"Pizza again?" he says with a disgusted look. "Let me take you somewhere nice, Penny. Let me wine and dine you like you deserve."
I do my best not to roll my eyes. Tucker acts like he's too good for a lot of things, and it seems like it's mostly the things that I like. I don't know why I never noticed that before. Moving to New York definitely opened up my eyes…to a lot of things.
"I just wanted a nice, quiet evening at home," I explain.
He raises a brow. "Is that a hint for me to get lost?"
I grin and smooth down the lapels of his jacket. "We've spent every day together this past month."
He pulls me in close and presses his lips against my neck. "And I've enjoyed every second of it," he confesses. When I don't move or say anything, he backs away. "Fine. My girl needs some time alone. I get that." He winks and says, "But you can't get rid of me for too long, Penny." His kisses my cheek softly before saying, "I'll see you tomorrow at the office."
Plastering a phony smile on my face, I shoo him out the door and say goodbye. The pizza delivery guy is coming up the hall as Tucker is leaving. I pay the man and take my pizza and eat it quietly in my apartment. It feels good to be myself in New York, but it's the exact opposite of how I wanted to feel in Alabama. I loved working at the bar and cooking and baking. I haven't baked a single thing in this tiny apartment. The kitchen is barely big enough to move around in.
I eat my pizza and go to bed. I lie there staring at my cell phone's wallpaper, grinning from ear to ear. It's a picture of the whole gang from the bar. Colton is standing beside me, and he's looking down at me. I know he didn't do it intentionally, and that makes me smile even wider. He almost always looked at me when we took pictures. His daddy used to say he was so drawn to me that he couldn't even look away for a split second to get a picture taken.
Sighing contentedly, I put my phone down and go to sleep. My dreams are filled with Alabama, the bar and, most importantly, Colton James.
* * * * *
IT'S LATE AT night on Saturday…or maybe early Sunday morning when my phone starts ringing. My first instinct is to roll over and forget about it, but then my brain starts to force my body to move. Without checking the caller ID, I answer. "Hello?"
"Penelope."
It's my mom, and I can hear the tremor in her voice. I sit bolt upright in bed and clutch the phone to my ear. Something happened.Colton. "What…What's wrong?" I say, stumbling over the question.
"It's your father."
I gasp, but my mother quickly says, "I need you to get on the next flight here. I've already arranged everything at the airport for you. I'll text you directions."
"What happened? Is he…is he…?" I can't even get the question to leave my mouth. Even though my relationship with my parents has been strained, I'll always love them. They're my parents. I can't even imagine them not being in my life.
"He'll be okay, Penelope, but we need you home."
"Yes. Of course." I hurry up and get out of bed. "What time do I leave?"
"Eight. You have a couple of hours to pack. Bring everything, Penelope, because I don't know how soon you'll be able to make it back to New York."
I nod even though she can't see me. "I'll start packing right now. Mama?"
There's a silence on the phone for a moment.
"I love you, Mama," I whisper with tears in my eyes.
"I love you too, Penelope. More than you will ever know."
She hangs up after that, and I scramble to pack everything that I brought with me to New York. A million thoughts go through my head. Was my father in an accident? Did he have a heart attack?
A text from my mother comes through on my phone, and I check it quickly. It gives me the airport name, direction and departure time. I shower quickly and finish packing and am ready to head out the door when there's a knock. I stop in my tracks and sigh. Tucker. We were supposed to meet for breakfast.
I open the door, and Tucker stands there smiling. His smile quickly fades, though, when he notices the luggage I'm toting behind me. "We're just going for breakfast, Penny. I didn't know you were going to bring everything but the kitchen sink," he says in an attempt to lighten the mood. His eyes meet mine and he frowns. "What's going on?"
"My dad." I struggle with the words, and Tucker quickly takes me in his arms as I breakdown. "My mom called me and booked me on a flight that leaves at eight. I don't even know what's going on. I didn't even ask her. It could be anything. He could be…dying, and I…" My voice hitches as a sob escapes me.
Tucker rubs his hand up and down my back, soothing me. "It's okay, Penny. It will be okay. Here," he says, grabbing some of my luggage. "I don't want you to miss your flight. Let me drive you to the airport."
"You don't have to do that, Tucker. You ---."
"I want to," he says, interrupting me, and I know it's final. If there's anything I've learned about Tucker Hayward over the past month, it's that he's almost as bullheaded and stubborn as me.
