Chapter 16
ROYCE
“Why are you all dressed up?”
“Why are you all dressed up?” Quinn crooned.
Her gaze swept appreciatively over him as she wiped down the counter where she served drinks and hors d’oeuvres at the country club.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a suit.
” She mocked a pout. “Lost my one chance at seeing you get married in one when you eloped. Now, no one gets the chance to witness you two get married.”
Royce rolled his eyes. “We’re still going to have a real wedding. Penny doesn’t want her family to hate her, and she really wanted her mother there. We’re just… waiting for the right time.”
“Hmm.” Quinn tossed her rag over her shoulder and rested her forearms atop the counter. “So why are you all dressed up? Something going on?”
At her question, he took a sip of his sparkling water and looked away.
Penny had warned him to steer clear of Jason and Isabelle’s wedding. She’d made him promise he wouldn’t show, not just to keep their relationship under wraps but to keep him safe.
It was sweet of her.
And it should have been enough.
“Uh-oh. I know that look.” Quinn straightened in his periphery. “What are you up to?”
He eyed her but only briefly. “I have a wedding to get to.”
Quinn had always been too smart for her own good. She knew nearly everyone in town because of her job, but also because she was friendly and liked to chat. She had a penchant for gossip, but only insofar as she soaked it all in without spreading any of it around again.
“Royce, no.”
At that, he stared at her. Hard. When she didn’t say anything further, he grumbled to himself, then placed his glass on the bar top. “What?”
“You can’t go to that wedding, and you know it.”
“Says who?”
Her laugh came out in a scoff. “I’m sure your wife had plenty to say. Does Penny know you’re planning to crash the wedding?”
“Maybe I have an invitation.”
Quinn watched him quietly, clearly not believing him for a second. Then she arched a brow. “Do you?”
Royce couldn’t help but squirm beneath her scrutiny. He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned his back to her so he could look out at the groups of people who had come to the club for socializing. “Who’s to say I’m not a friend of the family?”
“Whose family? Because you’re definitely not allowed anywhere near the Taylors, not that it seemed to stop you any.” She muttered the last bit under her breath, and he bit back a smile.
“The family of the bride. Isabelle. I’ve had a couple of interactions with Mateo Palmer. He’s a good guy. I bet he wouldn’t turn me away.”
Quinn snorted. “You’re crazier than you look.”
He scratched at his jaw and turned slightly so his forearm rested against the counter. “I can’t let her go to that wedding alone.”
The words sounded noble enough.
Almost.
But even as he said them, Royce knew they weren’t the whole truth. How could he explain the buzzing sensation in his head whenever he thought about Penny being there on her own? He wasn’t the jealous type, and yet that was the best way to describe what he was feeling.
Emerson would be there, and he’d made more than one advance on Penny. While Royce didn’t like the idea of any guy being interested in her, it was more than simply jealousy.
Or maybe he wanted it to be more.
He was her husband. He’d sworn to protect and care for her. That meant standing by her side, holding her hand, and presenting a united front when she wanted him there.
And that was the problem.
Penny had not asked him to be there.
“I took away her wedding, Quinn.” Those weren’t the words he’d expected to spill from his heart.
And yet they kept coming. “We eloped. We walked through a chapel with bright lights and pop music. She held a bouquet we picked from a display.” Royce rubbed his chest in circles.
“She deserved everything, and I gave her—”
“Okay, none of that.” Quinn grimaced. “She’s an adult. From what I heard, you gave her exactly what her bucket list had on it. And you said yourself you’re going to give her a real wedding. So end this pity party, go home, and give her a big kiss when the wedding is over.”
Royce wanted to take Quinn’s advice.
Well, a small part of him did.
It was just too difficult to battle the man who wanted to show Penny he could be everything she needed. Even if that meant risking their secret.
Which, when he thought about it for more than two seconds, was exactly the kind of thinking that had gotten him into trouble before.
Heck, maybe this was the push he needed to just out himself. It had been exhausting to hide his feelings for Penny from the start, and now that they’d been married for weeks, all he wanted to do was shout the news from the rooftops.
He was deeply in love with that woman, and she deserved more than all this sneaking around. She deserved the whole entire world.
But she also deserved a husband who kept his promises.
Royce tossed back the rest of his soda and offered Quinn a smile. “Thanks for the advice.”
“Don’t bother thanking me,” she grumbled. “It’s not like you’re taking it.”
His mouth curved faintly, and she rolled her eyes with a groan. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
So did he.
The wedding reception was in full swing when Royce arrived.
The ceremony must have gone well because everyone was happy and congratulating the newlyweds.
Royce stood back in the shadows the best he could, hiding within groups of people he didn’t recognize.
From what he’d heard, Isabelle’s folks lived out of state, and the people she’d been raised around had come down for the wedding.
It wasn’t difficult at all to find Penny in the crowd.
She floated from group to group, introducing herself or welcoming people to the party. She might not have been the maid of honor, but she was a bridesmaid.
Dang, she was beautiful.
Her pale blue dress fit her like it had been tailor made just for her. He’d barely been able to keep his hands off her when she’d put on the silky material. She’d giggled at his antics, but he’d been more than honest about what she did to him.
She was his wife.
The thought still struck him hard.
Though it was true that he believed in God, he wasn’t exactly religious. Their town didn’t have a church. The closest one was a few towns over. Some of the folks had been petitioning to have one built, but apparently there was a lot of work that went into building and staffing a house of worship.
Last night, when they’d been in bed, Penny had spoken between her yawns and made him promise they’d get married in a church one day, even if they had to drive an hour to do it.
“I promise I’ll make that happen, beautiful,” he’d murmured into the crown of her head.
She’d fallen asleep with a smile on her lips, curled around him.
Watching her now, he noticed the mask she wore in front of everyone but him.
It had gotten easier to see. Penny was struggling, but he wasn’t sure why.
She’d insisted she was fine to come to the wedding without a date.
She’d told him she would rather do that than ask anyone to stand in for her husband.
But he’d seen how pained she’d been when she made him promise not to come.
Sometimes promises had to be kept even when they were hard.
Royce knew that.
He knew it as he continued watching her from a distance. He knew it when a server walked by with a tray of sparkling cider and he grabbed a flute. He knew it when he shifted deeper into the fray so he wouldn’t lose sight of her.
He knew it, and he still stayed.
Thankfully, Emerson seemed to be busy speaking with another woman. Based on her bright red tresses, she was likely a Taylor, but Royce didn’t know which one. There were six of them, after all, including a set of twins.
“Royce? Is that you?”
He startled and glanced to the side.
Shoot.
He’d been spotted.
Ian Baker smiled broadly and moved closer. “Hey, man. It’s been a while.”
That was an understatement if there ever was one. Several years back, Ian had a run-in with some not-so-great people who were after his now-wife. Royce had been in high school at the time, but he frequented the diner almost as regularly as Ian—mostly to get out from under Lincoln’s thumb.
Their paths didn’t cross much after that, but they’d had a few deep conversations about the importance of family that had stuck with him. He offered a hesitant smile and glanced around to make sure no one had noticed. They shook hands while Royce mapped the quickest way to get out of there.
“Are congratulations in order?”
Royce frowned, then realized Ian had zeroed in on the wedding band. “Oh, yeah, it’s new.”
“Good for you. Getting married was the single most important thing in my life.”
Nodding, Royce shifted his focus to the crowd. There were a few eyes that turned his way, but so far, no one of importance.
At least not until he felt her attention.
He’d always feel hers.
“Look, sorry we can’t catch up, but I’ve got to get going. I was just supposed to stop by.” Royce made his excuses and backed away. “Maybe we can get lunch sometime.”
“Sure, Royce. That sounds great.”
Royce only got a few feet away when his eyes locked with Penny’s. Joy was replaced by confusion, which was then overthrown by irritation and concern.
He could already hear the way this lecture was going to go.
She took a step toward him, and his eyes flared before he glanced around to make sure none of her family was looking. Then he gave a sharp shake of his head.
She couldn’t talk to him.
They couldn’t interact.
To do so would ruin everything they had. He still needed to set everything up so no one could come between them when this whole situation blew up in their faces.
He was a realist, after all.
Eventually, everyone would know, and they’d have to be strong enough to stand their ground.
Royce mouthed the words, “You’re beautiful,” then strode in the direction where he’d parked his motorcycle.
At this moment in time, he regretted coming. Clearly, he shouldn’t have been worried about her having some other guy keeping her company. She was a solo act in her socializing.
And his hope to support her, even from a distance, had backfired because what little joy she’d had at seeing him had disappeared in a cloud of smoke. He didn’t know what he expected would happen when she saw him, but it wasn’t the disappointment that was apparent in her expression.
A twinge of guilt laced through him.
As much as he’d told himself he was here to support her because she was attending a wedding for her brother when she herself hadn’t gotten to have a traditional one of her own, he knew he’d been lying to himself.
He trusted Penny.
He trusted her feelings for him.
It was Emerson he had a problem with. The man had been clear about his interest in Penny, and Royce needed assurances that Emerson would respect the line Penny had drawn between them.
In hindsight, the risk of getting caught wasn’t worth soothing his own concerns.
Thankfully, he’d gotten out of there before any of the Taylor sisters had seen him.
Or heaven forbid, their father.
He swung his leg over the side of the motorcycle when the distinct sound of footsteps approached. Royce should have just started the bike. He shouldn’t have lifted his head to see who had come after him.
Because the second he saw her, he knew he couldn’t just make his escape.