Page 13 of The Beach Cottage
“She’s always had a thing for him. I don’t know why she won’t admit it,” Taya murmured without moving.
“I don’t think Rob’s as thrilled with the idea as we are,” Evie pointed out.
Bea looked for Penny’s brother and found him standing to one side talking to Bradford, a beer in hand, his eyes drilling holes into the back of Rowan’s head. He wore a snarling expression on his face.
“Oh, dear,” Bea said. “Surely he can’t still think he should have a say in who his sister dates.”
“Maybe he knows Rowan too well and doesn’t want her to be hurt,” Taya offered, sitting up and adjusting her red bathing suit.
“I suppose that could be true.” Bea’s gaze had shifted to where Aidan was helping Grace into a snorkel and fins. He was already an attentive father. Bea had often thought he’d make a great dad. She was happy to see him finally getting to fulfil that role and knew how much it would mean to him. It brought tears to her eyes to watch them enjoying the day together. She might not be able to share the moment with them, but at least she was able to witness it.
At that moment, Penny screamed as Rowan threw her off the deck and into the ocean. She landed with a gigantic splash that soaked Aidan and Grace. Aidan shook his head, laughing, then helped Grace to climb down the ladder into the water below.
Penny came to the surface coughing and spluttering while Rowan leaned over the side of the boat to laugh at her. Rob glowered at them both, arms crossed.
When Penny climbed back onto the boat, she padded over to where Bea and the others sat. “Can you believe him? He threw me into the water like we’re still teenagers. I could’ve broken a bone.”
Bea laughed. “Hardly. It’s only water.”
“I wish someone would throw me into the water like a teenager,” Evie muttered.
Penny frowned. “Huh?”
“Nothing. Hey, Pen, I have those photos Bea found in her cottage with me. Remember how you said some of them were from your family? Can you point them out again? I want to write down their names and maybe figure out the approximate date the pictures were taken. Bea helped me with it, but we want to make sure.”
Penny sat beside her, wringing water from her ponytail. “Let me have another look.”
Evie pulled the photos from her beach bag and held them up for Penny to see.
“Yep, that’s my mother and my grandmother. This other photo has Dad in it.”
“We think it was forty-five years ago or something like that because of when the cottage was built. But what do you think?”
Penny chewed on a fingernail. “That makes sense. I’m not in the photo, and I’m forty-five, but my mum was very young when she had me. So it must’ve been soon after this one was taken. She wasn’t married to Dad yet, they were both still teenagers. But he was a friend of the family and used to go over there often in the summer holidays to fish and swim. His own parents worked on the mainland, so my grandmother took care of him.”
“How young?” Bea asked.
“Sixteen.”
“Wow, that is young. When did she get married?”
Penny shrugged. “Not until she was twenty-two. She married my step father — I call him Dad because he’s the only father I’ve ever known.”
“I forgot he was your stepdad,” Bea said. “You mentioned it the last time we looked at these photos. I was going to ask you about it, but didn’t want to pry.”
“In my eyes, he’s my Dad. I can’t tell you who my actual father is, since Mum won’t talk about him.”
“She’s never told you?” Taya asked, her brow furrowed.
“Nope. It’s a family secret.” Penny laughed. “I don’t think I’ll ever find out. Mum’s determined to take it to her grave, my stepdad is clueless, and my grandparents are gone. No one else knows the truth.”
Rowan emerged from the galley with a plate of food. He stepped over Penny’s legs, and she scowled at him. Bea covered a laugh with one hand. The two of them were so cute together and obviously into each other, if Penny would push her angst aside for one moment and let herself feel the truth.
“Thanks for soaking me through,” Penny muttered.
He lifted his sunglasses to peer at her. “Penelope, you look lovely today. Did I already tell you that?”
“My clothes are all wet and I can’t find one earring. But thank you.” Her tone was snide, but Bea could tell she was pleased even as she fingered the empty ear.
