The Lakeside Inn, Leeanna Morgan [rosie project TXT] 📗

what they’re doing. The amazing thing is that the prosthetics look exactly like the recipient’s missing limb. It should make Richard’s life a lot easier.”

“How’s Penny?”

A stabbing pain hit him in the chest. “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her for a few days.”

Ethan’s eyebrows rose. “Why?”

“I thought it would be easier on both of us if we got used to not seeing each other.”

“Are you doing the residency?”

Wyatt nodded. “I might not get another opportunity to do it.”

“I can’t blame you. It must have been a tough decision to make.”

The only thing he could do was nod. After countless sleepless nights and long conversations with his agent, he’d finally decided to be part of the residency program. But he still didn’t know if he was making the right decision.

“What’s wrong?”

“Everything.” Wyatt looked unseeingly across the yard. “I fell in love with Penny and now I’m leaving.”

“I take it she won’t be visiting you in Berlin?”

“If she leaves Sapphire Bay for more than a few weeks, her grandmother’s house will be given to the church. Her sisters have given up too much for that to happen.”

“A year isn’t a long time.”

“It is when you’re the one leaving.”

Ethan frowned. “I guess it’s a matter of prioritizing what’s important.” He looked over Wyatt’s shoulder. “Penny’s coming this way. If you want to see me before you leave, I’ll be at home.”

Wyatt’s heart pounded. “Thanks.” As he turned, everything around him stilled. With her hair caught in a ponytail and a cap pulled low over her eyes, Penny could have been another local enjoying the sunshine. But there was something about her, something that drew him in and made him want to keep her close.

He’d thought it was bad when Anya died. The feeling of loss, of never seeing her again had been unbearable. But this was so much worse. He was the one leaving, the person who was turning his back on the special relationship building between them. And the worst thing was that he didn’t have to leave. He could stay in Sapphire Bay, be part of Penny’s life, and be happy.

But he’d chosen to find happiness thousands of miles away, surrounded by art students and Europe’s finest landscape painters.

It wasn’t until Penny was a few feet away that he saw the dark circles under her eyes, the wariness in her gaze.

He walked toward her, not wanting to make this difficult for either of them. “Hi.”

“Hi. I just wanted to say congratulations. The murals are amazing and everyone is super-proud of what they’ve done.”

“You did an amazing job, too.”

“I enjoyed myself as much as the volunteers.” She stuck her hands in her pockets. “Mom and Dad are working today and couldn’t be here. But they asked me to say goodbye from them.” She took a box out of her pocket and handed it to him. “Dad made these for you. He hopes they give you as much luck as he’s had with his.”

Wyatt lifted the lid. Four colorful fishing flies lay side by side in the box. “They look amazing. I’ll give him a call to thank him.”

Penny scuffed her sneakers along the grass. “He’d like that. Have you got everything ready for your trip?”

“The paintings are already in Berlin. My suitcases are packed and I’ve tidied the house. All I have to do tomorrow is drop the spare house keys off to the realtor.”

“Are you looking forward to living in Berlin?”

“I’ll look forward to it once I’m on the plane. Berlin is a beautiful city, but nothing can compare to what you have in Sapphire Bay.”

Penny nodded and cleared her throat. “Thanks for everything you’ve done. You’ve made a difference in a lot of people’s lives.” She lifted her chin and smiled through a sheen of tears. “I’ll miss you. I hope Berlin gives you everything you wanted and more.”

He wanted to pull Penny into his arms and tell her he’d sooner stay with her, but that wouldn’t do anyone any good. He’d made his decision. It was the right one for his career, for the future he’d always wanted. But that didn’t stop his heart from breaking. “Coming here was the best thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t think…” Taking a deep breath, he tried to control his breathing, to push back the tears that were threatening to spill down his face. “I didn’t think I’d ever love anyone again. But I have. I love you. I hope you have an amazing life.”

Penny widened the gap between them and wiped her eyes. “I hope you have a wonderful life, too. Goodbye.”

As she walked away, Wyatt clenched his hands, willing himself to stay where he was and not run after her. Moving to Berlin would allow him to follow his dreams, but he didn’t know if it would make him happy.

Barbara handed each of her sisters a cup of coffee and sat at the dining table. “Since the story of the letter hit the Internet, we’ve had a lot of bookings. But before anyone arrives we need to finish the attic, and our budget isn’t looking great.”

Penny helped herself to a chocolate chip cookie. “All we need to do is paint the walls, make some curtains, and decorate the rooms.”

“I spoke to Dad last night,” Katie said. “He has some paint we can use. Someone ordered the wrong color. It’s a soft mossy green color and should look good with anything we put in the attic.”

“And I’ve made a list of the furniture we can use.” Diana handed each of her sisters a sheet of paper. “The bed in the spare front room has hardly been used, so I thought we could move that to the attic. And there are enough tables and chairs in the house to create a lovely intimate setting.”

“So that just leaves us with the curtains,” Barbara said as she read through Diana’s list.

Penny looked at the budget update her sister had prepared before their meeting. “If Dad’s happy to donate the paint,