Chapter nineteen Penn
Chapter nineteen
Penn
“I can’t believe you’re leaving me,” Mrs. Hansen says for the hundredth time since I gave her my two weeks’ notice last week. After we talked, we agreed today would be my last shift as long as I helped her hire someone to replace me.
“You act like you won’t still see me.”
“It’s hard to find good help, Penn, to find people you can rely on.”
“I know, but it’s time for me to go out on my own.”
She huffs. “Yeah, I knew this day would come sooner or later. You sure I can’t persuade you to stay through the holidays?”
The fact that I still have two more hours left is already making me itchy. “I’m sorry. I have plans and things I need to take care of.”
“You’re still going to help me sit in on interviews for your replacement, right?”
I stare at the pile of applications. “You act like you don’t know every person in that stack, Mrs. Hansen.”
“Not the young ones, and I think that’s what I need. Some teenager that has the energy to do what you did for us.”
How I’ve managed to keep up everything I do for two jobs and my own obligations is beyond me because my age is starting to catch up to me now, especially when I get shitty sleep because my mind won’t turn off.
“Yes, Elizabeth. That is what we agreed to.”
She claps her hands together once. “Just wanted to make sure.”
Once she walks away, I go back to restocking the shelves before moving to the lumber yard out back to unload the delivery we got this morning. As of two hours from now, I’ll only be here to purchase the lumber, never to stack it again. And I can’t fucking wait.
But my life took a turn yesterday I wasn’t expecting, and now the confidence I felt about Astrid and me has been shaken.
She and Brandon were going to get a divorce.
I still can’t fucking believe it, even though last night I spent hours going over memories, trying to pick up on clues as I held Astrid while she slept on me on her couch.
She cried herself to sleep in my arms and when she finally settled, I didn’t have the heart to move her.
Honestly, I didn’t want to. I can’t imagine the weight she felt lifted by finally telling me the truth, the truth I wish she would have had enough confidence in me to confide in me the first place.
Astrid must have been an actress in another life because she was phenomenal at putting on the face of a happily married woman. And Brandon? Well, he was dedicated to his country, to his title as a Marine, and that part of his identity always took precedence, I guess.
She sacrificed for him. She gave him two beautiful kids. And when she wanted something for herself, he didn’t support it. He acted like everything was perfect, though.
If he were here right now, I’d probably punch him in the face.
Which is exactly what Astrid was trying to avoid by not telling me the truth. She didn’t want my memory of him ruined because of the choices he made when he was alive.
Now the question is, what do I do with this information? Because no matter how busy I try to make myself, my mind keeps ruminating over the revelation on repeat.
“Didn’t you hear? The widow moved on with his best friend.” Chatter in one of the aisles catches my attention. I take a few steps from behind the counter to try to hear the conversation better.
“No she didn’t!”
“Well, if I had the chance to be with a man who looked like that, I’d probably take it too,” one of the women says as she and her friend huddle close in front of the painting supplies.
My pulse starts to pick up because if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that the topic of their conversation is Astrid and me. But I might just be assuming.
“Still. She was married to the man, and to pursue his best friend?” Woman number one shakes her head. “That’s just scandalous.”
“I always wondered about them, though. The two of them were always together, and word on the street is they were spotted kissing at the grand reopening of her bakery. I honestly wonder if they’ve been fooling around for years.”
Fury races through me now that I’m certain Astrid and I are their source of entertainment. Clearing my throat, I head down the aisle toward them. “Hello, ladies. Can I help you with anything?”
Woman number two drops the paint sample cards she was holding as woman number one’s eyes go wide, watching me close in on them. “Oh, uh. No. We’re fine.”
“Are you sure? I can answer any questions you may have. You know, I have a lot of knowledge about…paint.” I gesture toward the color selections in front of them, even though I’m sure all three of us know I’m not here to talk about paint.
“No, no. We’re good.” Woman number one grabs her friend by the hand and they head toward the door. “Have a good day, Penn.”
“Yeah, you two,” I mutter as they leave, and then wonder how the hell they knew about the kiss at the bakery and who else might be talking about it.
If those two women had the gall to come into the hardware store and gossip about me while I’m within earshot, that means word around town has already spread, fueling one of Astrid’s biggest concerns about our relationship
—the fear that the kids could find out before we’ve had a chance to talk to them.
I pull out my phone, looking at her text from this morning for the tenth time.
Astrid: Hey. Sorry I fell asleep on you last night. I hope you’re not mad at me. I’m so sorry, Penn. I don’t want this to ruin us. Please come by tonight so we can talk more…
I hadn’t texted her back yet because my mind is a fucking mess.
But now, it seems there are other messes brewing so I contemplate whether I should text her to warn her about the gossip or wait until we have a chance to talk.
The last thing that Astrid needs is more stress added to her plate.
If I can find the source of the rumors before she hears about them, maybe I can put a stop to them.
My phone dings with a text before I can figure out my next move.
Astrid: Oh my God, Penn. Some customers came into the bakery just now asking about us! Apparently, someone’s spreading rumors.
Fuck. Gossip spreads faster than wildfire, I guess.
Me: I know. I just heard two women talking about it in the hardware store.
Astrid: And I’ve had two calls this morning from people cancelling orders saying they didn’t want to support a scandal.
Fuck. This escalated rather quickly.
I type out another response.
Me: It sounds like someone saw us kissing at the reopening.
The dots jump on the screen as I wait for her reply.
Astrid: That son of a bitch!
Fury races through me.
Me: Who, baby?
Astrid: Dick! He saw us, Penn. I saw him looking through the kitchen door, and he said some stuff to me afterward…
My teeth grind together. That fucking twat-waffle. I knew he was a fucking slimeball. He never had a chance with Astrid in the first place, but apparently his ego can’t stand the fact that she chose me instead of him.
Me: I’ll take care of it.
Astrid: What are you going to do?
But I don’t have time to text her back before Elizabeth reminds me of the lumber delivery that needs to be unloaded.
My phone dings a few more times while I’m working, but by the time I’ve seen Astrid’s messages pleading with me to leave it alone, my mind is already made up.
That Dick is going to get a piece of my mind once and for all. And he’d better pray he still has use of his dick by the time I’m through with him.
***
“You know, you should pay more attention to where you’re walking.”
Dick shrieks as his phone jumps from his hands, landing on the ground with a thud.
Good. I hope his screen is fucking cracked. Asshole deserves it.
“What the hell are you doing here, Penn?” His eyes dart around the empty parking lot, quickly realizing that we’re all alone.
“You honestly don’t know?” I ask, pushing off the car, uncrossing my arms, and walking up to him, watching his head crane back on his neck as he stares up at me.
His throat bobs as he swallows hard. “No.”
“I didn’t take you for an idiot, Dick.”
I watch his eyes narrow and then his jaw clench. “Don’t call me that.”
“I’ll call you what I see fit, asshole.”
“There are cameras everywhere, Penn.” He smirks. “You’d be a fool to try something you might regret.”
My control snaps as I grip him by the collar of his shirt and press him up against his car, his eyes full of fear as I hover over him.
“I don’t give a shit who sees what I’m about to do to you.
” He grimaces as I slam him into the car again.
“Lucky for you, I don’t have time to get locked up today.
I’ll just tell you this one time, Dick. Keep Astrid’s name out of your fucking mouth for the rest of your existence. ”
He turns his head away from me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I slam him into the car again. “Don’t play dumb, Dick. You know exactly what I mean. This is a small town and gossip spreads like herpes—once it starts, it just keeps burning and everyone ends up catching it.”
“Sounds like you have some experience with herpes. Does Astrid know that?”
This time I rear back and punch him in the face. “I said don’t fucking talk about her!”
He stumbles backward and, when he lifts his head again, blood is streaming from his nose. “I swear, I don’t know what she sees in you,” he mutters.
“And that’s just it. You don’t have to understand it. But you do have to accept that I’m the one she chose. And if you can’t, and you keep running your mouth about us, this won’t be the last time my fist meets your face.” He glares at me, hunched over. “Have I made myself clear?”
He nods. “Crystal.”
“Good. And in case you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought, stay the fuck out of the bakery too.
I don’t give a shit what you say about me, but when you start fucking with Astrid’s livelihood, that’s where I draw the line.
Astrid doesn’t need your money and I don’t need the temptation to punch you again. ”