“You’re probably right,” Penny laughed. “But this is definitely delicious enough to take first place.” Savoring another bite, she mumbled, “I can’t believe it’s almost July. It seems like only yesterday you were a June Bride.”
Cassie beamed. “I know! Time flies, doesn’t it? But I’m looking forward to my first Fourth of July in Poppy Creek. Luke says after the festivities in the town square, there are fireworks at Willow Lake.”
“That’s my favorite part,” Penny admitted, wondering what it would be like to watch the stunning display with Colt by her side. Involuntary chills ran down her spine at the thought.
“Remember Colt’s last Fourth of July picnic?” Eliza snickered.
Penny groaned, wrenched from her pleasant reverie. “Don’t remind me.”
“What happened?” Cassie asked, glancing between them.
“Colt used to be quite the prankster,” Eliza said with a bemused shake of her head. “For some reason, he thought it would be funny to set off the sprinklers in the town square. Everything got soaked, including the pie tent. No one won a blue ribbon that year.”
“Oh no! That’s terrible,” Cassie gasped.
“People were pretty upset about it.” Penny cringed at the memory. “Especially Mayor Burns. It was his first year in office.” Truthfully, she’d never seen the man look so upset. “To this day, they keep all the tents off the lawn. They close off the streets to through traffic and set them up there, instead.”
“Well, I’m sure Colt learned his lesson,” Cassie said kindly. “I doubt he’d do something like that now.”
“He’s changed a lot since our childhood years,” Eliza agreed. “Especially since you two started hanging out.”
Penny flushed as Eliza smirked in her direction.
“To think,” Eliza continued, “none of this would have happened if Cassie hadn’t told Mayor Burns to pair the two of you together.”
“What?” Startled, Penny darted her gaze from Eliza to Cassie. “It wasyouridea?”
Cassie’s cheeks turned the same bright red as her apron. “I didn’ttellhim to, exactly. I overheard him mentioning the change he wanted to make to the article’s topic. And I merely suggested Colt had a lot of experience in that area. I had no idea he’d be so excited about it. I actually got the impression he knew Colt wouldn’t be thrilled, which is why he found the idea so appealing.”
“That’s no surprise,” Eliza snorted. “He probably figured it was payback for all of Colt’s antics back in high school. Little did he realize he’d be the catalyst for Colt’s happily ever after.”
Her friends turned affectionate gazes in her direction, and Penny shifted on the barstool.
It seemed like everyone had their future all planned out.
If only she had the same level of certainty.
Chapter 22
The days leading up to their date passed by agonizingly slow. And now that the moment had finally arrived, Colt teetered between nervous and exhilarated.
He still couldn’t get over the vision of Penny waiting to greet him on the sidewalk that afternoon, her slender figure showcased in a long, flowing dress more vibrant than the summer sun. Her striking auburn hair fell around her shoulders in soft waves, and he’d longed to run his fingers through the silky strands.
But first, they needed to arrive at their intended destination—Penny’s happy place. He’d spent an entire day tracking down the right beach, and he hoped she would forgive his snooping once she realized the reason behind it.
As they zipped around winding mountain roads in Penny’s Mustang, Colt regretted not having a car of his own. While they’d made leaps and bounds in the adventure department, she staunchly refused to lay a finger on his motorcycle, let alone ride on the back of it. Not that it would matter in a few weeks. If his plan came to fruition, they wouldn’t need either mode of transportation.
He stole a glance at Penny in the passenger seat, noticing the way she sat up a little straighter when they reached a familiar fork in the road. When he veered to the right, she turned to gape at him in bewilderment.
“Wait. We’re not headed where I think we’re headed… are we?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.” He flashed a devilish grin, enjoying the ardent curiosity sprawled across her features.
As they approached the towering wooden archway, Penny’s gaze darted from Colt to the rustic sign. “We’re going back to Lupine Ridge Ranch?”
He chuckled at the incredulity in her voice.
“I mean, clearly weare,” she said in a rush. “But why? Are we horseback riding again?”
