Page 21 of Code Name: Michelangelo

While mere seconds ago, I convinced myself I couldn’t embrace her, I did anyway. When I put my arm around her, Penelope leaned into me. “I know how hard this is for you, but your actions were exactly as they should’ve been. You performed due diligence regarding the provenance, and it appeared as authentic as the art. As I well know, you’re dealing with masters in forgery.”

She shifted so my arm was no longer around her and faced me so her back was to the others. “Quinn asked whether the auction houses should be equally responsible for reparations. I didn’t know what to say.”

“How did you respond?”

“I said it was something I should’ve thought of myself and would look into it. In fact, I probably should’ve been meeting with our insurance broker rather than worrying about the house on Fire Island.”

“You’ve always been too hard on yourself.” I took her hand in mine, needing to reestablish our connection.

“No more than anyone else.”

I smiled and shook my head. “Wrong. Far more than anyone else.”

She shrugged and turned around when my sister said her name.

“Am I forgiven?” Tara asked.

Rather than answer, Penelope embraced her.

“I have a confession,” Tara continued. “Something I want to tell both of you at the same time.”

Penelope took a step back so we were side by side.

“I’m pregnant.”

Pen was quiet on the ride back to Los Angeles.

“We could skip the red-eye and spend another night at the beach,” I offered.

“I need to get home.”

I reached over and squeezed her hand. “Which part of today weighs so heavily on your mind, Butterfly?”

She squeezed back, then let go. “It’s nothing.”

I wouldn’t venture a guess, given whatever I’d say might make her feel worse. Was she still upset about Tara telling the others about the forgeries? Or was it Tara announcing she was pregnant? Or something else entirely? The only thing I knew for certain was Penelope was glum, and I couldn’t help but want to make her feel better. I just had no idea how. I could take her hand again, but would she pull away? I could stop the car and wrap her in my arms, but would she bristle?

My best course of action would be to keep my mouth shut and see if she’d open up to me without me forcing the issue.

We drove in silence for several minutes, most of which I spent biting my tongue.

“Were you serious when you said we could spend another night at the beach?”

“Very much so. We can stay longer if you’d like.”

“Escaping my life doesn’t sound so bad right now.”

When her eyes filled with tears and she turned her head away, I prayed that escaping her life didn’t involve keeping her distance from me.

7

BUTTERFLY

Tara Emsworth-Clarkson was my best friend in the world. Quinn, Aine, and Ava were too, but she and I had always been closest. When she announced she was pregnant, instead of feeling happy for her, I was jealous. Outwardly, I did my best to appear as thrilled as I should be, excited for her and her husband since I knew they’d been trying to have a baby for a while and she’d suffered a miscarriage in a previous pregnancy.

Still, I was the only unmarried one of our tribe. I was also the only one who either didn’t have a child or one on the way. I didn’t even have any prospects. Sure, Brand flirted with me and teased me about a possible future, but I’d known him long enough to understand he wasn’t the marriage-and-family type.

The first night we’d stayed at the beach, I thought for sure Brand and I would finally go beyond kissing. Maybe not have sex but at least make out for a while. Instead, after sitting on the chaise with his arms wrapped around me, he’d pecked my cheek and said we should call it a night.

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