“You don’t want to marry me, do you?” It wasn’t so much a question as a statement.
Penny didn’t look up as she answered. She couldn’t meet his eyes. “No. I don’t. I’m sorry.”
He let out a breath and drummed his knuckles against the table. “I know. But I’d rather hear it straight out than always wonder.”
They sat in silence for a while, each taking sips from their beers. The music changed from the latest country hit to a dance tune and the lights dimmed. The bar was filling up with a much younger crowd. Penny couldn’t remember what it felt like to be that young and carefree anymore.
A young guy who didn’t even look old enough to drink legally asked to borrow a chair from their table. Scott pushed it toward him.
“It’s starting to get crowded. That’s my cue to leave.” He waited until she looked up. “I’ll come by to get my stuff this weekend.”
“Of course. There’s no rush.” They sat in uncomfortable silence before she blurted out, “This is your dream job, right?”
He grinned for the first time since she’d sat down. “Yeah, it is.”
“It’s what you dream about at night. It’s what you want to do when you wake up in the morning. Just the thought of it makes you happy.”
“It does,” he admitted.
“Have you ever felt that way about me?”
His smile dimmed.
“It’s okay. I didn’t feel that either. That’s why I know it’s not right.” She leaned across the table and looked him directly in the eyes. “Either way, I’m really proud of you, Scott. Not that it matters now, but I am.”
Scott stood and left a few bills on the table. Then he leaned down and kissed her cheek. “It matters to me. A lot. Thank you.”
He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. “Goodbye, Penny.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
MATT SPENT MOST of Tuesday running errands, picking up groceries, and getting a feel for the neighborhood. If he was going to stay for a few months, he didn’t want to have to call Eli for every little thing. It made sense for him to learn his way around his temporary home.
When he walked into the waiting room at Penny’s office for their Wednesday appointment, it was empty. He stood at the reception desk and peered around. After a few minutes, he rapped his knuckles on the counter impatiently.
The door next to the reception area opened and an older man walked out. Matt watched the door slowly close. At the last second, he sprang forward and caught the handle. He glanced behind him before slipping through the doorway.
“Penny? Are you here?” He waited a moment, expecting a nurse or the receptionist to come out at any moment. He walked down the hallway they’d gone down last time. Maybe she was still in her office. Then he heard her voice. He stopped outside one of the treatment rooms and peered through the door. Penny was standing in front of a patient, counting out reps as a man lifted one of his legs off the table and lowered it.
“I must be early,” Matt muttered. He might as well just hang in the waiting room until she was done.
Just before he turned around, the man reached a hand down and patted Penny on the behind. She grabbed his hand and placed it back on the table. Her movement was so quick that if he hadn’t been watching all along, he would have missed it. It was also automatic, like she was used to it happening.
Rage rose up in Matt’s chest. He slapped a hand on the door and shoved it open. Penny turned.
“Matt! What are you doing here?” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Oh, it’s almost time for your appointment."
When she moved closer to him, she stepped slightly to the side and he was able to see the patient’s face. The old man on the table behind her looked between them uncertainly. Then, seeing that Penny’s attention was diverted, he reached out and patted her on the bottom again. Penny jumped and then whipped around.
“Okay, Mr. Eisenberg. We’re done for today. Your daughter will be here any moment to take you back home.”
Matt stood staring for a second before a laugh bubbled up and out of his throat. He clamped his lips shut when Penny turned to him with narrowed eyes.
“What is so funny?”
I’m not going to ask. I am not going to ask.
“Nothing. I’ll be in the waiting room.” He turned and walked back to the lobby before she could say anything else. The receptionist was back at the desk, so he signed the appointment list, grabbed a magazine, and settled in one of the chairs in the far corner of the room. He was halfway through an article about offshore drilling when his name was called. He looked up to see Penny standing in front of him.
“Hello, Sergeant.”
Matt tossed the magazine on the table next to his seat and stood. “Hey. Are you ready for me?”
Her eyes narrowed again, as if she wasn’t sure if he was making fun of her. “Yes. Glad you made it back. Were you sore after Monday’s workout?”
He followed her back down the hallway into a different treatment room than they’d used the last time. “Surprisingly, I was. A little. I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to be.”
“I know you’re in excellent shape, but the exercises we’ll be doing are going to target areas you’ve never had to worry about before. It’s normal to be a little sore.” Penny turned and looked at him directly. “If your pain rises above mild soreness or irritation then you need to call me. Immediately. Okay?”
Penny didn’t look up as she answered. She couldn’t meet his eyes. “No. I don’t. I’m sorry.”
He let out a breath and drummed his knuckles against the table. “I know. But I’d rather hear it straight out than always wonder.”
They sat in silence for a while, each taking sips from their beers. The music changed from the latest country hit to a dance tune and the lights dimmed. The bar was filling up with a much younger crowd. Penny couldn’t remember what it felt like to be that young and carefree anymore.
A young guy who didn’t even look old enough to drink legally asked to borrow a chair from their table. Scott pushed it toward him.
“It’s starting to get crowded. That’s my cue to leave.” He waited until she looked up. “I’ll come by to get my stuff this weekend.”
“Of course. There’s no rush.” They sat in uncomfortable silence before she blurted out, “This is your dream job, right?”
He grinned for the first time since she’d sat down. “Yeah, it is.”
“It’s what you dream about at night. It’s what you want to do when you wake up in the morning. Just the thought of it makes you happy.”
“It does,” he admitted.
“Have you ever felt that way about me?”
His smile dimmed.
“It’s okay. I didn’t feel that either. That’s why I know it’s not right.” She leaned across the table and looked him directly in the eyes. “Either way, I’m really proud of you, Scott. Not that it matters now, but I am.”
Scott stood and left a few bills on the table. Then he leaned down and kissed her cheek. “It matters to me. A lot. Thank you.”
He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. “Goodbye, Penny.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
MATT SPENT MOST of Tuesday running errands, picking up groceries, and getting a feel for the neighborhood. If he was going to stay for a few months, he didn’t want to have to call Eli for every little thing. It made sense for him to learn his way around his temporary home.
When he walked into the waiting room at Penny’s office for their Wednesday appointment, it was empty. He stood at the reception desk and peered around. After a few minutes, he rapped his knuckles on the counter impatiently.
The door next to the reception area opened and an older man walked out. Matt watched the door slowly close. At the last second, he sprang forward and caught the handle. He glanced behind him before slipping through the doorway.
“Penny? Are you here?” He waited a moment, expecting a nurse or the receptionist to come out at any moment. He walked down the hallway they’d gone down last time. Maybe she was still in her office. Then he heard her voice. He stopped outside one of the treatment rooms and peered through the door. Penny was standing in front of a patient, counting out reps as a man lifted one of his legs off the table and lowered it.
“I must be early,” Matt muttered. He might as well just hang in the waiting room until she was done.
Just before he turned around, the man reached a hand down and patted Penny on the behind. She grabbed his hand and placed it back on the table. Her movement was so quick that if he hadn’t been watching all along, he would have missed it. It was also automatic, like she was used to it happening.
Rage rose up in Matt’s chest. He slapped a hand on the door and shoved it open. Penny turned.
“Matt! What are you doing here?” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Oh, it’s almost time for your appointment."
When she moved closer to him, she stepped slightly to the side and he was able to see the patient’s face. The old man on the table behind her looked between them uncertainly. Then, seeing that Penny’s attention was diverted, he reached out and patted her on the bottom again. Penny jumped and then whipped around.
“Okay, Mr. Eisenberg. We’re done for today. Your daughter will be here any moment to take you back home.”
Matt stood staring for a second before a laugh bubbled up and out of his throat. He clamped his lips shut when Penny turned to him with narrowed eyes.
“What is so funny?”
I’m not going to ask. I am not going to ask.
“Nothing. I’ll be in the waiting room.” He turned and walked back to the lobby before she could say anything else. The receptionist was back at the desk, so he signed the appointment list, grabbed a magazine, and settled in one of the chairs in the far corner of the room. He was halfway through an article about offshore drilling when his name was called. He looked up to see Penny standing in front of him.
“Hello, Sergeant.”
Matt tossed the magazine on the table next to his seat and stood. “Hey. Are you ready for me?”
Her eyes narrowed again, as if she wasn’t sure if he was making fun of her. “Yes. Glad you made it back. Were you sore after Monday’s workout?”
He followed her back down the hallway into a different treatment room than they’d used the last time. “Surprisingly, I was. A little. I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to be.”
“I know you’re in excellent shape, but the exercises we’ll be doing are going to target areas you’ve never had to worry about before. It’s normal to be a little sore.” Penny turned and looked at him directly. “If your pain rises above mild soreness or irritation then you need to call me. Immediately. Okay?”
