24. Penny
TWENTY-FOUR
PENNY
Josie jumped out of the truck as soon as Gavin opened her door. Ready and waiting to escape, she leaped down and shouted, “I’ll go tell them we’re here!”
Gavin looked at me from Josie’s open door. “Somehow I think they already know.”
I undid my own buckle and reached for the door, but Gavin was there, opening it for me before I had the time to do it.
“Thank you.” He held out his hand. “You don’t have to open my door.”
“My mom would hit me upside the head if I didn’t.”
I snickered at that and with my hand in his, climbed out of the truck. My hands brushed along my thighs. I sighed, glancing at the house.
“One quick thing before we go in there,” Gavin said and stepped toward me. He had me back against the truck, hidden behind my open door. His hand was cupping my jaw before I registered the movement. “I wasn’t able to tell you that you look beautiful today.”
His thumb brushed my cheek, eliciting a shiver down my quickly heating body. “Thank you. What are you?—”
He silenced my question with a kiss. His warm lips pressed to mine, and all the nerves rekindling in my veins vanished with his touch. He kept it light, soft, but it was no less powerful or effective. When he pulled back, I was melting against the metal of his truck, blinking up at him.
“Your daughter.”
“It was worth the risk, and trust me, she’s not paying attention to us right now.”
It was cryptic, making my brows tug in, but he took my hand in his and ushered me up the steps to his porch. There were wooden barrels, empty now, but I had no doubt were filled with flowers in the spring and summer. Rocking chairs lined the porch with small tables in between them, and a black-and-white checkered rug, most likely recently shaken due to the cleanliness, framed the front door perfectly.
“You ready?” Gavin gave my hand a firm squeeze.
“Guess I can’t run now.”
“Give it thirty seconds and you won’t want to.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” I said as he pushed open the door. He went in first and reached back, gesturing for me to enter.
As soon as I stepped over the threshold, chaos ensued.
I barely saw the home or anything in it outside a camel-colored worn leather couch because all I saw was people. A lot of them. Men, mostly. One who looked almost exactly like Gavin but larger and wider, and with his thick beard, he reminded me of a lumberjack.
“Penny. Meet my family. This is Dalton.” He gestured to the lumberjack and to the younger man next to him. He had lighter hair, brighter eyes, and wore an expression that said he didn’t take life too seriously if at all. “Bryce.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” They both came forward and shook my hands, and then the two women who had been standing back, came forward.
“I don’t do handshakes,” said the woman who could only be Jenny. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. In a blink, I almost cried. Her hug felt like a warm summer day, a stress-free vacation, and the bright, sunny morning after a spring rain all wrapped up in one. “Lovely to meet you, Penny. Josie’s told us so much about you.”
“She especially likes all your dresses,” the other woman said. “I’m Emily.”
I was hugged again, while laughing this time. “I didn’t know she liked my dresses.”
“Well.” Emily winked. “She said she only tells you she likes the pretty ones, not the ugly ones.”
“Emily,” Gavin scolded, but it was too late. We dissolved into a quick fit of laughter.
God, I loved that girl. Josie, not Emily, but she didn’t seem too bad, either.
“Josie’s amazing,” I said through my laughter. “And maybe I know who to go to for future fashion advice.”
“She’d love that,” Emily said. “This is my husband, Caleb.” She swung out her arm, and a man who was the spitting image of Cameron, who I only knew from the news in the last week, but with longer hair, stepped close to her, wrapped an arm round his wife, and gave me a quick but firm side hug.
“Good to meet you, Penny.” After his welcome, they both stepped back.
“I’d apologize for them for ambushing you like this, but it’s their way,” Emily whispered, “and you’ll get to used it.”
I hoped I was around long enough for that to happen.
Another man came forward, arm extended. He had a gruff exterior, dressed the same as Gavin and Dalton in a thick flannel jacket, but he wore a kind smile and there was a brightness in his eyes. “Charles Kelley. It’s wonderful to meet you.”
“Penny,” I said, “or Pen. Penelope. Whichever and thank you. I’m already half in love with your land and your home, and I’ve barely seen any of it.”
“Then you’ll fit right in.” His other hand clasped our entwined ones and with a firm and loving squeeze, he let go and glanced at Gavin next to me. “Should we give her the surprise now?”
“Yes! Please! I’m dying back here!” Josie’s shouts rang from the distance, hidden out of my view.
Chuckles echoed around the room.
“I guess that answers that,” Gavin said. “Josie, come on out!”
Dalton, Bryce, Caleb, and Emily, who’d been standing in front of some doorway, stepped to the side.
A beautiful, homey kitchen was revealed first. Then Josie. She had her arm extended, out of my view, and as she came forward, it was attached to something else.
No.
Someone.
My heart fell to the floor as my sister came into view and a cry tore from my throat.
“Hey, Pen-pen,” she said and lifted a champagne glass to her mouth. It was probably a mimosa disguised as orange juice. “Happy birthday.”
She leaned a shoulder against the wall, her face all smile and her body all nonchalant.
“What are you doing here?” I cried out and rushed to her, threw my arms around her, and hugged her so tight I knocked her back a step. “What the heck? What is going on?”
She hugged me back fiercely, like we hadn’t said goodbye to each other a week ago and whispered in my ear, “Your new man flew me back. I told him you’d never had a birthday party before, and he promised to make it happen.”
Tears fell down my cheeks and I shoved my face into the crook of her neck. I was a mess, a hot and sweaty and tearstained mess. And all in front of Gavin’s family within the first five minutes.
“You should probably thank him,” she muttered and ran her hand up and down her back.
“I don’t want them to see me like this.”
She tugged my arms from her shoulders, making them fall. I was still crying, still laughing, and had to look like a complete idiot. “I think you’ll find it’s okay. Go thank him,” she told me.
I glanced up and saw… no one.
What in the world?
“They took Josie outside,” Gavin said, and I dropped my hands from my sister completely and spun in a circle.
He was still by the door, at the bottom of a set of stairs. He had his hands shoved into his jeans and a broad smile stretching his cheeks.
“That’s my cue,” Maize whispered, but I didn’t look at her. Couldn’t.
There was the squeak of a door and the quiet slam of it after followed.
“You flew my sister in.”
“If it makes me seem less awesome, she got here last night and leaves tonight. She couldn’t make it longer with finals coming up.”
Like that mattered. He’d flown my sister in. For my birthday.
“I can’t believe you did this for me.” I wiped mascara and makeup from beneath my eyes. My entire body shook. “No one’s ever done something like this for me, and the cost…”
I gasped. The cost of the flight alone.
“The money isn’t a problem, and I keep trying to tell you that you deserve to be taken care of too.” He strode toward me. Long, confident strides ate up the distance while I was trying to remember how to think, how to breathe. “Are you going to thank me? Or is this argument about the clean car all over again?”
I huffed. Only this man could make me laugh at a time like this. Make the argument of what he’d done seem like nothing.
“I don’t know,” I finally admitted. “I don’t know what to say. The day alone was already going to be great, but this… you didn’t have to do this.”
“I know.” He took my hand in his and brushed his thumb over the back of mine. “I wanted to. It’s as simple as that. You could tell me thank you.”
“Thank you,” I blurted, then yanked him toward me. I rolled to my toes, slipped my hand from his, and clasped his cheeks. “Thank you, Gavin. So very much. I’ve said it a dozen times already it feels like, but this is the best birthday I’ve ever had.”
A dog barked and it was quickly followed by scratching at the door.
Gavin grinned. “They’ll want to come back and make sure you’re okay and get to know you.”
“I need a second to freshen up, I think.”
He scanned my face and winced. Nice . I probably looked like a raccoon.
“Probably, but you’re still beautiful.” He bent his head and kissed me. “I’m not waiting for your last surprise of the day. Josie’s spending the night here and my parents are getting her to school in the morning.” He rested his hand at my hip and squeezed. “Spend the night with me?”
I’d spent all week wondering what that would be like. Wanting it. Wishing it could happen.
“Yes,” I rasped and kissed him again. “Yes, I’d like that.”
“Good. Go get cleaned up and I’ll get everyone back inside. Happy birthday, Penny.”
I headed to the bathroom and realized Gavin had been right. Within thirty seconds of stepping foot in his house, I had no desire to run. Not anymore.
“You can do it, Miss Pesco!”
I grinned at Gavin. “We’re going to have to tell her to call me Miss Penny or something when we’re outside of school. I keep thinking I’m at work.”
Gavin chuckled and brushed his hand down the horse’s flank. I’d been excited all week at the thought of riding a horse, but now that it was here, I couldn’t bring myself to move any closer. Josie was atop Bryce’s horse, Missy Pissy, which alone made me nervous considering they said she got the name because she’d been difficult to train and was still moody. That a little girl could be on a large animal with no fear should have given me my own courage.
“All you have to do is put your foot here,” Gavin said for the tenth time, “and throw your leg over. I’ve got her reins, and trust me, Pickles here isn’t going anywhere.”
“You’re holding us all up, you big baby!”
I stuck my tongue out at Maize, astride her own horse like she’d been doing it for years.
“You got a head start on learning!” I shouted back.
After my breakdown, when I returned to the kitchen, Jenny welcomed everyone into the kitchen, where there was an island covered in charcuterie madness and a mimosa bar at one end.
She brought me a plate and a champagne glass. “Only orange juice,” she said, “enjoy your special day,” and then walked away like she hadn’t given me the greatest gift already.
I was certain it couldn’t get any better until Josie and Maize decided we had to go ride the horses, and I learned Maize had been out last night and earlier this morning practicing.
Probably to show me up, the little brat. Normally, I’d refuse to allow my sister to be better than me at something, but Pickles, while beautiful and patient and serene, was a whole lot larger up close than I anticipated.
“Josie’s been riding her since she was four, Penny. You can do this.”
There was no reproach or teasing in his eyes. Only simple facts and encouragement.
I shook out my hands and wiggled my fingers covered in riding gloves. The sun was out, and while there was still a nip in the air, I was plenty warm.
“Okay.” I nodded again. I faced Pickles and met her gaze, one of her enormous eyes glancing back at me. Pretty sure she was looking at me like she wasn’t going to wait all day and had places to be. “Be nice to me, okay?”
Behind me, Gavin’s chuckle was barely a whisper.
“She’s old and the sweetest horse we have. She doesn’t know anything but being nice at this point.”
“Right,” I whispered and reached for the pommel of the horse’s saddle. “Just launch up and throw a leg over. I can do this.”
I put my foot in the stirrup, then Gavin’s hands were at my waist. He practically threw me up and onto the horse, and I had no choice but to swing my leg over or vault right off to the other side. My leg flew, my hands gripped the saddle, and through it all, Pickles didn’t budge an inch.
“You could have warned me you were going to do that.” I gasped, now gaping down at Gavin. He chuckled and walked around the front of Pickles. Once my other foot was in the stirrup, he called his own horse, Domino. He was a gorgeous, shimmering chestnut-colored horse with a shock of white down his nose and between his eyes. He’d called him an Arabian and it made sense. The horse was majestic, looked like it’d be preferring to run free in the wind. The horse trotted right over to Gavin and nudged his outstretched hand.
“Good boy, Domino,” he crooned. He had the reins for Pickles in one hand, reached for Domino’s with his other, and in a flash of quick movement, was seated on his own horse, right next to me. Domino stomped his foot and Pickles looked the other way like she couldn’t be bothered by any of us.
“Now all you have to do is relax,” Gavin told me, with a wide, happy smile. “I’ll guide until you’re comfortable and we’ll do a few laps around here until you get the feel of her, okay? But she’ll feel your nerves, so don’t work against her, roll with her.”
Right. Relax. Roll with it. Had he met me?
Josie and Bryce pranced over, Josie happily bouncing along in the saddle in front of her uncle. “You did it, Miss Pesco. Pickles is really proud of you.”
I forced my hands to release their death grip on the pommel and stroked the side of the horse’s neck. “Thanks, Josie. Any tips?”
“Relax and have fun! That’s what my daddy always says.”
“All right then. Let’s do it.” I gave her a wink and nodded to Bryce, who pranced off in front of us around the ring. Caleb was riding next to Maize. Emily declined the ride, and Dalton had already left on his horse to do his own thing. The rest of us made several laps around the rings until I realized everyone was waiting for me to be comfortable.
And I was. My thighs were stretched over Pickles’ back, but my shoulders were loose. Every deep inhale filled me with fresh air and farm life, and while the scent of manure wasn’t particularly relaxing or comforting, it was endearing in its own way.
“I’m ready,” I told Gavin.
“You sure?”
“As long as you keep hold for a little while longer, yeah.”
“Don’t worry, Penny.” He winked, and I had to steady myself from the look in his eyes. There was no playfulness, more the hint of a promise. “I’ve got you.”
And damn... that felt good.
We left the horse paddocks, and soon, with Bryce and Josie leading the way, we were riding with the horses as they walked at a slow gait. Maize and Caleb were in front of us, Maize holding her own reins like she knew what she was doing, but it was clear she was listening to Caleb’s quiet instructions.
“You want control?” Gavin asked and held up Pickles’ reins in his hand.
“Not quite yet.” I grabbed the pommel and readjusted my sit, tried to match the way Caleb and Bryce both sat on their horses ahead of me. Back straight, legs and arms loose, their bodies naturally pitched with the sway of the horse. I relaxed my thighs, and soon, sitting on a horse, walking over the terrain of the Kelley land, seemed to be as natural as breathing.
“This is beautiful,” I told Gavin as we crested a small hill and all we saw in the distance was snow-speckled land that hadn’t melted. There was mud and dirt and grass peeking through and thousands of cattle roaming free. In the distance was Dalton, sitting atop his own black horse, barely a speck on the horizon.
“What’s Dalton doing today?”
“Making sure the herd is all moving correctly. We move them around on the land, so it all gets worked and fertilized, and at this time of year, we like to keep them closer to home. Easier to check in on them, but sometimes there are stragglers.”
“With so many cows, how can you tell?”
“Sixth sense and magic,” he teased.
“Shut up.”
“Some of it is.” He looked at the land with a wistful gaze and shrugged. “It’s in our bones and our blood. We’ve grown up doing this. There are multiple herds, and when you’ve done this for so long, you get used to the sizes of them, being able to eyeball anomalies. But there’s also the behavior. We can tell if they’re upset or stressed, or if some are wandering farther behind others. That might mean they’re keeping rhythm with the missing, so they don’t get too far ahead. It’s why we’re out here so much, always working and riding, although normally in trucks when it’s this weather. Plus, we take stock, count heads.”
It was a science as much as an art form, I figured, and as we continued walking over hills and valleys and through trampled down paths in the trees, it started to feel like home.
We eventually caught up to Dalton on his way back and he declared everything good. They took us out to the creek on their land, water barely trickling through areas that were icing over.
“We’ll de-ice a lot of the natural or manmade ponds in the winter so they always have water to drink, but this creek will be left alone. See that rope across the way?” Gavin pointed to a large tree with flat ground surrounding it.
“Yeah.”
“That’s where we all hung out in the summer. It’s one of the few entrances to our land from a public access way and over time, back beyond the tree, it became a flattened parking lot. Everyone in town can come use it, but it’s technically our land, so we keep an eye on it, too. If any of us went missing on hot summer days when we were supposed to be working, we’d most likely be found there.”
I grew up in ramshackle housing with elevators that didn’t work or gave a terrifying, deadly shriek on the rare occasions they did. I grew up with sirens and horns honking as my white noise and the constant worry of what would happen if my mom lost her job.
Gavin grew up with this.
“You had the most perfect childhood,” I quietly admitted, sad for myself and Maize, but happy for him.
For Josie.
“I really did,” he agreed.
By the time we got back to the barns, my fingers were starting to freeze, and my cheeks had to be pink and dry from the wind, but as I jumped off Pickles, no hesitation on the dismount, I didn’t want to leave.
Didn’t want to leave the fresh air and land and sunshine and the absolute glorious peace I’d spent the day experiencing.
It was a day I would never forget and hoped for a thousand more.
“You good?” Gavin strode up next to me as I absentmindedly stroked Pickles’ neck and mane, now sad to leave her behind.
“I don’t want to say goodbye to all of this.”
Gavin pushed his lips out, started tugging off his gloves, and turned his gaze to the skyline. “I like that you feel that way about this place. You seem to get it. That’s important to me, Penny.” He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “It’s my home and a place I’m honored to be a part of even if I do my own thing for work, but Kelley Ranch will always be the largest part of who I am. And you’re welcome here whenever you want.”
“I’m not sure this day can get any better.”
He reached for my hand and gave me a quick tug back to the horses. “Then wait until tonight.”