She eased into Theo’s cute neighborhood of pre–World War II homes and pulled into the garage of the two-bedroom, one-bathroom house he and Aubrey had purchased shortly after discovering they were expecting their first child. She toted Madeline into an interior Aubrey had decorated in farmhouse style—lots of white walls and warm wood. She’d just set the baby seat on the kitchen floor when her phone chimed.
A text from Theo.The blood test and ultrasound confirm pulmonary embolism. She’s stable, but this condition’s serious. They’re going to keep her overnight, at least. Can you stay with Madeline?
Yes, absolutely.
Penelope tapped the toe of her Vans slip-ons and googled information on blood clots. Theo had been correct when he’d said that clotting occasionally happened to women after childbirth. Hospitalization was more likely for those who’d had surgery recently (Aubrey had had a C-section) and also for those with a family history of blood clotting.
Taking a deep breath, she considered the spiky rack that held clean bottles. Aubrey and Theo had been feeding the baby a combo of breastmilk and formula, so she had reason to hope Madeline would accept a bottle from her without a fuss. Carefully, she read the directions on the tub of formula. Once she’d washed her hands as thoroughly as a surgeon, she measured out the correct amount of water and mix so that she’d be ready to roll when Madeline woke.
In the nursey, she took a quick inventory, assuring herself that she knew where everything was located. Diapers, clean clothes, swaddling blankets, pacifiers. Check.
She gently freed Madeline from the seat. Still, her niece slept. This eight-and-a-half-pound, fully formed, perfect little human had no idea of the calamity that had overtaken her mom and dad.
Clasping Madeline in her arms, Penelope settled into a living room armchair and let her head tip against the chair’s back.
Almost immediately, her exchange with Eli at the hospital slid to the forefront of her thoughts. Which, in turn, tugged her dating history forward.
Ricker, the Air Force base where Eli was stationed, was set like an apple in an upraised apron inside a valley embraced by some of North Georgia’s tallest mountains. Misty River was situated on the far side of the valley, just twenty minutes from the base. With that kind of proximity and a population of only 5,500, her small town had always been impacted strongly by those who lived and worked at the base.
Mom, Dad, she, and Theo had followed Mom’s banking job to Misty River around the time that Penelope entered middle school. At that age, she’d been oblivious to the handsome airmen walking Misty River’s streets. But a few years later, not so oblivious. She’d noticed them often—in the service dress light blue shirts and Air Force blue pants. Wearing camouflage combat dress. Leather flight jackets. Even in civilian clothing, one could spot them from a block away.
Her parents had informed her that, under no circumstances, was she allowed to date airmen. They were older, more experienced, and living free in the world without parental oversight.
She hadn’t been a particularly obedient teenager. Her parents’ rule against airmen might have backfired and made her determined to date them, except for two things.
One, the personalities of the airmen she met. Two, the way her friends reacted to them.
Air Force guys could be cocky, ambitious, and overserved with testosterone. Some were incapable of sharing softer feelings. Some refused to admit weakness. Also, they never stuck around for long. If you dated one of them, you’d spend a lot of time alone. If you married one of them, you’d face a higher divorce rate than the general population and you’d spend your life moving from place to place across the globe.
Even so, her group of friends, which had ranked three tiers down from the most popular group of girls at Misty River High School, hadadoredthe airmen. They smiled at them with round cow eyes. They listened to them as if concert tickets were falling from their mouths. It seemed to Penelope that her friends’ conduct inflated male egos already stretched at the seams like mylar balloons.
Whenever her friends turned right in unison, something within Penelope hadalwaysgoaded her to turn left. One night in the spring semester of her junior year, she’d stood alone in the lobby of the movie theater, witnessing her friends’ behavior. She’d been deeply embarrassed on their behalf, and in that moment, she’d determined that she would not follow the predictable path that they had chosen.
That same night, she’d announced to her friends that she would not date Air Force guys. She’d stuck to her guns easily through the remainder of high school and during the vacation time she’d spent at home while attending the University of North Georgia.
She tilted her profile down to study the nuances of Madeline’s wrinkled, fisted hands. The little girl’s scent of baby shampoo and milk drifted on the air.
After graduation, Penelope had moved into an apartment in Misty River with her friend Lila and waited tables while looking for a permanent position in hospitality. Around that time, Lila had fallen madly in love with an Air Force Engineering Officer named Brady. They’d been euphorically happy right up until he deployed to the Middle East. Penelope held Lila’s hand through misery over their separation that was every bit as low as the euphoria had been high while privately doubting whether Brady was fit to shine Lila’s shoes.
Brady eventually returned. Lila was euphoric again. But soon after, miserable again. Only later did Lila tell Penelope that she’d gotten pregnant and gone alone to a clinic for an abortion.
Brady had eventually been restationed to Hawaii. Maintaining a long-distance relationship proved too hard for the couple, and Brady broke up with Lila. Penelope mopped Lila’s tears.
She mopped Destiny’s tears when Carter was injured and chose to return home free of both his military responsibilities and Destiny. She mopped Jennifer’s tears when Brett deployed. She mopped Gabby’s tears after her divorce from Nathan. She mopped Peyton’s tears when Brandon’s squadron was sent to California. She mopped Michelle’s tears when Carlos behaved like a punk.
As far as she could tell, all of her friends had surrendered their identities to the heroic, high-stakes professions of their significant others, whichgalledPenelope. Her individuality was her most precious commodity.
For ten years, she’d not once violated her rule against dating airmen.
And then, a year and a half ago, her beloved brother had befriended Captain Eli Joseph Price, call sign Big Sky.
And Eli was... great.
Eli had thrown into doubt all the stereotypes she’d constructed.
Eli had tempted her into bending her rule.
Chapter Two
