Page 105 of Penny & Royce

Full and wide.

It was free from the weight of what they both knew would come next, and he reveled in it.

Once they picked up the cat treats, they headed for the bookstore. It was one of the many places he’d taken her on their first date. He kept an eye on every single book she pulled from the shelf in order to read the synopsis. Then when she passed by, he put the book in his cart.

Neither one of them was hurting for money, and if this was the last time he’d be able to treat her to something, he wasn’t going to squander the chance.

They made their way through the city, and though the artist was no longer being showcased at the gallery, Royce had called ahead to ask where he could purchase a print. After they made their way through the gallery, he took her to where he could pick it up.

Penny had been mostly quiet at all their stops. With each one, she seemed to smile more. Her shoulders were more relaxed. And she even allowed him to pull her close so she could lean into him while they walked.

Royce never released her hand.

Not until this stop.

She stared up at the nondescript building. Not even the name on the front gave away what was being sold. When they stepped inside, she glanced around at all the artwork for sale.

He stopped by the front counter while she browsed, and when he completed his purchase, he came up beside her.

Penny was staring at a picture of a farmhouse on rolling hills. It was an actual photograph, and the detail was amazing. In the corner was a signature. And beneath that was the word Colorado.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “I’ve always loved stuff like this.”

He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and pull her close. “I’ve always imagined myself living in a place like that. My own little plot of land. Nothing fancy. Not like the farm my family runs. But somewhere I could raise my children.”

“You wanted children.” It wasn’t a question. More like a statement of fact.

“Want children.” He nearly said with you, but he refrained. She didn’t need him to push her too hard. “I still do.”

She nodded. “Me too. One day.”

Royce slipped his hand into hers, then held the small bag out to her. “This is for your room. Or wherever you want it to be.”

Penny seemed surprised by his offering, releasing his hand to pull the framed picture from the paper bag. She gasped and held a hand to her lips.

It wasn’t exactly the same image as the one he’d gotten her for their wedding. This one was brighter. Where the original had only glimpses of sunlight coming through the clouds, this one was void of rain. The sun had come out in full force.

“I don’t remember this being in the show that night.”

“That’s because it wasn’t.” Royce stared at the picture. “It was unveiled the following night. I only found out about it when I purchased the other print.”

She traced the image with her fingertips, her lips parted in awe. When she didn’t say anything, he couldn’t contain his question.

“Do you like it?”

Penny didn’t look up at him when she nodded. Then she whispered, “Yes.”

At the end of their night, they found themselves on her balcony again.

Royce stared up at the sky, and all he could think about was how he could feel her slipping through his fingers. She’d been unusually quiet. Both of them had. They were reliving the happiest day of his life, and at the same time, it felt like he was saying goodbye to it all.

Devastated didn’t even begin to cover how he felt when he gazed over at the woman who had stolen his heart and made him believe he could have everything he ever wanted.

He’d made so many plans for their future. He’d been so sure he could convince his family to see reason when it came to the woman he wanted to spend forever with.

And he’d been wrong.

The longer the night wore on, the less Penny met his eyes. She didn’t want to be the one to break his heart. And maybe it wasn’t fair that he needed to hear the words from her, but he did.