Chapter 21

  

As Penelope walked back down the sidewalk, she made a mental list of the things she wanted to accomplish the rest of the day. Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the man standing next to her truck until she was half a block away. He bent at the waist with his hands in his pockets and peered through the tinted windows.

Penelope stopped at the front bumper and watched him, a finger of unease drawing a line down her spine.

“There you are,” he said when he noticed her standing on the sidewalk. It was the employee from the hardware store who’d been sitting on the floor sorting screws. His fleece-lined denim jacket was buttoned to the top, the cloth apron that read Fenton’s Hardware still tied at his waist. A memory clicked together in Penelope’s head. He was one of the hikers in the courtyard the other morning, the one who held the door for her and told her she was pretty while she struggled with the heavy coffee urns.

“What are you doing?” Penelope asked, clutching the bag from his store in both hands in front of her. He smiled easily and took a few steps toward her.

“Nothing, just saying hi,” he said. He closed the space between them quickly and Penelope took an awkward step backwards. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Penelope looked around, but there was no one else on the sidewalk. “Nothing,” she said quietly.

“I’m Bailey,” he said. “What’s your name?”

Penelope hesitated. She stepped around him and walked quickly to the back of her truck.

“Oh, you’re shy,” Bailey said. Although he made her uncomfortable, Penelope noticed his tone of voice remained conversational, friendly even. “You don’t have to tell me. I can find out from the credit-card receipts.”

“I’m expected back at work now,” Penelope said, flipping up the hatch to the truck and slipping her bag inside. A toolbox was tucked into the side panel of the storage area. She thought about what she could use from it to defend herself if it came to that.

“You’re one of the out-of-towners staying at the inn,” Bailey said. “From the movie.” He pulled a piece of gum from his pocket and folded it into his mouth, tossing the wrapper on the sidewalk.

Penelope looked at the ball of foil and then met Bailey’s eyes. “Yes. I’m a department head. I manage one of the crews on the set.”

“Nice. You look like someone who takes charge.”

Penelope relaxed, deciding Bailey might just be a little off or socially awkward. She didn’t feel as threatened as she had a few moments before.

“I’m up that way a lot. I’ll look for you next time,” Bailey said, chewing his gum and smiling widely at her.

“That’s, um…I have a boyfriend,” Penelope responded in a clear voice. She wasn’t sure if Bailey was hitting on her, or if this was his idea of a normal conversation.

“That’s okay, I don’t mind,” Bailey said, smiling even wider. “You’re nice. And pretty.”

A sharp whistle caught Bailey’s attention and caused him to turn around, much to Penelope’s relief. The old man from the hardware store stood in the doorway, hands crossed over his chest. He put his fingers to his lips and whistled again.

“My old man says break’s over,” Bailey said. He turned on the heel of his tan work boot and started toward the store, then stopped suddenly and turned back around. “You never told me your name.”

Penelope just stared, saying nothing.

“Not going to say, huh?” Bailey said. For the first time his expression darkened, a momentary flash of something else beneath his boyish features. “That’s okay. Like I said, I can find out.”

Penelope watched until he stepped inside the door, shrugging his shoulders at his father when asked a question Penelope couldn’t hear. The old man adjusted his knit hat and shot a glance at Penelope, openly gaping at her from the doorway. Penelope fought the urge to scramble inside the truck and speed away. She made a U-turn on the deserted main drag and drove slowly back toward the inn. When she glanced in the rearview mirror, she could see the old man was still watching her.