Chapter 12
ROYCE
Back at home, Royce threw a few more of his belongings into a larger suitcase. He planned on taking it out to his truck when none of his family were paying attention. He’d conceded to Penny’s request to keep their marriage private for as long as was needed to get their families used to the idea.
That meant he couldn’t officially move into her place.
But he still fully intended to spend as many nights as he could under the same roof as his wife. Their stay in Vegas had only gotten better after their first night together.
And it had been far too short.
They’d been halfway home when their little happy bubble had burst and Penny started making plans. He knew this about her. She needed control in her life even though she yearned for a time when she wouldn’t. With his help, maybe she’d get there.
Seeing as everything was a little unconventional, he was more than happy to play by her rules for now. They’d make time to spend together where they wouldn’t get caught by either of their families. He’d come over when he could and leave before the town woke.
It would be a lot of work, but she was worth it.
Whatever he had to do to build a life with Penny was worth it.
Royce pulled the zipper all the way around the suitcase and then placed it on the floor just as the door to his room burst open.
He startled and glanced up to find Bentley standing in the doorway. His eyes immediately dropped to the suitcase near Royce’s feet. “You just got back from a trip. Are you going somewhere else?”
Royce shoved at the suitcase with the toe of his boot so it scooted out of view behind the side of the bed. Then he faced his brother and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Nope. Just… unpacking.”
Bentley’s eyes narrowed so slightly Royce wasn’t sure they had at all, but it was the suspicion in them that caught Royce’s attention. Bentley was the good son. Lincoln was the one in charge. Royce could be unpredictable. And Bentley followed all the rules to the letter.
Their younger brothers had their own quirks, but at one point, Royce, Lincoln, and Bentley had been inseparable.
Slowly, Bentley’s eyes drifted up from where the suitcase had been. “Lincoln said he needed you to help fix some of the fence between us and the Taylors. Says we’re being sabotaged.”
Inwardly, Royce groaned. While he wanted to insist the Taylors weren’t capable of such a thing and Lincoln was being paranoid, he couldn’t.
There were only so many times the Taylors’ goat could get onto their property via a snapped fence wire before Royce had to admit that Lincoln’s theory held water.
“It’s broken again?”
Bentley nodded. “Yeah. And that dang goat got into the beet field again. At this point, I’m not sure if we’re going to have a decent crop this year.”
Grimacing, Royce shook his head. “Maybe we should put some cameras out there. See if someone is sabotaging the fence.”
“Not like that will do any good. If Rose is behind it, then she’s not going to care. Or she’ll figure out how to disable the cameras.”
Royce arched a brow. “She’s not some CIA operative. I don’t think she’d be able to do something like that.”
“I don’t know. Some of the things Lincoln says about her are—”
“Lincoln doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’s letting his hate blind him.”
Bentley shrugged. “Either way, we have to fix that fence. You available? Or…” His attention returned to the suitcase, or rather where he’d last seen it.
He was far too observant for his own good. One of these days he was going to catch on to the fact that his big brother had married someone from the family they were all supposed to avoid. And if Bentley got to Lincoln first, Royce would have a lot of explaining to do.
It wasn’t going to go well.
“I already told you, I’m not leaving.”
“Yeah… sure.”
“Sure?” Royce challenged. “Say what you’re thinking, Bentley. By all means.”
He shrugged again. “It’s just that you’ve been a little secretive lately.”
“Secretive,” Royce repeated.
“Yeah. But…” He was looking anywhere but at Royce as he mumbled, “I guess you’re also happier.”
At that, he met Royce’s eyes.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with…”
Royce waited. He wasn’t going to give anything away. His brother was already too close. Heck, based on that last question, Royce wondered if his brother had already put two and two together. Bentley might already know something was going on between Royce and Penny.
Strike that.
He definitely knew.
Bentley clearing his throat was the only sound that filled the room. Then he shook his head. “Never mind. Just… don’t do something stupid.”
Like marry the woman his family would insist was off-limits?
Too late for that.
Royce chuckled. “Noted.”
He moved forward, patting his brother’s shoulder before slipping out the door.
He’d have to be careful when he left tonight.
Not because he liked sneaking around, but because one wrong question from Bentley could turn into a full-family interrogation before Royce and Penny had decided how to handle any of it.
Especially if Bentley was the one asking.
They all had to believe, for now, that he was still sleeping under this roof and following all the ridiculous rules his grandfather had instilled in each subsequent generation.
Ridiculous didn’t even begin to cover it.
Blowing out a heavy breath, Royce headed out to the shed. He gathered the materials to repair the fence and put them all in the storage compartment of their four-by-four. Then he started the engine and drove out to Peggy’s favorite place.
Peggy being the four-legged menace Lincoln hated with a passion.
It was dark when Royce pulled up to Penny’s place.
The apartment complex was on the newer side.
It had been built near the country club rather than in the middle of town.
New structures like this one were better suited where the locals didn’t have to be reminded that their small town wasn’t so small anymore.
Penny lived on the fourth floor. It was the highest level, and the balcony faced the rising sun. He peered up at the place where he’d stargazed with her and watched their first sunrise.
Heat unfolded in his chest, warming him from the inside out with longing and exhilaration. There was a soft glow emanating from her window, and all he wanted was to get upstairs, kiss his wife, and fall asleep with her in his arms.
He’d stopped by the country club to check in with Quinn after being MIA over the weekend, and she’d immediately noticed he was different.
It might not have been the smartest move, but he ended up spilling everything to her.
He was married. And to the woman of his dreams.
Thankfully, Quinn was the least judgmental person on the planet. She’d been happy for him, then asked him what he was still doing hanging out with her when he should be spending time with his wife.
He couldn’t have said it better himself.
Gripping his suitcase a little tighter, he headed for the front entrance. Once inside, he headed for the elevators. By the time he reached the fourth floor, he had to remind himself he had nothing to be nervous about. He’d already married the girl. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t let him in.
This was the plan.
Royce got to her door and hesitated. Then he knocked on the wooden surface and waited.
And waited some more.
That was when his own nerves settled in, and he nearly pulled out his phone to call her. But then the door swung open.
Penny looked adorably disheveled. Her hair was in a messy bun atop her head, her face was free of makeup, and she wore an oversized T-shirt that slipped off one shoulder. It was paired with leggings that clung to her form.
She blinked at him, eyes bleary. “Royce? What…”
He frowned and blurted, “You said I should come.”
“Yeah.” She rubbed at one eye. “I said you could let yourself in.”
They continued to stare at each other for long moments, and he chuckled, shaking his head. “Beautiful, if you had told me to let myself in, I can assure you I would have done just that.”
Her lower lip pushed out as she seemed to think back to their conversation while they’d been on the road. “No, I could have sworn—”
Royce stepped closer, unable to help himself. “We can figure that out later.”
Then he dropped his suitcase at his side and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him as he kissed her like he hadn’t seen her in ages, even though it had only been a day.
“I’ve missed you,” he finally murmured against her hair.
“You saw me yesterday when you dropped me off,” she reminded him, though her breath caught in a way that told him she didn’t mind the sentiment.
“I don’t want to spend another night without you.”
She giggled.
“Mmmm.” He smiled against her temple. “You know what that sound does to me, right?”
Penny pulled back, her eyes shining with mischief. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“Something good?” he murmured, kissing her temple before forcing himself to let her go long enough to gather his things and enter the apartment.
“Definitely something good.”
When he deposited his suitcase and turned to face her, she was folding her arms and leaning against the closed door. He crossed the room, stopping close enough to touch her, but not enough to crowd her.
“I love you,” he said quietly, not willing to let the words sit unused between them.
Her quiet intake of breath was just as enthralling as the way she looked at him with those large eyes of hers.
“You have no idea what you do to me,” he murmured.
“Royce…”
“It’s okay.” His voice softened as he sensed her hesitation. “I know I come on strong. How about for tonight, we just spend time together?”
He wasn’t sure if he saw disappointment in her gaze or if that was just his own wishful thinking. Either way, he wanted to make sure she felt comfortable and safe.
Penny fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. “And what would that entail, exactly?”
Royce glanced around the space. “How about a movie and popcorn? Or were you sleeping? I’m sorry I was later than expected. It was hard to get out of the house without drawing attention.”
She was chewing on her lower lip, but she was smiling at him. That was a good sign. “I had fallen asleep while watching a documentary.”
“Well, that explains it, beautiful. Which one were you watching?”
Penny laughed. He’d never get enough of that. “Actually, it’s about a serial killer on the East Coast.”
He nearly choked. “You fell asleep to a documentary about a serial killer?”
She shrugged. “I am a therapist. That sort of thing… the psychology makes sense to me. Shows like that are a comfort to me, in a way.”
“I guess that makes sense?” He grimaced. “I’m not going to wake up one morning tied up and at your mercy, am I?”
Penny gave him a little shove. “Be quiet,” she said playfully. “Come on. I’ll get the popcorn going, and then we can start it over.”
“Start it over?” he stammered, following her into the kitchen. “When I said movie, I meant some rom-com. I’m sure we could find one starring a cowboy. There has to be plenty of them.”
“There are a few cowboy serial killers too, you know. I bet I could find a few documentaries on them,” she said, her tone playful.
He groaned, but it was laced with amusement. “You just keep surprising me, Penny.”