"Oh, my. That is quite the opportunity, Penelope," she says with a big smile on her face. "When would she be expected to leave for New York?" she asks Tucker.
"Well, Penny said she would probably leave at the end of summer."
"A little over a month now," my mama says, looking pleased as punch. "And can I expect you to take care of my daughter when she's in the city?"
"Yes, ma'am. It's my sole intention to take care of Penny up in New York. I already have an apartment all lined up for her. It's close to the office, but in a nice location and a very secure building. There's an indoor pool and a gym that Penny could use in her downtime. And, of course, her office will be right beside mine." He looks up at me and grins. "Penny and I will be spending a lot of time together."
My stomach is doing flips, and I put down my fork, suddenly no longer hungry. I feel like Tucker is mapping out a life for me without my consent just like my parents have been trying to do almost my entire life. He already has an apartment waiting for me? He never even told me that. It's almost like he's expecting me to go even though I've never actually gave him a definitive answer. I stand up suddenly, almost knocking my chair over.
"What's wrong, Penny?" my father asks.
"I just…I need…" I glance around the table, desperately trying to come up with a plausible excuse to get the hell out of this room. "I need more…ice," I say, grasping my glass and then hightailing it into the kitchen.
I stand in the large room, gripping the countertop until my fingers turn white. It's moments later when I hear footsteps behind me.
"Penny," Tucker says, his voice laced with concern. He stops within a few feet from me. "Was it something I said?" he asks in a hushed whisper.
I swallow hard and turn to face him. "Tucker, I feel like I haven't even really said yes, and you're completely overtaking every decision I'll make if I decide to go to New York with you."
Tucker's brows furrow. "Is this because of what I said about the apartment?" he asks.
"Yes!" I exclaim, and then quickly lower my voice. "It's about the apartment and the office and…and everything is happening so fast, and I ---." I press my palm over my thundering heart that is threatening to beat out of my chest.
"Whoa, Penny." Tucker is at my side then, running his hand soothingly over my back as I lean over the sink, trying to catch my breath.
I know that this isn't just about Tucker and what he said. This is more about Colton and Ruby Sue and what the future holds with all of us in it. I'm scared. No. I'm downright terrified of what is going to happen. I like to be in control of things, and right now I feel like everything is spiraling out of control. I don't know how to handle these new events, and I'm scared that Colton is going to break my heart. Again.
"Just breathe, Penny," he says in a soothing tone.
I close my eyes, and breathe through my nose and exhale through my mouth. I don't want to have a full-blown panic attack right here in my parents' kitchen. That would definitely be the last thing I need right now.
"I know you haven't one-hundred percent agreed to be my campaign manager. I'm hopeful that you'll agree to come to New York with me, and I just wanted to make sure you had a place to stay if you decided to come. I wanted you to feel comfortable and not have to worry about searching for a place right away. In all honesty, the apartment will be for whoever my manager is going to be…even if it's not you."
His words instantly calm me. He's not trying to boss me around or decide my life. He was just trying to be nice. Suddenly, I feel awful. Slowly, I straighten and calm myself down before turning to him. "Oh, Tuck. I'm sorry." I take his hand in mine and squeeze it reassuringly. "I'm just having a bad day. I didn't mean to accuse you of trying to rule my life. It's just that my parents have been that way all my life…and I sort of…freaked out."
He smiles, flashing his perfectly white teeth. "Don't worry about it. It's already forgotten."
We walk back into the dining room, and the hushed conversation between my parents instantly stops.
"Everything all right?" my mama asks. "Did you get the…ice…situation all figured out?" she asks with a quirked brow.
I nod and sit down. "Yep."
We continue eating while my dad and Tucker talk politics. I catch mama's stare out of the corner of my eye. "Want to help me with dessert, Penelope?" she asks.
"Sure," I say before following her into the kitchen.
Mama cuts pieces of a cinnamon crumb cake, and I plate them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. "It's so nice to see you and Tucker together. I'm so glad this whole thing with Colton is over…especially since he's practically engaged."
I stop mid-scoop and look up at her. "What do you mean practically engaged?"
"Well, Ruby Sue was telling all the ladies at the beauty parlor she works at that her and Colton are fixing to get married soon."
Her words shock me to my core. Did Colton lie to me about the extent of their relationship too?
"It's nice to see you both moving on with your lives," she says before carrying out two plates to the dining room.
I close my eyes for a moment and tell myself to just breathe. I'll have to deal with everything later, but now is not the time. If Ruby Sue and Colton are getting married soon, I'll figure out the truth soon enough.
