Page 36

She spins on her heel to chase Samantha down the hallway before she can see my pained expression.

Once the Windell’s and Emily arrive for Penny’s party, the house is alive with people and conversations. The Windell’s are a pretty lively bunch, except for David, who thankfully seems to like me again.

The dining table is lined with a festive pink tablecloth and a sprinkling of rainbow confetti. I even splurged for a balloon bouquet this year. Seven seems like a big deal. Emily is quiet. I wonder if it’s difficult for her to see Penny getting older.

The doorbell rings and I rush to answer it, knowing Mariah will be on the other side. Maybe today will be the day sparks will fly between us. Who knows?

Opening the door, I look at Mariah admirably. She really is lovely. Tanned skin, chocolate colored eyes, long eyelashes, beautiful smile. Heck, she’s even wearing a sundress. It’s a dark red color that looks magnificent against her bronzed skin. And yet, my idiotic brain has decided that she’ll remain permanently in the friend zone.

“Hey!” I give her a quick side hug as she steps inside.

“Hey Drew, thanks again for inviting me.”

“Of course, glad you could make it,” I say, ushering her into the dining area where everyone has gathered. “Hey everyone, this is Mariah. She works at the hospital. Ted, you’ve probably seen her around?”

Ted steps forward and shakes her hand. “Yes, you look familiar. Nice to meet you, Mariah.” He smiles and puts his hand on the small of Diane’s back. “This is my wife, Diane.”

Once everyone has said hello and introduced themselves, Penny tugs on the hem of my shirt.

“Daddy! Is it time for presents yet?” She whisper-yells, making everyone laugh under their breath.

“Let’s eat dinner and do cake first, okay?” I lift her up and kiss her cheek.

She wrinkles her nose. “Alright, I guess.”

Mariah sidles up next to us. “Penny, how old are you now?” she asks with bright eyes, trying to win Penny over.

Penny looks at her with one eyebrow raised. She slowly turns her head to look at the giant balloon bouquet behind us with a balloon number seven at the center. Slowly, she brings her head back to meet Mariah’s gaze.

Mariah smiles at her with a besmirched expression. “Oh right, seven.”

“Yep.” Penny pops the “p” extra loud.

I set Penny down in front of me and get down on my hunches so we’re at eye level. “Penny, you will be nice to all of our guests, or you won’t be opening any of those presents.”

She looks down at her feet before responding, “Yes, sir.” Then she runs off to her aunt Emily.

“It’s really fine, Drew. She doesn’t know me yet.” Mariah states.

She’s trying to be nice, but the yet she added at the end of her sentence makes me feel a pang of guilt. I have to end things with her, and soon.

“Thanks for understanding. She can be harsh. But we’re working on it.” I gesture toward the kitchen where I’ve laid out a make-your-own hamburger buffet.

Once everyone is finished with their dinner, I bring the cake out and set it in front of Penny. Her eyes go wide with excitement and she claps her hands together.

“Cake time!” Penny announces loudly, making everyone laugh.

I poke the number seven candle into the top of the cake and realize I don’t have a lighter.

“Oh! I hid the lighters, let me grab it,” Sophie says as she heads into the kitchen.

I follow closely behind, wondering why on earth she hid the lighters.

“Penny was a little too curious about the lighters the other day. She was giving me major kleptomaniac vibes, so I hid them on top of the fridge,” she explains, seeming to have read my mind.

I shake my head from side to side with a chuckle. “Why am I not surprised?”

Sophie smirks, then climbs on top of the kitchen counter. “I put it right up here on top of the refrigerator.”