Page 93 of Unbreakable Love

“You okay?” I asked and tugged her close to my side.

“She’s happy, and I had a wonderful day, so I’m focusing on that.” Penny rested her head on my shoulder and exhaled like she could bear the weight of her sister’s goodbye as long as I was next to her.

I stood up straight, stronger, and took what she gave me.

“Today was really beautiful. Almost feels like a dream. Thank you.” She twisted her neck and met my eyes. “Thank you for giving it to me. I’ll never forget it.”

I kissed her forehead and brushed her nose with mine. “First of many, Penelope Pesco. How about we get you home?”

Josie was inside, tucked into bed and waiting for bedtime for stories from Grandma. Bonus to her staying here, I got out of the nighttime reading routine. Not that I minded it, but I’d been told far too many times I didn’t read all the voices right like Grandma, so I knew Josie was in good hands.

“I should go say goodbye to everyone.”

“Caleb and Emily and Landon are gone. Dalton, too. Mom’s upstairs with Josie and Dad won’t be offended. Let’s get you home.”

She peered at me with a cheeky grin. “Your place or mine?”

In all the nights we’d made out and kissed and snuck them on porches and front entryways, I’d had her on my couch, but I wanted her in my bed. I wanted to wake up with Penny in my arms and beneath my sheets. Someday, I’d stay at hers, but this first night?

I wanted to claim that.

Fortunately, Penny didn’t put up much of an argument, so we pulled into my driveway and I beeped the locks on my truck after I opened the door and helped her out of it. Her hand slid into mine like it belonged there and we hurried to my front door where I punched in the code to the front door lock.

“It’s twelve twelve to make it easy for Josie to remember, in case you ever need it,” I told Penny as the lock disengaged and I opened the front door. Not the best code for home security, but it worked for now.

She followed me in, and as soon as we entered, we tugged out of our coats and boots and then… stood there.

There wasn’t the mad rush to sneak in a kiss or hurry her to my couch. There was desire, absolutely, but it was only eight and now we had all night to take our time. To be with each other, in whatever way that ended up working out without the rush of Josie waking.

It wasn’t a night to push her past her comfort zone. It was a night we could finally enjoy being together, watching a show or movie, talking, laughing… and yeah, I hoped there’d be kissing. A lot of it and maybe some more touching than we’d done, but the finish line wasn’t the goal.

Finally having this time was.

“This feels weird,” Penny admitted, nibbling on her bottom lip. “I feel like I should be pressed up against the wall by now.”

“I can make that happen.” I took a step toward her to prove it and when I got closer, she lifted her hands to my chest and stopped me.

“Maybe in a minute? For now, I want this.” She slid her hands up to my shoulders and leaned in close. She closed the gap by wrapping her arms around me and hugging me.

It was so simple, but my own arms rose and wrapped around her lower back, pushed up her sweater so my hands could meet her skin, and we stood there, hugging, soaking each other in.

It might have been better than our first kiss, and as Penny hummed, a light and low sound as she relaxed into me, I buried my face in her hair and enjoyed it.

Funny how in my rush to have sex and fondle and grope and touch and learn how everything worked in my teenage years, the hug was the most overlooked physical intimacy of all.

And yet, as we stood there, I wasn’t sure there was anything that warmed my soul more than Penny giving me her trust, her body, and relaxing into me, needing me for mere comfort.

Eventually, she relaxed her grip at the back of my neck, and I let her go. “Want something more comfortable than those clothes?”

She glanced down at her jeans, dusty and dirty from horses and the land all over her and chuckled. “I hadn’t even noticed I was so dirty. And probably smelly. I could go home really quick?”

She smelled like hope and fresh starts and forevers wrapped up with a tiny little red bow, and there was no way I was letting her out of my sight for a minute. “No way. Come on.”

I led her to my bedroom and flipped on the light. Knowing there was the possibility she might stay there, I’d taken extra care this morning in making the bed, straightening the dark green cover and arranging the cream pillows against the simple but old and mission-style wood headboard. I’d helped my dad make it when I was fifteen and I’d get rid of that bedframe on my deathbed.

I opened dresser drawers and pulled out flannel pants, both for her and myself, then reached into another drawer. I chose a Colorado Blizzards T-shirt, the name of Caleb’s team for her, then reached into another drawer and grabbed a simple gray shirt for me.

“You can use the bathroom. Shower if you want. There’s a whole drawer of Josie’s hair ties in there if you need them,” I told Penny. “I’ll go use Josie’s.”

---