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“Amazing!” I say, trying to muster up energy. “Ben, you’re the best. Thank you so much for letting me know.”
“You’re so welcome, Penelope. Winterberry will surely miss you when you leave. Make sure you come back and visit us, okay?”
“I’ll miss you, too, Ben.” I give him my address so he can send me the bill. “Thank you for all you did for me.”
I hang up the phone and stand there for a minute before heading back to the dining room. I take a deep breath, smoothing down my clothes and shaking my shoulders to let out the tension.
“Looks like my car is all fixed! I can pick up the keys whenever I want to,” I announce to the room, feigning excitement.
“Nooooooo Penelope, don’t leave!” Nora yells.
“I know, sweet girl, I’ll miss you, but I do need to get back home,” I say.
I glance at Brent. He lifts his head up, locking eyes with me, and his expressionless gaze tells me all I need to know.
He’s ready for me to go.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Brent
NotlongafterBencalls, Mom goes into the kitchen to finish making dinner with Penelope and Nora, which leaves me and my dad alone. Thankfully, he doesn’t ask what happened. He pulls out a book, puts on his reading glasses, and gets lost in his story.
The voices of my three favorite women echo from the kitchen, and a sharp pang of longing hits my chest. Moments with Penelope over the past two weeks fill my mind. They’re bittersweet memories now.
Once dinner is ready, we eat, acting like everything is normal. Like a huge bomb wasn’t just dropped, and the woman who’s stolen all of our hearts hasn’t lied to us.
But I shouldn’t be surprised. Acting is what Penelope does best, after all.
As soon as the plates are cleared, I bid a goodnight to everyone, including Penelope, and usher Nora home. I need to be alone.
Now that we’re home, Nora hasn’t stopped asking questions about Penelope leaving. I keep reassuring her that Penelope won’t leave without saying goodbye and that she’ll come visit.
Is that what I want? I don’t even know anymore.
The fact that she lied, and then brought the paparazzi to the door of my parent’s inn, has thrown me for a loop.
I can see it in her eyes that she was sorry, that she truly regretted it, but what’s done is done. Now, as I stare out my front window, I notice a crowd has formed on the sidewalk. More cameras flash, additional paparazzi having joined the group.
“Don’t these people have anything better to do?” I mutter. I guess I say it a little too loud because Nora bolts out of her room and joins me at the window.
“Who are all those people, Dad?”
“Come here for a second.” I sit on the couch and pat the cushion next to me. Once Nora sits, I run my fingers through her curls and think of how to word this so she understands. “Penelope is not only a really great woman, she’s also a famous actress. Remember how you saw her photo in the magazine at the grocery store?” She nods. “Well, those people are the ones who take those photos, and they want to get more of Penelope.”
“Hmm, that’s weird. But okay.” She’s just as confused as I am. “How long are they going to be out there?”
“To be honest, I’m not even sure,” I say to her honestly. “Hopefully not too long.”
“Hopefully.” She pauses, appearing to ponder something. “Dad?”
“Yes, my love.”
“Is she going to leave now that her car is fixed?”
That’s the question I’ve asked myself since that phone rang with the news from Ben. If I’m being honest with myself, which I’m trying to be, I’m not ready for her to leave. And I may never be.
As that realization hits me, my mind replays the moments with her.
