Page 57 of Cozy Girl Fall
“Whatever helps you sleep better, kiddo.”
She snorted and set about making tea, filling their kettle and placing it on the stovetop to heat the water through. “I’m making tea, do you want one?”
“Earl Grey, please.”
“Way to push the boat out.”
“Oh, it’s going to be wild later. This is, as the youth say, going to be a ‘turnt’ Saturday night.” He did air quotes around the word ‘turnt’ and Penny couldn’t stifle her groan quick enough.
“I’m begging you to never say that again.”
“Deal.”
The kettle whistled and Penny poured the steaming water into two mugs, steeping the leaves for a minute or two before adding a spoonful of honey to her chamomile tea and some milk to her dad’s.
“Here you go.”
She sat down opposite him and, after a moment, he put the paper down and looked at her. “Come on then, out with it.”
“What?”
He smiled, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. “You think your old man doesn’t know when his baby girl needs advice?”
She sagged in her seat, the frown she’d been holding back forming on her face. “It’s stupid.”
“Try me.”
She fiddled with the handle on her mug, glancing up at her dad and then away again before sighing. “I’m thinking about staying.”
“Here?”
“Yes. Well, here as in Magnolia Springs. Not necessarily here as in your house.”
“Well,” he said, reaching for his tea, “I’m relieved to hear that.”
“I know, you guys need your space.”
“No, no—Well, yes. But I meant that you’re thinking of moving back to town. You just seem a lot more …”
“What?”
“Alive,” he finished, like he’d been looking for the right word. “I don’t know if it was the city or that job, but you always seemed drained when we visited. But here … You have light in your eyes again, pumpkin.”
“So you don’t think I’d be a failure for moving away only to come back again?”
“Absolutely not. You did what you thought was best for you at the time, and you have to do that again now.”
She nodded, blowing on her hot drink. “That’s what Ethan said too.”
“I knew I liked him,” Philip said gruffly and she laughed. “What do you want to do here in town though? I don’t want you to give up on your dreams. If being a chef is important to you—”
“It is,” she rushed to say and then cleared her throat,tentatively giving voice to the thought that had been tugging at her all day. “I was actually thinking about opening something.”
“Like a restaurant?”
“Yeah. Is that too ridiculous? I know I don’t have a ton of experience running one but—”
“If it’s what you’re passionate about, then you can learn, honey. Didn’t you say Ethan had a friend who was a chef? Maybe they could give you some pointers.”
