Page 132 of Driven Daddy

We broke for lunch and before I could check on Rita, I noted that she was mobbed with people asking her questions and looking for her to sign their workshop packets, and a few books they’d brought with them.

Even once lunch was over, I still hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to her.

But now it was my portion of the workshop. We needed to rearrange the desks so people could see the screen Darby had provided for my half of the day.

I’d have to wait until after we were done.

Rita waved at me with a sweet smile and a thumbs up.

I just hoped she was really okay. And that she understoodwewould be okay, no matter what.

TWENTY-FOUR

WatchingPenn in his element was an eye-opening experience.

Enough that it distracted me from my current mind-bending predicament. I had no proof of this life-changing…thing.

I just didn’t know what to call it.

Baby.

Yourbaby.

Ourbaby.

I shut the even tinier voice down.

Instead, I let myself fall under Penn’s spell like the rest of the room.

I’d always been intrigued by his artwork, and I’d definitely been taken in by his charm, but this was a whole new side of him. At the signing, we’d been at such odds that I didn’t really get to enjoy the fact that he loved his work so thoroughly.

That we truly had so much in common, just on a different wavelength.

His fans—well, students—were watching him with bated breath.

There were a lot of questions about how he built his main character and quite a few who knew all the side characters he’d had throughout the life of his series. Not that many of themlasted long. Penn killed his side characters off more often than not.

Moksha, the soul-eating knight, led a very lonely existence.

So much, I wondered if there was more of Penn in that character than I originally believed.

A woman at the back of the room raised her hand.

Penn pointed at her. “Yeah, you at the back.”

“Hi.” She cleared her throat and stood. “I was wondering if you thought about giving your character a love interest?”

Penn rocked back on his heels.

I braced, ready for him to shoot her down.

His ideas on romance had been very clear when we’d first met.

He folded his arms and paced the length of the room. “Interesting question. You know, I’m loathe to admit it, but I’ve been having a hell of a time with my latest story.”

A murmur went through the room.

“Once upon a time, I would have immediately discounted that idea. When I created Moksha all those years ago, I believed his mission would be enough for a lifetime of stories. Now I’ve got a bit of a different world view, thanks to a certain someone.” He winked at me. “Maybe Moksha needs a Duchess of his own.”

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