17. Penny
17
Penny
S he’d stood her ground. She hadn’t given in to the pull of him, to the need that had nearly overpowered her. And now, because she’d been strong when it mattered, she could be weak when no one would know. Her stomach hurt from being tied up in knots all evening long, and her fingers seemed to tingle every time she thought about how they felt intertwined with his.
Penny drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees as she lay on her side, gazing out at a sky washed clean of the murky clouds that had hung like a shroud around them most of the evening. The weather hadn’t dampened their spirits, though, and in spite of her sticking to her side of the table—for the most part—they’d had a wonderful evening together.
It was Ward who ended the evening with an apology, explaining that he had a full schedule that was starting earlier than usual because of the pontoon repair he’d not been able to finish that afternoon. Hazel hadn’t made it back by then, and she walked with Ward to his parents’ house so she could escort the woman and her dogs home.
They arrived at the walkway leading up to the front porch just as Hazel stepped outside, and the poor pups who’d been waiting so patiently for her didn’t know who to go to first. They just zigzagged back and forth between Penny and Hazel, who both showered them with pets and scratches and “Good dogs.”
“I was going to pull the golf cart out,” Ward’s father said. He’d come out right behind Hazel. “Why don’t you take the ladies home instead, Ward?”
So Ward had helped them into the cart, along with all three of the dogs, including Murtagh, who wasn’t so sure about the whole endeavor, and wheeled them back down the lane to the guesthouse. He waited until they were inside, then headed back out into the night.
Penny hadn’t stayed downstairs for very long. Hazel had seemed more tired than usual, and Penny had a few things she wanted to think about without feeling guilty. They’d said their goodnights and then headed to their respective rooms.
Ward had told her about the Tuesday Night Catfish Special at The Old Mill and that he’d be joining his dad there for dinner. “Mom looks forward to Tuesday nights all week long,” he’d said wryly. “She gets the house to herself for a few hours with us guys out of the way. She can eat whatever she wants, do whatever she wants, and watch whatever she wants. Although, I think she and Dad like the same stuff these days.”
“Don’t tell me,” Penny had teased. “He’s a Hallmark Channel junkie.”
The look on Ward’s face had been priceless. “How did you know? Did my mom tell you?”
Penny had laughed out loud. “I was just kidding. Are you serious?”
“He just gave me a lecture on why and how much he likes them, and how he thinks I should start watching them. So I can learn something. About women. Yes, I’m serious,” Ward declared.
What was it about Ward St. James that made her want to break all her rules just this once? Was it the knowledge that this might be her last time here for the foreseeable future that was making her want to push against the self-imposed restraints? And that he wasn’t sticking around here, either?
A summer fling was looking better and better to her.
She sighed and stretched and rolled onto her back to stare up at the ceiling, wishing she could turn off her thoughts the way she did the light. Just flip a switch, and voilà!
But she’d see him Wednesday morning here at the guesthouse when their club met in the garden. “I’m kind of glad you all will be here,” he’d told her. “Sounds like Alex might be able to get a few hours off to help me, but he may not get here until after I get started, and I don't like working on a roof without someone else around, just in case.”
Penny didn't want to even think about what 'just in case' meant.
On the one hand, Wednesday could hardly come soon enough for Penny. She’d see Ward again. She’d speak with Ward again. She’d look into his eyes and imagine kissing him. Again. Yes, she’d already imagined kissing him a zillion times since that insane moment of weakness on her part. “It’s not the same as actually kissing him,” she murmured defensively.
Another part of her worried that the girls, Juno in particular, would take one look at her and know that she was in trouble. She could just hear Juno’s clucking tongue. She could just see assumptions in Claire’s twinkling gaze. She’d never pull off casual if Ward was anywhere in the vicinity.
W ednesday morning showed up drenched in summer sunshine, with temperatures skyrocketing to somewhere between ninety degrees Fahrenheit and face-melting hot by ten o’clock in the morning. So the women of The Garden Variety Lovers Club ended up holding their first meeting in Hazel’s kitchen where they could still look out the breakfast nook window at the garden. Penny had spent time out there daily since the weekend, clearing handfuls of weeds one section at a time, and it looked noticeably better to her. Candy had come by on Tuesday to talk about the website, and the two of them had taken advantage of the much nicer temperatures and had cleaned up the espaliered apple and pear trees along the south wall. Thanks to Google, between the two of them, they’d also figured out how to lightly prune the trees, even though it wasn’t really the right time to do it, and they’d removed the worst of the water shoots that would only use up energy the trees needed to put into the fruit that would be ready to harvest in the early fall.
Other than Candy, none of the others had seen the state of Hazel’s garden before Penny started cleaning it up, and she could tell by their careful expressions that they were struggling to be impressed by the hours she’d put in. Admittedly, it still looked like a jungle out there. “See that section over there?” Penny pointed out beyond the stone wall where she’d not even had a chance to explore yet. “That’s what the whole thing looked like last week.”
Juno shook her head. “It’s been ages since I’ve been out here. This is not Hazel’s garden, people.”
Claire shook her head solemnly, but she said nothing.
Although Addison had met Hazel on multiple occasions crossing paths in town, she’d never even been out to The Garden Gate at all. “I think it’s beautiful,” she said, her eyes devouring the view out the windows. “Everything about this place is beautiful.”
“Well, thank you,” Hazel said, sweeping into the kitchen, her dogs trailing behind her. “I’m so sorry it didn’t work for you to meet outside, but it’s nice and cool in here, isn’t it?” She went to the fridge and pulled open the door. “Don’t mind me. I’ll be out of your hair in a heartbeat.”
“Why don’t you join us?” Juno asked, patting the empty chair beside her at the breakfast bar. Penny and the others shot her questioning looks that Juno ignored.
Hazel turned back around, a quart of cream in her hand. “Oh, I don’t want to intrude.”
Penny then saw what Juno must have. Hazel wanted nothing more than to be a part of what was going on in her kitchen; it was written all over her face.
“Delilah wants to stay, don’t you, pretty girl?” Penny asked, leaning down to scoop up the fat little dog. They both grunted with the effort.
“Well, if you insist,” Hazel said, a twinkle in her eyes. “I don’t have any of your foofy coffee, Juno dear, but I can certainly brew up a nice French roast for all of you. I have cream. And a frother!” She snatched the little battery-powered whisk off the counter and held it up victoriously.
It didn’t take long for Hazel to start asking questions that told Penny she might be on to them. “Why is it that you all want to meet in my garden, girls? It’s a mess. There are so many better places to gather. My front porch seems a better option than that jungle out there if you’re insisting on being outside, weather permitting.”
After a taut moment of silence, Juno spoke up. “Penny said no one was using it. She told us she was planning on spending some time out there cleaning it up, and we thought you might consider letting us use the space for free if we pitched in and helped her.”
Hazel narrowed her eyes at Penny. “Is this your way of coercing your friends into doing my dirty work around here?” She said it with a note of levity, but Penny’s pulse ratcheted up at the way her hostess was studying her.
Claire must have sensed the mounting awkwardness, too. She got to her feet and grabbed the coffee carafe off the counter, then returned to the table with it. “Refills, anyone? And Penny, I keep forgetting to ask. What’s going on with you and Ward these days? How did dinner go last Friday?”
That got Hazel’s focus off of her for the time being as she answered in Penny’s stead. “You haven’t heard?” Hazel asked, a mischievous grin on her face. “Ward and Penny are engaged. His parents already paid the bride price, right, Sweet Pea?”
“Hazel!” Penny snort-laughed, caught off guard by the woman’s saucy response. “This is how rumors start, you crazy woman.”
“Oooh. Give us the deets, girl,” Juno demanded, leaning forward at the breakfast bar, elbows on the counter, her chin resting on her hands. “How much did you get for her, Hazel?”
Penny explained the ridiculous scene that had turned into a standing joke with her and Ward. Between her and Hazel, they relayed the evening’s events to the other women, who all oohed and aahed at the right moments.
“Then on Saturday,” Penny began, then paused for dramatic effect, wiggling her eyebrows up and down suggestively.
“On Saturday?” Claire prompted. “What happened on Saturday?”
“She was out on the lake on the back of his jet ski,” Juno supplied. “Holding on so tightly to him that people had to look twice to see that it was two people and not one. It was the four legs that gave them away.”
“You guys are the worst,” Penny complained, but she was chuckling right along with them.
“They had a picnic on the porch on Monday night, too,” Hazel said, elbowing Penny to keep talking. “Has he kissed you yet, Sweet Pea?”
“No!” Penny knew she was blushing furiously now. “Although…” She paused for dramatic effect again.
“Although what?” Juno asked, leaning forward, her face aglow with questions.
“Although there was a moment or two when I thought the potential was there for it to happen.” The words came shooting out of her mouth.
“So?” Addison turned to Penny and asked, “Does this mean you’re going to think about moving to Autumn Lake permanently? Now that there’s a guy in the picture?”
“What? No.” Penny shook her head. “You guys. No. It’s not like that, okay?” Growing serious, she said, “I would love nothing more than to move here, to call this place home. Part of me already does.” She met Hazel’s eyes. “It always feels like coming home when I pull into your driveway, Hazel.”
“I know, Sweet Pea. I feel the same way when you show up. ‘She’s home!’ I always say. Ask my dogs. They’ll tell you it’s true.”
“But my mom needs me, and because she needs me, I need the job I have, and we need to be where I can get help with her. The daycare she goes to while I work is paid for by her insurance, and it’s only a couple of blocks from the school. And of course, my aunt and uncle are there, too. An hour away, but accessible if I need them for an emergency. So for now, until she is in a place where I can no longer care for her, moving here is not an option.”
“Does that mean that there will come a day when it is an option?” Liz asked the question in her usual direct approach.
Penny nodded slowly. “It’s my dream.”
“And speaking of dreams…” Claire said, letting the word linger. “Or shall I say ‘dreamboats?’ When are you seeing Ward again?”
Penny put both hands to her cheeks. She hadn’t been able to stop smiling for more than a minute or two for the last several days. “Well, it’s not exactly ‘seeing him’, but he’s supposed to be here working today.”
“Hey, ladies.” And there he was, coming through the kitchen side door. His gaze locked on her, and his smile kicked up a notch. “Miss Penelope.”
“Oh, Ward,” Hazel began, gesturing toward the window. “It’s hot enough to scald a lizard out there. I can’t let you get up on the roof.”
“I’ll be fine, Hazel,” Ward assured her. “Alex will be here shortly, too. We’ll get it done in no time with the two of us on the job.”
“Alex is coming? Here?” It was Claire who asked, but she sent a sidelong look at Juno.
“In about ten minutes,” Ward clarified. To Hazel, he said, “I need your keys to the side door of the garage. I left some tools in there.”
Hazel pulled a collection of keys off a row of hooks near the door, separated the requested key, and handed it to Ward. “Please take breaks,” she instructed, not letting go of the key until he promised to do as she said. “Come inside to the cool air and drink lots of water. I’ll be watching you.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Like a crazy old lady.”
“We’ll be watching you, too,” Claire echoed, as he turned to leave. She raised her voice a little louder as he pushed the door open. “Especially Penny here.”
“Claire Maitland!” Penny hissed, but then paused when she heard Ward’s response just before the door shut behind him.
“We’ll be sure and put on a good show for you all.”
Juno chuckled, shaking her head. “I don’t know how you’re going to hold out, girl. That was some sizzling electricity sparking between you two, that’s for sure.”
Penny sighed and scrunched up her nose. “I know,” she groaned, covering her face with her hands. “I know,” she repeated. “What am I going to do?”
“Sounds like you’re going to have to kiss him,” Hazel quipped. “Get him out of your system. And then tell us all about it.”
“Please don’t.” Liz shook her head. “I mean, you can kiss him. I give you my blessing there. But don’t tell us about it. Or at least wait to gush about it until I take a bathroom break. It’s been way too long since I had my lips on anyone else’s, and although I won’t begrudge you getting a little action, I don’t need to hear about it. My ovaries will start aching and all that.”
The conversation moved to comparing stories about past romantic escapades, and pretty soon, it was time for Juno, Claire, and Liz to head back to work. Addison had the day off, and she and Candy had a mani-pedi date, followed by an afternoon of playing tourist down on the boardwalk.
“Want to meet us there?” Addison asked, already familiar with Penny’s aversion to pedicures.
“Or come with us for our mani-pedis,” Candy suggested. “Both of you. You come too, Hazel.”
“I don’t do pedicures,” Penny said. “I just can’t handle anyone touching my feet. But I might do a little shopping with you later in the day. Call me when you get there?”
Hazel turned down the invitation, too, claiming she had things that needed her attention around the house.
With everyone gone, Hazel turned to Penny. “Will you do me a favor and go check on the boys out there, Sweet Pea? They should have come in for a break by now.” She went to the fridge and pulled out a plastic container of cut up fruit left over from the supper they’d had last night. “Here. Take this and a couple of forks and plates. Make them eat some, you hear?”
Penny didn’t even bother arguing. She headed out the side door through the garden, gasping at the wave of heat that hit her the moment she stepped out of the shade cast by the trees close to the house.
“Hey, there, little lady,” Alex called to her from where he stood with his feet braced wide, holding an extension ladder steady for Ward as he climbed down from the roof.
Ward paused at Alex’s greeting and looked over his shoulder at Penny. He cracked up when she scrunched up her nose in distaste.
“What?” Alex asked, glancing back and forth between them. “You two got secrets already?”
“You might want to come up with some other cute little name to call Penny,” Ward suggested nonchalantly, once his feet were both on terra firma. He emphasized the words ‘cute’ and ‘little’ and sent her a mischievous grin.
“Really?” Alex asked, clearly bemused. “Does ‘little lady’ bother you? I’m sorry—I meant no offense, okay?”
Penny waved off his apology. “It’s fine, Alex. It’s just that I already know I’m way too short, you know?”
“You are not too short, Penny,” Alex declared, surprising her with his adamance. “Who told you that?”
Penny shrugged. “Boys at school. Girls at school. The gym teacher who made teams pick me but never made them give me a chance to actually hold the basketball. Not that I could ever have made the shot, but still. Or just the teachers when they lined us up for every single picture or event.” She made her voice higher pitched and waved a hand at Alex as if beckoning him to come closer. “Up here, Penny. The short kids down front.”
“Okay.” Alex drew the word out as he pondered her point. He propped one hand on the ladder and studied her. “I see what you mean. But honestly, I don’t think of you as diminished in any way, just because you’re shorter than I am. Your stature on the outside may not be like mine, but if I’m only looking at what you are on the outside, then that says more about me than it does about you, right?” He shrugged his very large shoulders. “I say embrace it, Penny. I like you just the way you are.” He flashed her his charming, boy-next-door grin, the one that Juno had warned her about. “In fact, I think you’d look weird if you were tall.”
A pleasant warmth settled in her chest, and it had nothing to do with the blazing sun. She smiled sweetly at Alex, having gained a whole new perspective on the guy. She’d made assumptions about him because of his outward appearance, that was for sure. Maybe her issue with her size truly was her own prejudices, her own assumptions about what everyone else was thinking. And maybe she was wrong.
Ward stood with his arms crossed, watching their interaction with a shuttered expression—she didn’t dare read anything into it—and she handed him the bowl of fruit she’d been carrying. “Hold these, please.”
He took them, still not saying a word.
Penny turned and marched over to Alex, then wrapped her arms around his waist, the top of her head not even reaching his chin. He hesitated only a moment, then draped his heavy arms loosely around her in return. Peering up at him, she said, “Alex Frampton, I love you.” Then she stepped back and made a face. “Ew. You’re all sweaty. And gross.”
Alex laughed out loud, then reached over and patted her on the head. “I love you, too, Little Lady.”
Penny acted like she was going to punch him in the chest, but with his hand on her head, she could swing all she wanted, and she’d never hit him. “You’re the only one in the world who can get away with calling me that, you know.” Giggling, she glanced over at Ward, only to find him frowning. Intensely.
“Ah, come on, man. She loves you, too,” Alex teased, holding out a hand toward Ward for the bowl of fruit. “What did you bring us, Shiny Penny?”
“Oooh, I like that. What do you think, Ward? Do I look like a Shiny Penny?” She swayed back and forth, the skirt of her short, cinnamon-colored sundress swishing against her thighs. She didn’t wait for an answer—his expression made her wary. “I brought you guys watermelon, mango, and berries. Strawberries, blueberries, and maybe some blackberries, too, I think. Hazel says I’m supposed to make you eat them. Not sure how I might do that, but I’m feeling pretty big and bold right now, so don’t cross me.” She took one of the forks from Ward and handed it to Alex. “If you don’t want to share the bowl, I can grab some plates.”
Ward dropped his gaze to the bowl he still held and cracked open the lid. Now, he wouldn’t look at her.
Great. And they said girls were too emotional. If she was a betting woman, she’d bet that Ward wasn’t happy about her hugging Alex, even though it was a completely and utterly justifiable hug. The man had just changed her perspective on one of her biggest personal vexations, for the love of Pete. He deserved a lot more than a hug; except she wasn’t that kind of girl.
Ward could just get over himself. She’d readily hug him, too, if he wanted one. She’d certainly given him one on Monday night. When he’d said goodbye after bringing them home in the golf cart, he’d stood on the front porch and wrapped his arms around her like he was heading off to war. She’d been so sure he was going to kiss her, too, but he’d stepped away, thanked her again for the evening, and practically launched himself down the steps and out into the night.
The guys apparently had no qualms about sharing germs, and within minutes, most of the fruit had been demolished. Alex noticed her watching them, stabbed a piece of watermelon, and held it out toward her. “Want some? It’s nice and juicy.”
Penny leaned forward and took the bite off his fork, laughing when the juice dribbled down her chin. She lifted the hem of her skirt to wipe it away.
“Whoa!” Alex exclaimed, turning his face away.
“I’m wearing shorts, you pervert,” she retorted, and beside her, Ward half-snorted, half-choked on his own bite. “I’m a teacher. I know about dresses and boys, you guys. And I’m not going to tell you to grow up, because I know it’s a futile pursuit. Hence, the shorts.”
“Hence?” Alex pointed his fork at her. “You talk good, Miss Teacher. I’ve always wondered; what exactly does ‘hence’ mean?”
“Hence. Therefore. Consequently. Thus.” Then, because she was starting to feel a little uncomfortable about what seemed to her to be his growing ill will, she sidled up next to Ward, peered inside the bowl he still held, and pointed. “Get me that blueberry right there.”
Ward hesitated only for a moment, then stabbed the poor little piece of fruit and fed it to her. He swallowed when she did; her eyes tracked his Adam’s apple as it moved up and down.
Behind her, Alex chuckled softly, and she stepped away from Ward, suddenly feeling quite self-conscious. “It’s kinda hot out here, wouldn’t you agree?” Alex asked. “I think I’ll head inside to cool off in the air conditioning.” He pointed his fork at the bowl. “You going to finish that? Or do you want me to free up your hands and take it in for you?”
Penny blushed and ducked her head, but Ward dropped his fork into the bowl and handed it to Alex with a “Thanks.” Then he reached for Penny’s hand and added, “We’ll be in shortly.”
Alex just whistled a silly tune as he headed around the house, leaving them to stand there in awkward silence.
“He’s right,” Ward finally said. “You would look weird if you were tall.”
Penny laughed out loud and turned toward him. He hadn’t released her hand, and now there wasn’t more than a foot of space between them. “You’d better not get any ideas, Mr. St. James. Just because I awarded a concession to Alex, doesn’t mean you get to call me Smurfette. Or Gnome.”
“That wasn’t the idea I was having right now,” he said, tugging her just a little closer.
“Oh, yeah?” The challenge came out borderline breathless, but she lifted her chin boldly.
“Oh, yeah.” His eyelids lowered just the tiniest bit, then his gaze went to her mouth. “Want to have dinner with me tonight?” he asked, still staring at her lips.
“I think I’m having dinner with Candy and Addison on the boardwalk tonight,” she managed to eke out. Had she a hundred percent committed to that? She suddenly couldn’t remember.
“How about breakfast in the morning?” He moved a hair’s breadth closer.
“Hazel is going to teach me how to make her amazing crepes.” She lifted her free hand to cup around her mouth and whispered, “It’s her secret recipe.”
“I like crepes.”
“I do, too,” she said with a grin. “Why are we standing so close to each other in this heat?” She was still whispering.
“Because we like it,” Ward whispered back. He was so close, in fact, that she had to crane her neck to hold eye contact. “And because you like my sweaty grossness more than you like Alex’s.”
Penny snorted, and started to step back, then changed her mind. She slid her arms up around his neck and leaned into him, relishing the way she seemed to fit just perfectly in his gentle embrace. She rested her cheek against his chest just long enough to hear the thump of his heart, then she drew back. He let his own arms fall away, but his flushed face told her he had enjoyed the brief interlude maybe as much as she had.
“Ew,” she teased, trying to bring levity to what had quickly become a very serious moment. “So sweaty. Why did you make me hug you?”
“That was all you, Penelope Anderson. I was just standing here, and you sashayed over and took advantage of me.”
Her mouth fell open in mock dismay. “I did not sashay.”
He made a low, appreciative sound in the back of his throat. “But you did take advantage of me?”
“You just stood there,” she countered. “What else was I supposed to do?”
The unbearable heat finally sent them inside to the coolness of the house, where Hazel stood at the sink in the kitchen, washing lettuce. “Everything all done out there?” she asked, eyeing the two of them curiously.
“Where’s Alex?” Ward asked, glancing around.
“He had to take off. Said you guys were finished, and he had to get back to his other job.”
“Oh. Okay. Got it.” Ward fumbled over his words, then he nodded. “Yeah, we’re done. He didn’t tell me he was leaving.”
“He got a phone call,” Hazel said. “He told me to let you know.”
Feeling more confident than she had in some time, thanks to Alex’s casually life-affirming words, Penny reached over and hooked her pinky with Ward's. “I invited Ward to have crepes with us in the morning, Hazel. Is that okay? I won’t tell him your recipe.”
Hazel waved a leaf of Romaine at them. “Your mother already knows my crepe recipe, Ward. It’s no secret on this stretch of the road, anyway. We’d love to have you.”
Penny smiled up at him and let go of his hand. She had to cool it. They had to cool it. They had to stop flirting and toying with each other’s feelings this way. But how did they spend time together without stirring this stuff up? She certainly didn’t want to stop spending time with him. That was out of the question.
She’d just have to keep her schedule too full to be readily available. She had a feeling this wasn’t going to be the last time he asked her out this summer.