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Of course, he went straight to money. That was typically all he ever talked about, and most of the conversation was his demanding that she use what he gave her. “Something like that.”
“Well, that’s what it’s there for.
” Another heavier pause.
But in that pause, she heard the laughter and voices in her father’s family home. Part of her wanted to ask, Why did you lie about traveling? Why don’t you want me with you? The other part of her refused to go there.
“Now don’t spend it stupidly, Penelope,” her father added with his firm CEO voice. “I hope you’re being smart about things.”
Come home. Come here. Be with us. We want you here.
All the things she hoped he’d say never came. Darryl had found a way to be the bigger man. To prove his deadbeat dad couldn’t impact his life. She wasn’t nearly that strong. The rejection stung, opening old wounds that could never heal. “I—”
“You what?”
More laughter. More celebrations, all of which didn’t include her. And she didn’t know why. She never knew why. “Nothing. Just…Merry Christmas.”
“To you as well.”
She caught a voice in the background before her dad said, “Listen, gotta go, kid. Talk soon.”
The phone line went dead. Yeah, she was an adult, not needing her parents as much, but she still needed them a little, something they seemed to forget. She stared down at the blank screen, her eyes stinging. Maybe she’d had blinders on lately. Hell, maybe it was Christmas cheer that got in the way. For four days, she had tasted what life would have been like had her parents never dragged her away, went through a brutal divorce, and then got themselves a new family to love. For four days, she forgot that emptiness that lived deep in her chest, the hole that never seemed healable. For four days, she remembered who she’d once been when she was seventeen years old and kissed a cute boy.
But that wasn’t real life.
And there was a reason she didn’t go to these warm places in her heart. Because those warm places lied and hurt.
“Hey, it’s the girl from the fountain.”
Penelope jerked her head up, finding a group of six people standing around her. She didn’t recognize any of them. The girl who showed up to River Rock would’ve jumped up and laughed her way through her embarrassment, but that seemed impossible to do now. “Yep, that’s me.” The woman who’s nothing but trouble, a hassle to anyone she cares about.
“You were so awesome that night,” the pretty blonde said, wrapping her arm into the guy standing next to her.
They looked around Penelope’s age, maybe a little young. “Thanks. I have a special talent when it comes to skating in high heels.”
The group laughed.
“Up for some more fun?” another one of the guys said, staring at Penelope like she was on the menu tonight. His menu. “We’re going to get some drinking in here, then heading over to Kinky Spurs.”
Kinky Spurs—the bar where she’d gotten in trouble, where all this began.
The emptiness in her chest split wide open, a heaviness sinking in deep into her bones. She wasn’t this woman Darryl made her believe she could be. And maybe it was time they both realized that. “I doubt I’ll leave with you,” she said, pushing off the hay bale, sliding back into her high heels. “But the drinks sound like exactly what I need.”
Darryl finished handing out the final gift then set the Santa bag onto the table next to him. The party was in full swing. Everyone looked to be having fun, dancing and drinking, and celebrating Christmas in grand style. It occurred to Darryl that for all the trouble he thought Penelope was going to be for him, it turned out, she put him in a better light with his bosses than he could have put himself in. He’d always played things safe, but damn if he didn’t like stirring things up these past couple days with her.
He liked this life. Going back to a world without Penelope in it didn’t appeal in the least. Now he simply needed to get her to see that her place was here, with him.
“Darryl.”
Someone had yelled his name over the music. He glanced through the crowd, and when he heard his name called a second time, he spotted Maisie pushing her way through the people and waving at him.
He met her halfway.
“You have to help me before something really bad happens,” she said when she reached him.
“Of course,” he said. “What do you need?”
She grabbed the sleeve of his Santa suit and weaved him through the dancefloor full of people. Someone pinched him on the ass and said something about a Naughty Santa, but Darryl stayed focused on Maisie as she led him toward the bar. When he got there, he understood the problem immediately.
