Page 19 of Penn

Epilogue

Hearth

One Year Later

My writing view has turned insane. This is quite a change of scenery from the hospital bed I was writing from, half delirious, only a little more than a year ago.

Penn made his dream come true and bought the land. All twelve acres. He built a little shop with an office window overlooking a small pond he made, so I come here to write. They’ve already marked where the house is going to be built, but that will have to wait until after the baby is born.

Baby Laney. I smile just thinking about her. Will she look more like her dad, or more like me? Will she be a happy, contented little girl, or a firecracker? Will she be creative, adventurous, a good friend? One thing is for sure, she’ll be loved to bits.

I’m trying to finish my memoir before she gets here.Heart and Heat—it’s a work in progress. That project has stalled a teensy bit, so currently, I am making an amber necklace for her, for when she starts teething. Having two creative outlets is perfect for me—when I can’t focus on one, I pour out into the other. Although it’s hard to know when I’m just using one as a distraction from the other. But damn, writing a book is freakinghard, though. Dropping stones onto a string—it’s mindless and satisfying, especially when I’m anxious.

I take a quick break to check Penn’s location on my phone. He’s still atthat house. They get called over there so many times. The young woman who lives there is kind of witchy, from what Penn tells me, always cooking up some spell or another. I kind of hate her, though I try not to. I know it’s just accidents, and I’m not one to talk about accidents. But every time she setssomething new on fire she puts my husband in danger. Not to mention the rest of the men on the fire team. Penn says Ward has moon eyes over this girl too, which I find kind of funny and cute and strange all at once. But he isn’t afraid to come down hard on her about the fires she starts. Or maybe that’s preciselywhyWard is so hard on her.

I finish up with the clasp. It’s done and adorable. My book isn’t writing itself today—and apparently, neither am I. So I get up and head to the store to pass some time. People do tend to stop and stare while I’m out in public, but I’ve gotten used to it. I just smile or ignore them, like any normal person with normal moods. Iamnormal. I’d be curious, too, about the girl with crazy-looking scars on her face. Add a baby bump, and I might as well be a flashing billboard walking into the store.Look at me!But I admit, I do enjoy telling people all about the handsome fireman who came to my rescue—and then put a baby in me.

Penn FaceTimes me while I’m shopping, and my heart leaps with relief.

“Babe! You’re okay?”

“Yeah, sorry you had to worry. I called as soon as I could.”

“As long as you’re okay.” I breathe.

“I have someone here who wants to say hi.” He hands the phone over to someone. “This is Yvette, the homeowner.”

“Hi! You’re having a baby!”

“Yes, she’s due in three months.”

“Could you hold the phone a bit lower, so she can hear me?”

“Oh, um, okay.”

I feel a little silly doing this in the middle of the grocery store, but I do as she asked and hold the phone closer to my bump. Yvette speaks some words in a language I don’t recognize, her voice beautiful and lyrical.

“What did that do?” I ask, bringing the phone back up.

“Just sending her a message of love,” Yvette says, with a warm smile that somehow makes me want to just hug her.Did I tell her it was a girl? Maybe Penn did, I shrug it off. “She’s going to be a strong one. Like you, and her grandmama.”

I’m not sure if she’s talking about my mom or Penn’s, but in either case, she’s right. They are very different women, strong in their own ways.

“I hope so. Thank you, Yvette.”

“What’s the dad’s first name? Penn?”

“Yes, and oh, I’m Hearth.”

Yvette giggles. “Y’all should trade names.”

I laugh, nodding. “We know.”

Ugh, forget what I said about her before I actually got to talking to her. She’s perfectly pleasant with just this…aura. I can’t not like her.

“Nice talking to you, mama.”

“You too. And Yvette?” I say, feeling protective and anxious, per my usual self. “Please, be careful.”

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