Page 34 of Sew Matcha in Love
I quickly entered his bathroom, grabbed the used towels from the hamper, and hurried out of the room, revisiting the urge to snoop for the scent sources.
I wasn’t a creeper.
On the floor, I rolled all the sheets and towels into the smallest bundle I could manage and carried them down the stairs. This amount of bedding and towels would have to be split into two loads, and I still had my own clothes and the girls’ playclothes to wash.
I’d have to alter my laundry schedule. As much as I loved living in the past, an entire day devoted to laundry wasn’t my idea of a good time.
Zaki had set up a routine with the dry cleaner to drop by and collect the girls’ uniforms Thursday night so they’d have freshly laundered and pressed clothes for school and I wouldn’t have to fuss with ironing. I’d told him I didn’t mind, but afterthe first week, it hit me how time-consuming it was to take care of children full-time, on top of home care and oneself. It gave me a new respect for stay-at-home parents and those that had to balance working outside the home and most especially those that workedfromhome and were interrupted on a constant basis.
I was folding the kitchen towels from the first load when Penny arrived. I quickly finished the last two at the speed of lightning and stuffed the upstairs sheets into the dryer just as she rang the bell.
“Coming!” I set the dial, pressed the button, and ran to the front door. Spying the jar of doggie biscuits on the counter, I plucked out two, and with the same firm but cute commanding words that the girls taught me, I told Laffy and Vennie to go to their beds by the fireplace. A little more than amazed that the dogs had stopped and took notice, I called, “Be right there, Penny!" and followed them to their beds.
I rewarded them with treats and hurried back to the front door, sliding the bolt out of place and clicking the thumb turn to the left to unlatch the mechanism. “Sorry, I didn’t want the dogs to scare the baby?—”
I pulled open the door and grinned, surprised to see Monty behind Penny, wearing baby Melody on his chest in an elaborately tied cloth inside his open jacket.
“I hope you don’t mind I brought the baby whisperer with me,” Penny said, stepping inside and pulling off her scarf. “I couldn’t get her to stop crying this morning, and neither could Xavier. He had to leave for practice, so I called Tasha to see if she could come stay with her while I came to my fitting, but she was still out delivering meals, so she sent Monty to meet me here.”
“It’s no problem.” I looked outside as I shut the door behind them. Sure enough, Monty’s truck was parked behind her crossover. “I can take your jackets.”
Penny hung hers on an empty hook on the wall in the vestibule. “We can hang our own. I love your apron and all, but you’re not a servant.”
“Really, I don’t mind. You’re my guests,” I insisted.
Penny gently extracted the baby from Monty’s wrap, but the moment she was in her mother’s arms, her nose twitched and she began to cry. Penny bounced her and cooed in a gentle tone while Monty removed his coat and hat, but Melody’s wails only grew louder.
Monty reached for the baby, and Penny reluctantly handed her over. Once Melody was tucked back into the wrap, her crying ceased and she closed her eyes.
“I’m a terrible mother,” Penny murmured. “I can’t even comfort my own baby.”
“Aw, Pen, you know that’s not true,” Monty said. “Remember what Nana Booboo said? That I’m a walking furnace? She’s probably just cold. Or teething.”
“Her gums are a little swollen.” Penny sighed and wiped her eyes. “And I’m always cold.” She turned to me. “Sorry to complain. I’m still trying to figure all of this out.”
“It’s no problem,” I assured her. “Your gown is hanging on the back of my bedroom door. You can change in there, and then we’ll go into the front room to make adjustments and discuss embellishments.”
“Embellishments, huh?” Monty interrupted. “Like sequins and flair?”
“Something like that.” I wasn’t about to launch into all the possible embellishments of the Regency era with a guy whose only experience with design was deciding how many rhinestones to add to his cheerleading pants. “Make yourself at home,” I told him and led Penny through the kitchen to my bedroom.
I would regretthatinvitation later.
When Penny opened the door and stepped out of my bedroom in the dress, I gasped. The gown was stunning, and it fit her like a glove. “Pen!” I whispered.
“You’ve outdone yourself,” she praised. “Just needs a hem.”
“Turn for me?” I asked. She complied, and I took a closer look.
“I’d be the envy of all the ladies at a Bridgerton ball,” she boasted. “I can’t believe I get to wear this! I’ve always wanted a Wynsome Design. This is stunning, Wynnie.”
“There’s more to come. Let me pin that hem, and we’ll talk about beading and appliques.”
Penny looked down at the dress. “But it’s so pretty like this. And beading—if you mean hand-beading?” I nodded. “That’s so expensive. Really, this is amazing as it is.”
I shook my head. “I was instructed by Tasha to spare no expense. Right, Monty?” I called toward the front room.
He didn’t answer. Weird.
