Garrett stroked my hair.
My phone rang as I lay against his chest. I leaned over the bed, rummaging in my purse, Garrett's large hand on my hip. It was my mother. I immediately canceled the call, or tried to anyway. I heard her shout hello before I managed to hang up. She called back immediately. I sent it to voicemail.
"I have to go," I said to Garrett. I jumped up, grabbing my purse and racing for the door.
"Oh, okay, fine. I'll see you tomorrow," he said, following me.
"Sure, tomorrow," I lied. "I just—I have to bake my cake for the contest. I forgot! I'm so dumb sometimes!"
* * *
I drove backto the Victorian house as if the wheels were on fire. As soon as I parked the car, I called my mom. "What do you want?" I said.
"That's no way to talk to your mother."
"Well then I guess this discussion is over," I snapped.
"Please, Penny, stop being so dramatic. I need you to send me the notes and any other material you had on the Svenssons."
"I told you I didn't want anything to do with that. I’m not working on the article," I said, my stomach sinking.
"I know that," she said. "But I told you I already promised our advertisers a certain type of article. I'll have someone else working on it. So send me what you have."
"No," I said firmly. All my life, I'd only wanted her to accept me. But now that I had something worth losing, my mother's opinion of me suddenly didn't matter.
"No?" she said. Anger tinged her voice. "There was a contract. We paid you to do research. The research legally belongs to us. Hand it over, or I will get the lawyers involved."
I felt like crying. If I was sued, Garrett would definitely find out. Then he would trace the article back to me.
"I'll send you what I have," I said, feeling defeated.
"That's a good girl. Send it to me soon, love!"
After ending the call, I went up to my computer, looked through my notes and deleted the worst of the information, and then sent the files to my mother. I felt as if I was going to puke.
Going down to the kitchen, I tried to calm down. I did actually need to bake a cake for the Halloween festival. I decided on a pumpkin-caramel Princess Charlotte cake. They always looked impressive, and baking always soothed my nerves.
62
Garrett
Penny didn't come pick me up the next day. She texted and said she was baking then going to help with the big Harrogate Halloween festival setup. I probably should have helped set up, too, because I managed to get absolutely no work done.
That evening, I made Weston drop me off at her house. The lights were off, and I heard Salem meowing on the other side of the door when I pulled the chain on the doorbell. No one answered.
"Just leave me here," I told my brother.
"Are you sure?" he asked, looking apprehensively at the bare tree that blew ominously in the breeze. "I think it's going to rain.”
"My car is unlocked," I said, pointing to the Tesla that was parked in front of the house. "I'll sit in it if it starts pouring."
Thunder cracked and lighting flashed. Weston shifted his weight. "Hunter's not going to like it if you get hit by lightning."
"I'm fine."
"You must really like Penny," he said as he headed back to his car.
I sat in the rocking chair on the porch and texted Penny.
