Trouble (Dogwood Lane #3)(89)

Trevor sits next to Dane and gazes adoringly across the table at Haley. I’ve never seen someone as happy as she is. No matter what is going on, she’s ready to jump in and help with a smile on her face. Right now, the smile is because of one of Claire’s jokes.

“Um, Claire,” I say, nodding toward the end of the table. “There are little ears here.”

“Oh, shit.” She clamps a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, Mia.”

Mia doesn’t look up. She just bops her head around as she flips through the pages of a book.

Dane laughs. “She has those ear things in and is listening to music.”

“Good idea,” Claire says. “I’m going to get some of those for the next time I have too many Razzles and end up staying with Penn and Avery.” She looks at us and smiles wickedly. “You two are loud.”

Penn shrugs, totally taking that as a compliment.

My first instinct is to blush. But when Penn squeezes my knee, I realize I don’t have to be embarrassed. It’s true.

We are loud. The entire house is loud when we’re together, and that’s more often than not. He’s hinted about me moving in, but I think it’s a little too soon. Yet I stay there every night, so it’s probably for naught.

“I’m sorry,” I tell Claire. “If you were dealing with eight inches, you’d be loud too.”

The table erupts, some of them laughing, others telling me not to encourage Penn’s antics. Penn, on the other hand, wraps his arms around my shoulders and drags me into his chest.

He nuzzles his head into my hair. His chest bounces as he laughs. A kiss is pressed on the top of my head before he rests his chin there.

“I love you,” he says, still laughing.

My entire body stills.

Matt whips his head to us. Claire looks our way, too, thinking she heard what she did but not being sure.

I heard it. And even if he didn’t quite mean it—even if he just said it in a way that I say it to Claire or Harper—he said it.

My heart swells so big I think it might burst. A grin splits my cheeks as I try to contain my reaction to something that’s not entirely embarrassing.

“Did you just tell her you love her?” Matt blurts out. “Holy shit.”

“He did, didn’t he?” Claire’s jaw hits the table as the rest of our friends angle themselves so they can see the unbelievable.

“Um, yeah,” Penn says, pulling me tighter. “I did. Got a problem with it?”

I don’t.

Wrapping my hands around his arms, which are crisscrossed over my chest, I hold on to him for dear life. The jellyfish looks up at me. I think back to what he said, about how the jellyfish is a reminder to follow his instincts. And how, even then, he had the wherewithal to wrap it around the dice.

Maybe he knew back then we were fated to be together.

I squeeze him tighter.

Neely smiles, holding a french fry dipped in ranch dressing in the air. “Did we just witness his first declaration of love?”

“What makes you think it’s his first?” I ask. Although it is. And they all know it.

“Because he said it and then his eyes looked like giant saucers,” Matt says. “And I’m around you two every day, and I would’ve heard it by now.”

“So what?” Penn says. His chest rises and falls hurriedly. “I love her. I do. And the last time I pussied out of using certain language, she left. So, whatever. I love her. I love you, Avery.”

I twist so I’m facing him. My heart is about three sizes bigger than it was before his admission, and I’m not sure I won’t burst.

His face in my hands, my eyes glued to his; I let them do all the talking before I say anything.

“I love you,” I whisper.

He grins. “Um, you’re gonna need to say it louder for the peanut gallery over there, or they’ll ride my ass that you didn’t say it back.”

“I don’t care what they think.”

“Me either, really, but humor me?” He looks over my head. “She said it back. She loves me.”

“I love him,” I shout.

The table erupts again, everyone commenting on and discussing our love. They’d apparently ruled out this kind of thing ever happening with Penn.

I’m happy they were wrong.

“It took you two long enough,” Claire says. “It took you guys longer to admit you’re boyfriend and girlfriend than it does Haley to pick a wedding date. Could you hurry up, please?”

“We have a lot to figure out,” Haley says. “And he still wants wedding cake. I want wedding doughnuts. Big challenges to overcome.”

“If you’ll just marry me, you can have whatever you want.” Trevor looks at her over his beer. “Just marry me.”

“Hey,” Matt says, clearing his throat. “You could have it at the inn.”

“And why would we do that?” Haley asks.

“Because I kind of agreed to buy it on a contract from Lorene today.”

“You did not!” Haley squeals.

The table breaks out into a loud chatter as everyone celebrates Matt. Penn and I offer our congratulations before sinking back into our own little corner of the table.

Penn sways back and forth with me in his arms. I close my eyes and wonder how I got so lucky. A couple of months ago, I was in Los Angeles, hating life. One quick decision to move across the country with no game plan changed everything.