Buchanan: Delicious Part 74

"I'm glad we're together," Penny said, putting her arms around both of them. "You're right. This will get better. I have so much in my life. The restaurant, the baby. My family. And the good news is with Cal leaving, I don't have to worry about running into him anywhere. I would really hate that."

More tears filled her eyes. "I seem to be leaking again."

"That's okay. Things could be worse," Naomi told her. "I'm not sure how, but they could."

Penny laughed. "You are always a ray of sunshine."

"That's me."

Penny looked at her friend. "I'm going to miss you so much."

Naomi straightened. "What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere."

"Of course you are. I've known you a long time and I know you're not the type of person who runs away from things. You've always lived on your own terms."

Naomi snorted. "I'm the queen of running away. I've been on the run nearly eight years."

"It's time to go back."

Naomi shook her head. "I haven't decided."

"Of course you have. You wouldn't have told me about your son if you weren't already halfway out the door." She glanced at Dani. "Do you know what we're talking about?"

Dani nodded. "We've been talking."

Penny glanced between them. "About what?"

"About nothing," Naomi said firmly. "I'm not going to leave. You need me."

Penny did. She couldn't imagine having to go through all this without her friend, but it was wrong to expect Naomi to put her life on hold because she, Penny, had been stupid enough to get her heart broken twice by the same man.

"Of course you're going," Penny said briskly. "Like you said, you've been the queen of running away for eight years. It's time to go connect with your family. To find out what you still have there in the way of a life."

"You might still be married," Dani said. "Given what you've been doing, wouldn't that be interesting?"

Naomi shook her head. "Sam wouldn't have waited. Not his style. I'm sure he's divorced me by now," she said, but her tone was wistful, as if she wanted to believe in the possibilities.

"See? You have to go," Penny said quietly.

"I can't leave you now. Not with everything going on and the baby coming. What about the restaurant? You need me."

Dani looked at Penny. "I could do that."

Penny stared at her. "But it's The Waterfront. Why would you go work for your grandmother again?"

"I wouldn't be. Your contract allows you to bring in your own crew, doesn't it?"

"h.e.l.lo," Naomi said. "Still in the room. There's no need to have this conversation right now."

Penny ignored her. "Three people. I only brought in Naomi and Edouard because the rest of the crew is so great. So adding you wouldn't be a problem."

It could work, she thought. She and Dani hadn't worked together, but they knew each other and she knew Dani put in long hours. She'd survived Burger Heaven nearly five years. She was tough and smart.

"The job is yours if you want it," Penny told Dani.

Naomi stood. "You're giving away my job? Just like that? What about the baby? You're going to need help as you get closer to your due date."

"I'll be here," Dani said. "I can help."

"There," Penny said. "You don't have any more excuses."

Maybe it wasn't fair to push her friend, but thinking about Naomi's life kept her from dwelling on the disaster hers had become. A disaster that would get a whole lot more lonely once Naomi left.

Penny stood and hugged Naomi. "I'll miss you so much."

Naomi squeezed her. "I won't be gone that long. Just a few weeks."

Or forever, Penny thought. Maybe Naomi would be lucky enough to find there was still a whole life waiting for her back in Ohio.

"Is this a chick thing or can anyone join in?"

Penny turned at the sound of Reid's voice. "What are you doing here?"

"h.e.l.l of a way to greet me," he said as he walked over and pulled her close. "Dani called me."

"I thought you'd want him here," Dani said. "Is that okay?"

Penny was too busy crying to do much more than nod.

Reid wrapped his arms around her. He was tall and strong and she felt as if she could lean on him forever.

"Go ahead and cry," he said, smoothing her hair and rocking her gently. "My brother is a lying b.a.s.t.a.r.d and his days are numbered."

"You can't kill him," Dani said. "Not even for Penny."

Penny raised her head and sniffed. "I don't want him dead."

"Fine. I'll just teach him a lesson. How's that?"

Penny shook her head. "No fighting."

Reid grunted. "I'm sorry," he said.

That was enough to set her off again. She pressed her face into his chest. "It hurts so much. He doesn't love me. He's moving away and so's Naomi and Dani's going to help me but nothing is ever going to be the same."

"I'm here and I love you," Reid said.

"I know. That's good."