She was back in her old routine, she just never realized how empty it had been. There was a void in her life now, without Annie around. How had she lived so long without her? How had she lived so long without love?

“The New York office called,” Peter said as he walked into her office. “Said you did a great job negotiating on the Dunbar contract.”

Jordan turned from the window and shrugged. “Good.”

“Good? That’s it? You know they’ve wanted to move you there for some time now.”

“Not going to happen,” she said as she moved back to her desk.

Peter sat down across from her in one of her plush visitor’s chairs. He folded his hands together, then tapped them on his thigh.

“What’s going on with you, Jordan?”

She raised her eyebrows. “What?”

“It’s like you’re only going through the motions. You’re getting results, but I don’t see the same drive. Being away like you were…did you lose something?”

Jordan met his gaze. “No. I think…I found something.”

“Are you burnt out? I know you put in an obscene amount of hours over the years. That takes its toll. I know. I did the same thing when I was your age.”

She decided to be honest with him. Because, yes, she was just going through the motions with her job. Her mind wasn’t here. Her spirit wasn’t here. Her soul wasn’t here. No, she seemed to have left that all behind in Rockport…with Annie.

“Being away as long as I was let me put things in perspective,” she said. “And it made me realize how much I’d missed out on. Not only with my family, but with a personal life too. My focus was solely on this job, twenty-four hours a day.” She leaned back in her chair. “I didn’t realize how tired I was until I got away. Tired, both mentally and physically.”

“So you’ve had a break,” he said. “A nice long one. Is it going to take you a while to get back into the swing of things? I can shift some things around.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if I can get back into the swing of things,” she said. “My heart’s not in it anymore, Peter. Like you said, I’m just going through the motions.”

His eyes widened. “What are you saying? Are you thinking of leaving the company? My God, Jordan, do you know how many years you’ve invested in this? How many years we’ve invested in you?”

“I’m well aware of the hours I’ve put in, as are you,” she said. “And leaving something that I’ve worked so hard for…that’s not an easy decision.”

“You’d really walk away from this? For what? To run a souvenir shop?” He laughed. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m not happy here, Peter.”

“No? You seemed to be happy enough when you left. What changed? You want more money?” He shrugged. “I can probably arrange that.”

“It’s not about money.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s about…it’s about life. And it’s very short.”

He sighed. “So your brother’s death really had an effect on you.”

“Did you think it wouldn’t?”

“I thought you’d be over it by now and ready to get back to work.” He stood up and glanced at his watch. “I have a meeting that I can’t miss. But you need to let me know what you plan to do. I’ve got your schedule lined up for the next month already.” He paused at the door. “Don’t rush into anything, Jordan. We all go through stages of burnout. Hell, I’ve threatened to leave before myself.”

She nodded. No, she wouldn’t make an impulsive or hasty decision. She wouldn’t have to. She’d been mulling it over ever since she stepped off the plane at O’Hare. She knew in her heart, the decision was already made. She knew before she’d even come back to Chicago, which made her question why she’d bothered to come back in the first place.

She picked up the phone before she could change her mind. It was her mother who answered her father’s cell.

“Hey, Mom. Are you already getting ready for the dinner crowd?”

“We’re still at the house. About to leave, though. Did you need to talk to him?”

Jordan hesitated. Was she being hasty? No. She kept seeing Annie’s face, seeing the tears she had been trying to hide. No, she wasn’t being hasty. She couldn’t wait to get back home.

“Let me talk to him for a second,” she said.

“Okay.” Then, “Have you settled back in yet?”

“No,” she said honestly. “I miss it there.”

“We miss you too. Annie misses you.”

Jordan laughed. “How do you know?”

“I talked to her this morning. She said you have only called once. She’s afraid you’re…well, that you’re not coming back.”

“I called and we talked for over an hour. And it made me miss her more so I haven’t called again. Because…well, because if I call, I’ll want to be there. Which is why I’m calling now.”

“Oh?”

She smiled. “Let me talk to Dad.”

“Okay, here he is.”

“We’re about to head to the restaurant, Jordan. What’s up?” he said in a hurried voice.

“Remember when I told you that we’d need to hire a manager for Fat Larry’s by January?”

“Yes.”

“Well, cancel that. I’ll be your manager.” That statement was met with silence. “Dad?”

“You’re going to come back? To stay this time?”

“If you’ll have me,” she said.

He laughed. “Pack your bags.”

She couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “You sure? You’ll let me run the store?”

“Honey, I’ll give you the store if it means you’ll come back home.”

She frowned. “Is that singing I hear?”

“Your mother is doing the happy dance and singing. Off-key, as you can tell.”

She laughed. “Tell her not a word to Annie. I want to surprise her.”

“I will. We love you, Jordan.”

“Love you too.”

Jordan spun around in her chair, taking in the view outside her windows again. She was smiling and she couldn’t stop. Was it a hasty decision? Didn’t matter. It was the right one.

She turned back to her desk and pulled her laptop closer. She pulled up her email, addressing one to Peter. Her fingers drummed the keys as she tried to decide what to write.

“It is with regret that I resign my position…blah, blah, blah,” she muttered.

She deleted that as soon as she’d typed it out. No. No need to bullshit.

“I quit,” she typed instead and sent it without a second thought.

She closed up her laptop and looked around the office. She had nothing personal here, not really. A few mementos she’d picked up on business trips but nothing that she couldn’t live without. Well, there was the Petoskey stone she’d found in Michigan. She never had it polished, preferring to keep it in its natural state. She did on occasion dunk it in water to view the pattern on it. She picked it up and folded it in her hand, deciding it was something she wanted to take.

She looped her briefcase over her shoulder and headed to the door without looking back. She passed by Antonio’s office and didn’t bother to look inside. She did stop at Michelle’s door, however. They’d worked together for years now, and they had a mutual respect for each other.

“Hey.”

“Hi, Jordan. What’s up?”

She smiled. “I wanted to say goodbye. It was a pleasure working with you.”

She frowned. “You’re leaving? You just got back,” she said.

“Yes. I decided that I…well, that I need to be at home. With my family.”

Michelle stood up and walked over to her. “So you’re leaving me with Antonio for good, huh?”

“Sorry about that.”

Michelle stuck her hand out, and Jordan shook it. “Well, I enjoyed working with you too. I’ll miss you.” She paused. “Giving notice or just up and leaving?”

“Up and leaving,” she said.

“Don’t you own a condo?”

“I do. It’s in the Loop, Michigan Avenue. I shouldn’t have a hard time getting rid of it.”

“No, probably not.”

Jordan nodded. “Well, good luck,” she said and turned to go.

Perhaps it was rude not to say goodbye to the rest of her team, but she simply wanted to get out of there. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited by the elevator. She wanted to get out of the city and go home.

Back to Rockport. Back to Annie.

And she couldn’t get there fast enough.



Chapter Forty-Two

Annie leaned on the deck railing, watching the colors as they bounced across the water. It had been another gorgeous sunset, another one she’d viewed alone. She sighed and moved to where the ceiling fan was stirring the breeze. She couldn’t decide when she missed Jordan the most. Was it now, sitting out here? Jordan loved the deck, loved sitting out and watching the water, watching the sunset. Or was it at night, in bed? Yes, she especially missed her there…missed sleeping with her, missed touching her, missed being with her. And she missed her at the store. Fat Larry’s seemed empty without her there.

Her whole life seemed empty without Jordan around. How had that happened? How could Jordan come into her life so unexpectedly—so thoroughly—and disrupt her entire being? How could she have fallen so hopelessly in love with her in such a short time? But was it really that short? As she’d told Suzanne, from the first day they met, way back in early May, she’d felt something. She had been falling in love with her and she hadn’t even realized it.

Her phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket, smiling. Jordan had perfect timing.

“Hey,” she answered.

“Hi. What are you doing?”

“Leaning on the railing, thinking about you,” she said.

“Oh, yeah? I wish I was there.”

“God, I do too,” she said. “I miss you so much, Jordan.”

There was only a slight pause as Jordan cleared her throat. “All this, Annie…it’s been a mistake. A huge mistake. I’m sorry.”

Annie felt her throat close up. “A mistake? Jordan…no. Please don’t,” she whispered. “I…I need you.”

“Oh, honey, no,” Jordan said hurriedly. “No. Not you. Not us. I meant here…Chicago. It was a mistake to come back.”

Annie sank down into a chair. “Jesus, Jordan, you scared the crap out of me. I thought you meant—”

“I’m sorry. No. What I meant was…well, I miss you too. I’m coming home.”

Annie gasped. “Home? You’re coming home? Seriously?”

“Yes.”

Annie squeezed her eyes shut. “For good?”

“For good.”

Annie let out a relieved laugh. “You’re coming home.”

“You want me to, right?”

“God, yes. But what about your job?”

“I kinda quit.”

“You quit?”

“Yeah. I heard there’s an opening for a manager at Fat Larry’s.”

Annie laughed with delight. “I bet you have a good chance of getting it.” She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “I can’t believe you’re coming back.”

“Happy?”

“So happy. It’s not the same here without you.”

“No?”

“No. Empty.” She paused. “And I missed you so much.”

“Annie…I love you. I want to come back and make a life with you and the baby.”

Tears filled Annie’s eyes as she nodded. “I love you too.”

“Is that a yes?”

Annie smiled through her tears. “Yes. Yes.”



Chapter Forty-Three

Jordan paused at the door to Fat Larry’s. She could have gone in the back, but…well, she wanted to see it, feel it and absorb it. Her store now.