The Ranch She Left Behind by Kathleen O'Brien

Author:Kathleen O'Brien
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-12-18T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

FRIDAY NIGHT—a week and a day before the wedding. Where had the time gone?

Rowena and Bree were coming over for dinner, the first time she’d hosted anyone at the duplex. Penny had spent all day putting the finishing touches on her house—and by “finishing touches” she meant things like rearranging and rehanging pictures, and repainting the hall in a better shade of cream.

She wanted everything to be perfect. She wanted them to see what a good investment the duplex was, and how happy she was living here.

She definitely didn’t want to offer any excuse to reopen the debate about whether she should move back to Bell River.

When the doorbell rang, she took a deep breath and composed her face. Showtime!

An hour later, as they sat at the dining room table eating a variety of sample food from the caterer—everything from spinach and brie turnovers to caramelized pears and popcorn shrimp—Penny braced herself for the verdict.

Bree took Penny’s hand. “It’s gorgeous, Pea. You’ve created a real home here.”

For the first time all day, Penny’s shoulders relaxed. “You really like it?”

“Like it?” Rowena laughed. “You’d better watch out. We love it so much, with all its charm and peace and quiet, that we’ll probably move in, and then you’ll never get to open your studio!”

Bree shook her head and tsked. “Don’t scare her, Ro. The last thing she wants is to have to fear the invasion of the sisters.” Bree turned her placid face toward Penny. “Ro just means it’s fantastic. Compared to Bell River at the height of the fall season, it’s like an oasis of peace in a desert of absolute madness.”

“Plus, we have Alec.” Rowena grinned, as if she knew that was the trump card. “We’ll be running here as refugees, not as interfering sisters. You’ll have to take us in, because you’re a well-known humanitarian.”

Penny laughed. They were kidding, of course, but she could see she’d scored a hit. When she’d shown them her master plan for opening her art studio, both of them had been almost insultingly surprised at how professional it was. It was as if they never had fully accepted that she was a real adult.

Now, perhaps, they were starting to see. Now, as they laughed with her, she felt that maybe the expression in their eyes was just a shade different. Even their tones were just a microscopic bit less maternal.

More the tone you might take with…an equal.

She’d always be their little sister, but maybe, for once, she wasn’t their tragic little sister. This day had been a long time coming. But maybe, just maybe, she’d carved out her own space, where she could be close without being smothered.

That was enough, for now.

She waved toward the table. “Let’s eat! We have to get this menu decided once and for all. Marianne may be a friend of Gray’s but she’s not a saint.”

For the next half hour or so, the only talk was about the food. Marianne Donovan, owner of Donovan’s Dream, had been very patient and flexible, but even she had production realities to deal with.

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