Page 111 of Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore

“Baby, you’re exhausted. You need to rest.”

“No, I—” I scramble to argue but he’s right. I am exhausted.

Monty gives me one of his soft smiles as he nestles in beside me.

“Rest, Penelope, I’ll be right here,” he says, stroking my hair. “After we get through this weekend, I’m taking you out. No work.”

I yawn as I finally allow my body to sink back against my pillow. “Oh, another date lesson? I liked those.”

“Not a lesson, Penny. A date.” He presses another kiss to my forehead. “Say yes, Xuxuzinho.”

I’m not sure what is happening between us—and how everything has changed so quickly—but tonight, I don’t have the energy to ask. So instead, I just respond from the heart.

“Okay, Monty. I’ll go on a date with you.”

Chapter 33

Monty

Friday morning I stand outside Penny’s store holding two thermoses filled with pumpkin spice latte and Penny’s favorite pastéis from Vovo. Her shop is still closed at this time in the morning, so I shoot her a text to tell her I’m outside. As I wait for her to come down, I bounce on my toes, fighting the chill in the air.

Now that it’s mid-October, the weather isn’t the only thing that’s changed in Hope Harbor. The trees have officially lost their green and yellow hues and red and orange leaves litter the sidewalk. Pumpkins and mums have replaced the early fall flowers that decorated almost every door, and fabric ghosts—most likely put there by Babs—dot a few of the trees that line Maple Lane’s cobblestone sidewalk, flying when the wind blows.

I’m so caught up in the beauty around me, I barely register the door swinging open until Penny is stepping out and motioning me in.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, smiling.

I step into the doorway and press a kiss to her cheek. It’s soft and warm, like she just got out of bed. “I thought you could do with a pumpkin spice latte with extra whipped cream and cinnamon.”

“My favorite,” she whispers, and I don’t know why but it sounds like her throat is clogged with emotion. “But what did I do to deserve an early morning delivery?”

“Looks like I’m not the only one who has something to learn when it comes to relationships, Xuxuzinho.” I grin at her. “Anyone worth your time should make at least this effort.”

She blinks and that’s when the first tear falls, followed quickly by a second. Fuck.

“Oh, Penny, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

I don’t want her to think I’m judging her past decisions when it comes to men; I just want her to know that she deserves more, and that I want to give her that for as long as I have the opportunity. Hell, I want to do it for longer than that. It’s what I want to talk to her about on our date. My mom is coming tomorrow morning, and tomorrow night it’s the haunted hayride event at the Darlings’ farm, followed by the Books and Brews event Sunday, but after we get through all of that, I plan to take her out, wine and dine her, and then tell her how I’m feeling.

Like maybe this doesn’t have to end. Maybe I stay…forever.

I’m still scared I’m going to fuck it all up, that I’ll risk our friendship for a relationship that will fall apart, but I’m more scared that if I don’t, I’ll lose her anyway. I can’t bear the thought of someone else getting all the sweet and sexy and fun moments with Penny that belong to me.

Penny shakes her head and swipes at a stray tear tracking down her cheek before nodding for me to come inside.

“It’s not you.” She sighs. “I’m just emotional. You’re being sweet and I don’t have time to hang out and the store’s a mess—” She looks around and I notice all the boxes lying open on the floor. I also notice she’s still wearing the clothes she was in last night when I put her to bed.

“Penny,” I say, concern lacing my tone. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

She sighs and glances up at me, bleary eyed. “A little.”

I can’t help but reach for her, pulling her into my chest and hugging her tight.

“What’s going on?”

I can feel a pattern of soft little huffs against my chest as she tries to get her emotions under control.

“My computer broke and I have all this stock to manually track and we have the book event this weekend and I have all these books to ship and I don’t have anyone else that works with me and—”