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Side by side, we eat our breakfast and drink our coffee. It’s as if this is something we do every day of our lives, and something we will do well into the future.
When we’re done eating, we put our plates in the sink, and hop onto the couch like little kids. I pull her close and she rests her head on my shoulder. Giving her a small kiss on the top of her head, I grab the remote and put on “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
She curls her legs underneath herself and rubs her arms like she’s chilly, so I get up and light the fire before grabbing the throw blanket and wrapping us up.
“I know this blanket is your favorite, so you can have it again,” I say. We chuckle.
A few minutes into the movie, she nuzzles in closer, and when I glance down at her, she has a smile on her face. It tells me she feels exactly like I do—completely fulfilled.
At peace.
And perfect.
We don’t make it even halfway through the movie when the alarm I set—so we didn’t lose track of time—beeps. It makes us both jump, which is good because I was falling asleep.
Sitting up and stretching, she looks at me and we lock eyes. “Looks like it’s time for me to go home,” she says. “I mean back to the inn obviously.” Her cheeks turn red as she corrects herself. But hearing her call the innhomehits me in the chest.
The thought of her leaving makes my heart constrict, and I already miss her. It’s been amazing having her here, better than I thought it would be, and I didn’t even realize how much I missed this.
The companionship.
Someone to eat breakfast with.
Someone to watch old movies with.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my time with Nora, but somewhere along the way after losing Michelle, I lost the Brent part of me and shifted permanently into Dad mode. This, right here, moments like this, there are no words to describe it.
Instinctively, I pull Penelope close again, wanting to feel her warmth. I kiss the top of her head. “Is it okay with you that we don’t let Nora know about this, whatever this is, yet?”
“Of course, Brent. I totally understand. I wouldn’t want to confuse her especially when I have to go back to Manhattan.” Her face looks pained. She starts to rise, suddenly ready to leave.
I put my hand on her knee, wanting to touch her, to reassure her that I’m fine with just having fun while she is here.
Or maybe it’s to reassure myself.
Because to be honest, I’m not sure if I amokay with simply having fun and nothing more.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Penelope
Brentwalksmetothe door and kisses me sweetly on the lips before wrapping me in a hug, and I’m overwhelmed by the feeling of wanting his arms around me every day.
“Thank you for last night, and this morning,” I say to him, smiling, before standing on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. I need to sneak across the lawn and inside the inn without anyone seeing me—like I used to do in high school when I snuck out—so no one asks questions I don’t want to answer.
I completely understand Brent wanting to keep this to ourselves.
Once my car is fixed, probably in a day or two, I’ll be on my way back to my life. To Manhattan. To the loneliness I don’t miss. To the next movie I’m filming. And to the photoshoots I have scheduled at the end of December.
“Brrr.” The coldness of the morning slashes across my face as I creep across the lawn, making my way to the front porch. I peek in through the front windows and notice that Suzanne is already up, making coffee and a breakfast pastry for breakfast. “Oh no.”
Okay, time for plan B. I wrap the blanket I stole from Brent’s house tighter around me, trying to hide the fact I’m in the same clothes as last night. Then, I sit down on the swing and get comfortable.
This way, if she sees me out the window, she’ll think I’m just taking in the cold air and the peaceful morning.
I swing for a few minutes, pushing off from the ground with my feet and pumping my legs back and forth. I’m so content, truly getting lost in the peace, when the front door opens.
“Penelope? Is that you?” Suzanne peeks her head out, wrapping her sweater around her body to ward off the cold.
