Chapter 965: What the hell is wrong with Penny?

"Penny."

"Huh?" Charles turned to his side where Haines was seated in the van. "Did you just call my daughter?"

Haines was staring at his phone, his lips evidently curling downward. When he turned to face Charles, his expression showed exhaustion, as if he were fed up with Penny’s antics.

Charles smiled. "What did my daughter do now, Haines?"

---

"Hahaha!" Jessa laughed, slapping Haines’s back, making him hunch over with each slap. "Hahaha!"

"Jessi..." Allison sighed, standing near her husband and Haines’s table. "Stop slapping Haines’s back. He can’t eat his food with Grandma Pierson’s message. Slapping his back isn’t going to help."

"HAHAHA! But it’s about time!" Jessa rested her hands on Haines’s chair, wiggling her brows playfully. "You old man should find a wife. Penny’s in-law is right! You can’t stay a third wheel all your life and..."

Jessa trailed off as a glint flickered across her eyes. Her gaze landed on Charles. "And so you can stop supporting this guy’s insanity."

"Insanity? Hah! Jessa Cortez, between you and me — you’re insane! You belong in the asylum — ack!" Charles almost bit his tongue as a hand suddenly flew to the back of his head. When he looked up while rubbing the back of his head, his eyes turned round and wiggly as he looked at his wife. "Ali... have you not forgiven me yet?"

"Charles, it doesn’t mean that just because I’m talking to you, I’m not disappointed in you anymore," Allison huffed. ’If not for Jessa, I wouldn’t even talk to him. I’m just scared Jessa would kill him if I didn’t talk to him.’

"Ali, my honey... please forgive me just this once..."

Jessa shook her head, watching Charles beg his wife while rubbing his palms together. She then gazed down at Haines, smirking. She shamelessly invited herself to sit beside him, cupping her face with her head turned toward him.

"Whatever you’re going to say — I don’t want to hear it," said Haines, drinking from his glass of water. "I’ve lived my life alone, and I’m fine with it. I don’t need a wife."

"You lived your life alone?" Jessa arched a brow. "If so, then can you tell me where you live now?"

"..."

"Twelve years ago, whose house did you come home to?" she continued meaningfully. "You aren’t alone. You’ve been butting into Allison and Charles’s marriage for as long as everyone can remember."

"Jessi..." Allison ignored her husband and sighed. "That’s not true. Haines has always been welcome in our family and home."

Charles raised his chin and added, "That’s right!"

"But have you two never been worried about him?" Jessa returned, only to see the couple’s expressions falter a bit. "All his life, he’s been working for the family. Isn’t that why you opened your home to him?"

Jessa cast her eyes back to Haines. "I mean, no one’s forcing you, but I agree with Penny’s grandmother-in-law. There’s more to life than... life. Age is just a number. If my ugly neighbor with clear brain deficiencies was able to find a deranged husband, then so can you!"

"A neighbor with brain deficiencies?" Charles mumbled, only to hear his wife explain.

"That neighbor doesn’t have a brain defect. She just calls her that because she hates her for having such a big mouth."

"Ah..."

"My point is, what’s the harm in trying?!" Jessa exclaimed, stressing every syllable. "You two should back me up on this! Why are you whispering to each other?"

Allison and Charles cleared their throats as Allison sat down beside her husband. The two of them cast their eyes on Haines, their faces carrying a tinge of hesitation.

"I’m not saying you should listen to us, but honestly, it’s not too late...?" Allison commented awkwardly. "Besides, at this age, dating is for everyone. You just have to try...?"

Charles nodded. "Haines, why are you acting like this is some sort of hard task? Grandma will arrange everything, and all you have to do is show up to these blind dates! It’s not that hard!"

"If it doesn’t work, then you can always end the date nicely," Allison added persuasively. "Besides, Grandma Pierson has been worried about you. Isn’t it better to quell her worry?" — she meant everyone’s worry.

Although it was fine for Allison to have Haines in their home as long as he wanted, she couldn’t deny that she wasn’t worried about him. Jessa also had a point. Sometimes, Haines was more of Charles’s wife than her. Not that she was jealous of it, but she believed Haines simply hadn’t had the chance to explore romance.

Haines also deserved that kind of love. He might be loved by Charles and Allison and their children, but she had always wished for Haines to experience other kinds of love.

Haines drew his lips into a thin line, his eyes scanning their hopeful faces. Charles even nodded at him encouragingly as if Charles had a different motive than his wife and Jessa.

’I don’t want to, though,’ he told himself, sliding his eyes to the corner. ’It’s such a bother. Besides, with everything that’s happening in our family, how could Penny convince Old Mrs. Pierson to find me a suitable partner?’

This didn’t seem like the priority they should focus on at the moment.

Another shallow breath slipped past Haines as his mouth fell open to give them a vague answer. Outright saying no would only make Jessa even more aggressive. Agreeing, however, was akin to shooting himself in the foot.

’I’ll think about it,’ were the words Haines wanted to tell them, but they were postponed when a chime rang in the restaurant.

Haines intuitively turned his head toward the entrance of the restaurant, only for his face to twitch. "What is he doing here?" he blurted out, making Jessa, Allison, and Charles turn to the entrance.

"And he is...?" Jessa arched a brow, watching the big guy in the entrance look around before his gaze landed on them. "He looks like a loan shark with that suit he’s wearing. I don’t remember taking a loan from those sharks. Allison, did you?"

Allison’s brows furrowed a bit. "Why would I? He looks familiar, though."

"I think I saw him some time ago..." Charles trailed off, and by this time, the middle-aged man stood in front of their table. "Haines, do you know him?"

"Mhm." Haines sighed as he slowly rose from his seat. "What are you doing here, Wild?"

Wild’s face soured, and without saying a word, he raised his phone to show the text message he’d received. "What the hell is wrong with Penny?"