13. Linda
LINDA
Linda navigated the winding, sun-drenched coastal road, her fingers tapping a restless rhythm against the steering wheel as she steered her car toward Penny's new property.
Her brow was deeply furrowed, her mind looping through a dozen different theories as she wondered what on earth the kids were up to now.
On the passenger seat beside her sat a massive woven picnic basket, a collection of truly mouthwatering aromas seeping right through the wicker weave, filling the entire cabin with the scent of toasted artisan panini, fresh herbs, and warm pastries.
Next to the basket rested a stunning, vibrant bunch of long-stemmed red roses, a chilled bottle of premium sparkling grape juice, a gleaming silver ice bucket, a plastic bag filled with ice cubes, a crystal vase, and a beautifully soft, red-and-white checked blanket packed tightly alongside a pair of plush matching throw pillows.
It was an incredibly elaborate setup, and Linda couldn't help but frown as she looked at it.
The teenagers had frantically called her earlier, begging her to collect these items from Rosa and the hotel's kitchen staff, saying they were planning a casual outdoor lunch on Penny's sprawling back lawn.
But why the romantic red roses? Why the silver ice bucket and the fancy throw pillows?
Something entirely unprincipled was definitely going on here, and she could smell a classic teenage matchmaking scheme from a mile away.
Linda finally pulled up to the grand, wrought-iron entrance gates of the mansion and leaned out her window to press the security buzzer.
Within a few seconds, the heavy iron structures smoothly swung open, allowing her to drive up the long, curved gravel driveway.
The moment she brought her car to a halt right in front of the sweeping porch steps, she was greeted by the sight of five eager, high-energy kids racing out the front door like a stampeding herd.
Linda put the car in park, turned off the ignition, and climbed out into the fresh morning air. She was barely even greeted by the chaotic group before they rushed past her, heading straight for the vehicle like a swarm of hungry locusts.
"Hey, Gran!" Sophia greeted Linda, her eyes wide with frantic excitement as she reached for the passenger door handle. "Did you manage to bring everything we asked for?"
"I did," Linda said, firmly closing the driver's door.
But before any of the teenagers could pull open the passenger side to grab the basket, she swiftly pressed the lock button on her key fob.
A sharp, definitive click echoed through the driveway, and she stood perfectly still, her arms tightly folded across her chest and her eyes narrowed into a suspicious squint as she watched five thoroughly startled faces instantly freeze in place.
"Gran..." Sophia said, pointing a confused finger at the locked glass window. "We really need to get the stuff out of the front seat right now."
"Yes, we don't have much time at all, Aunt Linda," Lily chimed in, stepping closer and wringing her hands together in a display of highly dramatic urgency.
"Much time for what, exactly?" Linda asked them sternly as her left foot began a rapid, rhythmic tap against the gravel.
"You won't get a single piece of the 'stuff' until you tell me exactly what is going on here, and more importantly, where on earth Penny is.
" Her eyes narrowed even further as she scanned their guilty faces.
"Please tell me you five didn't lock the poor woman up in a spare bedroom or a dark basement somewhere to force her into a corner. "
"What?" five shocked voices instantly stopped and shouted in total unison.
"Why would you even think that?" Jake asked, feeling offended.
"Well, looking at the highly specific inventory you asked me to fetch from Rosa and Chef," Linda started, a knowing eyebrow shooting straight up toward her hairline as she pointed a finger across the yard, "it is glaringly obvious you're up to something mischievous.
Since we are standing right here at Penny's house, I am safely gathering it has everything to do with her love life.
Her prized car is parked right over there, but she doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight. "
"Oh, no, Gran, we didn't lock her up anywhere, I promise," Sophia insisted quickly, letting out a bright, amused giggle as she glanced over at Lily in conspiracy.
"Goodness, give us a little bit of credit.
When we locked my mom and dad in the basement, it was because they were already married and desperately needed to reconcile their differences. "
"Yes, Aunt Linda," Lily added with a serious nod, missing the look of absolute shock on her great-aunt's face. "They already had a massive history together. Penny and —"
"Uh-hummm!" Emma cleared her throat incredibly loudly, her eyes widening in a telling, frantic warning as she gave her head a quick, aggressive shake to cut Lily off before she spilled the beans.
"What Lily means to say is that Penny has just gone for a very quick, casual spin down the coastal road with a… uh… a neighbor to test out the vintage engine of the car they brought for her to see.”
“She will be back any minute now. She skipped her breakfast this morning because she's been working herself ragged on the mansion's parlor walls." Lily exclaimed, worriedly, glancing down the drive.
"And she was just so incredibly nice to all of us last night while we were watching the movie," Emma continued smoothly, jumping right back onto the script.
"So we just really wanted to do something extra special and nice for her to show our appreciation," Sophia finished, flashing her ultimate version of a sweet, entirely innocent angel smile.
"Wow," Toby breathed from the back of the group, his eyes wide with a mixture of terror and absolute reverence as he stared at the girls. "They are so terrifyingly good at this."
"Yeah," Jake said, nodding his head in total, solemn agreement with his friend. "At least you know that when we finally start dating in the future, my sister, my cousin, and Em are going to be our ultimate personal cheerleaders to orchestrate the romance.” A grin flashed across his face. “We won’t even have to lift a finger.”
Toby snorted. “Yeah, just point to the girl we like,” he agreed. “They will do all the rest.”
Linda looked at the huddle of young teenagers, still not fully buying the whole innocent thank-you picnic story, especially with the glaring addition of long-stemmed red roses and a fancy crystal vase.
There was absolutely no way this was just a casual lunch.
She realized she wasn't going to crack their united wall of silence just yet, though.
With a soft sigh and a playful roll of her eyes, Linda clicked the key fob.
The satisfying thud of the door locks cutting through the air was the only invitation the kids needed.
They instantly swarmed the front seat of her car, their hands flying as they carefully extracted the heavy wicker picnic basket, the gleaming silver ice bucket, the plush throw pillows, and the soft checked blanket.
"Alright, let's take it all inside, guys," Sophia ordered with the absolute authority of a military general leading a top-secret operation.
Linda quietly followed the energetic caravan up the porch steps and through the grand front doors of the mansion.
Instead of marching through to the sprawling back lawn like she’d originally expected, the kids halted right in the cavernous foyer.
Under Sophia and Lily’s intense direction, they began setting up their meticulous trap right on top of the heavy, beautifully restored mahogany cabinet sitting directly beside the main door.
Penny’s prized crystal vase was quickly filled with water, and Sophia carefully arranged the vibrant red roses inside it, making sure the stems sat perfectly.
Jake carefully popped the chilled bottle of sparkling grape juice into the silver bucket, packing the fresh ice cubes tightly around the glass to keep it perfectly cold.
The checked blanket was folded into a flawless, neat square, and the plush throw pillows were positioned just next to the basket.
To top it all off, Sophia reached deep inside the picnic basket and pulled out a small, elegant card. With a thoroughly satisfied grin, she propped it up securely against the wicker weave basket where it couldn't possibly be missed by anyone entering the house.
"Okay, Gran, everything is perfect," Sophia said, turning to Linda with a bright, triumphant smile. "We need to go right now before they get back."
Linda offered a slow, knowing nod. She stepped forward and gently picked up the small card, her eyes scanning the neat handwriting.
A broad, warm smile instantly broke across her face as the final pieces of the puzzle clicked together in her mind.
She put the card right back where it had been, smoothing down the corner before turning to follow the children back out toward the driveway.
Looking at the five proud, giggling faces marching ahead of her, Linda realized exactly what kind of magnificent romantic mischief they were orchestrating, and down to the very core of her soul, she completely and utterly approved.
Penny