Paradise Disguised(17)

"I can't," Mel said. "I'm closing the store tonight, and then I'm going  home and soaking in the hot tub." She had a feeling that Anna wouldn't  be as free as she thought she would later on.

"I guess I'll catch you later," Anna said, heading towards the door. "Chocolate cream pie just became a huge priority."                       
       
           



       

"Understandable," Mel said, waving her out the door.

"Oh, by the way," Anna yelled across the room, "thanks for taking care of any problems on the house."

No problem, Mel thought, tormented. I've only had to spend every day  with Mitchell for the last two weeks. No problem at all. Of course, he  was now on a mission to prove that she wasn't a lesbian, but fortunately  she had a will power of iron and was able to thwart his feeble attempts  at seduction.

Anna made her way through the crowd and back to the sidewalk. It was a  beautiful day, the trees and flowers blooming and the sun shining.

She waved to several people as she headed to Norma's and knew they were  curious about her and Dylan. The speculative glances were grating on her  nerves. Their relationship had turned out to be a car wreck, it was  almost impossible not to watch how the events played out.

She could never pass Norma's without wanting to stop in a buy something.  The glass window in front boasted rows of pies, tarts and cookies, and  Norma's Bakery was painted in discreet gold letters at the bottom of the  window.

She opened the door and welcomed the smell that greeted her. The place  was full at the lunch hour, and there wasn't an open table anywhere in  sight.

"Hi, Norma," Anna said. "Everything looks great today."

"Well, it's fresh like always," she said, her mouth turned down into a permanent scowl.

Anna had no idea how the woman had stayed in business for forty years.  Her disposition wasn't nearly as sweet as the desserts she made.

"I'll take a chocolate cream pie and a dozen double fudge brownies." She  kept a smile glued to her face despite Norma's peevishness.

"You want the whole pie?" Norma asked with a quick glance to Anna's middle.

Anna colored slightly at the insinuation and remembered with clarity  that Norma might have reason to suspect. How could she be so stupid?  They'd made love countless times without one thought of protection  entering their minds. The smell of the sweets made the bile rise in her  throat, but she choked it down. "Yes. I need the whole pie. Dad wanted  me to pick one up for dessert tonight," she lied easily.

She felt the prickle on the back of her neck moments after silence  descended over the bakery. She was determined not to turn around, sure  that ignorance was bliss in this case. She shifted slightly so she could  see her reflection in the glass cases next to the counter. She gasped  as she saw Dylan behind her, entirely too close for comfort.

"Excuse me, Norma," Anna said. "I'm going to use the restroom. Go ahead  and charge it to the store's account and box them up for me." Businesses  all over town still worked on a credit system, just the way it had  always been since the town's creation.

Anna kept her gaze straight ahead, never acknowledging Dylan's  appearance, and headed towards the bathroom at top speed, praying that  he'd be gone when she came out. She turned the handle and felt a hand at  the small of her back, nudging her none so gently.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she turned and tried to push Dylan  out of the bathroom. "Are you out of your mind? Is there not enough  gossip about the two of us to satisfy you?"

"I believe the only person to blame for gossip is yourself sweetheart,"  he said, lifting her across the threshold and shutting the bathroom  door.

The last thing Anna saw were dozens of faces in complete shock, the gasp  that went through the crowd deafening in her ears. Couples just did not  go into restrooms together. She hadn't been back in Paradise an hour  and already the gossip mill had ammunition.

"I'll never be able to show my face in this town again," she cried. "Are you happy now?"

"I haven't been happy in two weeks. Where the hell did you run of to?"  He hadn't meant to sound so desperate. Angry and irritated, yes, but not  desperate.

"I had to go," Anna said, tired of the turmoil she felt in the pit of  her stomach every time he was near. "I'm not cut out for this, Dylan. I  thought I could be brave and do something I missed out on for the past  several years, but I can't. I'm not built for relationships, or I guess  more aptly, one night stands. They just aren't for me, and Lord knows  that you definitely aren't built for relationships." She laid her head  down on his chest in defeat.

"Are you finished?" he asked, tracing his finger over her lips to quiet  her protests. "I think there's more to you than you give yourself credit  for. I think there's more to both of us."

"I don't know what you mean." She'd given up the pretense of trying to  push him away and melted into his arms. He was massaging her scalp with  one hand and rubbing her lower back with the other, both soothing  gestures.                       
       
           



       

"I mean that I think we should start over and go in a different  direction. Why don't I take you to dinner tonight? You can wear  something sexy and I'll even put on a tie."

"Does starting over in a new direction mean no sex?"

"Hell no, but I would have grudgingly gone along with the idea if you'd wanted me to."

"I guess I could go on a date with you," she said, running her palms  over his chest. "I just want you to understand that I'm trying to  protect myself. I could fall in love with you if I'm not careful."

Anna lifted up on her toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Oh, and  by the way, I just realized that neither of us used protection the last  time we made love. Chances are I'm not pregnant, but maybe you want to  pick up a box of condoms before our next encounter."

Dylan had paled at her words and then turned an odd shade of green.

"Oh, and for God's sake, don't buy them at Wall's Pharmacy. June Wall  will tell everyone in town just what you bought as soon as you walk out  the door. Did you know the Mayor orders a case of Viagra every six  months?"

Dylan choked at the thought of the little round man that resembled Danny  DeVito, and what he could possibly do with a case of Viagra, but Anna's  previous word's still left him in shock. Pregnant.

Anna nudged Dylan out of the way while he was still speechless. She  lifted her chin high and opened the bathroom door. Not one person had  moved since they'd gone in together, and if she had to guess, several  people had come in after being informed of the situation and decided to  stay around to see what happened.

She gathered her desserts and her courage and left the crowd to gossip  in the bakery. Somehow she had to buy a pregnancy test without everybody  in the whole county finding out.

Dylan headed out at his own pace, unbothered by the stares and whispers,  his mind on what she'd said. Love. Pregnancy. He was afraid, but he  found there was a yearning in him he didn't know he harbored. Things  were moving faster than he wanted, but he didn't have a choice because  he was already in love with Anna Hollis.





Chapter Ten





Ahh. . .Home sweet home.

Anna looked at the Hollis Mansion from the end of the long driveway and  smiled wistfully. It was home and always would be, no matter how long  she was gone.

Cherry trees lined the long driveway and the pink blossoms were blooming  in full glory. Weeping Willows flanked each corner of the house and a  white swing hung from one of the branches. Everything was so green and  pure.

She drove down the long driveway and felt like the princess of the  castle as pink blossoms reigned down on her. Her smile brightened at the  sight of her father as he closed the screen door behind him and waited  for her arrival on the wide, columned front porch, but it dimmed  slightly as she saw his expression. He was not happy to see her from the  looks of things. She'd have to guess by the deep set frown lines that  word had already reached his ears about the bathroom incident. And then  fear gripped her heart. What if someone had seen her walk into the  Walgreens two towns away? She clutched the plastic bag that held the  home pregnancy kit in her hand and then hurriedly shoved it into her  handbag. She was prepared to lie like crazy just in case.

Anna took her time pulling the luggage out of her trunk, stalling the upcoming confrontation as long as possible.

"Hi, Dad," she said, walking past him in hopes that she could make it to her rooms without a confrontation.