7. Isabel #3
"No, honey, Linda's not," Penny assured her, shaking her head. "She's just processing everything that went down in the lobby, and I think we need to leave the subject alone until she's ready to come to us."
"So I must avoid her?" Isabel frowned, her jaw tightening.
"No," Penny said, offering a firm shake of her head. "Just ask if she's doing okay and let her know you're there for her. Say you're sorry if you feel the need, but don't push the issue."
Isabel nodded slowly. She understood the advice. Penny knew her far too well; she knew that Isabel thoroughly hated the thought of causing pain to anyone she cared about.
"I can do that," she murmured.
"Good," Penny said, taking another sip from her mug. "So that was the first item on the checklist. What's the second?"
Isabel's expression turned serious. "Where is my brother? I've been trying to find him since yesterday, and he seems to have gone radio silent. He has disappeared."
Penny's frown deepened, a shadow crossing her face. "What? I spoke to him yesterday afternoon when he came storming over to my place right after the showdown at Hearts Hotel." A quick flicker of amusement at her choice of words sparked in her eyes.
"Is he okay?" Isabel asked, ignoring her friend's sick sense of humor.
Isabel’s heart started feeling incredibly heavy. She knew how much he had been looking forward to that lunch, how he had been planning to reveal his true identity to Linda that lunchtime, only for their cousin and that terrible woman to ruin everything before he got the chance.
"No," Penny answered honestly, her shoulders dropping. "He really has deep feelings for her, so the fallout is eating him alive."
"Oh, no," Isabel breathed, a fresh wave of sympathy aching behind her ribs. "I really need to talk to him."
"No," Penny stopped her, reaching out a hand. "I think the best thing we can do for both of them right now is to let the situation cool down. They'll come to us when the time is right."
Isabel knew what her brother was like, and she guessed Linda was much the same.
They didn't externalize their hurt or make a public scene; they silently processed their emotions until they felt steady enough to talk.
Sometimes they didn't talk at all, which wasn't a healthy approach in her opinion, but everyone handled heartache in their own way, and she had to respect their boundaries.
“I just want them both to know I'm here for them," Isabel said softly, looking down at the porcelain of her cup.
"They know," Penny told her gently. She took a sip of the coffee, tilting her head.
Isabel took another slow sip of the dark roast, the rich flavor hitting her tongue.
"Wow, this is remarkably good." She looked up, her eyebrows rising in genuine surprise. “Are you sure you made this?” A smug smile spread across her lips at the slight insult.
Penny let out a sharp snort, her features twisting into a mock look of deep offense. "Hey. I am more than capable of operating an espresso machine."
"Okay..." Isabel said, a large grin breaking across her face. "But this is definitely the best cup you've ever made me."
"Nice save." Penny laughed, her good humor returning as she gestured toward the grand staircase. "So, now that I've paid my moral dues..." She started leading the way up the polished steps. "Come see what I'm doing with the layout in the main bedroom."
"I've been dying to see it," Isabel admitted, following her up to the second floor that spread out like a penthouse.
When they reached the landing, Penny turned around, blocking the hallway with a massive, smug grin. "Okay, but there's a secondary price for admission."
Isabel rolled her eyes, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Oh, good grief. Is this some kind of payback?"
"You bet," Penny said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I have to get my moral currency back somehow."
"Fine," Isabel sighed, shifting her weight. "What's the price?"
"You need to tell me exactly what is going on between you and your gorgeously dreamy boss." Penny's grin widened, her expression becoming even more smug as she watched the sudden color flood Isabel's face.
"There is nothing going on with us," Isabel blurted out, the words tumbling out a bit too fast and far too loudly.
"Uh-huh," Penny nodded slowly, her hand resting on the heavy brass handle of the primary bedroom door. "That's not what your eyes are telling me. Or that over-excited pulse currently throbbing in your neck."
"Good grief, what’s wrong with everyone today?" Isabel grumbled, crossing her arms defensively. "Owen is my boss, and I am simply helping him coordinate the artifact grids down at the pool excavation."
"Then explain this," Penny said, pulling her phone from her pocket and sliding her thumb across the screen.
She thrust the display directly in front of Isabel's face, revealing a crystal-clear photograph.
It was a shot Emma must have snapped the exact second she and Owen had collided in the lobby, capturing the moments where his strong arms were holding her securely against his chest. "That looks pretty cozy to me. "
Isabel stared at the screen, her jaw dropping. "What a traitor my granddaughter is," she hissed.