"Go ahead," Penn snarled. "Have a drink. Finish a bottle. It'll be just like old times, and maybe then we can pretend that my mother isn't dying."
"Your mother?" Xavier shouted. "As if that means you love her more. I love her."
The two men squared off, tense and overwrought. I took a deep breath and stepped between them. Penn growled and Xavier's hard eyes narrowed, but I held my ground.
"Whatever this is can wait until later," I declared. "And right now, we don't know what Alice has to say. The important thing is to meet her and listen to what she wants to tell you."
Xavier's hard exterior cracked. "Why? Why are you still here?"
Penn wrapped an arm around me and pulled me back against his chest. "She's here because I want her here."
"Really?" Xavier snapped. "Because you could have fooled all of Monterey. You're so busy pushing her away when you think no one is looking. What is wrong with you?"
"Everything that is wrong with me is standing right in front of me," Penn bellowed.
"Um, Corsica?" Ginny's hesitant voice dropped down from the stairwell. "There's a helicopter landing on the front lawn."
I pulled free of Penn's arm and swiped back my hair. "I'm here because you two can't deal with this on your own," I snapped. "I'm here because otherwise, you'd spend all your time arguing and forget that the woman you love has something to say. Now, shut up and get in the helicopter."
I led the way up the stairs and didn't stop until Ginny wrapped me in a quick hug. "You're an angel. What can I do?"
I lowered my voice and hoped that Penn was too distracted to hear. "Could you go on my laptop and send my apologies to the hospitality director at the Ritz? I should still be logged in, if you don't mind forging an email."
"Done and done, and I love you," Ginny said.
"What was all that about?" Penn asked as we headed out the front door.
I shrugged. "Just following up on a decision I made this morning."
"You're taking that awful ass-kissing job at the Ritz-Carlton, aren't you?" Penn groaned. "I knew you were still tied up on the money thing. Jesus, Corsica, when are you going to realize that there are more important things than money?"
I saw the pain and worry in his eyes, but his stubborn misunderstanding made me angry. I planted my feet on the front steps and faced him. "I canceled my interview this morning, and good thing, too; otherwise, I would have missed it. At least now they know that I'm pursuing another line of work. I'm glad I turned it down and didn't have to cancel last minute."
"Cancel what last minute?" Xavier joined us on the front steps and buttoned up his suit coat.
Penn's mouth worked, but it was moments before he spat out. "You turned down the job interview at the Ritz?"
Xavier snorted. "She doesn't need that job. You should have heard her sing last night."
"I did," Penn snapped. "I bribed the guy that runs the spotlight to let me watch from up there. I saw her sing. I heard every note you sang, Corsica."
"What is with you and the unnecessary lies?" Xavier asked.
"Me?" Penn turned on his father with a clenched fist.
"What is wrong with you two?" I yelled as the helicopter engine roared to life. "None of this matters right now. Alice is waiting, and she either has good news or bad. All you two have to do is sit on that helicopter and wait to hear which one it is. Do you think you can manage that?"
"I'm glad you're here," Xavier said. He spun on his heel and signaled to his helicopter pilot.
Penn slipped his hand into mine and intertwined our fingers. "I can manage it, if you're with me."
"I am," I said. "And, Penn? I'm not pretending."
#
"I don't want to admit it. I'm not ready to admit it," Alice said in a tremulous voice.