Breakaway (Beyond the Play, #2)(80)
I find her in the romance section, which I was expecting; she already has three books tucked under her arm. She beams at me in a way that makes my chest hurt, and I can’t help but cup her face with both my hands and tilt it up for a kiss. Her lips are just a little chapped and cold, and I have this unstoppable urge to look around the store until I see someone and introduce Penny as my girl.
When we break apart, the mischievous look on her face is gone. She just looks happy. I still don’t know what happened in her past that sometimes makes her shy away from me, but I hope she’s realizing that whatever it is, I’m not going anywhere.
And then I do spot someone, a woman a couple years older than us, wearing a Book Magic t-shirt. Her black-framed glasses, plus the curly brown hair, give her an owlish look. She nods at the book at the top of Penny’s stack. “That one is great.”
“Oh, awesome,” she says. “I don’t read that much historical romance, but it’s been on my list for a while.”
The woman nods as she straightens a display. “When you finish it, come in and tell me what you thought. It’s my favorite in the series—Miles is such a wonderful hero.”
“She’s writing a book,” I say, gesturing to Penny. “My girlfriend. It’s seriously good.”
“Cooper,” she says, blushing.
“What?” I say. “It is, and I read so you know I’m not lying. It’s a romance novel.”
The woman gives us an interested look. “We have a creative writing group that meets here twice a month,” she says. “Do you go to McKee? You could join us.”
“Um, I’d…” Penny gives me a wild-eyed look.
“She’d love to,” I finish.
She blushes deeper, but says, “That sounds amazing, I really would love to. When’s the next meeting?”
I leave Penny to chat with Monica—the woman introduces herself as we keep talking—and wander to the fantasy section. I pick out a couple books for myself, then snag a copy of Daisy Miller, which I need for my Modernism class. By the time I meet Penny at the register, she has ten books in her arms and is chatting with Monica like they’re old friends.
“I’ll email you the first chapter tonight,” Penny says as I take the books out of her arms. She reaches up to kiss my cheek. “Thanks, babe.”
Monica steps around the counter to do the checkout. “He supports your writing and he’s buying? Make sure you keep this one.”
48
PENNY
January 28th
She loved it
Coop
Red!!
That’s awesome
I know! I can’t believe it
Well, I can. It’s a damn good book
I’m excited to go to the writing group
Want me to meet you in town when you’re finished? We could go out for a late dinner
That sounds nice
You still need to come to my dad’s for dinner. He keeps asking me about it, like you don’t see him more than I do
What about this weekend? We can bring Tangy over
He loves her so much. It’s convincing him to get another cat
You should go to the shelter with him to pick one out
February 1st
Coop
When I suggested the shelter thing, I didn’t mean literally
I know, it’s wild
I barely got the sentence out of my mouth before he grabbed his car keys
What’s its name?
His name is Gretzky
Adorable
I like our daughter better <3
But he’s sweet
Apparently Nikki likes cats too
Still going strong?
I guess?
Still cool with it?
I want him to be happy
February 3rd
Coop
?!
We’re in the same room, babe
I know, but you look so peaceful with your headphones on
So you thought this was the perfect time to drag me out of the zone?
I know you’re writing about very important fictional smutty goodness
But I’m just saying, if you need someone to act out scenes with, I’m right here
And super bored
Actually, I’m writing a battle scene
Oh???