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North of Happenstance: Chapter Forty-Four
Hands full of dishes, Kate made her way carefully to M.T.’s sink. It was almost nine o’clock at night—and, at long last, Girl’s Night Dinner had come to a close. Penny had cried off ten minutes ago, claiming she needed to be up early for client meeting in the morning. And, though Kate was tired too, she steadfastly refused to leave M.T. to deal with this mess all by herself. “You don’t have to do that,” M.T. said, coming up to quickly relieve Kate of the plates. “I can take care of it.” “I insist,” Kate told her, and without another word, turned to grab the wineglasses off the dining…
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North of Happenstance: Chapter Forty-Six
The July heat was oppressive. Kate’s bangs, cemented in sweat, lay heavy on her forehead. Her legs, pumping against the hard ground, were tired, weighted down. And, according to her calculations, she still had another mile to go…! It had been a long time since she’d run any distance; she was definitely feeling it now. And that damn sun! God, she could almost feel jealous of Penny—her legs propped up on the chair beside her, a cool iced-tea in hand, with only a measly stop-watch to impede her relaxing afternoon sit-down. She’d no sooner thought this then Kate cringed, silently berating herself. Get a grip, girl! It was a petty,…
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North of Happenstance: Chapter Forty-Seven
“My necklace—I can’t find my necklace!” This sentence, M.T.’s terrible shrill voice echoing off in the air… that was the first thing Kate became aware of after crossing the finish line. Her shirt was sticking uncomfortably to the skin on her back, right between her shoulders blades, as she advanced toward where the rest of her team was huddled. The smile of victory on her face vanished at the somber expression on Jake’s face, the fearful one of Penny, and the absolute terror flashing across the pastor’s pale countenance. This was far from the welcome she’d expected to receive at the end of their race. “What’s going on?” Kate asked,…
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North of Happenstance: Chapter Forty-Eight
It wasn’t until Maggie lost her necklace that Kate really realized it; in a way, she supposed she’d always known. She’d seen it, she’d just never thought about it. She’d never considered how bad it was until that day…. The way she’d forced Kate to stay back with M.T. when everyone else was scavenging for the lost piece of jewelry, to sit there next to Maggie holding her hand while everyone else dove in the cool waters…watching, waiting; they hadn’t both needed to be there, one would have sufficed… But Penny had felt guilty. She’d felt impotent with helplessness. To have Kate go out there, to have Kate do what…
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North of Happenstance: Chapter Forty-Nine
So Kate and Penny headed back outside to try it again. Swim Lesson 2.0 Grabbing up their towels, they walked determinedly toward the water’s edge. Staring out at the expanse of water, the tips of their toes lying against the last inches of grass there, Kate heard Penny take a deep breath, and then another. But this time, she wasn’t the only person nervous of wading inside those cool depths. Kate’s stomach clinched. Because now she knew. She knew just how terrifying a step this all would be for Penny: letting her feet fall against the wet sand, feeling their weight sink against the surface there, letting her body break…
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North of Happenstance: Chapter Fifty-Two
With a painful flick of her wrist, Penny thrust on the light switch as she entered her shop. Grimacing at the assaulting yellow glow of the overhead bulbs, her hand instinctively coming to rest against her temple, her mouth letting out a whoosh of breath, Penny slowly steered her way toward the coffee…. God, she’d forgotten how terrible a hangover really was… Last night had been—well, it had been one of the best nights in her life. There she’d been, sitting up in bed, fully clothed in a pair of leggings and a dark blue tunic with a splash of dark green fabric around the hem, staring out her window,…
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North of Happenstance: Chapter Fifty-Five
Groaning quietly, Penny woke up slowly. Agonized. Eyes tightly closed, her brain felt like it was ricocheting madly around her head—even just breathing seemed to be sending the thing unraveling, bouncing painfully from left to right, unhinged. Parched. That’s how she felt. Her mouth was dry. Impossibly dry. Smacking her lips together, she tried to get some moisture inside the dessert coating her teeth, her tongue… Stretching, Penny let her eyes slowly slip open. Wait. Her arms raised up over her head, Penny felt confused, disorientated. This wasn’t her duvet. This wasn’t her bed. This wasn’t her house. It was only by sheer will that Penny kept herself from shrieking—alarm…
