Part 74 (1/2)

”I'm glad we're together,” Penny said, putting her arms around both of them. ”You're right. This will get better. I have so much in my life. The restaurant, the baby. My family. And the good news is with Cal leaving, I don't have to worry about running into him anywhere. I would really hate that.”

More tears filled her eyes. ”I seem to be leaking again.”

”That's okay. Things could be worse,” Naomi told her. ”I'm not sure how, but they could.”

Penny laughed. ”You are always a ray of suns.h.i.+ne.”

”That's me.”

Penny looked at her friend. ”I'm going to miss you so much.”

Naomi straightened. ”What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere.”

”Of course you are. I've known you a long time and I know you're not the type of person who runs away from things. You've always lived on your own terms.”

Naomi snorted. ”I'm the queen of running away. I've been on the run nearly eight years.”

”It's time to go back.”

Naomi shook her head. ”I haven't decided.”

”Of course you have. You wouldn't have told me about your son if you weren't already halfway out the door.” She glanced at Dani. ”Do you know what we're talking about?”

Dani nodded. ”We've been talking.”

Penny glanced between them. ”About what?”

”About nothing,” Naomi said firmly. ”I'm not going to leave. You need me.”

Penny did. She couldn't imagine having to go through all this without her friend, but it was wrong to expect Naomi to put her life on hold because she, Penny, had been stupid enough to get her heart broken twice by the same man.

”Of course you're going,” Penny said briskly. ”Like you said, you've been the queen of running away for eight years. It's time to go connect with your family. To find out what you still have there in the way of a life.”

”You might still be married,” Dani said. ”Given what you've been doing, wouldn't that be interesting?”

Naomi shook her head. ”Sam wouldn't have waited. Not his style. I'm sure he's divorced me by now,” she said, but her tone was wistful, as if she wanted to believe in the possibilities.

”See? You have to go,” Penny said quietly.

”I can't leave you now. Not with everything going on and the baby coming. What about the restaurant? You need me.”

Dani looked at Penny. ”I could do that.”

Penny stared at her. ”But it's The Waterfront. Why would you go work for your grandmother again?”

”I wouldn't be. Your contract allows you to bring in your own crew, doesn't it?”

”h.e.l.lo,” Naomi said. ”Still in the room. There's no need to have this conversation right now.”

Penny ignored her. ”Three people. I only brought in Naomi and Edouard because the rest of the crew is so great. So adding you wouldn't be a problem.”