“Why?I mean...”She pointed to Jack.Wore pain on her face.“I thought...And what about the podcast?”
“Oh, Pen, you know you can do the research without me.I think you were just being kind when you hired me.”
“Hardly.You’re my secret weapon.”
“You’re your own secret weapon.All I do is fact-check, and even that...well, you have a way with sources.You always get to the truth.”
Penny sighed.“I wondered if something had happened.”She frowned.“He didn’t propose, did he?”
“No.”The admission bored into her, a splinter into her already raw heart.“I thought...Anyway, I don’t know.He’s taking Flo up to Little Falls tomorrow, a test run before he leaves town.”
Penny frowned.“I don’t think he’s leaving.He took the bar.”
She stilled.“What?”
“Yeah.Jack told Conrad at the fair that he took the bar exam in July.He’s waiting for the results.”
Harper looked at him, racing after Conrad, who was just toying with them all now.No wonder he’d landed that fresh contract with the Blue Ox.
“He didn’t say anything to me.”
“Maybe he wanted to surprise you.”
“Or maybe...he didn’t think I’d want to go out on the road with him.”
“Do you?”
She tucked her arms around her.“I don’t know.Maybe.I guess I really hadn’t thought...I mean, that’s been the plan.Or...not.”
“Does he knowyou’releaving?”
“I don’t know how he...”She stilled.“Maybe.I had the contract on the counter when he came to pick me up.I went upstairs to change into a dress.Came back down and he was already outside, on the patio, waiting for me, looking at the lake.”Her eyes widened.“You think he didn’t propose because he thought I was leaving?”
Penny lifted a shoulder.
“But why would he take the bar?”She sighed.
“You know what could solve this?”
Harper lifted a shoulder.
“Aconversation.”Penny bumped her.“It’s something that two people who love each other do sometimes.”
“Thanks, Dr.Phil.Except how is that supposed to go, exactly?Hey, Jack, so were you going to propose the other night?Because if you were and then didn’t because you thought I was leaving, um, feel free to get on one knee, because I’ll stay if you want me to.How desperate and sad does that sound?”
“You are not desperate and sad.But you do want to marry him.”
Her mouth tightened.“I also don’t want to force the guy to propose.I feel like if he wanted to pop the question, he would.”
“Jack is not going to stand in the way of your dreams.”
“Heis my dream.And even as I say that, it sounds...Aw, see—I need to be on the first plane to Nashville, never look back.”
“And end up alone?Please, have a conversation with the man.It goes like this: Jack, I got an offer to go to Nashville.Penny hates it.Do you hate it too?Do you have any reason I should stay?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Still sounds needy.”
