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Penny
“Let’s go.”
Jaxson’s voice came through the open driver-side window, startling her. She’d been so focused on her phone that she hadn’t seen or heard his approach.
“All done already? Get in.”
He shook his head and opened her door. “Not what I meant. Come with me. Can you walk?”
“Of course I can walk,” she snapped. “I told you, I’m fine.”
“Prove it.”
“I don’t need to prove anything. How do you think I made my deliveries this morning? Or brought you breakfast?”
“Fine. Have it your way.”
He reached over and unfastened the seat belt, and then he slipped one arm beneath her legs and another behind her back.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Her arms reflexively went around his neck. “Where are we going? Put me down! You’re going to hurt yourself!”
He ignored her and carried her to the door, which Tina was currently holding open, looking amused.
“I’d just go with it if I were you,” Tina advised her. Then, she addressed Jaxson. “Follow me. Doc’s going to meet us in the decompression room.”
The decompression room turned out to be a combination living room and library. Lots of comfortable seating. A massive flat screen took up most of one wall while windows, a stone hearth, and bookshelves took up the others.
Jaxson set her down on one of the overstuffed sectionals.
Was it wrong that she’d enjoyed being in his arms more than she’d been embarrassed by it? Or by the fact that she hadn’t wanted him to let go?
“This is completely unnecessary,” she protested aloud.
He stepped back and looked down at her. “I disagree.”
“Go on,” Tina said to Jaxson. “I got this.”
Jaxson nodded and then stepped out of the room.
“What, are you two in cahoots or something now?” Penny groused to Tina. “Conspiring against me?”
Tina laughed. “Just helping a sister out.”
“What’s that’s supposed to mean?”
“You can’t even see it, can you? He’s crazy about you, Penny.”
Penny snorted in a very unladylike way. “When’s the last time you were at the eye doctor? He tolerates me, mainly because I don’t give him a choice.”
“And yet he apparently cares enough to see that you’re taken care of. Actions speak a lot louder than words, and from where I’m standing, it looks like he’s got it bad.”
“That’s misplaced guilt, not concern. He feels responsible because I got hurt in the process of following the guys who were following him. Which is ridiculous, of course. It was my own doing.”
“Probably not the smartest thing to do.”
“Maybe not, but it’s a good thing I did! He was in the bushes, Tina. Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same.”
“Absolutely, I would have,” Tina agreed. “But I guarantee Doc would have reacted similarly. You should have seen him when I went after those guys who had shot out my tire. He was livid, and I was annoyed with him for being mad at me.”
Penny didn’t know Doc that well, but he seemed like such an easygoing guy every time he came into the flower shop. She had a hard time picturing him going into a rage. “Doc is a sweetheart!”
“He is. It’s easy to forget that beneath that mild-mannered medic is a highly trained SEAL. Eventually, I realized Doc’s overreaction was because he cared so much. I imagine Jaxson is the same way. It’s how these guys react when something threatens those they care about.”
That gave Penny pause. Underneath the irritation, did Jaxson really care about her? Her lips tingled, reminding her of the kiss they’d shared. And the genuine fear and anger in his eyes when he’d learned she’d been hurt. Maybe Tina was on to something, but Penny was afraid to hope.
“Just let Doc take a look, okay?”
“Fine,” Penny said on an exhale. She lifted her chin toward the doorway and the dining room beyond. “What’s going on in there anyway?”
“I’m not sure,” Tina told her, “but they called in Cage. You know, Bree’s guy. He’s a skilled hacker, though he prefers the term information specialist,” Tina said with a grin. “My guess is, they’re going to do some digging into Jaxson and Sam’s birth records.”
Cole Watson—or Doc, as most people called him—entered the room, carrying what looked like a fancy toolbox.
“Hey, Doc.”
“Hey, Penny. What’s going on? Tina said you hurt your feet.”
“It’s nothing,” Penny said on an exhale. “A few cuts and scrapes, that’s all.”
“Let’s take a look, okay?”
She sighed heavily. “Okay. But I’m telling you, it’s nothing.”
Doc smiled and pulled up a hassock before gently removing her sneakers. Blood had soaked through the double layer of socks despite her attempts to be careful.
“Some of these could use a stitch or two,” Doc told her after giving her a quick exam.
“Don’t you just have some duct tape or something?”
He laughed at that. “No, but I have something almost as effective.” Doc cleaned the wounds and applied antibiotic ointment with some kind of topical anesthetic that felt amazing. Then, he secured the biggest cuts with butterfly bandages and dressed the bottoms of her feet with Telfa pads.
By the time he finished, Jaxson reappeared with Sam.
Sam made introductions. “Jaxson, this is Doc. Doc, Jaxson.”
“Nice to meet you,” Doc said, extending his hand.
“Same. How is she?”
“She is right here,” Penny grumbled.
“She should stay off of them as much as possible for the next few days, and she’ll be fine.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it,” Jaxson said.
He appreciates it?
“No problem.” Doc looked between Jaxson and Sam, no doubt thinking the same thing everyone else did—that the resemblance was uncanny. “So?”
“Cage is going to do some digging and see what he can find,” Sam told them. “But it looks like Jaxson and I might be”—she paused and shook her head—“twins.”
Both Tina and Penny gasped, but it was Penny who said, “Seriously?”
“Yep. Just saying it sounds fantastic, and yet I feel it in my bones. In any event, we should know one way or the other once Cage accesses the records. He said it might take a little while, given the circumstances, but it can be done. In the meantime, how about joining us for lunch? Church is firing up the grill down by the lake.”
“Church?”
“Sorry. Matt Winston.”
Penny looked at Jaxson. His expression was guarded and unreadable. “What do you want to do?”
“I’d like to stay and see what Cage comes up with.”
So would she. The only other item on her agenda was identifying the thugs who’d followed Jaxson to his motel the night before. Well, that, and trying to gracefully get Lenny off her back. Apparently, someone had seen her riding around with Jaxson the night before, and Lenny was concerned. He’d stopped into the flower shop twice already that morning, according to her mother, who had been texting her with updates and wanting answers. Great-Auntie Agnes, Martha McGillicuddy, and the Schaeffer twins had visited the store too, looking for the scoop. Penny was in no hurry to get back to that.
“Lunch sounds wonderful, thank you.”
Was that a look of relief she saw in Jaxson’s eyes or wishful thinking on her part?
Jaxson stepped forward, as if to carry her again, but Penny held up her hand.
“But only if I can walk there myself.”
He scowled. “You heard the doc.”
“I did. And he didn’t say don’t walk. He said to limit how much walking I do.”
She stared at him, daring him to disagree. Had it been just the two of them, she was certain he would have done just that, but under the amused and curious eyes of the others watching with undisguised interest, he was more prudent.
“Kate can drive her down in her Jeep,” Sam offered. “Heff and Mad Dog are loading it up as we speak.”
“Thank you,” Penny said, gratefully accepting the offer. “That would be great.”
“She could take you down, too,” Sam said to Jaxson.
“I’m fine,” Jaxson rumbled before turning and walking out of the room with Doc.
“Typical protector syndrome,” Sam said, shaking her head. “Thinks you should take the ride but not him.” Her lips quirked. “I did like the way he carried you in here though. Very caveman-like. It’s something Steve would do.”
“Doc, too,” said Tina on a laugh. When Penny scowled, Tina helped her to her feet and teased, “What, you don’t like being carried around by big, strong, silent types?”
“That’s the problem. I like it too much,” Penny admitted.
A girl could get used to that kind of pampering, and Penny had to be careful about indulging in things she couldn’t have. She already had the memories of a motorcycle ride and a toe-curling kiss to deal with. She was pretty sure nothing would be living up to those anytime soon.
“Amen to that,” Tina said. “I’ve never seen myself as a damsel in distress, but I have to admit, I do like when Doc goes alpha male on me sometimes.”
Penny walked with Tina to the front entrance and waited for Kate to pull around. The topical anesthetic Doc had applied had done wonders for the burning and stinging along the soles of her feet. She made a mental note to pick some up at the drugstore later. With luck and creativity, no one else would have to know about her late-night tiptoe through broken glass.
Kate arrived a moment later. Penny used the handholds to climb up into the Jeep, and then they made their way down to the lake. Penny was glad she’d accepted the ride. It wasn’t terribly far, but her feet would have been hurting had she walked it.
She hoped that Jaxson would fare okay. Thankfully, the slope wasn’t too steep. Even if it was, he wouldn’t have accepted a ride if the other guys were walking it.
And he called her stubborn.
The large pavilion looked as good as the manor house. As far as Penny knew, it hadn’t been damaged by the fire, but it appeared as if it had gotten a recent facelift, too. In fact, everything she’d seen seemed to have been recently renovated. Matt and his guys had done a phenomenal job in restoring the place.
Several people were already there, including Jaxson. Some Penny knew. Others she recognized from seeing them around town but hadn’t formally met.
Kate took care of the introductions. “Penny, you know Sandy, Bree, and Matt. This is Nick Fumanti, but we call him Cage. And Hugh Bradley.”
“Heff,” the guy with long, dark hair and an earring corrected with a grin.
Penny recognized him as Sandy’s husband and immediately pegged him as a mischievous devil.
“My husband, Chris,” Tina continued. “And you’ve already met Steve and Doc. Everyone, this is Penny.”
Waves and friendly hellos ensued. Penny offered to help with lunch prep, but Kate shooed her into the pavilion and told her to sit down. Not wanting to cause a scene, she did. Before long, the delicious smell of grilling burgers and hot dogs had her stomach growling.
Unsurprisingly, Sam and Jaxson were the primary subjects of conversation. Cage said he’d do what he could from a digital-records standpoint, though everyone agreed records alone wouldn’t tell the whole story. Unfortunately, the two people who could best answer their questions were gone.
“What about Mr. O’Farrell?” Doc asked later as they sat around wooden tables laden with food.
Penny’s ears perked up at the name. Everyone knew Mr. O’Farrell. He probably knew more than anyone about Sumneyville and the people in it. And not just hearsay either. At over a hundred years old, he’d experienced a lot of the town’s history firsthand. Bonus: he was still sharp as a tack and currently lived in a retirement village in town with Tina’s grandmother.
“That’s a great idea!” Tina said excitedly. “But they won’t be back until Saturday.” She looked to Penny, her eyes twinkling. “Mr. O’Farrell and my grandmother eloped in Vegas.”
“No!”
“Yes,” Tina said with a laugh. “He said he needed to make an honest woman of her.”
“That’s wonderful! I’ll make them a special bouquet.”
“I’m sure they’d love that.”
The rest of the afternoon passed in a haze of delicious food, good company, and friendly conversation. Penny sat back, content to observe the dynamics. It was nice to see them relaxed and comfortable with each other. They were nothing like the monsters some of the townies made them out to be, but Penny had already known that.
Penny was most interested in how Jaxson was handling things. He engaged, but like her, he remained on the fringe. He was definitely the cautious type, the kind of guy who looked before he leaped.
She’d already known that, too, because if he wasn’t, she would have spent the previous night in his bed instead of in a chair in the corner.
Not that she hadn’t thrown caution to the wind and slipped in beside him without his knowledge once he fell asleep. He’d been restless, and she’d simply meant to calm him.
It had worked. Within minutes of her settling in behind him, he’d relaxed and slept more peacefully.
Clearly, his reticence came from the conscious part of his mind, not from the subconscious.
Was Tina right? Did Jaxson really care for her, and if so, then why was he so determined to keep her at arm’s length? Was he worried for her reputation? Afraid she’d want more than he was willing to give?
He didn’t need to worry about either of those things. She might be a romantic at heart, but her expectations were one hundred percent realistic.
Her home was here. He had a home elsewhere. Probably had friends there. Maybe even a woman waiting for him. The thought made her chest ache.
“Penny, are you okay?” Kate asked quietly.
Penny summoned a smile, aware of Jaxson’s curious gaze from the other side of the pavilion. Most of the food had been cleared away, and the guys were loading up the leftovers into the back of Kate’s Jeep.
“Sorry, I zoned out there. Post-meal food coma.”
“Perfectly understandable. Heff is a boss on the grill, but don’t tell him I said that,” Kate said with a grin.
“My lips are sealed.”
Penny rose to standing and stretched. “Thank you so much for letting me hang out with you guys today. I’m sorry I wasn’t much help.”
“No worries. Maybe we can make it a regular thing. We get together every Sunday for girl time.”
“I’d like that,” Penny said honestly.
Kate drove Penny back to the main entrance. “For what it’s worth, I like him,” Kate told her.
“I do, too,” Penny admitted. “But that’s not enough sometimes, is it?”
Jaxson appeared from inside with some of the others and made his way down the steps, his limp more pronounced than it had been earlier.
“I offered him a ride, but he turned me down,” Kate told her.
“He’s stubborn like that.”
“Aren’t they all?”
Penny got out of Kate’s Jeep and made the short trip to the van. Jaxson shook hands with the guys and joined her.
“Want me to drive?” he asked.
“No, I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
He didn’t look happy, but he nodded and opened the driver’s door for her. With a final wave, they were on their way back down the mountain.
She chanced a side-glance his way, finding him staring out the window. “Eventful day, huh?”
“Yeah, you could say that. Matt offered me a room for the remainder of my stay. I think I’m going to take him up on it.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Penny said, keeping her voice light, though inwardly, she was disappointed. If Jaxson was staying at Sanctuary, it would be much harder to find an excuse to see him.
“When?”
“I’ll head up tomorrow after I get my bike fixed.”
Penny felt a surge of anticipation. She’d forgotten about that! She didn’t get down that way often, but Birch Falls was a nice place. There was a flower shop there known for doing amazing interior garden designs. The owner was a local woman who’d married a billionaire CEO but kept her business and continued to work. Penny figured she could check it out while Jaxson was busy in the cycle shop. Plus that meant more time with Jaxson. She was already dreading the thought of him leaving.
“Speaking of, what time do you want to head down to Birch Falls tomorrow? If we leave early, we can stop for breakfast along the way.”
He turned, pinning those stormy eyes on her. There was so much going on there. So much she wanted to be a part of, if he’d let her. “I’m going to ask Zeb to take me.”
That bubble of anticipation promptly burst. “Oh. Okay, sure. That makes sense.”
The rest of the drive was spent in silence.
“Thanks for going with me today,” he said when they reached Mel’s.
“My pleasure. It was good to see everyone.”
She paused, hoping he’d say something. Invite her in. Suggest they get together again before he left. He didn’t.
She took the hint. “Have a good night, Jaxson. If you need anything, you have my number.”
“I do. Good-bye, Penny.”