A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 01

"Hey, Tommy," I smiled, ushering him into the house, "I'm glad you could make it tonight."

"Thanks for inviting me over, Bryan," he smiled, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

~~~~~~

Let me take a minute to describe Tommy Clark. As I've already said, he's Jessie, my office manager's younger brother, who is not only a hard worker, but a great kid. He's twenty years old, stands just a little over six feet tall, and if I had to guess; I'd say that probably weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of two-hundred pounds or so.

He has shoulder length brown hair and hazel eyes, and as I've already said, is a good looking kid. Tommy went to work for me part time after school, about a month after his mother died from uterine cancer when he was sixteen. And because my mother is still alive, I can't even begin to comprehend how he felt at the time. However, I do know that it had to have been very hard on the poor guy. But still, he's never once missed a single day of work, nor has he ever been late in coming to work. Now, back to the story...

~~~~~~

Tommy and I were sitting in the living room having a beer and talking, when suddenly he began to stare across the room. I looked over to where he was staring to she Sam enter the living room looking more beautiful than I'd ever seen her look before, which also made me proud.

As Tommy and I stood up, I smiled and said, "Tommy Clark, allow me to formally introduce my niece, Samantha Lambert." Then I smiled at my beautiful niece and said, "Sam, sweetie, this is a very good friend of mine, Mister Tommy Clark."

"It's nice to meet you, Samantha," Tommy grinned, his eyes dancing like a candle flame in the wind.

"You can call me just plain old Sam," she bashfully smiled, "And it's very nice to meet you, too."

"I almost forget about something I promised to do for your Mom," I knowingly smiled at Sam, "Why don't sit down over here and keep Tommy company until I get back?"

"Okay, Uncle Bryan," Sam sweetly replied, kissing my cheek as she walked past me on her way to the couch.

"I'll be back in a little bit, Tommy, " smiled, "If you need anything, just tell Sam and I'm sure she'll be able to take care of it."

"Okay, boss," Tommy grinned, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," I grinned.

~~~~~~

"So, how are the two love birds doing in there?" Megan quietly asked, the moment I came into the kitchen.

"They're stupid over each other," I softly chuckled, "Actually; I think it's kind of sweet."

"That's because you're a sweetie, too," Penelope giggled, tenderly kissing me on the lips.

"So, tell me about this kid," Megan protectively replied, "What kind of background does he come from, and what kind of...."

"Whoa, Sis, wait a minute, "I interrupted her smiling, "You think I'd introduce my niece to just anybody? Relax, Tommy's a good kid and I trust him with everything I have."

"He sure is a good lookin thing," Megan laughed, "I'll damn sure give him that."

"I'll second that motion, your honor," Penelope giggled.

"You girls are silly," I chuckled, "But I guess I can handle it."

~~~~~~

Once we sat down at the dining room table and the blessing had been asked, Megan made sure that everyone had a plateful of food before she sat down to eat her own dinner. I could tell that Sam and Tommy really liked each other by the looks they shared between them. I thought it was great, because now Sam was with someone who was just as attracted to her as she was to them. And the good thing about it was that Tommy was really a good boy. His parents had raised him correctly and I knew for a fact that he'd always lived his life by a set of unimpeachable morals and principles.

"So, tell me Tommy," Megan smiled, "How do you like working for my brother?"

"He's the best boss a guy could ever have, Missus Lambert," he grinned, smiling at her while he spoke."

"Oh, and he's such a gentleman, too," Megan gushed, "From now on, Tommy, you can call me Megan, like everyone else does, sweetie, okay?""

"How about if I call you Ms. Megan instead?" Tommy smiled, "That way my Dad and my sister won't kick my butt for being disrespectful."

"If that's what you want to do, then that's fine, sweetie," Megan giggled, smiling her approval at Sam.

"Alright then, Ms, Megan," Tommy respectfully replied, "Can Sam come out with me for a little while after we're finished eating? I'd like for her to meet my father."

"Wait a minute, Tommy" I teased, "Don't you think you should be asking me? After all, I'm the man of the house."

"No offense, Boss," Tommy said, then nodded his head toward Megan, "But she's Sam's Mom, and I fear her anger a whole lot worse than I do yours."

Megan burst into a loud fit of laughter, as did Penelope, and after she'd regained her composure, my sister reached across the table, and taking Tommy's hand giggled and said, "You're a very smart young man; and if you want to take my daughter to meet your father, then that's fine. You just make sure you have her back here no later than midnight, okay?"

"Yes ma'am," he politely replied, "Midnight it is."

Thanks, Mom, I love you," Sam sweetly said, "You, too, Uncle Bryan....and Aunt Penelope," and then she girlishly giggled.

I simply shook my head and laughed, while at the same time taking Penelope's hand into mine.

~~~~~~

Once we were finished eating, Sam took her's and Tommy's plates, glasses, and utensils to the sink in the kitchen, then rinsed them out and placed them into the dishwasher. Once that was done, she came back into the dining room, and then taking Tommy by the hand, she politely smiled and said, "We're going to take off now. I promise I'll be back on time."

However, right before they left, Sam made sure that she'd hugged and kissed not only her mother and me, but Penelope, too, before she was gone.

"What a sweet, sweet girl," Penelope smiled, once Sam and Tommy were out the door and gone.

"Yeah she is," I agreed, "She's always been a sweetie, even when she was a baby."

"Yeah, and she's got her Uncle Bryan wrapped around her little finger, too," Megan giggled, "And it's been that way ever since she was a baby."

"I think she's a very fortunate young lady," Penelope sweetly smiled at me, tenderly holding my hand while she spoke, "Especially having been surrounded all of her life by people who love her so much."

"That's nothing," Megan knowingly giggled, "You should've seen Bryan crying like a baby himself the moment I placed Sam into his arms."

"Oh, my God," I smiled at the memory of that day, "She was the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen, and yes, I cried my eyes out. I couldn't help it."

~~~~~~

We all pitched in and helped Megan clean off the table, as well as helped clean up the kitchen, too. And when we were finished, we went into the living room where I poured us each a brandy while Megan turned on some music.

~~~~~~

Megan was relaxing in my big La-Z-Boy™ recliner, while Penelope sat next to me on the couch. The enchanting music of David Sanborn gently wafted through the air, and I couldn't remember a time that I felt more comfortable and at peace.

"I wanted to say thank you, Bryan," Megan said, smiling at me the same way she used to do when we were children, right before she told me she loved me, or was proud of me.

"Thank me?" I asked, "For what?"

"I like Tommy," she tenderly replied, "He very mature for his age, and I think he'll be good for Samantha, unlike those spoiled little fuckers in Lakewood. God, I'll be glad when I move back home next year."

"So, you're going to sell your house and come home, huh?" I happily grinned, "It's about damn time, Megs. I've missed you more than you know, and so have Mom and Dad." Megan said nothing, other than nod her head and give me a loving grin.

"I really like your parents a lot," Penelope smiled, "And I really enjoyed talking with them in the little time we shared when I spoke to them at the hospital."

"Mom thinks your one of the prettiest girls she's ever seen," Megan giggled, "And so does Dad. He couldn't praise you enough for the work you did on Bryan's hand."

"Oh, that reminds me," Penelope suddenly said, "How did the meeting with Earl and Mark go today, Bryan?"

The look on my face must've given me away, because as I was about to speak, she looked into my eyes and said, "It went that bad, huh?"

I explained, in detail, all that that we faced, and in doing so; pointed uot that even though the hospital was willing to buy at least a hundred chairs, we would still be in the red as far as our profit margin was concerned.

"I might know a way out of this," Penelope cryptically smiled, "But you can't ask me any questions, Bryan, and you're going to have to blindly trust me."

"I don't have a problem with that," I replied, "Hell; I'd piss on an electric pig fence if I thought it would do any good."

"Then you leave everything to me, sweetie," "she warmly smiled, "Today is Thursday so, I'm going to have to leave town for the weekend. Have your presentation ready to go by Tuesday afternoon of next week, okay?"

"I can do that," I happily replied. Suddenly Penelope stood up to leave, making me ask, "Where are you going?"

"You promised me that you wouldn't ask any questions and you're already doing it," she sweetly giggled, "Trust me, Bryan, you're gonna love this. Come on and walk me out to my car."

~~~~~~

I was lying in my bed watching the television, and it was getting close to midnight when I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I said.

"Can I talk to you, Uncle Bryan?" Sam sweetly asked, showing up at my door already in her P.J's, and ready for bed.

"Of course," I smiled, patting the bed beside me, "Come on, baby girl."

She emitted a quiet but high pitched squeal as she dashed across the room and jumped under the covers beside me, just like she used to do when she was a little girl.

"What can I do for you, sweetie?" I asked, as she snuggled up next to me, giggling.

"I just wanted to say thank you," she sweetly replied, "I wanted to thank you for a lot of things actually."

"What're talking about sweetie?"

"I'm talking about how you took up for Mom and me, when my father was being such an asshole," she replied, "And now you've introduced me to a new friend who's really nice."

"I see," I knowingly smiled, as I hugged her, "So, I take you like Tommy then."

"Oh, Uncle Bryan," she swooned, "He's such a sweetie...and he's so cute."

"I'm glad you're happy, baby girl," I grinned, "Now get out of here and let me get some sleep."

"What about Penelope, Uncle Bryan?" Sam asked, with a knowing grin, "You like her, don't you?"

"Of course I do." I replied smiling, "She's a nice lady."

"That's not what I mean," Sam giggled, "You like her like a girlfriend, huh?"

"Alright, that's it," I laughed, tickling her and making her squeal, "Get out of here. I'm going to sleep."

"I love you," Sam smiled, hopping out of my bed, and kissing me on the cheek as she left my room, "Nighty-night."

"I love you, too," I smiled, "Good night, baby."

~~~~~~

The next morning I awoke feeling refreshed, alert and better than I'd felt since the accident. I got out of bed, and now that my casts had been trimmed down to manageable sizes, I was able to, through the use of strategically placed plastic bags which were sealed with rubber bands, take a shower and was able to bathe myself, well, at least one-handed anyway...lol.

After I was dressed I came walking down the hall and heard the sound of girlish laughter emanating from the kitchen. As I walked in to the kitchen I saw Megan, Sam and Mom sitting at the table having coffee and talking.

"Good morning, sweetie," Mom smiled, standing to hug me, "How're you feeling today, baby?"

"I feel good, Mom," I grinned, returning her hug, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I can't come and see my own son?" Mom testily replied, "If that's the case I can always......"

"Mom," I chuckled interrupting her, "I didn't mean it like that, I swear."

"Gotcha," she giggled, with Sam and Megan bursting into laughter, "Gosh, you are so easy, Bryan, just like your father."

"Yeah, yeah," I playfully complained, "Is there any more coffee left?" And before anyone could answer, Sam was up and gone to get me a cup.

~~~~~~

"Here, Uncle Bryan," Sam sweetly said, carrying a full cup of morning brew and handing it to me, "This is for you," and then she kissed me on the cheek right before she returned to her place at the table. God, I love that kid.

"So, tell me about your new girlfriend, Doctor Brennan," Mom insistently asked, "She sure is a pretty thing."

"Yes, she is pretty," I replied, smiling at the thought of her, "But she's not my girlfriend. We're just friends."

"He's lying, Mom," Megan interrupted grinning, "You should see the way they act around each other."

"Oh, that's a load of crap," I adamantly replied, "Don't listen to her, Mom; she's the one who's lying."

"Oh, really," Mom knowingly smiled, winking at Megan and Sam, "And how do they act around each other, Megs?"

"I not listening to this shit this morning," I spat, picking up my coffee cup and going out onto the patio. I heard Mom and Megan calling my name as I walked away, but I wasn't in the mood to listen so; I simply ignored them and kept going.

~~~~~~

I couldn't have been sitting down for more than a minute when I heard Sam voice yelling something I couldn't quite make out. A few seconds later, the sliding glass door came open and Sam walked out onto the patio and sat down in the chair next to me, looking like she was steaming mad.

"You okay, sweetie?" I asked.

"No," she angrily replied, "Mom makes me so fucking mad sometimes."

"Don't worry darlin," I laughed, "She makes me mad sometimes, too."

"That's what I'm mad about," she replied, tears now beginning to form in her eyes, "I told her and Nana to stop messing with you and Mom got in my ass for it."

"Thanks for taking up for me, sweetheart," I smiled, putting my arm around her shoulders, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Uncle Bryan," she replied, laying her head on my arm, "But can I ask you something without making you angry?"

"Aw, sweetie," I grinned, "You know that you can ask me anything you want."

"Okay then, here goes," she began, "Why haven't you been out on any dates since your divorce?"

As I thought about what my niece had asked me, I began to remember the pain of my past. And in doing so, I realized that I was not only afraid of the unknown, where my heart was concerned, but afraid of getting it broken all over again. And to be totally honest, I was also afraid of taking another chance on love.

"She loves you ya know," Sam softly said, breaking me out of my reverie.

"Wha....what?" I stuttered, "Who?"

"Penelope," Sam gently replied, "I overheard her telling Mom in the kitchen last night. She said that she thinks you're the most beautiful man she's ever known, and that she so glad that she met you. She even said that you were amazing, Uncle Bryan."

"Really," I asked, dumbfounded, "She said all that?"

"She sure did," Sam smiled, "Give her a chance, Uncle Bryan. I don't know how I know this, but something tells me that she would never ever hurt you. Please give her a chance...please?"

"Let's see what happens," I lovingly replied, "I promise that I'll give it some thought, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Bryan," she sweetly giggled, "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby girl," I smiled, hugging her, "I love you, too."

I used that weekend to catch up on some much needed rest and relaxation. Hell, I really didn't do anything, other than sit around the house and watch movies while I ate my sister's cooking, which by the way, is as good as it comes.

Tommy and Sam went out every night, and from I understand, Tommy soon became the toast of all of his friends. That's because he was dating my beautiful niece, but she enjoyed it as much, if not more than he did.

Although I didn't want to admit it at the time, my mind, or should I say my heart, was involved with deep thoughts of Penelope, and how I found myself surprisingly missing her.

~~~~~~

I went into the office on Monday to take care of some paperwork which required not only my approval, but my signature as well. And after that was complete, I called my father to see if he felt like going fishing.

~~~~~~

"So; how're you feeling these days, son?" Dad asked, as we were floating in his boat on the lake.

"I'm feeling stronger every day, Dad," I replied, "But I need to ask you something."

"Does it have anything to do with that pretty Doctor lady?"

"Yes," I chuckled, "As a matter of fact it does."

"Okay then," Dad smiled, casting out his line, "What is it, Bryan?"

"Well, I'm not real sure," I began, "But I think I'm starting to fall for her. Megan and Sam both say that she's crazy about me."

"So, what's the problem then?" he pointedly asked, "I mean, if you two like each other and....."

"I'm afraid, Dad," I interrupted, "I'm afraid of getting hurt again."

Dad looked at me and smiled, letting me know that he understood without even speaking, exactly the same way he used to do when I was small. And then after reaching over and patting me on the shoulder, he simply replied, "Look son, you can't live your life in fear because of the actions of one selfish little girl. If anything, this woman is very highly educated, and to be totally honest here, she makes a hell of a lot of money. So, you won't ever have to worry about that."

"I know what you mean," I said, "But what if...."

"No, Bryan," he interrupted, "There are no what if's in life. From what I understand from your mother, your sister has talked to Doctor Brennan at length about you. And if I were you, I'd give the lady a chance. That's just my opinion, though. You do want you want to."

"She sure is a pretty thing," I replied, smiling at the mere thought of her, "Isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is," Dad grinned, "And I think that if the two of you took the time to really get to know each other, you might even surprise yourselves."

"Thanks, Dad, "I smiled, "I really appreciate it."

"No problem, kiddo," he replied smiling, "No problem at all."

~~~~~~

"Penelope called," my sister said, the moment I got home that afternoon, "She said that she wants you to call her."

"Thanks, Megs," I smiled, "I appreciate it."

"Anytime, little brother," Megan knowingly grinned, "She's at home waiting for you to call her back."

~~~~~~

"Hi, sweetie," Penelope warmly replied, after answering her phone and discovering it was me on the other end.

"Hey," I smiled, "How was your trip?"

"I've got a real big surprise for you," she happily chirped, "And I'd like to come over and tell you in person. Is that alright?"

"Of course it is," I grinned, "You're always welcome here."

"Good," she impishly giggled, "I'll see you in a bit then," and with that said, she quickly hung the phone up before I could reply.

"Silly girl," I said aloud, as I placed the receiver back into its cradle.

~~~~~~

Chapter Six

My sister and I were sitting on my front porch enjoying the late afternoon breeze when I saw Penelope's car come down the driveway, and stop in front of the house.

"Hi," she warmly smiled, getting out of her car and looking more beautiful than anything I'd ever seen. She was dressed in a pair of white shorts that showed off her long smooth legs with white tennis shoes on her feet. She also wore a short-sleeved, cream colored blouse, which with her olive complexion, made me realize that she was the woman I'd always wanted, yet never realized it until I saw her that day.

"Hi, Penelope," I smiled, "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," she grinned, as she walked onto the porch, placing her arms around my neck and hugging me the moment she was within my reach. Suddenly looking like something was amiss; she grinned and then giggled, "Oopps, I almost forgot." Then she turned around and quickly went back to her car and retrieved a small gift wrapped box from her front seat.