“Might be better?” she screamed. “That’s the best you can do? But it might not? Tell me, when do you plan to make up your mind?” She raised her hand. “On second thought, forget it. I don’t care anymore.”

She closed her eyes, then opened them. “I am such a fool,” she said, her voice back to normal, but so thick with sadness that he ached to hear her.

“You’re not,” he told her.

“A lot you know. You’re the reason. You’d think I’d learn. What’s that old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Well, shame on me.”

What did that mean? He knew he was in deep shit with Penny, but he couldn’t help a flicker of hope deep inside.

“Penny?”

“Don’t even go there,” she told him. “Not anymore. I loved you, Cal. Maybe for the second time, maybe I never stopped. I don’t know and now I don’t care. Because the truth is, you’re no different than you ever were. You still keep secrets. You’re still holding back, playing it safe, making sure you don’t get hurt. You’re still not willing to put your heart on the line. I’m not interested in a man like that. I’m not interested in someone I can’t trust.”

“But you love me.”

She grimaced. “I’ll get over it. And you.”

“But I love you, too.”

She stared at him for a long time, then turned toward the door. “I’ve heard that before and I know how little those words are worth.”

“IF THIS IS GOING TO become a regular occurrence,” Naomi said from her place next to Penny on the sofa, “then we’re going to need to establish some ground rules.”

Penny used the tissue to wipe her face, although she wasn’t sure why she bothered. No mattered how quickly she mopped up her tears, there were plenty of new ones to take their place.

“A code so we can call each other on the phone,” Naomi said as she continued to rub Penny’s back.

“A schedule so we don’t all break down at the same time,” Dani said from Penny’s other side.

“T-that would be good,” Penny said as she tried to fight the sobs building up inside of her.

She’d been hurt before—mostly by Cal—but somehow this felt worse. Maybe because she’d thought she’d figured everything out. She thought she’d found the solution, only to realize she’d been wrong about everything.

Despite the ache around her heart and the sense that she would never again draw breath without wanting to scream, she knew she had to do her best to get past what had happened. At least the physical part. Her trembling, sobbing, angry state couldn’t be good for the baby.

“You guys are great,” she said, trying to focus on them instead of herself. “For being here with me.”

“Hey, I don’t have a job,” Dani said with a sigh. “Where else would I be?”

Penny did her best to smile. “Good point.”

“I work for you,” Naomi said. “You’re the boss. You say jump, I say how high.”

“Also good.”

“So we’re not here because we care,” Dani said.

Penny sniffed. “That’ll put me in my place.”

The two women leaned in and hugged her.

“I’m sorry,” Dani whispered in her ear. “I never knew my brother was such a big butthead.”

“Yeah,” Naomi said. “I’d nearly forgiven him for being a bastard the last time. I’ll never forgive him for this.”

“That’ll show him,” Penny said, then choked on a sob. “Oh, God. I don’t think I can get through this. I know wounds heal and time helps and all that crap, but right now, I don’t think I can do it.”

“We’re here,” Naomi told her.

“Not going anywhere,” Dani added.

“I just thought this time was different,” Penny said as she wiped her face with another tissue. “I thought he was different. I thought I mattered. I fell back in love with him.”

“Men’ll get you every time,” Dani said as she leaned against Penny’s shoulder. “I just didn’t think Cal…” She paused, then said. “I’m sorry. I’m fighting the urge to defend him. I want to tell you that he had a hard time, being the oldest. Gloria, trying to protect us. The usual. But I won’t.”

“You can,” Penny said. “How sick is that? I wouldn’t mind listening to you defend him.”

“Typical,” Naomi murmured. “I forgive you.”

“Thanks.” She drew in a deep breath and did her best to absorb the support from her friends. “I thought he was different. I thought he would be willing to take a chance on us. I was so stupid.”

“Loving someone is never stupid,” Naomi said. “It can hurt like hell, but it’s never stupid.”

“I agree,” Dani said. “I say that even as I feel like the world’s biggest idiot. I mean, my soon-to-be ex-husband is currently sleeping with one of his students. So I’m not just stupid, I’m a bad cliché. But there’s hope. I can still laugh at things and I have you guys.”

“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?”

“Hello,” 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?”

“Hell 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 bastard 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.”

She raised her head again and looked at him. “Why couldn’t I fall in love with you?”

He smiled, then kissed her cheek. “Not a good idea, kid. I’m not one of the good guys. You’re better off with Cal or Walker.”

Penny didn’t think so but it didn’t matter. She and Reid could only ever be friends. The heart, ever a contrary organ, had apparently decided she could only love one man. Even if that man was destined to forever be breaking her heart.

CAL DROVE AROUND until sunset, then returned to his house. He wanted to go see Penny, but first he had to figure out what he wanted to say to her. Until then, he had a feeling showing up there would only make things worse.

She was right about him, he thought as he turned onto his street. She always had been. In the past, he’d been okay with that but this time he wanted things to be different. He wanted to be different.

He headed into his driveway and saw two other cars there. As he glanced toward the front door. He saw Reid and Walker on the porch, having what looked like a heated conversation.

“What’s up?” he asked as he climbed out of his car and walked toward them.

Reid glared at him. “You made Penny cry,” he said, his voice a low growl. “Nobody makes Penny cry.”

“So what does that mean?” Cal asked. “You’re here to make me pay?”

“You got that right.”

Cal shrugged, not the least bit worried about taking Reid on in a fight. His brother might be the same size and in great shape, but Cal had some repressed anger on his side.

He turned to Walker. “You gonna help him?”

Walker shrugged. “No. I’m here to make sure you don’t both kill yourselves.”

Cal knew fighting wouldn’t change anything one way or the other, but in that moment, he didn’t care. He wanted to lash out at someone and if his brother was willing to be a target, then that was good enough for Cal.

He stepped onto the lawn and beckoned Reid. “Bring it on, little brother.”

For a second he thought Reid wouldn’t react. Then his brother came flying at him.

Their bodies collided with a force that rattled every bone in his body. They both went down. Cal got to his feet first and was ready to defend himself when Reid came out swinging.

Cal ducked, got in a good punch to the gut that reverberated back to his elbow. Reid clipped his jaw, which made Cal stagger back a step. A couple more hits by each of them and he was rethinking his plan. He hadn’t been in a fight since he was thirteen years old and he’d forgotten how much they hurt.

Still, he liked the raw emotion pouring through him, the need to destroy that blocked out every other thought. He got in a one-two punch before Reid nailed him with a shot that reminded him his brother had a thunderbolt for a right arm.

Lazily, Walker strolled over and stepped between them.

“That’s enough,” he said calmly. “You’re both going to be regretting this in the morning.”