Waiters swanned into the dining room with the first trays of food. There were plates of tacos and enchiladas, along with nachos and salads.
“Mexican today,” Taya said. “We’re testing out some new recipes.”
“You’re still involved in managing the place?” Penny asked as she spooned a steaming hot enchilada onto her plate.
“Only at a high level. I don’t deal with the day-to-day, but I was involved in the overhaul of the menu, training for the manager—those kinds of things.”
“So, tell us about the new job.” Bea took a bite of nachos.
Penny bit into her enchilada and burned her tongue. She reached for her wine glass and took a mouthful of cold wine. It soothed the burn.
Taya chewed and swallowed a bite of burrito, then dabbed her face with a napkin. “I’ll be travelling a lot. I’m going to start in Suva, the capital of Fiji.”
“Fiji is beautiful, or so I’ve heard,” Evie said. “You’re lucky you’ll get to visit places like that.”
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a whole new experience for me.”
“All those years, you were so busy managing this place, keeping the doors open, raising Camden. You were a good mum and a successful inn owner. You deserve this.”
“Thank you,” Taya said, eyes gleaming.
Penny raised her wine glass towards Taya, and Taya lifted her own and clinked it against Penny’s. Penny spoke up. “Here’s to you, Taya, and your new adventure. May it be even better than the last and involve lots of relaxation as well as the challenges you’ll no doubt face, and plenty of romance.”
They all cheered and raised their glasses to drink.
Taya wiped her eyes. “How did I find such wonderful friends? Thank you.”
They ate and talked together for the next hour before Evie finally asked Penny how her wedding preparations were coming.
“It’s only two weeks until the wedding, and there’s still so much to do,” Penny said, feeling her heart rate spike as the words left her lips.
Bea reached out a hand to rest on Penny’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine. It will all come together, and even if something goes wrong, it will still be fine. It’s only one day. Marriage is for life. Well, for some people it is, anyway.” She chuckled to herself as she took another bite of food.
Penny chewed on her lower lip. “You’re not helping, Bea.”
Bea raised both hands. “Yes, come to think of it, you probably need reassurances from someone else — someone who’s had a successful marriage.”
“Mine didn’t last long, although that wasn’t because it failed,” Taya said. “Not sure I can be of much help.”
“And I’ve never been married,” Evie added. “Sorry, no wise words from me. Although I will say this — you always conquer everything you do, Penny. This will be no different. And besides that, I imagine you’re looking forward to the honeymoon more than you are the wedding day, since you’ve never been one to go for stereotypes or tradition.”
“That’s true,” Penny replied. “Thanks—you’re all right. It’s going to be okay. I’ve got to stop putting so much pressure on myself to make everything perfect.”
“How is Rowan feeling about it all?” Bea asked.
Penny shrugged. “He’s so cool and calm about everything. As far as I know, he’s perfectly fine. He doesn’t seem nervous. He’s happy and teases me just as much as usual.”
“That’s a good sign,” Bea said. “Stressful situations bring out the worst in us all. For some people, that’s a really bad thing. For others, it shows you that they’re able to manage without turning into a crazy person. It sounds like Rowan is even more perfect than he seems.”
“Well, he’s certainly used to dealing with stress. His job with its deadlines and flights all over the world, the pressure to get it right, threats of losing bylines and so on, seems to have prepared him for this exact moment.”
“You mean the wedding, or life with you?” Evie asked, one eyebrow arched.
“Exactly,” Penny replied, stabbing a fork in the air.
They all laughed together. Penny joined them, feeling the tension in her shoulders releasing. It was good to spend time with her friends and even better to laugh with them. It helped her keep things in perspective, which was something she desperately needed in that moment with everything that was going on in her life.
“And the best part of all, we’ve been working together at the animal refuge for a few days now, and we’re getting along better than we ever have.” Her heart swelled as she recalled the previous day when Rowan had come to her rescue. She’d been inundated with calls and paperwork, and he’d taken it all from her, shooed her outside, and told her to take care of the animals—he’d deal with everything else. She had never felt so relieved.
