Chapter 12 Jesse
Jesse
NOW
Six hundred bucks. That’s what it costs to get the fireplace up and running again and ensure we don’t freeze our asses off.
By the time I get back from walking Tank around the neighborhood, it’s already done its job, making the house warm.
A vast improvement from two weeks ago, when Fia was stuffing ratty old towels under the doors to keep the draft out.
It pissed me off beyond belief that there was a guy roaming this town who knocked her up and hadn’t checked on her once this winter, knowing damn well she was here alone.
Probably for the best now that I’m here, though, because if he did decide to show his pretty little face, I can’t guarantee her I won’t be taken away in handcuffs.
I settle into the house, noticing Penny has ditched the pink hoodie she had on before, so she can glare all she wants, but she’s not shivering. In fact, she’s moving around the dining table in nothing but a skin-tight workout top and barely-there yoga pants.
The way the thin fabric clings to her curves should be illegal, and when she catches me staring at her, she smiles knowingly—and then proceeds to flip me off.
Ah, that’s my girl.
“Dinner’s ready!” Fia calls out, slightly out of breath as she brings the glass casserole dish to the big oak table.
I drop down into my usual seat—same one I sat in all those years ago. It’s an old habit I don’t think much of.
It didn’t feel weird until Penny walked in and halted.
Her eyes flicker to the empty seat beside me—her seat. She hesitates, and I try not to overthink it. Does she really hate me so much that she can’t sit next to me?
She puffs her cheeks and quickly drops into the dining chair across from me.
Danny’s spot.
“Damn, chef, you didn’t have to do this.” I grin at Fia, who exhales, proudly scanning the meal she’s prepared. Wafts of hearty roasted vegetables and warm tomato sauce fill the air between the three of us.
“This is fun for me. Plus, when else is my family all going to be under one roof?” She glances at the empty chair. “Well, almost all.”
I don’t miss the shadow that passes over Penny’s face.
“Yes, thank you. It was very thoughtful,” Penny chimes in, sounding robotic. “Is this Nan’s recipe?”
Fia nods, scooping a large square of lasagna onto her blue ceramic plate. “Yes! It’s my first attempt, so I doubt it’s as good as hers, though.”
Fia continues talking, something about a friend, maybe school or work. To be honest, I’m not really listening.
I’m watching Penny, sitting rigidly upright in her seat, eyes trained down.
She’s barely touched her food, she just drags her fork in slow circles around her plate. She nods at all the right moments, even mumbles a few polite responses, but she’s somewhere else entirely.
And I know that look. I’ve seen it before—when she’s lost in her head, trying to sort through something she doesn’t want anyone else to notice.
But I notice, and when I have a chance to pull her back in, I do.
“So photography, huh?”
“What?” Penny’s eyes flick to mine, her brow creased.
“You’re a traveling wedding photographer, no?” I take a large bite.
“You’re phrasing it like it’s a question.” Her voice is cool and controlled. “But it’s clear you already know the answer.”
“You’re right,” I bite out, sharp, as she stares at me, daring me to continue. “I found your social media account. You have quite the following.”
From the corner of my eye, I catch Fia pressing her lips together, barely holding back a smirk.
“She’s huge,” she jumps in, throwing an arm around Penny’s shoulders. “She got hired to shoot a pro hockey player’s wedding in Tulum a few months ago.”
Penny closes her eyes with a groan, peeling Fia off her, and mutters, “Let’s not go there, Fia,” before stuffing an oversized bite of lasagna in her mouth.
“Tulum, huh?” I lean back in my chair, arms crossed over my chest. “Never been.”
“Oh my gosh, Penny, you have to tell him about the groomsmen!”
Penny shakes her head furiously, a blush crawling up her cheeks.
“It’s a wild story.” Fia wiggles her brows at me.
“Jesse, why don’t you tell me about your job.” Penny tries to shift the conversation, but Fia continues as if she didn’t hear her sister’s interjection.
“So the groomsmen were NHL players, too. Naturally, they got completely wasted and ended up in Penny’s hotel room! They drank the minibar dry and trashed the place. Then they fell asleep…in Penny’s bed. Three of them! She couldn’t get them to wake up and leave.”
I glance at Penny. Her jaw looks like it might crack from how hard she’s clenching, and she throws her head back, guzzling her red wine.
“So,” Fia continues, scooping more food onto her plate, “Penny went through their pockets while they were passed out, stole their room key, and slept in their penthouse instead. When they knocked on the door in the morning, Penny pretended she didn’t know what the problem was.
” Fia giggles, and I glance at Penny, who’s swirling her wine glass, mouth in a hard line.
“The bride was so mortified that she paid double for the photography. And one of the players is still obsessed with Penny. He keeps calling, and I told her she should just go on a date. I mean, the guy’s got hella money. ”
Penny turns, pinching Fia hard.
“Ouch! What the hell!” Fia yells, and Penny buries her face in her palm.
I push down the sharp, hot pang in my ribs. Jealousy isn’t something I need to feel right now.
Penny can do whatever the hell she wants, with pro athletes or anyone else. They’d be idiots not to want her. Hell, it’s probably a bonus if they’re into pain, since she seems hellbent on making every interaction as uncomfortable as possible.
“So, you work for the shelter?” Penny shouts across the table, her voice echoing off the wallpapered dining room, startling everyone.
I cock an eyebrow at her.
I don’t know if I’ve ever witnessed someone in such distress at a dining table. She’s like a damn feral animal that needs to be put out of their misery.
Fia, jaw still tight, rolls her eyes and stabs her fork aggressively into the lasagna.
I’ll need a miracle to survive these two women.
“Penny, what is wrong with you?” Fia snaps, exasperated.
“I’m enjoying dinner,” Penny says sweetly, finishing off her wine. My eyes linger on her plush lips. “And I’d like to know what Jesse does. Like you said earlier, Fi, I have a lot to learn about him.” Her voice is dripping in sarcasm, but I don’t take the bait.
“You were talking about me?” I smirk as I lick my lips, a cocky habit I know she hates.
Penny grins sarcastically. “Yep. Nothing good.”
“You’re both acting like children,” Fia groans, tossing her hands up. “It’s the holiday break, and I’m determined to make you two civil.” She brings her hands together in front of her, exhaling loudly. “Can you at least stop being so awkward when you’re in the same room?”
Penny and I stare at each other, unblinking.
“Please? For me? Think of it as a Christmas gift.” Fia bats her lashes dramatically at her sister.
“Fi, let it go,” Penny warns. “Jesse and I are fine, aren’t we?” She crosses her arms and tilts her head, daring me to disagree.
“Yeah,” I reply, dry as hell. “We’re grand.”
We are absolutely not fine.
But the moment to hash it out isn’t over lasagna and Fia’s naively twisted dream of a perfectly blended family dinner.
“Well, I have to work tomorrow evening,” Fia adds casually. “So you two will have a chance to catch up.”
I swear Fia throws a wink my way.
“Right,” I say at the exact moment Penny blurts, “Absolutely not,” and lets out a sharp, almost panicked laugh.
So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?