“Dad, did you kill those people?” Meg asked, looking as though she were steeling herself to hear exactly that.
“No, no! They were fine!... Well, not quite so fine with their house on fire.” Penny, Jack, and Meg breathed a collective sigh of relief. “That La Roque was a thief. That’s why they were up there, hiding out. He stole something that belonged to me boss on the way out of town. I was just there to get it back, that’s all, but you know how it goes, uh…things get a little out of control,” Redmond explained. “Anyway, from what I was told, La Roque disappeared on his wife and babe after that. Afraid of us coming after him again, I guess. I heard she left for the States after that. Those were some wild chapters in me life, that’s for sure.” He mused over that while Jack’s eyes blazed.
“And La Roque the son believes I was somehow responsible for that particular wild chapter? Me, a thirteen-year-old kid. I shouldn’t have been up there in the first place,” Jack said harshly. “He was a baby. How would he even remember?”
“His mam probably told him what happened, andwebecame the reason his father ran out on him,” Redmond reasoned with a sad headshake.
“Well, at the end of the day, I don’t get the impression an apology would change anything for him. We’re not going to be passing a talking stick back and forth and crying it out to heal our inner children,” Jack said wryly.
“I mean…you don’t think it’s worth a try to contact him and talk?” Penny asked. The others looked at her as though she suggested growing a second head. “I’m not kidding. This information kinda changes things. Clearly, he wants to meet with you somehow. At least make the offer.”
Now Jack looked at her with wide eyes and a shake of his head. “No. He insulted you, in public, and in public is where he needsto apologize. I’m not a fucking therapist, and he’s not some bleedin’ priest I need to confess to.”
Penny lifted her palms in surrender. “Okay, okay. In that case, the best we can do is avoid him. That’s it, that’s all. Shouldn’t be that hard. He’s in New York or wherever he lives, and we’re here.”
Meg looked ready to argue, but she said nothing. Jack looked morose. In the subdued silence, with the sounds of a Celtic holiday album playing in the background, Redmond raised his glass with a feeble grin.
“Well. Merry Christmas!”
They stopped talking about Derek La Roque after Christmas evening. Penny knew Jack was feeling some guilt over what happened with the La Roque family, even though it was more Redmond’s doing than his. He was quieter for a few days, but eventually, as things settled, he was back to being himself. A little more than monosyllabic and more than eager to see to her comfort, as well as her pleasure.
Meg invited them back over for New Year’s, but they decided to spend it on their own. Jack took her to dinner at their favorite restaurant, the steakhouse where they’d first shared a meal and talked. Then it was home again for a night of peace, if “peaceful” was the right word for ringing in the new year to the sound of fireworks over the skyline while in the deep throes of a thunderous mutual orgasm. Penny wasn’t complaining.
Nothing had ever felt so good or so right.
And sometimes, that still felt wrong.
Moving in with Jack had meant making decisions about what to part with from the old place and what to keep. Obviously, she wasn’t going to prop pictures of Brendan all over the house.She’d put them in a dresser drawer. But she took one out occasionally when Jack wasn’t there. Looked at the sarcastic little grin and the old man’s wise gaze in a young face. Pressed her fingertips to her lips and then the glass and then hid it, feeling vaguely guilty.
She’d been having trouble sleeping at night with weird dreams of La Roque skulking in their backyard and breaking into the house to steal the baby. To avoid the dreams, she’d stay up in Jack’s —theiroffice, roll up the sleeves of her robe, and painfully wrench out more words for her book.
One night, she fell asleep at the desk. This time when he turned to mock her, La Roque’s face morphed and melted, and then he was Brendan. He snatched up the baby, shouting at her.
“He should have been mine, Penny Lane. And now you can’t have him either!”
She screamed, trying to run after them, but she tripped and fell. “I’m sorry, Brendan.Are you ashamed of me?”
All of a sudden, it was the weak gray of morning. She found herself in bed. Jack was standing at his dresser, strapping on his wristwatch.
“Did you bring me in here?” she asked in confusion.
Jack came to the bed and leaned over to kiss her. “I did. You were completely knackered. You should’ve come to bed earlier like I told you.”
“You don’t tell me what to do,” she scoffed but pulled him down for a longer, more thorough lip lock. Already the bizarre dream with Brendan was dissipating, becoming less defined until it faded entirely. “Going into the gym?”
Jack was already dressed in his forest green tracksuit that picked up the flecks of emerald in his eyes. He nodded. “I’m after takin’ Trixie out for her walk so you don’t have to.”
“Okay.” Penny grinned. That meant he’d already done it. It had taken her months in Dublin to figure out that particularturn of phrase. “Mm, I love this color on you. I’ve got the hottest boyfriend on the planet.”
“Hottest husband.” He grinned at her compliment and was about to press her back down into the sheets, but she pushed him.
“I don’t recall that happening. Anyway, wait for me, I want to come to the gym with you. I’ll be quick.” Penny laughed softly when Jack dragged her nightdress up and cupped her pussy in his hot palm. She almost gave in at the firm circles he was making over her clit with his thumb through her underwear, but she stayed strong and shooed his hand away. “Later! Let me get ready.”
“Alright,” he sighed.
“Oh, just a quick one won’t hurt. Go ahead.” Penny grinned at Jack’s rumbling laughter. And she widened her legs, kissed him, and moaned when he did just as she said.
Afterward, Penny got dressed and went to spend the morning at the gym shooting the shit with everyone, even getting in a little punching and light kicking in the corner under the instruction of Rain, the American girl.