Chapter 5
PENNY
“Hey, Doctor Klein?”
Penny lifted her head to see Shelly in the doorway. The gleeful smile on her face indicated something was happening, and Penny wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “What did you need, Shelly?”
She thumbed over her shoulder. “A delivery came for you.”
Leaning to the side, Penny attempted to catch a glimpse of what it could be, but Shelly blocked too much of the door. “What is it?”
“You’ll have to come out and see.”
Slowly, she stood.
Why was her heart suddenly racing?
She never got deliveries. Not to her office. Only her family would send her something, and they would deliver it to her home. There was only one person who would have sent something to her job.
Shelly released a giggle.
Penny exited her office to find a brown box on Shelly’s desk. But it wasn’t the box itself that threw her off. It was the tiny flash of white fur moving inside. A soft mew came from behind the little door, followed by the smallest thump.
Startled, Penny froze. Then she shot a look at her secretary. “Who delivered this?”
“Just some delivery guy. There’s a card.” Shelly rushed forward and plucked the card from the top of the box. Then she handed it to Penny.
With shaking fingers, Penny opened the card and read.
Hey Beautiful,
As much as I would love to believe you’re a dog person like me, something tells me that isn’t the case. You’re definitely a cat person. They’re quiet, live life on their own terms, and can take care of themselves if you have long hours.
This little girl needed a home, and your list made me think maybe you needed her too. I’ve taken the liberty of calling her Daytona, but you can change it if you want.
And if this is too much, there’s no pressure. The rescue said I could bring her back.
P.S. Clear your schedule tomorrow.
—Royce
Penny stared at the card for far too long.
Only one person had seen her list, and he’d made it clear with this gift that he intended to help her make at least part of it come true. Obviously, this was one of the easier ones to cross off, so she shouldn’t have been surprised.
But still.
A kitten?
Shelly squeaked out a sound of joy when a small white paw pushed through a hole. “Oh my gosh. I heard her meowing when the guy dropped her off on my desk. Who is she from?”
Penny couldn’t exactly explain Royce to Shelly. Not without also explaining the list, the parking lot, the two-week silence, and the fact that she still didn’t know his last name.
“She’s from Royce,” Penny said, trying to sound normal.
Shelly blinked at her. “Royce who?”
“That is an excellent question.”
Her secretary’s eyes widened. “Doctor Klein.”
“I know.”
“You got a kitten from a man whose last name you don’t know?”
Penny looked at the carrier again as another tiny mew slipped out. “Apparently.”
“What kind of man just gives you a kitten?”
Penny crouched in front of the carrier and peered inside.
The cat was a fluff ball of epic proportions. She had blue eyes that reminded Penny far too much of Royce’s, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d done that on purpose. There was a small black spot on the cat’s left paw, but otherwise she was completely white.
Penny’s heart softened despite every logical objection marching through her mind.
“Come here, precious,” she crooned.
Shelly’s eyes widened comically. “Oh my goodness, she’s gorgeous. Can I hold her?”
Penny opened the carrier and carefully lifted the kitten into her arms first. The little thing immediately tucked herself against Penny’s chest and let out a tiny, rattling purr.
Oh no.
Penny was done for.
“To answer your question,” she said, looking at Shelly, “the kind of man who knows I’ve been considering getting a cat and probably realized I was too scared to follow through.”
Her secretary gaped at her. “Really? That’s… kind of sweet.”
It was more than sweet.
It was also too much. Too thoughtful. Too strange.
Penny ran one finger over the kitten’s soft head. “He did say I could say no.”
Shelly leaned closer, already melting. “But you’re not going to.”
Penny should have argued.
Instead, she looked down at the kitten. “No. I don’t think I am.”
Shelly let out another delighted sound and held out her arms. “Can I?”
Penny placed the kitten in Shelly’s arms.
Daytona.
The name was ridiculous.
And somehow perfect.
Shelly nuzzled her face into the cat’s fur. “She’s so soft. This makes me want to get one, too.” She shoved the cat toward Penny. “Here. Take her back before I get too attached.”
Daytona spent most of the day in Penny’s lap being petted. When Penny had clients come in for sessions, they were more than happy to give the kitten love as well. Within hours, Daytona had snuggled her way into Penny’s heart.
Royce had been correct.
Penny was a cat person.
The following day, Penny showed up at work even though she wasn’t seeing clients. Her nerves got the better of her, and her usual nausea returned. She had to take some medication to settle her stomach as she paced her office, waiting for Royce to arrive.
She had left Daytona at home in her kennel and planned to stop by the pet store later for anything Royce hadn’t already thought of.
But first, she had to get through a day with the man who had taken up far too much space in her head since the moment she’d seen him from her office window.
Shelly had come in that morning to get some appointments rescheduled, but then she’d left.
Now Penny was alone with her thoughts and anxiety.
This was what she wanted.
She told herself this over and over. She wanted to get back to the happy person she had been before life got hard. She needed to start enjoying life again.
And even if Royce couldn’t help her do that, he might be the catalyst that got her moving on her own.
A few minutes past ten, the door opened, and the most distracting man she’d ever met strolled inside.
His hands were tucked into his leather jacket, and he wore his cowboy hat. The sight of him should have made her smile.
Instead, she remembered the motorcycle.
Penny’s stomach roiled, and she darted for the bathroom. Since she’d been too nervous to eat breakfast, she ended up dry heaving into the toilet until there was a quiet knock at the door.
“Everything okay in there?”
She groaned. “This is so embarrassing.”
“Can I get you anything? Water? A wet washcloth if you have one?”
“No. I’m fine. Truly. I’ll be right out.”
Penny hurried to clean herself up, then pulled open the door and glanced shyly at the man before her.
Royce’s expression shifted the moment he saw her. The easy confidence softened into concern. He pressed the backs of his fingers against her forehead.
“Are you sick?”
She shook her head. “It’s my nerves. I have an overreactive stomach. When I get too stressed out, I make myself sick. But it passes.” She winced. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey,” he said quietly, “you don’t ever have to apologize for something you can’t control.”
The gentle tone caught her off guard.
He studied her face, keeping his hands to himself even though he looked like he wanted to do something. Help somehow.
“How do you manage it?” he asked.
Her brows shot up. “Why do you want to know?”
“Because I’d rather not make it worse.” His mouth curved faintly. “And because I care about you, beautiful. I thought I made that clear.”
She snorted and leaned back against the doorframe. “You barely know me.”
“True.”
“And you still don’t know my last name.”
“Klein,” he said.
Penny stilled. “Excuse me?”
Royce’s confidence slipped a notch. “I found that out when I asked around about you.”
She studied him for a moment, trying to decide how irritated she ought to be. “And did you find out anything else?”
“Enough to know I should probably stop talking.”
“That much?”
His mouth tugged at one corner. “Also, enough to know your brother owns the café, your other brother is a doctor, and if I make you uncomfortable, I’ll have a line of people ready to throw me into the nearest creek.”
Penny should not have smiled. “That is probably accurate.”
“Good,” he said, the teasing fading a little. “You should have people looking out for you.” There was an awkward moment of silence before he spoke again. “So, what am I supposed to call you? Doctor Klein? Penny?”
“You can call me Penny.”
“Penny,” he murmured, like he was testing the shape of it. “A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”
“You say that word a lot.”
“Because it’s true. And it’s how I feel about you. Would you prefer I don’t say such things?”
Her mouth went dry as she searched his face. “Yes… I mean… no.”
His brow lifted.
Penny closed her eyes for half a second. “I mean it’s okay. You can call me that.”
His smile lit up his whole face.
“And what is your last name?” she asked as she folded her arms across her chest.
For half a second, something flickered in his expression.
There and gone.
“Eventually,” he said.
She stared at him. “Eventually?”
“I know. That is not the right answer.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “But it’s the honest one for today.”
Penny should have pushed. She knew she should have. But something in the way he looked at her made the moment feel less like a game and more like there was a reason he wasn’t ready to say it.
That didn’t mean she liked it.
“You are a bit of a mystery, Royce Eventually.”
He laughed, and the sound eased some of the tension in her stomach.
“Okay, then,” he said. “Are you ready to go? I have a few things we need to drop off at your place before we head out.”
Brows pulling together, Penny stepped around him to gather her things from her desk. “What do you want to take to my house?”
“I got a few things for Daytona.”
She stilled in the middle of searching for her keys. Then she looked up at him. “You got stuff for my cat?”
“Of course.”
“Of course,” she repeated.
He moved closer but stopped near the edge of her desk. “You didn’t think I’d bring you a cat and expect you to get everything for her, did you? I have a litter box, litter, toys, a scratching post, and some food. I would have dropped them off for you yesterday, but time got away from me.”
Penny blinked at him. “Royce… I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” His voice softened. “But if any of it is too much, tell me. I can take it back. Or you can tell me to stop meddling.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
“Would you listen?”
He grinned. “I’d try really hard.”
That shouldn’t have charmed her.
It did anyway.
He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, and warmth scattered through her before she could talk herself out of feeling it.
This was weird, right? Bizarre. There was part of her that was screaming she shouldn’t be this comfortable with him. He was still mostly a stranger.
And yet the thought of pulling away from him made her heart ache a little.
Royce was right. She felt this connection. It was strong and unsettling, but not in a way that scared her. More in a way that made her wonder if she’d been standing still so long that any movement felt dangerous.
For a split second, logic broke through the haze, and she stared at him. “You’re not a serial killer, are you?”
He stared right back. Then he tossed his head and laughed.
“You’re not instilling much confidence in me,” she said. “You realize most sociopaths are incredibly charming. Ted Bundy, for instance—”
“I can assure you I have no intention of hurting you.” His laughter faded, and his expression turned serious. “But you don’t have to take my word for it. We can go meet someone you trust before we leave. Or you can share your location with them from your phone. They can track you all day.”
She chewed on her lip.
That would be smart.
She didn’t want to tell anyone every detail of what she was doing today. This whole experience felt special, and giving anyone too much information would invite questions she wasn’t ready to answer.
But special did not mean stupid.
Penny pulled out her phone. “I’ll share my location with Shelly.”
Royce nodded without hesitation. “Good.”
She glanced at him. “Good?”
“Like I said earlier, I’m glad you have people willing to look out for you.”
That settled something in her chest.
Penny sent Shelly a quick text, keeping the details light.
Going out for the day. Sharing my location just in case.
Shelly’s response came almost immediately.
WITH ROYCE????
You better tell me everything later.
Location received. Have fun. Be safe. Pet Daytona for me when you get home.
Penny rolled her eyes despite the warmth spreading through her.
“Also, those two brothers of mine are very protective,” she told Royce as she tucked her phone away. “They won’t stop until they hunt you down if something were to happen.”
“Noted,” Royce said without a drop of humor. “And for the record, I’m on their side.”
She nodded. “Okay. I’m ready.”
The churning in her stomach started up again, but she focused on her breathing and was able to get past it. Before they exited the building, she stopped and faced Royce.
“I take it you have another mode of transportation? Since you have things for Daytona, you’re not driving your motorcycle?” That had been the source of her panic before.
Royce nodded. “I brought my truck.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, because there’s no way I’m getting on the back of one of those death traps.”
Royce laughed. “Good to know.”
Penny was floored when she saw everything Royce had purchased for Daytona.
He hadn’t been lying when he’d said he got her everything she could possibly need.
It was too much. But when she attempted to get him to take some of it back, he told her to keep it, but that he’d keep the receipts handy, just in case.
Which was somehow worse and better at the same time.
Because at this point, Penny had realized that fighting these feelings she had for Royce was going to be difficult.
He was inching his way into her heart, and it hadn’t even been an hour.