by Gerri Hill
“I know she and Matt were close,” Annie said. “I’m sure it’ll take time for her to get over it.” She stood. “I should go help Jessica get ready. Saturdays are busy.”
Jordan nodded. “Brandon comes in at ten?”
“Yes. Staci works the afternoon.”
“Okay.”
Annie turned to go, but Jordan called her back.
“Annie?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you. I’d be lost if you weren’t here.”
Annie smiled. “I know.” She paused before leaving. “And Jordan…we do have a dress code here. No slacks are allowed in the summer.”
Chapter Six
“What do you mean you don’t have her number?”
Jessica shrugged. “I’m friends with her on Facebook though.”
Jordan let out a heavy sigh. It was Thursday, and she hadn’t heard from Annie all week. She had forgotten to get a phone number from her when they’d worked together on Sunday. But yesterday, Brandon had informed her that they were running low on several of the most popular T-shirts and their popcorn supply would not last through the weekend. And no, he didn’t know where Matt got the popcorn from.
At first, she’d thought it was a terrible idea to have hot, buttery popcorn available where T-shirts were sold. But she was surprised at how careful most of the customers were, either wiping their fingers on the napkins provided or wiping their hands on their own clothes before picking up a T-shirt. And she had to admit, the smell of freshly popped corn was alluring. She’d found herself with a bag several times each day.
She went back into the office, trying to decide what to do. She’d been over Matt’s books. It looked like there were only five vendors that he bought T-shirts from. She supposed she could call them up and find out which one produced the ones that Brandon said they were getting low on.
First things first. Popcorn. She went through the list of payables, one by one, finally seeing the one name that was not T-shirt or souvenir-related. Concession Stand Professionals. She clicked on it, surprised that Matt had taken the time to update the profile as thoroughly as he had. She followed the link to their website, putting in Matt’s login and password. She was able to find his most recent order and simply clicked on that to reorder. Overnight shipping would get it to Rockport before the weekend.
“That was easy,” she murmured. She hoped ordering the T-shirts would be as well.
Her cell phone chimed, and she glanced at it, feeling a surge of guilt as her mother’s name popped up. She hadn’t seen her parents all week.
“Hey, Mom,” she answered. “It’s nearly lunch. Aren’t you busy?”
“Yes. But you haven’t come by,” her mother said in a slightly accusatory voice. “I wanted to check on you.”
Jordan sighed. “I’ve been here until closing,” she said. “Annie is out all this week, so I’ve been here all day, every day.”
“I’m sorry you have to do that by yourself, Jordan. Matt…well, I guess that’s why Matt slept there sometimes.”
“I haven’t resorted to that yet. I enjoy the quiet of the bay.”
“Speaking of that, we can’t wait to see what you’ve done at Pelican’s Landing. Maria said you had some guys out there this week.”
“Yes, trying to get the yard in shape,” she said. She heard her father’s voice in the background and smiled. “Sounds like you’re in trouble.”
“Yes. I’m getting behind on orders.”
“Okay. Maybe Sunday evening you could come out,” she suggested. “I could get some steaks. We’ll grill out.”
“That sounds good, honey. Let’s plan on it.”
Jordan twirled around in her chair, wishing there was a window in the office. Her office in Chicago was on the twenty-second floor. A large corner office with a great view. Unfortunately, she rarely took advantage of the view. She was surprised at how little she missed it, considering she spent far more hours there than at her condo, so much so that it was more of a home to her. She found she missed neither of them.
Her job was fast-paced and stressful. There was no downtime. She’d convinced herself she would be bored out of her mind here at Fat Larry’s. That wasn’t the case at all. She found she enjoyed the slower pace. She would give it a few weeks and learn the particulars of running the store. Then, if there were some changes she wanted to make, she’d pass it by her father. When she left at the end of summer, she wanted the store to be running on its own. That meant she’d have to hire a manager.
She thought it was a shame that Annie wouldn’t be available for the job. She would be perfect. She already had the knowledge, she already knew the staff. She was older, she was mature. At least she’d be there full time during the summer. Maybe it would allow Jordan time to hire someone and let Annie train them. She wondered if there was anyone in Rockport who would fit the bill.
“Hey.”
Jordan looked up, an involuntary smile lighting her face. “Hey. I was just thinking about you,” she said as she took her reading glasses off and tossed them on the desk.
Annie walked into the office. “Good or bad?”
“Good. I miss you being here.”
“Oh, yeah? You lost?”
Jordan laughed. “Well, I did manage to order some popcorn supplies on my own. Brandon said we were getting low.”
“See? You don’t need me.”
“I do. We need T-shirts. How do we know which vendor supplies which ones?”
“Matt had a cheatsheet,” Annie said.
“Not in that mass of papers I threw out, I hope?”
“I’m sure it was.” Annie motioned for her to get up. “Lucky for you, I think he also kept a spreadsheet.”
Jordan got out of the way and let Annie have the laptop. “What are you doing here? I thought I wouldn’t see you until the weekend.”
“My final was this morning. I had planned to stay at the library and study for the one tomorrow, but…well, I’m sick of studying,” she said. “Here it is.” She clicked on it, bringing up a rather crude spreadsheet. “Looks like it hasn’t been updated since last summer, though.”
She turned the laptop toward Jordan, and she picked up her glasses and slipped them on. There was a very short description of each T-shirt and the vendor who produced them. She frowned. “Does this mean anything to you?”
“Probably more than it means to you,” Annie said.
“Great. Then I’ll let Brandon tell you which ones we’re low on and let you try to decipher Matt’s description code.” She paused. “That is, if you have time.”
“I have time.”
“Thanks. By the way, have you had lunch?”
“No. I came straight here from Corpus.”
“Subway again? I can run out.”
Annie nodded. “That would be good. Thank you.” Annie reached for her purse, but Jordan stopped her.
“No. My treat. I’ll be right back.”
* * *
When Annie heard the outer door open, she assumed Jordan had returned with their lunch. Instead, she was shocked to see Derrick Dockery standing in the doorway, a solemn look on his face.
“I just heard,” he said.
She raised her eyebrows.
“About Matt.”
“Oh. Okay,” she said.
“Why didn’t you let me know? Me and Matt were friends,” he said.
She recognized the tone of his voice and knew if she didn’t stop things now they’d be headed for one of their classic arguments.
“First of all, it’s no longer my responsibility to let you know these things. We’ve been divorced nearly four years. And secondly, you can’t just show up here at my work,” she said. “Especially back here in the office.”
“Matt used to let me come back here.”
“Matt is no longer here,” she said.
He stared at her. “You’ve changed, Annie.”
Good God. This again? “So you’ve been saying for the past ten years. What is it that you want?
”
“I just got back on shore,” he said. “I took a double shift. I thought maybe you and I could get together. Have dinner or something.”
She shook her head, barely resisting rolling her eyes at him. “Are you in between dates again? What happened with that girl from Aransas Pass?”
“That didn’t work out. She didn’t like my shift work.”
“Imagine that,” she said dryly.
“So? Dinner?”
“No, Derrick. I’m not having dinner with you.”
“Come on, Annie. One dinner.”
There was movement behind him and Annie saw that Jordan had returned. She shook her head again. “No, Derrick.”
He stepped closer and she noticed his dirty clothes. A flash from the past came back to her and she remembered how she’d used to make him strip off his clothes before coming in the house. The first few months of their marriage, it had become a game that turned into sex. Ten days apart, he would want to spend the first two back making love. She quickly learned not to be quite as strict with her laundry rules. Even then, a few months after their marriage, she had been searching for excuses not to have sex with him. God, why had it taken her nearly six years to divorce him?
“Are you afraid, Annie? Afraid that old attraction will still be there?”
At that, she laughed, unable to contain it. “I can assure you…no.”
“I think you are afraid.”
“Let’s don’t play this game, Derrick. I’m not going out with you. I’m sorry you’re in between girlfriends right now, but I’m not your fallback.” She looked past Derrick, seeing Jordan standing there, blatantly listening. “Now, my boss is here. You really need to go.”
“Boss?” He spun around. “Who are you?”
Jordan stepped into the office, still holding the two sandwiches. “No, actually, the question is…who are you and why are you in my office?”
Annie was surprised that Derrick seemed to actually bristle at the question.
“I’m Derrick Dockery. Annie’s husband.”
“Oh, Derrick…please,” Annie murmured.
“Annie’s last name is Thomas, and I’m quite certain she told me she was not married.”
Derrick gave a quick laugh. “Actually, I’m trying to win her back,” he said.
Annie stood up. “Okay. Enough.” She pointed to the door. “Out.”
But Derrick’s gaze was still focused on Jordan. “You look familiar.”
“Jordan Sims. Matt’s sister.”
Derrick nodded. “Right. I remember you from high school.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you.”
“Matt and I were friends. I was a year ahead of him in school. I used to see you out at the beach house sometimes,” he continued.
Annie gave an apologetic look at Jordan before pushing by her and grabbing Derrick by the arm.
“Time to go,” she said pointedly. “I have work to do.”
He nodded. “Okay, well maybe some other time. I really want to get together.”
She ushered him out into the store. “Goodbye, Derrick.”
“What about over the weekend?”
“Really, Derrick…no.”
She spun on her heels, leaving him standing there. He had some nerve, she’d give him that. Did he really think she’d have dinner with him? God, she hated when he wasn’t dating anyone. For some reason, he thought he still had a claim to her.
Jordan was unwrapping her sandwich when she got back. Annie touched her shoulder as she passed by, resuming her seat behind the desk.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Derrick has no sense of proper divorce etiquette.”
Jordan laughed. “So that’s the ex, huh?”
“In all his glory, yes,” she said as she unwrapped her own sandwich. “Thanks for this.”
“Sure.” Jordan took a bite from her sandwich, then stood, going out to the fridge. She returned with two water bottles. “I’m surprised he remembered me. I have absolutely no recollection of him.”
“Derrick is forgettable that way,” she said without thinking.
“So he’s trying to win you back?”
“God, he’s out of his mind,” she said. “He got back on shore and only now found out about Matt’s accident,” she explained. “He’s not dating anyone right now so he thinks I’m fair game.”
Jordan stared at her for a moment. “I can’t see you two together.”
Annie nodded. “I know. I was young and stupid. And my mother loved Derrick. Still does. Derrick’s parents and mine get together for dinner all the time.” She took a bite of the sandwich, chewing quickly. “Considering how volatile the divorce was, it’s very strange. I can picture the four of them plotting how to get me and Derrick back together.”
“So your parents weren’t in favor of the divorce?”
“No. Not at all. I had no support from them. In fact, at first, they refused to let me move back in with them, thinking I would stay with Derrick.” She laughed. “Only the fear of the whole town knowing that I was living out at the Surf Court Motel changed their minds.”
“Surf Court? Is that thing still standing?”
“No. It was condemned a few years ago. They tore it down. The city bought the lot and there’s a park there now with a fishing pier.”
Jordan nodded. “Quite a bit has changed around town.”
“How long has it been since you’ve been back?”
“Six years.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. Time kinda got away from me.”
Annie nodded but didn’t comment. She liked Jordan. Even though she didn’t know much about her, Matt had mentioned her name frequently. She couldn’t imagine being away for six years. Even though she had…well, issues with her own parents, she still wouldn’t stay away.
Her gaze slid to the sofa and she looked away quickly. She wondered if she could talk Jordan into replacing the sofa. She couldn’t look at it without remembering…that night.
“What?”
Annie looked up. “What?”
Jordan raised one eyebrow. “You looked at the sofa, you blushed, you frowned and then you looked away.”
Annie felt her face turn red. “Are you always this observant?”
“Yes.”
Annie gave her a fake smile, then took a large bite from her sandwich.
Chapter Seven
“Your mother says you’ve hired Annie Thomas as office manager.”
Jordan handed her father a cold bottle of beer, then twisted the top on her own. Her mother was inside putting together a salad for their dinner.
“Yes. That’s okay, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “The store is yours to run,” he said. “I don’t have time for it.”
Jordan pulled the string on the ceiling fan, then sat down beside her father. It had been a warm day, but the evening breeze had picked up and it was pleasant out on the deck. She loved it out here. She guessed that even during the brutal days of July and August, she’d prefer to have her meals outside.
She glanced over at her father. He rarely took the time to relax and was at the restaurant seven days a week. Over the years, he’d assembled a good staff and she wondered why he didn’t slow down more. Maybe she got her work ethic from him. But he was relaxed now, she noted. His floral shorts were a bit gaudy and the Fat Larry T-shirt was snug against his ample stomach, but he had a peaceful look on his face.
“How’s Mom been?” she asked.
He didn’t pretend not to know what she meant. “She still cries at night,” he said. “I know it takes time, but…I worry she won’t get over this.”
“And what about you?” she asked gently.
“What about me?”
“You’ve been so…so strong these past few weeks. You didn’t hardly miss a day at the restaurant,” she said.
“It’s our livelihood. I can’t just walk away because—”
“Because your son died?”
He looked at her sharply.
“I have responsibilities, Jordan.”
“At least Mom is letting her grief out. Have you even shed a tear?”
He stood up quickly, going to the railing. Was she out of line? Perhaps. But she’d not seen him shed a single tear, not even at the funeral. He was going on about his business as if Matt was coming back some day.
“My son died.”
Jordan went to stand beside him. “Yes. Your son died. My brother died.”
“I keep expecting him to barge into the kitchen at the restaurant and steal a fish fillet off a plate we’re about to serve,” he said with a shaky laugh. “Wearing one of those tie-dyed T-shirts he liked so.” He turned to her. “Or him out there,” he said, motioning to the bay. “Buzzing around on those Jet Skis while your mother and I entertained whatever gal he’d invited over for dinner.”
“I’m so sorry, Dad.”
He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. “Yeah. Me too. Life…well, you never know. We should all live as freely as Matt did. He liked to have fun. He didn’t stress out about anything.”
“No. No, he didn’t.”
Her father turned to her again. “It’s not just your mom who cries at night.”
She nodded, then leaned closer and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much, Dad.”
“You’re here now.”
Chapter Eight
Annie barely made it to the toilet before she threw up. She held her stomach with both hands, waiting for the churning to pass.
“What the hell is wrong with me?”
It was the third day in a row where she’d been nauseous. Something she ate? But why was it only in the morning?
As she knelt beside the toilet, her eyes widened.
“Oh, dear God…no,” she whispered. “Please no.”
Before that thought could sink in, she vomited again. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then rubbed her forehead. Okay, yes, she was late. Her period should have been last week. Maybe even the week before that, she thought. But the stress of Matt’s death, the funeral, finals, starting a new job as office manager…all of that contributed to her being late. Surely.