Page 43 of The Damaged Hearts Bargain

“I’m having an absolutely lovely time. This is all I’ve ever wanted,” Pen said with a satisfied sigh. “A beautiful woman to love and dote on, and a life surrounded by my friends in a place I love.”

“And a honeymoon in South America with whatever surprises that might bring,” added Lucy, fishing for more information.

“Precisely,” Pen said, giving nothing at all away.

Lucy looked at everyone dancing, looked at their smiles and their happiness and knew that she’d been taking this all for granted. Tetherington had taken her in, adopted her when it didn’t have to, and she knew at heart that was special.

Special enough that it would be difficult to ever leave.

“What’s going on with you and Cal then?” Pen asked, poking Lucy’s knee.

Lucy blew out a breath. “It’s complicated.”

“How can it be complicated?” Pen laughed. “She’s been hereless than a week, it can’t have gotten that complicated.”

Lucy shrugged and told Pen everything because Pen was her friend, and because Pen had way more experience than she did, so why not?

When she was done, Pen sat back in her chair and thought.

“You know, before I met Ash, I was single for a long, long time. Years, in fact.”

“Really?” asked Lucy, because she hadn’t known Pen back then at all.

Pen nodded. “I don’t know, I mean, it wasn’t as though I liked it or wanted to be that way. But I had other things to do, my own life to work on. And I sort of figured, well, that I didn’t want to settle. That one day someone would come along that I deserved and that deserved me and that it would all work out in the end.”

“Because you’re an incurable optimist.”

“Maybe,” allowed Pen. “But also because I like myself. I might not be the greatest person in the world, but I do my best and I try hard. I know that I deserve better than a one night stand, I know that I deserve someone who loves me for who I am. I get that’s not for everyone, people think differently, but that’s what I always carried with me.”

“Right,” Lucy said uncertainly because now she had George telling her that things happen just suddenly and Pen telling her to be patient and wait, and it was all getting jumbled together in her head.

“You’re young, Lucy, and I’m not saying that to be patronizing. I’m just saying that you’ve got a lot of life to live yet. Did you hear about the residency program?”

“Not yet,” said Lucy. She checked the mailbox every morning even though she knew Billy would bring the letter straight to her if he saw it on his route.

“Don’t confuse sex with love,” Pen said. “The two are quite different, even though when they’re mixed together they’re quite fabulous and… And when did I turn into such a prude?”

Lucy snorted a laugh. “You? Prudish?”

“You should have fun if you want,” Pen said. “But don’tconfuse the fun with something serious, that’s how people get hurt.” The music shifted to something slower and Pen got to her feet. “I need to find my almost-wife.”

So what were all these feelings then, Lucy wondered as Pen disappeared. She couldn’t lie to herself, she did want a relationship. But then she wanted Cal too. She needed to decide which of these things was more important. Preferably before Cal decided to flee town once again.

Chapter Eighteen

Cal’s fate was sealed when Lucy laid her head on her shoulder.

The wedding was simple and elegant, the kind of wedding that Cal herself would plan if she ever thought about a wedding. Not that she did. Ever. But it was sweet to watch and even she had to dab a tear from an eye as Pen and Ash said their I dos.

Not that it was without its problems.

“I can’t believe you’d bring her here,” hissed Doris Renton as Cal walked past arm in arm with Lucy.

Lucy glared, but Cal pulled her away. “Let it go,” she whispered. This was a wedding, not an appropriate venue for a fight.

“It’s just so unfair,” began Lucy.

“It’s fine,” Cal said, not feeling at all fine. But she suffered the eye rolls and the tuts that, at an English wedding at least, conveyed the deep hatred that ran through the town at the very sight of her.

---