She’d brewed a pot of herbal tea but also put water and soda on the table.
“How did it go with Skye?” Penelope asked after almost devouring the first half of her food.
“Hmm, better than expected.” Lucia wiped her hands on a napkin. “We cleared the air.”
“No more ‘Gracie’ and other goading?”
“We’ll see. It’s still Skye we’re talking about, but yeah. I’m hopeful.”
“Is that a general attitude?”
“Being hopeful?”
Penelope nodded.
“Yeah. I think so. You’d be surprised, given my background.” She shrugged. “I got lucky, definitely, but it’s also my temperament. My emotions may spike and all, but I tend to overall be pretty balanced.”
“That’s wonderful. You’re indeed lucky.”
“Right now, especially.”
Penelope ducked her head.What’s wrong with you?
“Hey.” Lucia clasped Penelope’s hand. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“No, no, you didn’t.” She sighed, finding Lucia’s warm gaze. “I’m feeling a bit…off kilter currently.”
“I bet. What you found out with your dad, that’s rough. Do you wanna talk about it?”
“Not really. I mean, what’s there to discuss?”
“Whatever you wish. Like, are you sure he was in on it? And of his own free will?”
“What?” She let out a short laugh without a trace of humor. “Someone forced him?”
Lucia shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I suppose, but I don’t know. It’s not ironclad, is it? But I know my father, and what I’ve seen… It wasn’t him being careless. And, you know, if something happens once or twice, yes, it could be an accident or a coincidence, but it was a pattern.”
“Yeah. That’s harder to dismiss.”
A moment of quiet settled between them.
“So,” Lucia said. “I wanted to apologize again for…dropping the ball, I guess.”
“It’s fine.”
“I’m glad you’re not holding a grudge, but I’d still like to explain.”
Warmth rushed through Penelope at Lucia’s earnest expression. “Go ahead.”
“Right. It all just happened too fast. They had guns! I was still riding on an adrenaline high, and then out of nowhere…” She shook her head.
“That sounds scary.”
“Yeah, though I didn’t register that right away. Like I saw the gun, right, but I was more focused on keeping theMadonna.”
“Lucia, that’s your life!”
