Buchanan: Delicious Part 73

He crossed to her and reached for her shoulders. She quickly stepped back.

"Don't you dare touch me. Don't ever touch me again."

Cold panic slipped through him. "What the h.e.l.l happened?"

She glared at him. "I defended you. I can't believe it, but I did. Gloria came by for one of her emotional hit-and-runs. I defended you and all the time it was true."

He opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about when he suddenly knew. He groaned.

"You're leaving," she said. "In less than a month you're packing it all up and leaving Seattle. I understand everyone is very excited about The Daily Grind expanding back east. Too bad I don't have stock in the d.a.m.n company."

"Penny, no."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't try to tell me it's not true, Cal. I've already spoken to someone at your company. He was very friendly and explained the whole d.a.m.n plan."

Tears filled her eyes. She brushed them away with her hand. "I believed you," she said. "I trusted you."

"I'm sorry," he said as sincerely as he knew how. "I should have told you."

"Oh, right, but it just slipped your mind."

"Yes," he yelled. "I forgot! With all the c.r.a.p going on lately, is that so much of a surprise? When I first hired you I told you I was the GM for four months. I didn't think you cared what I did after that. Later, when we got involved, I planned to tell you but it wasn't foremost on my mind. I didn't keep this from you deliberately. It just happened. Besides, I've been talking to my partners. I've been rethinking my plans. It might be better if I stayed here."

"Might be better?" she screamed. "That's the best you can do? But it might not? Tell me, when do you plan to make up your mind?" She raised her hand. "On second thought, forget it. I don't care anymore."

She closed her eyes, then opened them. "I am such a fool," she said, her voice back to normal, but so thick with sadness that he ached to hear her.

"You're not," he told her.

"A lot you know. You're the reason. You'd think I'd learn. What's that old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Well, shame on me."

What did that mean? He knew he was in deep s.h.i.+t with Penny, but he couldn't help a flicker of hope deep inside.

"Penny?"

"Don't even go there," she told him. "Not anymore. I loved you, Cal. Maybe for the second time, maybe I never stopped. I don't know and now I don't care. Because the truth is, you're no different than you ever were. You still keep secrets. You're still holding back, playing it safe, making sure you don't get hurt. You're still not willing to put your heart on the line. I'm not interested in a man like that. I'm not interested in someone I can't trust."

"But you love me."

She grimaced. "I'll get over it. And you."

"But I love you, too."

She stared at him for a long time, then turned toward the door. "I've heard that before and I know how little those words are worth."

"IF THIS IS GOING TO become a regular occurrence," Naomi said from her place next to Penny on the sofa, "then we're going to need to establish some ground rules."

Penny used the tissue to wipe her face, although she wasn't sure why she bothered. No mattered how quickly she mopped up her tears, there were plenty of new ones to take their place.

"A code so we can call each other on the phone," Naomi said as she continued to rub Penny's back.

"A schedule so we don't all break down at the same time," Dani said from Penny's other side.

"T-that would be good," Penny said as she tried to fight the sobs building up inside of her.

She'd been hurt before-mostly by Cal-but somehow this felt worse. Maybe because she'd thought she'd figured everything out. She thought she'd found the solution, only to realize she'd been wrong about everything.

Despite the ache around her heart and the sense that she would never again draw breath without wanting to scream, she knew she had to do her best to get past what had happened. At least the physical part. Her trembling, sobbing, angry state couldn't be good for the baby.

"You guys are great," she said, trying to focus on them instead of herself. "For being here with me."

"Hey, I don't have a job," Dani said with a sigh. "Where else would I be?"

Penny did her best to smile. "Good point."

"I work for you," Naomi said. "You're the boss. You say jump, I say how high."

"Also good."

"So we're not here because we care," Dani said.

Penny sniffed. "That'll put me in my place."

The two women leaned in and hugged her.

"I'm sorry," Dani whispered in her ear. "I never knew my brother was such a big b.u.t.thead."

"Yeah," Naomi said. "I'd nearly forgiven him for being a b.a.s.t.a.r.d the last time. I'll never forgive him for this."

"That'll show him," Penny said, then choked on a sob. "Oh, G.o.d. I don't think I can get through this. I know wounds heal and time helps and all that c.r.a.p, but right now, I don't think I can do it."

"We're here," Naomi told her.

"Not going anywhere," Dani added.

"I just thought this time was different," Penny said as she wiped her face with another tissue. "I thought he was different. I thought I mattered. I fell back in love with him."

"Men'll get you every time," Dani said as she leaned against Penny's shoulder. "I just didn't think Cal..." She paused, then said. "I'm sorry. I'm fighting the urge to defend him. I want to tell you that he had a hard time, being the oldest. Gloria, trying to protect us. The usual. But I won't."

"You can," Penny said. "How sick is that? I wouldn't mind listening to you defend him."

"Typical," Naomi murmured. "I forgive you."

"Thanks." She drew in a deep breath and did her best to absorb the support from her friends. "I thought he was different. I thought he would be willing to take a chance on us. I was so stupid."

"Loving someone is never stupid," Naomi said. "It can hurt like h.e.l.l, but it's never stupid."

"I agree," Dani said. "I say that even as I feel like the world's biggest idiot. I mean, my soon-to-be ex-husband is currently sleeping with one of his students. So I'm not just stupid, I'm a bad cliche. But there's hope. I can still laugh at things and I have you guys."