3. Penny
3
Penny
T he Cracked Spine sat on the corner of Dahlia Drive and Camellia Court, with its double glass doors painted to look like the covers of an open book. Pushing through those doors gave one a sense of stepping out of reality right into a book, which was exactly what Claire had intended. Just inside the front doors, the foyer walls were covered in vintage handwriting wallpaper. Adding to the ambiance, in a three-dimensional wire tree that looked to be right out of a Tim Burton movie, was perched an iridescent purple Cheshire Cat grinning down out of its bare, claw-like branches.
It always gave Penny such a thrill to step through that transformational passageway into the otherworldliness of the bookstore. Granted, much of her anticipation had to do with seeing Claire again after so long. Penny already had her book wish list out of her purse—she’d been adding to it all year—and she made a beeline for the counter, not allowing herself to look left or right until she’d dropped off her order.
Claire, too, looked forward to Penny’s visit every year, and would practically snatch the list out of her hand just to see what was on it. It would then take Claire some time to gather all the titles, giving Penny the opportunity to wander the delightful little shop and peruse the display racks and wall-to-wall bookshelves to her heart's content.
Today, however, Claire wasn’t in her usual spot near the front door. Instead, a smiling teenager with heavily made-up eyes greeted Penny with a warm, “Hello! Welcome to The Cracked Spine.”
Penny returned the smile and greeting, but when she asked after Claire, Tina, according to her name tag, said she was out of town for a few days. “She’ll be back on Monday, though,” Tina offered brightly.
Disappointed, Penny wasn’t sure whether she should go ahead and give Tina her list or wait for Claire. Several titles on it would need to be ordered, and the sooner those orders got processed, the sooner she’d get them. But she still had several books to read from her visit last year, she reminded herself. She could wait another few days and return with her list when Claire was back.
Tina gave her a quick explanation of the layout of the shop, which genres were where, what the week’s special promotions were, and then left her to roam around on her own. “Just holler if you need anything, okay?”
Penny made a beeline to the back of the shop, then slowly worked her way toward the front, mostly just scoping things out. Claire rearranged things on a regular basis, and every summer, Penny felt a little like she was visiting a brand-new place. She couldn’t resist picking up a few of the titles from her list as she came across them, but she was selective. She didn’t want to ruin the fun for Claire.
Near the front window, on a fancifully decorated table, was a display pyramid of books by an author Penny had never heard of; one Destiny Baudelaire. Romance novels, at least by the look of the covers, and if that wasn’t a pen name, the author was just born lucky.
“Destiny Baudelaire,” Penny murmured under her breath, giving the last name as French an accent as she could muster. She could almost taste the rich and heady essence of it as the name curled over her tongue. She picked up one of the books and said again, “Destiny Baudelaire.”
“Have you read any Destiny Baudelaire?” Tina asked from where she stood at the checkout counter nearby. Penny felt her cheeks grow warm and hoped the girl didn’t think her too crazy, standing there muttering the author’s name over and over.
She set the book back down on the table. “I haven’t. I’ve not heard of her before.”
“Oh, she’s wonderful. She writes the perfect blend of romance and humor. Claire says they’re categorically contemporary romance, but Ms. Baudelaire has a way of finding the humor in even the most mundane bits of life. But she’ll also make you cry, so fair warning.”
Wow. Tina the teenager with her ghoulish black eye makeup spoke with insightful eloquence.
“That sounds right up my alley. I’m a sucker for push-me-pull-you books.” Penny picked up a different title by the same author and flipped it over to read the back cover. “That’s what I call books that make me laugh and cry in equal measures.”
Tina nodded agreeably, her chin-length messy curls bouncing. “Totally.”
Ah. Eloquent, maybe, but still a teenager.
“You should read her,” Tina said with a hint of authority in her voice. “Start with Lace it Up . You can thank me when you come back for the next one in the series.”
Penny laughed out loud at the girl’s confidence in her recommendation. “You’re on. I think I will.”
“She’s one of Claire’s new favorites,” Tina added. “She can’t get enough of Destiny Baudelaire.”
“All the more reason for me to read her.” Penny’s curiosity about the author grew with each passing moment.
“Yeah, well, if Claire were here, you wouldn’t have been able to leave without at least one of those books. My boss practically forces one on every single person who comes through that door.”
Penny set her short stack of books down on the counter in front of Tina. “Sold,” she said, tapping Lace it Up where it sat on the top of the stack. “I hope Claire knows how lucky she is to have you on board.”
“Thank you,” Tina returned politely, her cheeks turning pink at the compliment. “I’m lucky to be on board. I love this job.”
Penny paid for her books, then headed around the corner to Juniper’s Coffee Bar. It was just before noon, so not too early for lunch. She could use an iced coffee and one of Juno’s braised beef and roasted pepper sandwiches. She’d visit with Juno at the counter while she ate her sandwich, then curl up in one of the squishy armchairs at the back of the café and dive right into Destiny Baudelaire’s book. Wouldn’t Claire be surprised when she showed up already having read it?
“Penelope Anderson!” Juno’s rich, melodic voice rose above the clinking of dishes and whirring of espresso machines as she called out a greeting the moment Penny set foot inside the bar. “Get over here, woman, and let me kiss your face.”
Penny did just as she was told, her relief at finally seeing someone she knew far greater than she’d have expected. She plopped her pretty paper bag of books and purse on the bar, then turned to give the proprietress a tight hug. The familiar earthy fragrance of Juno’s cornrows—like cocoa butter and coconut oil and a hint of tangerine—brought with it a rush of emotions, and Penny clung to her a little longer than necessary.
When she stepped back, Juno cupped Penny’s face in her hands. She studied her for a long moment, then kissed her on both cheeks. “You doing all right, hon?”
Penny nodded and dropped onto a barstool before she responded. “I’m just so glad to be back at the lake,” she said. “I’ve missed this place so much.”
Juno ducked back around the counter and washed her hands before picking up the knife she’d been using to slice fresh strawberries behind the bar. “How’s Hazel this morning?”
“I haven’t seen her yet,” Penny said, sounding more disgruntled than she actually felt. She hadn’t given much more thought to Ward and Alex, at least not once she got distracted by all the treasures at Claire’s bookstore. But now that the conversation had so abruptly circled around to them, Penny couldn’t get the image out of her mind of the two of them hauling her luggage off Hazel’s front porch. “There was a construction crew doing some work at her place this morning. I guess Hazel was out running errands or something.”
“A construction crew?” Juno continued slicing the fruit into a large container, but she eyed Penny curiously. “I thought she had Ward St. James over there working for her.”
“Ward. Yes. That was one of the guys’ names. The other was Alex.”
Juno’s fingers stilled just for a moment, and if Penny hadn’t been watching her skilled hands at work, she might have missed it. “Alex Frampton?”
“I don’t know. They only told me their first names. The Alex guy is big. I mean, really big.”
“Everyone is big to you, honey,” Juno teased her, and for some reason, it didn’t bother Penny at all coming from her.
“Like several inches over six feet. Longish hair. Really great smile and pretty eyes with laugh crinkles.” Penny made a sweeping gesture with her fingers at the corners of her own eyes. Ward hadn’t offered her even a hint of a smile, so she had no idea if he even had any laugh lines.
“Baseball cap?” Juno asked, an odd look in her eye.
“Backwards. Yes.”
Juno lifted her knife to point at Penny. “You watch out for that one, Miss Penny. He’ll take your feet right out from under you before you even know he’s heading your way. That smile of his could charm a cat out of its cream.”
Penny nodded slowly, studying her friend a little more closely. There was a twinge of something more than just a friendly tip in her voice. Was she talking from firsthand experience? “Gotcha,” she said. “Thanks for the warning.”
“And speaking of cream,” Juno said, adroitly changing the subject. “What will you be having today? Your regular iced coffee with cinnamon cream?”
“Please. And one of your beef and pepper sandwiches, too. I’ve been craving that thing for the last week while packing and closing up the condo for the summer.”
“You know just what to say to make a girl smile,” Juno said. “I’ll make your sandwich myself, just for that.” She handed off the coffee order to a young man named Tyler who was already working the espresso machine like a pro. Then turned to help another customer who’d just stepped up to the bar.
Penny turned on her stool to look around, surprised to see how crowded the café had suddenly become. The lunch crowd, of course. She should have come at a time when it wasn’t so busy, especially if she hoped to visit with her friend a little. One of the overstuffed armchairs in the back corner was empty. If she didn’t act fast, it wouldn’t last. “Hey, Juno,” she said, catching her friend’s attention before she could take yet another customer’s order. “I’m going to snag that chair and read for a bit. You do your thing—we can catch up later.”
Juno nodded. “Sure. I’ll bring your sandwich and coffee to you shortly.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Penny saw a woman enter the café and shoot a quick glance over at the vacant chair before heading to the counter to place her order. Penny snatched up her things and made a beeline for it, dropping into the chair before chancing another look at the customer who had obviously hoped to land the spot for herself. But the woman had taken Penny’s vacated bar stool and seemed perfectly content, which made Penny feel quite a bit better about snagging the chair the way she had.
An hour later, her stomach full and her mind buzzing happily with the effects of the caffeine and Destiny Baudelaire’s brilliant storytelling, Penny happened to glance up over the top of her book toward the door to find none other than Ward St. James pushing through it.
“What is he doing here?” she muttered under her breath. She narrowed her eyes at his back as he made his way to the counter. Had Alex told him she’d be here?
But that was silly. Ward had certainly made it clear that he had no desire to be anywhere near her.
Wait. Did him being here mean that Hazel was back from her morning outing? “Does this mean that I’m allowed to go home now?” One of the teenagers at a nearby table glanced over at her with a wary expression, and Penny realized she’d asked the question a little too loud. She smiled brightly, hoping to relay to the girl that she wasn’t crazy. Not really.
Ward greeted Juno with a wave and settled onto one of the stools at the bar. They chatted briefly, then, to Penny’s horror, Juno pointed in her direction, and Ward turned to look over his shoulder at her. It was all Penny could do not to duck behind her book. She held her head high, though, and when he did that chin thrust thing at her by way of greeting, she pressed her lips together in a grim line. Did he have any idea how antisocial jerking one’s chin at people was? And without even a hint of a smile? She wasn’t his bro, after all. Giving him a taste of his own medicine, she mimicked the motion back at him, not cracking a smile, either.
Even from all the way across the room, she saw his prominent eyebrows hitch up in surprise, then furrow in question. Clearly, if his bouncing brows were any indication, he’d expected a different response from her.
A fluttery-fingered wave? A giggly coo? Ha.
Penny shifted in her chair so that she was sitting sideways, no longer facing the bar, one leg bent under her. She all but hung up a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign, just in case Mr. St. James got any notion in his head that she was interested in his attention. She wasn’t.
She skimmed the open pages of the book on her lap to find her place. Reaching for her near-empty cup of coffee, she took a slurpy sip through the straw and picked up the story of Ewan Hunter and Wendy Brandt where she’d left them. They’d just had their first real argument, and the two of them were now cautiously circling each other in the book, heated emotions held in check for fear of getting hurt. She was less than a third of the way in and already deeply invested in the couple’s bumpy journey toward happily-ever-after.
A few pages later, the sound of a throat clearing nearby drew her attention away from a rather tender and hopeful scene between Ewan and Wendy. “Uh, Penny?”
So engrossed had she been in her book, she hadn’t heard him approach. She turned to look up at Ward, who stood far too close for comfort. At least for her comfort. She caught a whiff of a pleasantly male scent made up of fresh cut wood and soap or aftershave. She ducked her head, hoping he hadn’t seen her nostrils flare, then looked back up again. Apparently, he was perfectly at ease with the close proximity. She sat up a little straighter in her chair. “Yes?”
He held out a plastic cup toward her. “Juno said you like your coffee cold. With cream.”
For a moment that seemed to last far longer than moments were supposed to last, Penny sat frozen, just staring at the proffered drink. Finally, she stammered, “You—you got me a coffee?”
“No. No. It’s from Juno,” he said, his voice gruff. “Not from me. I’m just delivering it for her.”
Penny cringed inwardly at his adamant clarification. Why did his words bother her so much? Of course, the coffee wasn’t from him. Why on earth would he do something so nice?
“You work for Juno now?” she asked, hoping her flippant tone would mask the mixed emotions behind her thoughts. She reached up to take the coffee from him. “Thank you. And tell Juno thank you for me, too.” Then she turned back to her book, not waiting for a response from him.
But when he remained there, not speaking, she lifted her gaze to meet his, lifting the cold drink between them. “What? Am I supposed to tip you for this?” Ugh. She was being so rude. What was it about this guy that brought out the aggressor in her?
“No,” he said, drawing the word out in a long-suffering tone. “I brought it as a peace offering.”
“But it’s from Juno. You don’t get to take credit where credit isn’t due.” She lifted the cup to her lips and took a slow swig of the smoky, creamy cold brew. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to close her eyes and moan at the decadence of it. That first sip of one of Juno’s coffee concoctions always had that effect on Penny.
“Right,” Ward said, his brusque tone shaking her out of her momentary bliss. He gave her another one of those dumb chin nods. “You’re right.”
She waited for him to continue. Did he want her to argue with him?
“So, yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Just wanted to let you know that Hazel is home now.”
She set her drink on the little occasional table beside her, wondering where he was going with this rather awkward conversation. When he remained silent, she narrowed her eyes up at him. “Does that mean I’m allowed to go back there now? Did you come find me here just to tell me that?”
His lips pressed together in a thin line, and Penny wanted to snap at him, tell him to spit it out, whatever it was he came to say. He squared his shoulders and said, “I was rude this morning.”
Penny’s eyes widened, surprised he’d admit his bad behavior, but also wondering if he was actually apologizing, or just stating a fact. She waited, wondering what would come next.
“Hazel was not happy with me for sending you away.”
“I can only imagine,” Penny muttered, having surmised as much would be true, once the woman heard the story. Should she give the guy a break and assume the best about him, that he’d been having, as his buddy had insisted, a bad day? “Look, I did try calling Hazel about me coming early—”
Ward spoke at the exact same time. “You shouldn’t walk up behind a guy using power tools, not without some kind of warning, at least. It’s dangerous, you know.”
She clamped her mouth shut as his words sunk in. He was going to blame her for his bad behavior? Wow. She straightened in her seat, then made a show of checking the time on a nonexistent watch on her wrist. “Oh, hey. Look at the time. I’d better get going.” She tucked a clean napkin into the book to mark her place, then slipped it into the paper bag with her other new books and stood. “I have someplace I was supposed to be hours ago.” She put as much edge in that last sentence as she could rally, and the jab had its intended effect; the guy stepped back like she’d thrust a dagger at him.
“I was working with a saw,” Ward said, bracing his feet a little wider and crossing his arms. Was he going to try and stop her from leaving? “You surprised me.”
“Really? I hadn’t caught that,” she retorted. “What with that cute little man-scream you let out. I thought maybe you were just singing.”
“I didn’t scream. Man-scream. Whatever.”
Penny’s eyebrows shot up as high as they could go. “You didn’t?” The sound of his shriek still rang in her head, and suddenly, she had to press her lips together to hold back a chortle. It was clearly not the opportune time to laugh at him. “Okay. Well, I gotta go.” She snatched up her coffee from the table and held it up toward him. “Thanks for delivering this.”
With that, she brushed past him and headed to the bar. She didn’t see Juno, so she called out to Tyler, “Best coffee I’ve ever had,” she told him. “Every time, without fail.”
Tyler beamed at her, and she shoved a few dollars into the tip jar at the counter before heading out the door.
She only allowed herself to glance back toward the shop when she was seated behind the wheel of her car. Ward still stood beside the empty chair where she’d been camped out, but now he faced the window. Yep. Watching her. Their eyes met for one brief, jolting moment, then she turned her attention to the downtown bustle and eased out onto the street.