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“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Hollywood himself,” she said, walking from behind the countertop. “I hope you have a hug to offer up.”
I pulled her in for an embrace. Penny’s hugs always felt like fresh baked cookies on a Sunday morning. I didn’t know how much I’d missed her hugs until that very moment.
She pulled back and patted my cheeks with her hands. “You’ve grown up a bit. Facial hair and all.”
I chuckled a little and rubbed the stubble against my chin. “I should probably shave soon.”
“Don’t. It looks good on you.” She walked back around the counter and rubbed her hands together. “Your mother told me you’d be stopping in to pick up her order. I have it all packaged and ready to go. Let me run in the back and get it.” When she came out, she had a brown paper bag wrapped with yellow ribbon and a sticker with their logo on it.
“How much is it?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Friends and family discount. It’s on the house today.”
“Penny, I can’t let you—”
“You can, and you will, young man,” she ordered.
I smiled and looked around the shop. “It’s good to see you guys doing so well. The shop looks amazing. I’m happy for you and Karl. I know how long this dream has been in the works for you both.”
She glanced around with a smile filled with pride. “It’s not much, but it’s ours.”
“Trust me, it’s a lot. It’s more than most people could ever dream up.”
She crossed her arms and kept giving me that gentle grin. I didn’t know smiles could feel like home. “How are you, sweetheart?”
“Me? I’m alright.”
She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “How are you, sweetheart?” she asked again.
I couldn’t lie to her again.
“Yeah”—she nodded—“I sense that. You know, your mother worries about you. I do, too.”
“I guess that’s what mothers do.”
“It’s the hardest part of the job. Worrying about our babies.” She shifted in her shoes. “I heard you’ve crossed paths with Hailee since you’ve been back in town.”
I felt my body tense up at the mention of her. “We’ve had a few run-ins.”
“How did that go?”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“She did, but we all see situations from different viewpoints. I’d love to hear yours.”
I grimaced. “It hasn’t gone the greatest.”
“You two have a very strong history. It’s no surprise that your first interactions after all these years are a bit rocky. I hate to see you kids struggling through it.”
“Yeah, well, she made it clear as day all those years ago that she wanted nothing to do with me. It’s probably best I keep out of her way.”
“Oh, Aiden.” Penny shook her head and sighed. “You don’t really think my daughter wanted nothing to do with you, do you?”
“Of course, I do. She broke up with me.”
“Yes, but it wasn’t as if she wanted to. Her hands were tied, and your father made a very solid selling point when Hailee was dealing with her own issues, and—”
“My father?” I asked, alert. “What do you mean?”
