Chapter 22
ROYCE
Rain.
How fitting.
The quiet rhythmic thud of the drops colliding with the window seemed to echo in the Uber he’d called. It added to the pounding in his head, reminding him that he was a fool to believe he’d have any sort of control when it came to his life with Penny.
He wasn’t thrilled with the fact that he had to get a ride. Penny had brought him to her place after his accident, and he hadn’t had a chance to get his truck. Going home was the last thing he wanted to do, but there wasn’t anywhere else for him to go.
The last couple of days had been heaven.
Until they weren’t.
In truth, he’d thought he wouldn’t have to step foot on Meyers property for a good long while.
Unfortunately, he never could have foreseen what had happened that morning.
It was still unclear how his family and Penny’s family had managed to show up at the same time.
But based on the anger and surprise Royce had witnessed firsthand, he had to believe none of it was planned.
This was just the universe’s way of messing with him.
The car pulled to a stop, and Royce couldn’t bring himself to move. His limbs were leaden. Even if he wanted to drag himself from the car at this moment, he wasn’t sure he could.
Someone cleared his throat.
The driver.
He turned toward Royce with a concerned look on his face. But it was a mask. He didn’t really care beyond getting Royce out of his car. “You okay?” he murmured.
Royce nodded, reached for the door handle, then forced a small smile. “Yeah, man. I’m good. Thanks.”
He pushed the door open and stepped out into the rain.
With each step he took toward his family’s home, his determination returned.
He’d never been the kind of guy to sit back and take what the world handed him. Royce knew better than to expect to find happiness if he wasn’t willing to fight for it.
Penny was his happiness.
She was the one thing in his life he’d wanted with this much certainty, and there was nothing she could do or say to make him believe they weren’t meant to be.
He didn’t have a strong faith in God before her.
Not really.
Not in any way that mattered.
But Penny had made him wonder if maybe some things were placed in a person’s path for a reason. Her smiles. Her love. Everything she made him feel that he hadn’t thought was possible.
She could tell him they weren’t good for each other, but she was wrong.
He’d prove it to her like he had the first time.
This was just a bump in the road.
A bump that happened to include his entire family.
As soon as he took care of them, he could set to work repairing his relationship with the love of his life.
Royce stepped into his family’s home and dropped the duffel bag by the front door. His wounds were still healing, and each movement reminded him that he needed to take it easy.
No weaknesses.
He needed to present a strong front if he had a prayer of fixing any of this.
There were quiet voices farther into the house. The sitting room was empty. So was the kitchen. The voices weren’t coming from upstairs, so Royce continued until he reached the larger family room. This was where the majority of their family meetings took place.
And it appeared that was exactly what he’d walked in on.
“Someone has to talk some sense into him.”
“Maybe it’s a phase. He’s just being rebellious.”
A snort. “I think he’s a little old for that.”
“Has anyone considered reaching out to George Taylor?”
“There’s no way he’s gonna help. You should have seen him today.”
Lincoln stood by the fireplace, his forearm resting on the mantel.
His father sat in the large rocker off to the left of the room near the wall of built-in bookshelves.
Beside him was Royce’s stepmother. She seemed troubled, but she’d never been the type to speak up when it came to the matter of their family feud with the Taylors.
The rest of his siblings were either seated on the couch or leaning against it on the floor.
All heads turned in his direction as one, and conversation halted.
It would have been creepy if he’d allowed himself to dwell on it.
Fortunately for everyone in this room, he was on a mission.
“I don’t appreciate my future being discussed without me being present.”
Lincoln scoffed as he pushed away from the fireplace. “We already tried that route, Royce. And you threw a temper tantrum.”
“Temper—” Royce shook his head, willing himself to remain calm. Starting a fight wouldn’t do him any good. “Look, I know you think it’s crazy, but I’m in love with her.”
“Love? That’s what you think this is?” Lincoln snapped. “You’re right. I do think that’s crazy.”
“Lincoln,” Lucy murmured. “That’s hardly fair. Let your brother speak.”
To her credit, she didn’t shy away from Lincoln’s hard stare. They all respected her for what she did for their family when his mother passed away. Still, it was hard for the four eldest children to see her as anything more than a replacement for their mother.
Royce could have hugged her, though, for standing up for him.
His father cleared his throat and gave a subtle shake of his head when Lucy looked down at him.
And that was what ultimately triggered Royce.
His hands balled tightly at his sides. “I’m not here to ask for your permission. I’m not here to grovel or beg for forgiveness. And I’m definitely not here so all of you can decide what you think my life should look like.”
Quiet settled in the room.
It was almost like everyone was holding their breath.
Then his father and Lincoln started laughing.
Heat flashed beneath Royce’s skin. There was nothing funny about what he’d said. He’d made his decision, and Lincoln clearly didn’t understand that.
“You?” Lincoln said. “In love? Do you even hear yourself? I can’t remember the last time you had a serious relationship. You’ve never even brought a girl home before.”
“That’s because I never wanted to bring anyone home until her.”
Lincoln sobered. His eyes narrowed even as his stance seemed to stay relaxed. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he strode toward him. “How long has this been going on, Royce?”
There was an undercurrent of accusation in his voice, like he planned to pounce as soon as Royce admitted to going behind his back from the first moment he’d set his eyes on Penny.
Royce stood his ground.
His quiet fury had continued to simmer since the moment he entered the family room.
There was little chance his family would understand.
The longer Royce stared at Lincoln, the more he could sense just how stubborn his brother would be about this.
Nothing he could say or do would change Lincoln’s opinion.
No number of words.
No declaration of love.
No insistence that Royce would stand by Penny would be enough to fix this.
Might as well admit to it all.
It wasn’t like things could get much worse.
He lifted his chin, his voice low and steady. “There’s nothing you can do or say to convince me to break things off with her. Penny is my wife. In the eyes of the state, and in the eyes of God.”
Ripples of gasps from his sisters and mutterings from his brothers ricocheted around him like flying bullets. His father shot out of his seat, rage written all over his face. Lincoln’s stunned reaction shifted to one that mirrored their father’s. Lucy didn’t speak or move a muscle.
But there was something shining in her eyes that threw Royce off balance.
Pride?
Excitement?
Congratulations?
Even if she didn’t want to admit to any of it.
Maybe he’d gotten her all wrong. Was it possible Royce had an ally in this room? He nearly sought out Morgan to see how she was reacting to this news, but his father’s angry bark cut him to the quick.
“You will file for divorce.”
Royce’s attention shot back to his father. “What?”
“You heard me. Under no circumstances will my boy marry someone of that bloodline.”
A laugh was all Royce could muster, even if it was void of humor.
He threw his hands into the air and turned away from his father to pace.
“I think you forget what millennium we live in. You have no say in what I do or don’t do.
And I will not break the vows I made to that woman because of a feud I never chose. ”
What almost sounded like a growl erupted from his father. “You will, and you will never see her again.”
Royce shook his head. “Or what? You’ll disown me?” He looked from his father to Lincoln, his chest aching in a way he refused to show. “How can you not grasp that I love her more than I fear losing your approval?”
Lucy seemed to pale at that. Her eyes darted to his father. Several of the others glanced in the same direction. But Lincoln’s hard stare remained locked on Royce.
“So be it,” Lincoln said.
Royce had thought he’d been prepared for an outcome like this one.
But to hear the confirmation of it from his brother’s own lips ripped something in his chest wide open.
He couldn’t find the strength to say anything else.
So he shook his head and left the room.
He got into his truck with no plans of going anywhere specific and ended up at the country club.
Thankfully, Quinn was working.
She was one of the best listeners there was. Gave some of the best advice, too.
But after he’d spilled everything that had occurred since his accident, he hadn’t expected her advice to be so infuriating.
“You’re just going to have to let the dust settle.”
His mouth dropped open. “You can’t be serious.”
She shrugged. “Well, Penny did ask you to leave. But I imagine even so, you don’t want to alienate her.”
“I can’t just let her draw up the paperwork. She’ll think I’m willing to consider a divorce.”
Quinn gave him a pointed look. “I don’t think there’s a chance at all that she’d believe that.
You haven’t exactly been subtle with how much you care about her.
” She reached across the counter and patted his hand where it rested.
“I don’t think your family is doing the right thing, but they’re blood. Eventually, they’ll come around.”
He scoffed.
“I didn’t say it would happen fast. It might take years.
” She shrugged again. “Maybe it’ll take the birth of your firstborn to get them to realize what they’d be missing out on if you’re cut out of their lives.
They’re mad. But they’ll settle. You just have to focus on your relationship.
Don’t give up on her, but give her some space. Give her a chance to miss you.”
Quinn winked. “That shouldn’t take too long.”
Royce couldn’t help but smile at that.
Perhaps she was right. It would be difficult, but he could give Penny some time to think about what it would mean to cut him out of her life. All he could do was pray she would come to the same realization that he had at the very beginning.
They were meant to be.
He blew out a heavy breath. “Okay, so what now? I can’t stay at home with my family. And Penny’s kicked me out…”
Quinn rolled her eyes. “I’ve got a guest room available. Just… don’t overstay your welcome, okay?”
Royce chuckled as he brought his soda to his lips. “I’m not making any promises.”