Chapter 24
ROYCE
Royce didn’t care how long it took. He would have a conversation with his wife.
Not to force or corner her.
But he couldn’t let the last words between them be annulment and lawyer and goodbye.
Penny was panicking right now. He knew that. He’d seen the way fear had taken over after both families showed up at her apartment, and he hated every second of what it had done to her. Eventually, she’d realize she was making this decision out of fear. Eventually, they’d work everything out.
That was what he continued to tell himself as he spiraled.
This was different from before he’d won her over.
Different from the nerves he’d experienced when he’d first noticed her and had to dig up the courage to tell her he was already falling for her, even though they didn’t know each other.
Different from the way his heart had pounded when he’d taken her on that date and promised he could help her fall in love with life again.
This was just… different.
The only thing keeping him sane was the understanding that they were married, and ending a marriage wasn’t as simple as slamming a door. They had made vows. They had built something real, even if the rest of the world had crashed in on it too soon.
Time.
Penny just needed some time, and everything would work out.
True to her word, Quinn had allowed Royce to stay with her in her guest room.
Royce made sure to get up early enough every day to go work on the farm.
And every single day, he was cornered by one of his siblings.
Sometimes it was to tell him to leave since he’d made it clear he’d rather betray the family than walk away from Penny.
Other times it was to try to convince him to make peace with his brother and father.
The fact was, Royce hadn’t wanted to come back to work. Each time he stepped foot on the premises, he was reminded that he was officially the black sheep. And yet he couldn’t stop himself.
This was his home.
His family.
Feud or not, he still belonged here unless they called the sheriff and had him removed for trespassing.
He glanced up from where he was inspecting the latest field of crops. Or rather, the irrigation line. There seemed to be some issues with the watering schedule in this part of the field.
Bentley was striding his way, all confidence and purpose.
It was infuriating.
Lately, there seemed to be a divide among the family.
The men against the women. While his stepmother and half-sisters were on the side of true love, his brothers claimed to be realists.
It didn’t matter how many times Royce was reminded that no woman was worth the issues between him and his father, he wasn’t willing to accept it.
“Your turn, huh?” Royce muttered as he adjusted his cowboy hat and continued down the irrigation ditch.
“What do you mean by that?”
Royce grunted. “You know exactly what I mean. How many times is Dad going to send one of you out to talk to me and get me to see reason? Heck, how long is it going to take for him to scrounge up enough nerve and forcibly remove me?”
When Bentley didn’t respond, Royce sighed.
His lack of answer said enough.
They continued to walk the edge of the field, and Royce noted everything that needed to be double-checked in a little notebook he kept in his front pocket.
“Dad’s not wrong, you know,” Bentley murmured.
“And if you were in my position? Would you still agree?” Royce stopped and faced his brother.
His heart hammered like it always did when he started thinking about what was at risk.
“What if you fell in love with one of those Taylor girls? What if one of them became the person who made the whole world feel less heavy? What if being with her was the first time in your life you understood what Mom meant when she talked about real love?”
Bentley didn’t comment, though it was unclear if he was considering Royce’s words or if he simply didn’t care.
“I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” Royce said, his voice roughening.
“Because you don’t know what it feels like to think about losing someone because of the grudge our family has with the Taylors.
Love doesn’t care about old family rules, Bentley.
It doesn’t ask permission. It just shows up and changes everything. ”
He pressed a fist to his chest right above his heart, and his voice broke.
“I found it. And now that I have, I won’t let it go.
Not for you. Not for Dad. Not for the farm.
Not for anything in the whole world. So do me a favor and don’t bring it up again.
Because the next time you do, I might not be patient enough to have a reasonable conversation with you.
Especially since she’s thinking of not staying with me anymore, just because of how difficult everyone is making it. ”
If Royce had expected his brother to show any indication of fear or anger, he would have been wrong.
Bentley merely shrugged, then nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah. Okay. You’re right. I don’t know what it’s like to find something like that. And while I don’t agree with everything you’ve done, I can understand what it’s like to feel like you don’t have any control. Like you’re clinging to something you’re scared to lose.”
Royce blew out a harsh breath. “That’s not going to happen. Losing her, I mean. I won’t let fear take her from me.”
“Are you sure about that? What if she wants to leave?” Bentley’s voice stayed quiet. “I thought you loved her.”
“I do love her,” he snapped, his patience cracking.
“Then wouldn’t you do anything for her?”
“I—I…” Royce scowled at his brother. “Not that. Anything but that.”
“Just wondering,” Bentley said quietly.
And yet his words had taken a chunk out of the armor Royce had built around his heart. He couldn’t help but second-guess himself.
How long would Royce wait until he finally gave in to Penny’s request?
He wanted to think he’d stay strong indefinitely. But Bentley had proposed a new way of looking at his situation.
“Hey,” Bentley murmured, dragging Royce’s attention back to him.
“What?”
His brother seemed to hesitate. Then he pulled his hat from his head and ran a hand through his hair. “Honestly, if what you say is true, I say don’t give up.”
Royce waited, holding his breath.
This was the first time one of his brothers was willing to see his side of things.
“A love like that…” Bentley whispered. “It doesn’t come around often, you know? Even I’m not dumb enough to believe you’d find it again.”
“No,” Royce agreed. “I wouldn’t.”
“Then don’t let Lincoln and Dad get to you. If Mom were alive…”
They both looked at each other, neither one having to finish that statement.
If their mother were alive, she would have told Royce to follow his heart.
She’d been a romantic, and even though they’d been children when she passed, they could still remember her talking about how she’d found her own true love in their father.
Royce’s throat closed up tight.
He nodded to Bentley in thanks.
“You got a plan?” Bentley finally asked when the silence between them continued to grow.
He shook his head. “Wait her out, I guess,” he rasped.
His brother nodded. “Well, I wish you luck. I know it hasn’t been easy.” Then Bentley grimaced. “And I know I’m part of that.”
Royce chuckled despite himself. “You can say that again.”
For the first time in a long while, they offered each other a genuine smile.
“Thanks, man. For… you know.”
Bentley laughed. “Don’t get all mushy on me. And next time you talk to Lincoln, don’t tell him I switched sides.” His smile faded to a more serious expression. “I mean it. I don’t want to have his wrath set on me.”
Royce nodded. “Lucky for you, Lincoln and I aren’t really on speaking terms. And after I’m done with this, I’m headed to town. I’m going to try to talk to Penny.”
“She’s still avoiding you?”
A curt nod was all he gave.
“Good luck.”
Another nod.
Then Royce watched Bentley head back toward the house.
Royce looked up at the window.
He didn’t know what he expected. Penny hadn’t stood in her usual place since everything about their lives had changed that horrible morning. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he’d hoped he would catch her staring down at his usual spot where he’d been caught looking for her before.
His heart still believed she’d give in to the turmoil that plagued them both and accept that they were meant to be with each other.
Nothing was supposed to keep them apart.
Nothing.
Sighing, he gripped the bouquet of flowers tighter in his hand. If he could just get her to talk to him, to see his side, to understand that he wasn’t going anywhere—not just because he was stubborn, but because he loved her—then maybe they could fix this.
Bentley’s question still unnerved him, but he chose to push those thoughts away.
Penny needed time.
And maybe she needed him too.
He strode toward the building and marched up to the second floor where her office was located, only to be blocked by a man he didn’t recognize.
Royce looked the guy up and down. He wore a security uniform. Penny didn’t have security.
“I’m here to see Dr. Klein.”
The man folded his arms, blocking his path. “Do you have an appointment?”
“Well, no, but…” Royce glanced past him toward the suite of offices. “Look, this town isn’t exactly heavy on crime. Can I ask what you’re doing here?”
“Dr. Klein requested that I only allow those with an appointment into her office.”
Royce’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not, sir.”
“I’m her husband.”
Something flickered across the man’s face, but he didn’t move.
“And you can speak to her at home.”
The guy was only doing his job. At least that truth managed to make it through the haze of Royce’s muddled brain.
Penny was putting up not only emotional walls, but physical ones too.
Desperation kicked into high gear.