Loving You: A Cowboy Romance (Texas Hill Country Romance Book 1) (30 page)

Two months later, Annie settled into her own place in a townhouse in the 7
th
Arrondissement area. She was adjusting to Parisian life, well, as best she could.

She lived with her mom, Maria and her mom’s husband, Adrien Morell for the first two months, and though her mom didn’t like the idea of her moving out on her own, she knew her daughter needed her own space.

When she stepped off the plane, her mother was distraught over her daughter’s well being, and in the two months nothing had changed. In fact, Annie lost weight. Her clothes were hanging on her. Her hair was not as shiny as when she stepped off the plane. Her fingernails were always chewed down, but what frightened her mother the most were her eyes. Annie’s eyes were always vacant and she always had the saddest expression on her face. Nothing she did could snap her daughter out of it not even spending time with her sister and her sister’s family did anything to lift her mood. She would pretend all was well in front of her niece and nephew but once they were out of the room, her sadness would envelop her once more.

Annie kept her promise and called Calista and gave her, her mom’s address and phone number as soon as she got there, and spoke with her a few times after that. Calista gave up information to Annie about Cord, freely. Annie wanted to say she didn’t want to know but that would have been a lie.

Calista told Annie that Cord rejected Lisa but said he would take care of his child. She also said that she never sees him anymore. He doesn’t come around at all. Jake still sees him, but only at the ranch when he would work with him training horses, and once in a while he would go to the house to check up on him and coax him to come out with him and Jennie, to no avail. He missed his friend.

When Calista asks Jake about him, Jake would shake his head. He told her that Cord lost a lot of weight and all he does is work.

Annie’s mother set her up with a very handsome, well to do young man. Annie fought it for a while but gave in just to get her mother off her back. She agreed to one date and it didn’t even last the night. He made a crude comment and she upped and left.

Her mother’s husband had been very sweet, too. He was well off and he bought a bakery for her to run. However, she had no head to run anything let alone a business. All she wanted to do was mindlessly bake so he brought in an old friend to run the business while Annie showed up every day to bake.

The bakery was a success. Everyone loved her baked goods and the bakery was always crowded.

Annie’s mom knew her daughter’s sadness was over a boy she met in the States. She also knew that Annie loved him and how he broke her heart, but she told Annie that in time she will get over it. Guess she needs more time.

Annie was in the kitchen of the bakery at the end of the day, leaning against the counter, eating a nectarine. There were no more customers and Theresa, the young sales girl who worked the counter, had been wiping the counters down.

The bell over the door rang, indicating someone walking in. Annie rolled her eyes.
Don’t these people stop? How many sweets can they eat and not get fat, geez.

“Bonjour.” She heard Theresa say.

“Annie, there’s someone here to see you,” Came Theresa’s voice from out front a moment later.

Annie rolled her eyes again. She knew it was Jean Luc coming to try to get her to go out with him again. That man won’t take no for an answer. He showed up almost every day for the past week at that time. Annie had to concede that he was a nice guy and very good looking and maybe another time, another place, things would be different but she was just not interested.

“Annie?” Theresa called again.

Annie stormed out with the nectarine in her hand, ready to take a bite. Her hair was in a loose ponytail with strands loosely falling out and her white baker’s jacket was covered with chocolate frosting.

“Jean Luc, I’m really not interest-” she froze. Standing there was not Jean Luc. This man had on black jeans, a tight black T-shirt, black cowboy boots and a black Stetson. Cord McCreedy was standing there, in her bakery, in Paris.

She stood there with her mouth opened and the nectarine frozen just at the point of biting down. Tears began to stream down her cheeks.

“Still eating fruit, huh?” Cord said smiling. It wasn’t a bright smile.

Annie removed the nectarine and tossed it in the garbage can near her, behind the counter. She moved slowly out from behind the counter without taking her eyes off of him.

“Cord?”

“Yeah, baby,” he said softly as he opened his arms, and she walked into his embrace.

He wrapped his arms around her and he felt her body tremble. She was crying.

He held her tight to him. He couldn’t let her go. For one, she felt so good in his arms and two; he didn’t want her to see the tears that were trying to escape his eyes. He kept his hat down so the girl behind the counter, who kept staring at him, would not see his watery eyes either.

After a while they pulled apart.

“What are you doing here?” Annie asked bewildered.

“I came to ask you to dinner,” he said in that sexy drawl of his.

“You came to ask me to dinner?”

“Yes.”

“You came to Paris to ask me out to dinner?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? So is that a yes or a no?” he asked, suddenly unsure of himself.

She stepped back out of his embrace and his shoulders sunk a little.

“Okay,” she said and he slowly smiled.

“You ready to go?”

“Now?”

“Why not?”

“Um,” she said as she scanned her baker’s jacket. She removed it and Cord took in a breath. He was taken aback at how much weight she lost. He looked to her face and though he thought she was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen, he couldn’t help notice how pale she looked, how dull her eyes looked. She looked like, well, like he did. While he was happy she seemed like she didn’t move on, his heart ached for how bad she fared.

“We can stop at your home if you want to change first.”

“Okay,” she said as she turned to Theresa who had her tongue out of her mouth eyeing Cord.

“Theresa, this is Cord. Cord, this is Theresa,” she said. They both said hello.

“Are we done here?” Annie asked Theresa.

“Yep. All done,” she said as she picked up her sweater and purse.

“Bonsoir,” she said to Annie and Cord.

“Bonsoir,” Annie replied.

Cord nodded and tipped his hat in response and out walked Theresa. Annie went to the door and locked it. She turned around.

“I’ll just be a minute,” she said as she walked past him. He stuck out his hand and grabbed hers. She stopped, took his hand but would not meet his eyes. She kept them trained on their hands. He released her hand and she walked to the back. She took a quick look around and was just about to close the lights when she felt Cord at her back.

“Wow, some kitchen,” he said.

And because he was that close to her, she found it hard to breathe and all she could say was,“Yes.” And it came out so breathlessly. Annie quickly moved a few feet away as if she needed to check something. Then she closed the light and walked past him. He followed her out. She picked up her jacket and he quickly took it and helped her into it. She closed the lights and they walked out the door. She locked it and they walked side by side down the street.

They hopped on the Metro, neither of them saying anything nor touching. She led him through the streets and finally to her townhouse. He paused.

“I’ll wait down here,” he said as she walked up the stairs.

She turned around. “No, come on up. I’ll only be a moment.”

He followed her up.

She left him in the living area as she went into the bedroom. She was frantic with what to wear. She wanted to take a shower. She called to him.

“How hungry are you? Would you mind if I take a quick shower?”

“No, go ahead,” he said.

She quickly ran to the doorway. “Oh, I don’t have any beer, but help yourself with whatever’s in there. I’m not even sure what’s there, mom stocked up the other day.”

When Cord heard the water stop, he caught a glimpse of her running in her towel from the bathroom to her bedroom.

“I met your mother earlier today,” he said, talking to her from in the living room.

“You did?”

“Yeah, and her husband. Calista gave me your address, rather her address. I don’t think she knows you moved.”

“No, I haven’t told her yet.”

“Your mom is pretty.”

“Thank you. She is pretty.”

“You look like her.”

“I’ve been told… Oh, thank you.”

“She said I need to feed you or she’d have my hide,” he chuckled.

Twenty minutes later, she walked out of the bedroom. Cord did a double take. She looked stunning. She had on a black mini dress with a wide belt and black high heel boots. Cord grew hard thinking about the thigh high boots she wore once and had to readjust himself which of course she caught him doing.

Her lips curled up knowingly.

He shrugged. “You’re hot,” he simply said.

She wore her hair down, it was longer than he remembered. He liked it and wondered if she would let him run his fingers through it. She was much thinner but she still knew how to wear clothes.

Annie’s cell phone rang. She looked at it.

“It’s my mom. Do you mind?”

“No.”

“Bonsoir, mama.” Her mother encouraged her to speak French all the time.

“Oui, he is here.” She didn’t say she was fluent yet. A couple of Oui’s later she was off the phone.

She took out a long charcoal colored sweater from the hall closet and he reached for it and helped her into it.

He breathed her scent as she lifted her hair. When it came down, he put his fingers through it and she tilted her head back slightly and he thought he heard a small moan escape her mouth.

He wanted to kiss her, to ravage her, to take off her clothes and hop into bed with her and stay there till forever, but he did nothing of that sort. He stepped back and asked, “Ready?”

It took a moment for Annie to answer because her heart was racing with him being so close. She thought he was going to kiss her but he backed off.

He let her pick the restaurant as he was not familiar with the area. She chose Benoit’s. She herself had never been there but heard good things about it.

They made small talk on the way. She pointed out some landmarks, and he told her he was staying at the Pont Royal, and she told him that was not far from her townhouse. She asked how long he was staying. He answered five days, but inside, he said as long as it takes.

Benoit’s was a small charming place and was a little busy, but because it was a little late there were a few tables open. They were seated and handed menus.

She wasn’t that good with French just yet but was able to help him decide on food. The waiter came over and she ordered a Bourdeaux wine. When he came back with the wine and poured their first glass, he was ready for their order. Cord let her order.

“Je suis desole, Je ne parle pas francais bien. Nous aimerions une assiette de fromage de France. e monsieur aura filet de bœuf au sautoir à la bordelaise à la sauce and I’ll have e ragoût de poisson.” She nodded her head indicating she was finished ordering.

“Oui, Mademoiselle,” he said with a smile, pleased that she took the time to order in French knowing she was an American. He smiled and took off to the kitchen making a mental note to treat that couple well. He was going to throw in some fresh vegetables on the house, and if they have coffee and cake, the coffee would also be on the house.

“Impressive,” Cord said. “What did you order?”

“I’m not sure. Guess we’ll be surprised,” she said smiling.

He smiled, too, then poured them a little more wine.

They got quiet. Cord was feeling awkward. He was willing to bet she felt the same way. He watched her and waited for her eyes to find his. When they did, he began.

“I’m not with Lisa, you know,” he said.

“I know.”

“I never will be. You know that, right?” he said.

She paused.

“Annie, you need to know that. I will never be with her.”

Annie nodded her head.

“The baby’s not mine,” he said, and her eyes went wide. He slowly smiled.

“She confessed when she realized I would never be with her. The thing is I was all set to take care of my baby. She didn’t know that though.”

“Did she name the father?”

“Do you remember the two biker dudes that stayed at the Shady Brook a while back?”