Penny woke to hear the steady fall of rain on the roof and the spatter of heavy drops against the window pane. The room was filled with sombre grey light but she could not be sure whether the dawn was breaking or if the storm were responsible for the darkness. But it did not matter. Nothing mattered except Jeremy.
She turned her head and looked at his face, crumpled like Howard's in sleep. Hitherto she had seen only a likeness in the color of their eyes and in their hair curly hair. But now she saw that there was a strong resemblance in the shape of their heads the determined line of their lips in sleep.
Howard and Jeremy. Father and son.... And both hers. She and Jeremy were going to be married. Jeremy had said so. Today, when he woke, she would tell him about his son. Or should she wait and take him to Cornwell for their honeymoon, then show him Howard in person? He could not fail to love his son. Howard was so plump... So warm
"Oh, a year....perhaps less. Depends whether I get this other job I have my eye on. You see, my boss says that....."She did not hear the rest. She could only hear the voice of her own soul, and aunt Ann saying :'Tomorrow you will live, you always cry. In what far country does tomorrow lie?'A year... Perhaps less! Perhaps never. Tomorrow never comes. Tomorrow is too late because now I have Howard. I cannot wait for tomorrow. I have Howard."Jeremy!""Yes?""Last night I said I had something to tell you. Please lie down again. I can't talk to your back"He lay down, his limbs inflexible, his lips set in a thin, stubborn line."Jeremy, do you remember the first weeks we spent together.. Here, in the flat? We... We were not very careful""Well, what about it? What's the use of bringing up things th
"Look Penny, I'm bloody sorry. I have behaved so damn badly. I know it. I feel all kinds of a louse. I can only ask you to forgive me. It hasn't been too easy for me... Being away all the time, and then you did keep it from me, didn't you?" he ended stuttering.Her dark velvety eyes looked at him stonily. She said :"I did and I expect I was wrong. But quite honestly, if I had told you that I was pregnant at the beginning, wouldn't you have suggested I had an abortion?"The direct question threw him off balance. He scowled and shifted from one foot to the other."Possibly.. But....""No. Quite certainly" she broke in."Well, it's so damn awkward..."She interrupted again."Most awkward... For both of us. I knew you wouldn't want a child and I don't happen to believe in abortions. I take my share of the blame for our c
She felt stupid. And sad. And angry.But if something good had come from her involvement with Jeremy, it was Howard. She had little Howard. She would focus on him. She would love him and he would love her back. No matter what happened, she refused to see her baby as anything but a blessing.He was such a wonderful, cute little baby. He didn't cry much except when he was hungry.... Or needed his diaper changed. He would frown and pout before crying loudly, but as soon as he got what he needed, he was a happy baby again.Penny didn't talk much to anyone when she returned to Cornwell. Audrey of course, was delighted that she had returned so soon, Joey was too.But the happiness wasn't complete because they knew that if Penny was back so early and without Jeremy, then it meant that things didn't go as planned with Jeremy.Penny stayed indoors for days. She wasn't in the m
"I'm just worried about you" Audrey said, knowing that her friend wasn't fine as she said. She gazed at table as she spoke. "Joey and I are worried about you. You spend most of your time in here, except when you go for a walk with Howard. And you don't even paint anymore. I know you have been very hurt, I understand that, but it's been a month now. You should find a way to move on."When Audrey stopped speaking and looked up at Penny. She saw that she was sobbing quietly. No longer trying to fold the clothes, but she tossed them carelessly into the drawer. Audrey could almost feel her pain as she watched her, and she had to fight back the tears that clouded her eyes. Penny needed her to be a source of strength for her, and she had to be strong for Penny. She rose up and went to her friend, pulled her into her arms and they sat together on the bed."You will be fine. I promise" Audrey murmured as Penny sobbed on her shoulder. "We are he
Perhaps he felt for her more strongly now because he knew that she wasn't engaged to anyone anymore. He wasn't sure she was seeing anyone, although he knew she probably had a lot of men after her, but he hadn't seen her out on a date with anyone. Somehow he had to make his move before it was late. He'd hate to loose her again.Penny stared at the painting in front of her. "I was just thinking of the perfect price for this. I don't want to make it too expensive" she said."I'm sure people would love it. It's a beautiful painting. The trees.... The ocean.... The birds... You didn't leave any detail out." Joey said, then he moved and he was right behind her, his voice was softer, almost a whisper. "I can imagine what it would be like to be in a place like that.... The quiet...the gentle breeze.... Watching the trees and the birds...... Would be even much better if it was a date... Would be amazing to go someplace like that with someone"
"Of course you are. Don't ever think you're not. I'm just scared, Joey" Penny replied, she dropped the brush she was holding and began to wipe her hands on a towel, suddenly needing to do something... To keep busy, but his intense eyes remained on her, watched her like a hawk.She felt terrible. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, but she had to tell him so he wouldn't keep hoping. "I don't think I'm ready for another relationship just yet. I don't know if I will ever be. What happened with Jeremy.... It was a lot to take. And asking you to wait for me or leading you on would be the wrong thing to do. Friends don't do that to each other, and that what we should be... Friends. We have something amazing going on. We might ruin it if we try to make it something more. And I can't stand the thought of losing you... Or Audrey. I really hope you understand""It's fine" Joey said softly, but in his head he wondered if that was all sh
She had turned him down. And it wasn't the first time. A week had passed since then, and maybe she was over thinking, but she beginning to feel him withdrawing from her and she couldn't blame him. It was never her intention to hurt him, and even now with Jeremy gone, she didn't think she was brave enough to take that step with anyone. She wasn't even sure if she would be able to open herself and her heart to anyone else.She looked at Howard. He had finished feeding. She lifted him up-right and began to rub his back to burp him, tilting her head so that she could feel his hair against her cheek. Despite the weariness that was coming back in a tidal wave and the fact that life had just thrown her another rather dramatic curveball, she found herself singing softly.Sleepyhead, close your eyes, for I’m right beside you…----------------Joey could hear the song well before
The something that controlled the muscles in her legs, maybe? At least the need to sit down for a bit became a priority when Howard helpfully decided that he was starving.Which was hardly surprising. They’d been on a mission for hours now as Joey had come shopping with her. She had told him she was going to get new clothes for Howard and he had offered to come with her.And now, here they were, in the Baby Su-permarket and the sales girls had all fallen under Joey's spell the moment he smiled at them. As one of the doctors who worked at the hospital, he was well known. And being single and handsome, Penny could understand. Although for some reason she felt a little territorial when she saw the girls reaction to him. A thought which she pushed quickly out of her mind. It wasn't like she owned Joey or anything like that."We’ll give you the best discount we can manage," the manager who knew Joey sa
She leaned back and looked up at him. "I can't believe I'm standing here like this" Penny said."Like what?" Joey asked."half naked in your kitchen" she replied simply.Joey laughed. "You could always take off my shirt""No way. The lights are on"He paused, then began to unbutton the shirt.She grabbed his hands. "What are you doing?""Taking back my shirt" Joey replied, like what he was going was very normal. Like he had been doing it for a long time."You have on jeans. You don't need this shirt as badly as I do"He slid his hands to her wrists and pulled her fingers away. When she tried to pull free, he wouldn't let go."Joey" she said with a warning in her voice.He switched tactics and started at her neck, moving his mouth over her soft skin. He cou
Penny groaned, the sound low and desperate. Holding her by the hips to keep her steady, Joey tilted her closer, right where he wanted her, and explored her pretty, slick folds with his mouth. As he’d expected, she nearly buckled at the sensation, but he kept her steady, completely in control. And he didn’t relent, just kept pleasuring her until he heard her cry out her climax a few moments later.“Beautiful,” he murmured against her thigh, watching as she shook from the power of it.He let go of her hips. She stretched again, easing this way and that, her body warm and pliant and, he would suspect, still pulsing from her powerful orgasm.He had wanted to go very, very, slow, but right now, Joey wanted to share the moment, to be part of her deep pleasure. So he pushed his boxer shorts down, not even kicking them all the way off. Using his teeth to tear open one of the condoms he’d
Penny breathed a sigh of relief. She was so grateful to Audrey. "Thank you, Audrey. I honestly don't know what I would do without you. You are a blessing. Good night dear""Good night" Audrey replied and they hung up.When Penny turned around, it was to see Joey resting on the wall, watching her. He'd put on his boxers, Penny noticed. Good for her, she thought. She stood right where she was when he pushed himself from the wall and walked towards her."See, I told you Audrey's got this. You worry too much" he said, and as he did, he slipped a hand behind her and pulled her towards him, crushing her breasts to his hard chest."I'm sorry.... I just had to be sure that everything was fine" Penny said softly, wrapping her hands around his neck and clinging to him. He obviously wanted her to cling, because his hold on her tightened and his other her grabbed her butt.&n
That realization seemed to make him grow even more engorged against her, and he threw his head back, the cords of muscle standing out in his neck.Penny wasn’t entirely sure how far this kind of thing could go. She didn't know if he was close to cumming. Nor was she selfless enough to give up truly having him inside her. But she did like it. A lot. She especially liked that he was visibly losing a little of that infamous control, his hands clenched tightly in her hair, his breath coming in short gasps.“Gotta have the real thing, babe,” he muttered, dropping his hand to her shoulders and pushing her onto her back.“I wish you would,” she whispered, wanting him desperately.But instead of pushing her farther back on the bed and climbing on top of her, Joey went to the drawer and got a condom, then returned to stand between her parted thighs. He ope
His hand moved slowly.... Determined..... Straight inside her blouse from the bottom and then upwards. His big hand cupped her left breast and squeezed gently.Penny gasped in surprise when he did that. It was weird because she'd been expecting his touch. Waiting... And looking forward to it actually. But when his thumb and index finger found her nipple and squeezed, she moaned and her hands snaked around his neck, pulling his head down towards hers.Despite the lack of light, Joey's lips found hers with undeniable precision. Like his body, their warmth coaxed out a desire in Penny that she’d been trying to keep at bay, but it only kept growing stronger and stronger.Joey broke the kiss and moved back.“Sorry,” he started, voice suddenly very low. “I—I know what happened the last time we....I'm”Penny pushed her body forward, hand o
Penny loved every inch of the house. And as he showed her around, she understood more why he loved it. A home for a family... As he had said. She wanted the same thing too....she always had. There was a time when that dream included Jeremy.... Not anymore. Right now, she could almost picture herself, Joey and Howard being a real family. Maybe with two other babies... Maybe twins. She loved twins. Always hoped she'd have them someday. Once she heard the twins were never born to women who wanted them, but that was probably another old wives tale, she thought.Joey's voice snapped her back to reality."Thank you for coming, Penny" he was saying, "You have no idea how much I have missed you. Missed hanging out with you""I have missed you too. Howard too. The house is really not the same without you" Penny replied softly, and seeing the way his eyes darkened with desire as he stared at her, she moved away a
Penny opened her mouth but no words came out. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because for the first time since she met Joey she'd never seen him look so angry. Or because she had just heard him use those swear words that way. Or maybe because of his plain admission of his attraction towards her. Or maybe it was all of it.She didn't know. Didn't want to care. She could feel her body start to react to him being so close to her, but she fought to concentrate. No matter what happened, she had to remember that she was still really angry with him."You can't blame me for all that, Joey" she said, trying to make him understand, "I had a bad break up with Jeremy and I .....""I'm not Jeremy...." Joey said a little harshly, his fingers digging into her arm."I know you are not, jerk" Penny replied. For some reason she felt her voice crack. Oh no. She wasn't going to cry. She shouldn't cry
What if she and Joey got together and something happened and they had to break up. Audrey would obviously have to be on her brothers side. As she should be, Penny thought truthfully. She couldn't bear to come between two wonderful siblings. And if that happened, their friendship and relationship would be ruined. Penny didn't want that. But it didn't matter now, obviously. Because Joey was leaving, and he didn't even bother to say anything about it to her, and maybe soon she'd get her own place and leave with her baby. He'd obviously given up the idea of them being together, because now he was moving on. And she couldn't blame him. He'd gone through a lot with her. Stayed with her and loved her even when she didn't return his feelings. She had rejected him so many times and now he he'd finally let her go. It was all her fault. Penny knew that, but it didn't stop her from being mad at him. He should have at least told h
Joey's hands slowed. He didn’t even lift the plate that was now perfectly clean under those soap suds. Penny's voice was so quiet now it was almost a whisper. "Joey? Do you understand?" she asked. Joey swallowed hard. Then he turned to face her, his hands dripping water as his eyes met hers. He looked.... Mad. "I understand, Penny" he said huskily. His hands made a fist, like he was willing them not to reach for her and grab her, then he brushed past her and out of the kitchen. ------------------ "Is everything okay with you Audrey" Penny asked Audrey as she joined her in the living room after putting away the dishes Joey had left behind. Audrey looked up from her phone and stared at Penny, "I'm fine. Everything is fine. Why do you ask that?" she replied. Penny took a seat beside Audrey. "You have been coming hom