Playing at Forever - By Michelle Brewer Page 0,5

his bike guide him toward whatever destiny had planned out for him.

And then he saw her.

Penelope Lang was a beautiful girl—he’d seen that right from the start. Tommy had never told her, but he hadn’t accidentally wandered into the movie rental store, looking for a job.

What had initially brought him there was her. He’d caught just the briefest glimpse of her long, fair brown hair, her soft coloring, her bright smile. She had been walking down the street, making her way to work, lost in her own thoughts. He’d become mesmerized in just a matter of seconds.

He could still remember the way everything seemed to melt away the moment their eyes met. He walked into the store, coming up with the excuse of looking for a job at the last minute—really, all he’d wanted was to meet her. He’d never expected anything would come of it.

But it had.

By now, Tommy was putting his helmet on, no longer paying any attention to the people who were coming to watch him leave. The motorcycle beneath him roared loudly as he brought her to life and he closed his eyes, letting the memory of Penny wash over him once more.

From that day forward, she had always been his refuge. Whether she knew it or not.

And now, more than ever before, he needed to have that back.

The gates in front of him opened slowly, but he sped through—careful to avoid the toes of the crowd of paparazzi that was constantly perched just outside his property.

With a deep breath of fresh air, Tommy once again let his bike guide him to his destiny.

Chapter Two

It had been another long day. She had, as she’d almost always done, been at the restaurant from open to close. That alone was enough to wear a person out—but add in the additional stress of having to deal with working alongside her ex and his current flame—and it made for an almost impossible day.

Penny looked around, taking in her surroundings. She had worked hard to make The Seaside into everything it was. An older building, it possessed an air of history—one of it’s most endearing qualities, Penny thought. There were lots of windows, allowing the cool breeze from the ocean to mingle with the scents of the food. It was a comfortable atmosphere, suitable for both family nights and special occasions.

It was everything she’d ever wanted it to be.

Well, all except the part that half of it belonged to her husband.

As if knowing she was thinking of him, the man appeared in the doorway.

“I’m about to lock up,” he announced.

“I can do it. I’m not quite finished up here.” She couldn’t even look at him.

“This is the reason why our marriage failed, Pen.” She immediately tensed, gripping the pen tightly in her hand before she turned around in her stool.

“Actually, Kevin,” she heard the anger in her voice. “The reason our marriage failed was your infidelity.”

“You’ve always put this place first, Penelope. Our marriage was never a priority.” Her head was spinning. How could he even suggest such a thing? Especially considering the fact that she had done everything she could to try and make things work.

“I hired Gina so that I could concentrate on our marriage! You were the one who decided to put work first then.” She remembered the many late nights he began putting in at the restaurant. How obvious it had all been. How oblivious she had been.

“Too little, too late, Pen.”

“Give me a break, Kevin. You were just waiting for your chance to walk out. Luckily for you, I provided it.” Sometimes, she wondered what her life would be like if she hadn’t hired Gina Myers on to manage the restaurant.

“Luckily for me.” Penny couldn’t stand it—how self-righteous he was. Why did he have to be so smug? Why did he have to rub salt in the already-aching wound? What good did it do him?

With tears in her eyes, she shoved passed him, stepping out into the cool night air. She breathed in deeply, letting the scent of the ocean wash over her as the sound of the waves lapping against the coast calmed her nerves.

Kevin Gagnon was not the man she had thought he was.

She remembered him best from high school. He had been a nice boy—somebody who looked forward to the future. He’d treated her well—always a gentleman. They had been a good match, everyone had said. They wanted the same things—a strong business, a happy family. A pleasant future.

She’d thought they’d had something