Ready for Love by Gwyneth Bolton Page B

getting out of church before either Jason or anyone in the Hightower family could catch up to her. Too bad Celia Hightower managed to catch them before they could escape.
    “Nonsense, Penny! Of course you and Terrill will come to Sunday dinner. It’ll be just like old times. It’s time to let bygones be bygones. I feel it. The Lord put it on my spirit and after today’s sermon, I certainly don’t want to go around second-guessing the Lord.”
    “Now Mama, if Terrill and Penny have other things to do, then perhaps we should let them do that.” Jason spoke in a casual, nonchalant voice, but the expression on his face seemed almost to plead for Terrill and Penny not to take Mrs. Hightower up on her offer.
    Terrill smirked. He almost felt sorry for his old friend.
    Almost.
    But even he wasn’t cruel enough to make Jason and Penny suffer through a dinner together when they clearly had so many issues that they were both too stubborn to work through. And he really didn’t think Penny could be around Jason any more during this weekend.
    “You know I’ve missed your Sunday meals, Mrs. Hightower. But I’ll be flying out tonight and—” Terrill started in with his gentle refusal only to be shot down midway in.
    “All the more reason for you to come by for dinner, son. We haven’t seen you in years and now you’re here. You’ve moved your mom to California, so you hardly ever come back to visit. When will we see you again?” Mrs. Hightower turned to Penny. “And I bet you’ll be moving Carla back to California with you. And you didn’t even visit when your grandmother was alive. We’re likely to never see either one of you again.
    “Can’t you just grant this old lady one last dinner with you all now that you’ve grown up? Penny, you can ride on over with James and I now. That way we can get in the kitchen together like we used to. I’ve missed that. And I want to hear all about your life in Los Angeles.”
    Jason narrowed his eyes at his mother before rolling them.
    “Mrs. Hightower…” Penny started.
    “I remember those times in the kitchen with you. It was like I finally had the daughter I always wanted. I’ve missed you so much. Both of you.” Mrs. Hightower put the saddest little expression on her face and sighed.
    Jason groaned and it was all Terrill could do not to laugh.
    Penny took a deep breath. “I don’t think that, given the past, everyone would be okay with us coming to dinner. I miss you more than you know, more than I could ever express. But I just feel like we need to be sensitive to the feelings that—”
    “Nonsense, Penny. Jason won’t have a problem with either of you coming. Frankly, you all need to grow up and let the past be the past. You all were friends. You were close. You loved one another and in the case of you and Jason, you were in love with one another. It’s time to put the past behind us. So come on, Penny. James likes to beat the traffic getting out of the parking lot. We’ll see you guys later. Terrill, I mean to see you, too.” Celia took Penny by the arm and actually led her out of the church.
    Both Terrill and Jason watched them walk away and then Jason turned to Terrill.
    Terrill knew before Jason even got started what he was going to ask. And there was no way he was going to let Penny sit through that dinner alone. Plus, Jason had been such a jerk all throughout Big Mama’s wake and funeral.
    As far as Terrill was concerned, Jason deserved to suffer a little.
    “It’ll be awkward.” Terrill gave a halfway shrug. “But honestly, I don’t know how to just not show up when your mother has made her expectations so very clear.” Terrill shrugged again as if he really couldn’t help it and the circumstances were out of his control.
    Jason glared at him before turning and walking away.
    Terrill did laugh then. This trip back home to Jersey was turning out more interesting than any trip before. The only thing missing that would have made it perfect was if a