Penelope's face goes white, then red, then white again. Her mouth opens, closes, opens again like she's trying to find words that won't come. The panic in her eyes is replaced by something harder, something that looks almost dangerous.
"You don't know what you're talking about," she says, but her voice shakes slightly.
Penelope's hands curl into fists at her sides. For a moment, I think she might actually hit me, and I brace myself for the impact.
Instead, she turns on her heel and storms out of the bakery, the door slamming behind her hard enough to make the windows rattle and the bell above the door ring frantically.
The silence that follows is deafening.
Everyone in the bakery is staring at me now. The chess players. The couple in the corner. The barista. Mercy behind the counter. Jessica, still sitting at our table by the fire with her mouth slightly open.
"Well," Mercy says into the silence, her voice cutting through the tension, "that was awkward as hell."
"Yeah, it was," I agree, finally retrieving my wallet and tucking it back into my purse. My hands are shaking slightly, adrenaline making my fingers tremble. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to cause a scene."
"You didn't cause anything," Mercy says, and there's something like respect in her voice now. She leans forward against the counter, her expression thoughtful. "That woman has been causing scenes all over this town for weeks. She's racked up debts at the grocery store, the gas station, the salon, probably everywhere else. She's been telling people that she's going to be rich soon, that she's going to own this whole town."
She pauses, glancing toward the door like she's making sure Penelope is really gone.
"Apparently she's marrying Ben Burnside for something other than love," Mercy continues, lowering her voice slightly. "Something that involves his grandfather's land and money. People talk, you know. And in a town this size, secrets don't stay secret for long."
Jessica, who has been watching this entire exchange with the expression of someone watching a reality TV show, suddenly appears at my elbow. She's abandoned her hot chocolate by the fire to join the conversation, drawn by the drama like a moth to a flame.
"Wait, are you telling me that Penelope is planning to commit financial fraud, can't pay her bills, and is also planning a wedding that nobody's attending?" She ticks off each point on her fingers.
"That's exactly what I'm telling you," Mercy says, already boxing up brownies without asking if we want them. She's adding extras, probably because she feels bad about the scene we just witnessed. "And my advice? Stay out of it. Don’t start poking around.”
I take the box of brownies that Mercy is handing me, feeling the warmth of the cardboard through my gloves.
"But why would you say that?" I ask, genuinely confused. "If they're committing fraud, shouldn't someone do something about it?"
Mercy's expression shifts to something more serious, more knowing. She leans further forward, her voice dropping even lower so that only Jessica and I can hear her clearly.
"Because if you start asking questions and poking your nose into their business, Penelope's going to claim you're doing it out of jealousy," she says, her eyes holding mine. "She's going to say you can't get over Ben, that you're trying to sabotage her wedding because you're still in love with him. And in a small town like this, all it takes is one person believing that story for your reputation to take a serious hit."
She straightens up, her voice returning to normal volume.
"You're building something good here," she adds, gesturing vaguely to encompass the town, my life, everything. “Savannah handed the business to you. Just be professional about it. Do everything that needs to be done for a wedding, then if they don’t pay for it, you can say that it is out of your hands."
She's right, and I know she's right, but the curiosity is already there, already growing, already making me want to dig deeper into what Ben and Penelope are actually planning.
Jessica and I leave the bakery with our box of brownies and the distinct impression that I've just stumbled onto something much bigger than I realized. The cold hits us the moment we step outside, but it doesn't feel quite as brutal now that we're properly warmed up and carrying enough chocolate to sustain a small army.
Jessica is quiet on the walk back to the office.
Thanks, universe for making this wedding more complicated than it needs to be. If you could do me one favor, erase everything that Mercy just told me. Please.
10
JETT
I'm standing outside The Sway, enjoying time off. The film production I was supposed to do stunts for next month got pushed back a few weeks due to scheduling conflicts, which means I've got some unexpected free time on my hands.
It's not often I get a break between jobs, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. My brothers are both working today, and I've already hit the gym this morning. I'm scrolling through my phone, debating whether to grab a drink inside or head home, when a thought occurs to me.
It's not often I get a break between jobs, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. My brothers are both working today, and I've already hit the gym this morning. I'm scrolling through my phone, debating whether to grab a drink inside or head home, when a thought occurs to me.
That's when I see Sharon walking down the street with the kind of energy that suggests she's up to something.
