“Cannoli, pizzelle, sfogliatella, and of course, mini tiramisu cheesecakes.” Eliza beamed proudly.
“Oh, I’ll take one of those, please.”
As Eliza slid the tiny treat on Dolores’s plate, Cassie asked, “What would you like to drink? We have water, herbal iced tea, and a robust Italian roast.”
“If tonight is anything like last year’s performance, I’d better take the Italian roast if I want to stay awake until the final curtain call.”
Penny choked back a giggle. Last year, Bill Tucker was supposed to play Hamlet, but his mare, Winnie, went into labor an hour before the show. So Sylvia wound up playing Hamlet in addition to her own parts. Needless to say, the extra costume changes alone added several minutes. Plus, Sylvia would run from one end of the stage to the next each time she switched roles. But in the end, it wound up being one of the most entertaining shows in Poppy Creek’s history.
“Thank you, dear,” Dolores told Cassie as she balanced the to-go cup on the edge of her plate. Turning to Penny, she added, “Don’t look now, but a certain gentleman keeps glancing this way. And I don’t think he’s staring at the cannoli.”
With a twinkle in her eye, she spun on her orthopedic shoes and meandered toward the crescent-shaped arrangement of folding chairs in front of the makeshift stage.
Penny’s cheeks flushed as red as the raspberries adorning the mini cheesecakes.
“See?” Eliza grinned. “Everyone can tell he likes you. Why are you still fighting it?”
“Because…” Penny trailed off, toying with the tie on her vintage wrap dress. “It’s Colt.”
“And?” Eliza pressed. “He’s clearly not the same irresponsible commitaphobe he used to be.”
“And you clearly have feelings for him, too,” Cassie added softly.
Penny cinched her waistline so tight, she struggled to breathe. Loosening the knot, she released a deep, uncertain breath. “But what if he hasn’t really changed? What if it’s—”
“An act?” Eliza asked bluntly.
Penny nodded, feeling nauseous at the thought.
“I suppose it’s possible,” Eliza admitted. “But it’s not likely. Besides, at some point, you have to decide if you’re going to trust someone or not. Like with Grant’s mother. After everything she put me through, I have no reason to give her a second chance. But I honestly think she regrets her actions. And while there are times when I wrestle with bitterness, I choose to believe she wants to make things right. And I’m willing to try.”
Moved by Eliza’s admission, Penny wanted to throw her arms around her friend and hug her tightly for being so brave. Harriet Parker’s transgression would be deemed unforgivable by many. After all, she’d blackmailed Eliza into keeping Ben a secret from Grant, robbing them of over seven years of being a family. But the way both Eliza and Grant had chosen compassion over hate painted a beautiful picture of the healing power of forgiveness.
And she longed to have that much strength.
“What does Colt have to say about all of this?” Cassie asked.
“That’s the thing… we haven’t really talked about it. We had a magical evening, then when it came time to say goodbye, he got… I don’t know…shy, almost. Which isn’t like Colt.”
“It certainly isn’t!” Eliza agreed.
“It’s sweet.” Cassie pressed a hand to her heart, a dreamy smile accentuating her pretty features.
“It’s confusing, is what it is,” Penny sighed. “I just wish I knew what he was thinking. But he’s been helping Frank roast all day, and I’ve been watching the shop since it’s Bree’s day off. This is the first time I’ve seen him since last night.”
Cassie cast a hopeful glance in Colt’s direction. “Maybe tonight you’ll get your chance.”
Penny followed her gaze, her stomach churning. More than anything, she wanted to believe he’d changed. After all, he’d proven himself to be beyond reliable, even to the point of risking his own life to protect her.
Why couldn’t she let go of her fears?
Colt Davis wasn’t her mother.
OrLance Ferris.
* * *
Once again, the girls had caught him staring in their direction. Colt quickly looked away, trying his best to focus on Reed’s gardening-related anecdote about pill bugs being crustaceans rather than insects.
