Chapter Six
Penny took another bite of her lobster burger, a specialty of the diner. She needed time to digest all of their conversation, along with the meal. The busy place provided a background of white noise as her mind raced over what had been revealed tonight. After all this time, Del planned to move back home. And she happened to be a twenty-nine-year-old woman having very teenage-girl ideas about him.
She gazed across the table. He always had been a cute boy, one of the reasons she hadn’t acknowledged his valentine. She had been so tongue-tied around him she couldn’t find the right words to say. And now she had two devastating long-term relationships under her belt. Should she try for one more? Perhaps the third time would be the charm. Her sister’s voice pounded in her ear. Suck it up, Buttercup. She took a deep breath. “Just how do you intend to make Valentine’s Day fun again?”
He locked his gaze on hers. “By spending time with you. By righting old wrongs. By apologizing to your mother for making the soles of your shoes purple.”
Penny’s breath caught in her throat. Delbert, her childhood sweetheart, had come roaring back into her life. Whatever should she do? Their half-eaten burgers and fries sat on the table, giving her something to play with while her mind buzzed She maneuvered a French fry into the lake of ketchup on her plate. Even though she’d lived in Lobster Cove most of her life, she’d never tired of the taste the town was famous for. She swallowed a bite of the succulent white meat on a bun. “I’d really enjoy spending time with you, too, Del. How convenient that you’ll be in the same block as my folks, since Abbey and I do hang out there a lot. But right now is our busiest season of the year. And, as much as you hate Valentine’s, I hate Christmas.”
Del raised an eyebrow. “Why? Because there’s so much work involved at the card shop? Or because of your bad experiences?”
Penny attempted to corral her wayward musings, but sparks were being set off in her head every time she glanced at Del and goose bumps erupted on her skin. For the first time in almost a year, she experienced very female feelings toward a man. She didn’t need another Christmas casualty. “Because I only seem to make the holiday worse with everything I do. I left Ricky six years ago on Christmas Eve. And then, in an attempt to give myself a good memory, even with the long hours and hectic schedules we keep at this time of year, I decided nothing would do but to get married on Christmas Eve last year.” Her voice wavered, just a bit. “I happened to be a little late getting to our cake-tasting, and I caught Max sampling not only the cake, but the cake decorator, too.”
Del’s forehead wrinkled, and his brows drew together in an angry line. He took a sip of wine before he answered. “I’m so sorry, Penny. How dare he spoil not only your wedding, but one of the best holidays of the year?”
Penny’s hands had been fisted as she described the fiasco her wedding plans had become, and how she now had two bad experiences to associate with the season. Del might be a third reason to hate the season, given her track record, if she kept seeing him. She glanced down at her hands and uncurled her fingers, deciding to take a chance. “Why don’t we get out of here? Murphy’s Bar has a special karaoke night once a month now, and I’ve become more-or-less a regular. Shall we try our hands at being one of the Four Tops? Or The Beatles?”
Del grinned. “For years, I performed as John Lennon, at least in my bathroom mirror, using a can of shaving cream as my microphone. Maybe now’s the time I give my voice a try in public. Let me take care of the check, and we’ll go have some fun, Carrie.”
****
Del took a long, slow breath, willing his heart rate to slow.
Penny Lane Beedle may have destroyed his clumsy childhood attempt to win her heart, but now he hoped to be better at making his feelings known. And he had to admit she attracted him still, even after all these years. First stop would be Murphy’s, with its lobster-shaped barstools, so she could release her inner diva. Then, he planned on kissing her. A lot. He had seen a spark of interest on her part, but could he compete with the memory of Ricky Skeritt? After all, the man was a towering legend in Nashville and beyond. He had been named “Sexiest Country Star” more than once. Del prided himself on being a confident man, but even he had his limits.
He reminded himself Ricky had let her go, the idiot. He’d only used her to further his own career. Double idiot. No way would Del miss this opportunity. He grabbed the receipt from the restaurant table and stood. Turning, he took her hand and helped her to her feet. Not that she needed help. He simply couldn’t resist touching her.
Arm in arm, they left Maggie’s. Although the cold December night made their breaths form little vapor clouds when they talked, Del wanted to walk from Maggie’s Diner on the corner of Oak and Main to the other end of the block, at Oak and First, where Murphy’s Bar had been for years. Their slow pace gave Del two advantages—he could continue to have his arm around Penny, and he had time to reflect. His second chance with her stared him in the face, and his timing couldn’t be worse. She had one blown marriage attempt and a failed relationship with the sexiest man in country music—both associated with Christmases past. She should have a better track record.
Could he possibly be the one to finally give her the happiness she deserved? To provide her with a happy Christmas present, and maybe a rewarding Christmas future? He’d never find out if he didn’t start. “So, how long have you been singing at the karaoke bar?”
Pretty lame conversation, but any form of conversation with Penny happened to be better than any he’d had with a woman in a long time. Del scraped his hand through his hair, feeling as if the past twenty years had never happened, and he had no experience with women.
She smiled, settling into his embrace. “The guy with the karaoke machine calls himself Karaoke Joe. He started coming to Murphy’s a year or so ago, one night a month. When I returned from Nashville, I had no interest in picking up a guitar again. But then, I’d stay awake nights with song lyrics and melodies rolling around in my head and couldn’t sleep until I wrote them down. So I started peddling my songs to some of my contacts, and I sold a few that became top sellers for various artists. Haven’t won a CMA award yet, nor have I been nominated. But the buzz around the industry is the song Ricky made famous came close to getting a nod.”
Del’s chin kicked up a notch and his chest expanded. “How much fun would we have, attending the CMAs?”
She stopped and stared.
The lack of movement forced him to pause as well, since he had no intention of letting her go.
“You really would enjoy the spectacle? I’d be a nervous wreck.”
He laughed and picked up her hand with the callused fingers, kissing each digit. “Ah, but I’d only be there to supply support. You’d be in the spotlight. So yes, I’d enjoy the CMAs immensely.” He urged her forward, and they accomplished the last few steps toward their destination.
She glanced up at him as they took seats at one of the rough-hewn wooden tables at the front of the room, where performers took the microphone from Karaoke Joe and sang to the crowd. With any luck, no spots would be left in the lineup. He didn’t need one more comparison between himself and Ricky to enter Penny’s mind. But he wanted to hear her sweet voice lifted in song, so he hoped they’d kept open a slot for her. The way Karaoke Joe nodded in her direction when they entered made Del cross his fingers that she’d have the opportunity to sing more than once.
Several members of the audience stopped by to say hello to Penny as well, both men and women.
Del placed an arm casually around her shoulders, staking his claim. She would not leave his side tonight without giving him a kiss. Or a hundred of them.