Page 92 of Positively, Penelope

Penelope was outside the neighboring restaurant, peering into the windows.

He slowly lowered his coffee cup to the table and blinked. What on earth?

Her hair fell down around the shoulders of her long teal coat, and red boots peeked out from beneath the long multicolored skirt she wore. She stepped back, frowned, and shook her head, as if not finding what she was looking for, before moving on to the next set of windows. The Braw Bean.

“Isn’t that your American?” Mark had turned around in his seat, likely to witness whatever had distracted Matt.

HisAmerican? Sounded nice, didn’t it? “Excuse me, Mark. I’ll be back in a trice.”

“She’smaerkbarry, ain’t she?”

Matt grinned over at Mark as he stood.Weirdly wonderful.“Aye, Mark. Aye, she is that.”

Matt caught her attention as soon as he walked out of the café, and instead of rushing forward, as he’d expected her to do, she stood frozen in place, staring up toward his head.

“You’re wearing a derby?”

“I am.” He looked up at the bill of his cap and then back at her. “There’s atouslewind on today.”

“Tousle?” Her eyes lit. “Does that mean blustery?”

“Aye.” His fingers itched to tug at the scarf blowing around her neck, maybe just to pull her nearer. “Tousle.”

“I love it when you use all those wonderful Skymarian words. They’re positively delightful.” She sighed and then bit down on her bottom lip with her smile, still eyeing his cap. “You look rather dashing and vintage in a derby.”

The urge to kiss her nearly bowled him over. What would she doif he lost all restraint and snogged her quite thoroughly right here on the pavement? He curbed his inner rogue.

“Well, thank you, miss.” His smile unfurled and he tapped the tip of his hat. “And what has you bouncing outside the café window distracting me from my buttery this morning?”

“A derby and all those delicious words. What a wonderful way to start my day.” He was nearly undone by the glow in her eyes as her smile bloomed even wider. How could he feel this much for her so soon? It was as if he’d been storing up a singular emotion just for her, and once he found her, the feeling nearly burst his chest wide open to get out. As if she truly was made for him.

Then her expression fell. “But I didn’t mean to interrupt something important. Especially when food is involved.”

He chuckled and waved back toward the window. “No, just breakfast with Mark about Jamie’s dance lessons.”

She waved at Mark through the window. “Oh, what’s the word?Braw?”

“That will work.” His grin slipped free again. “And the first lesson went well yesterday.”

“Of course it did.” Her chin tipped. “You’re a professional and you love dancing. You just needed to be reminded of the latter part.”

“And since you’ve started all of this nonsense, I think you and I should have another go at dancing, don’t you?” He stepped forward, dusting off a little unused charm. “See about your tango or jive, perhaps?”

She copied his stance, though at her shorter height, she had to tilt her head back. “I’m game if you are. I’ve been told that my tango is particularly nice.”

The idea of a tango with her added a little summer scorch to the blustery day. It was difficult not to charge full into a relationship with her once he’d made up his mind, but she clearly wasn’t at the same place as he was. Not yet. But he hoped with a little more time... maybe? And then they’d have to sort out the rest.

She sighed and stepped back. “Maybe once things slow down a little bit? The past week has been so crazy I doubt I even have the coordination for a waltz right now.”

“I’ll take you up on that tango later then.”

Her gaze drifted back to his cap, her smile so sweet he nearly breached the distance.

Pull it together, lad.

“I suppose you were peering in café windows for a different reason than to compliment my cap and tease another dance out of me?”

“Me tease another dance...” She caught his grin and paused, narrowing her eyes. “Your humor just keeps getting better and better. I would credit the power of my prayers, but I know how inconsistent I am, so we must have unearthed a dormant character trait.”

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