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Penny woke, alone, to the muffled sound of plane engines seeping through the walls of the generously furbished room. If she hadn’t remembered boarding the plane, she’d almost think she was in a hotel room. She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes. Damien’s scent filled her lungs, calming her, reminding her the nightmare was over. Turning onto her side, she pressed her face into the pillow and sniffed. His cologne permeated everything. Sheets, pillow cases, her memories...she sat up, half expecting him to be watching over her.
The room was empty.
She checked the bandages on her wrists, lifting one to inspect the damage to her skin. Unexpectedly, her empty stomach heaved at the sight of blisters and puss and she set the bandage back in place. She’d need antibiotics if it didn’t heal soon. Throwing back the duvet, she looked down at her bandaged feet and dreaded to think what condition she’d find them in. At least she got to keep them.
A speaker crackled to life. “We’ll be landing soon, folks. We’re almost home.”
The words brought a smile to her face until it occurred to her that she didn’t know where home was for them. Were they about to land on Australian soil? And if so, where exactly? She turned to the window and wondered if the view would give her any clues at all. Curious, she swung her legs off the side of the bed and set her feet on the floor. Pain sparked in both but soon subsided. Pushing up, she stood and hobbled the few feet to the plane windows and peered out.
Below, thick dark clouds obscured the sight. Breaks in the cover gave her glimpses of snow-capped mountain peaks and rolling hills covered in green forest. No buildings or landmarks offered any clues as to their whereabouts and aside from guessing they were in alpine territory, Penny had no idea where in the world they were.
Returning to the bed, she settled back under the covers and tried to relax. Staring up at the ceiling, she reassured herself this was the right move. By some miracle, she had Damien back in her life and they were going home, except...she sighed and closed her eyes. A steady hum of anxiety filled her head. So very out of character for her.
It’s Damien.
Even so, the surreal fact that he was alive and had rescued her had her on edge. It seemed stupid. Of all the people in the world, Damien shouldn’t make her nervous.
And yet, he did.
Or rather, this Damien did. The one she’d left. The one whose heart she’d broken so long ago. The one whose trust she’d shattered. He’d had to endure her death, and their daughter’s death on his own. She didn’t know this Damien. He was no longer the young man full of life and laughter she’d fallen in love with, married and started a family with.
Her ears popped as the plane descended. She saw clouds rush by the windows before the wheels touched down with a jolt. The aircraft slowed and came to a halt. Sitting up again, she looked across and out of the windows. Mountains rose in the distance, their peaks white with snow. Forest stretched away into the distance, though she could see buildings and structures.
A knock sounded at her door. “Come in.”
The door opened and revealed the young blond man she’d come to know as Hollywood. He owned a cheeky grin and a zany sense of humor she found entertaining. His movie-star good looks easily distracted from his age and hid the war-stories of his past. Standing in the doorway, he seemed adorably shy as he looked everywhere but at her.
“Damien asked me to check in on you. He’s just parking the plane, so to speak. Is everything okay?”
“It’s okay, Hollywood. I’m decent.”
His cheeks turned crimson and he met her gaze. “Can I help you with anything?”
“You could tell me where we are.”
He grinned. “Wills Crossing, ma’am. This is where we live.”
“And exactly where is Wills Crossing?”
Confusion touched his features momentarily. “We’re in Victoria, in the high country.”
“And when you say this is where we live...?” she prompted.
“The whole team. Well, except Gabe. He lives an hour south in Bourke’s Ridge. We all have our own homes and families.”
Families? Penny’s gut clenched.
“Except Damien,” he added hastily. “He lives with Riley and Stevie. Becoming a grandfather has really settled him down.”
Penny blinked. “Grandfather?”
“Um.” Hollywood looked lost for words. “He hasn’t told you yet, has he?” He took a step backward and scratched his head. “Uh, oh.”
The little-boy-lost routine was cute and she smiled, despite the noise in the back of her head. Damien was a grandfather? That meant he had a child, a child other than Hope. Before she could say another word, Damien appeared behind Hollywood. He took in the situation but she doubted he truly understood.
“Sorry, Boss.”
Damien’s eyebrows rose. “Sorry for what?”
“It’s okay, Hollywood.” Penny shifted her attention to Damien. “He was just telling me that you’re a grandfather.”
“I stuck my foot in it,” Hollywood apologized again. “I should go.”
Damien set a hand on his shoulder, keeping the younger man from running away. “It’s okay. I haven’t had time to tell her. Give us a few minutes.”
They watched as the former soldier left. Alone with Damien, Penny waited expectantly. A dozen scenarios played out in her head, each one seeing Damien replace her and Hope with another family. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t deny the disappointment she felt but she couldn’t blame him. What had she expected when she left? That he would pine for her for the rest of his life?
Damien stepped into the room and sat on the edge of the king-sized bed, his forehead furrowed and his eyebrows knitted together.
“You think I found someone else?”
The neutral tone of his voice surprised her. “Well, I,” she swallowed. “I guess so.”
He smiled and shook his head. “No. There’s been no one else, Penny.”
It didn’t make sense. “Then how are you a grandfather?”
He reached into his back pocket. “We are grandparents. Riley married our daughter.”
“Huh?” Her head swam at the thought. “But Hope died.”
From his wallet, he pulled out two photos. In one, Riley posed on his wedding day. The woman in the wedding dress smiled back happily. In the other, she cradled a baby boy.
Penny took the photos he held out and studied them. Her heartbeat quickened and her spine tingled. The woman in both pictures, though older, looked every bit like the little girl she’d left behind all those years ago. Penny saw the sweet shape of her face and the resemblance to Damien. If anything, she looked more like her father than she had as a toddler.
“Hope?”
He smiled and nodded. “You heard Sebastian, he put a bounty on her head. Assassins came from all over the globe for her. We had to make sure everyone thought she was dead so she’d be safe. Her name is Stevie, now.”
“Riley’s wife?”
“And that,” he touched the image in her hand, “is Max.”
The name wrapped around her heart. “Your father.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
Penny’s thoughts drifted to the photos still hidden in her clothes. Forgive me. “And she’s here, in Wills Crossing?”
Again, he nodded, though his sadness intrigued her. “I haven’t told her about you, yet. Truth is, I don’t know how to. She barely remembers you at all.”
Penny considered the awkwardness between her and the man she’d once known intimately, and suspected it would be much the same when it came to her daughter. She’d grown up without a mother. She wouldn’t know Penny from a bar of soap, but damn it, they were family.
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
“You will.”
“Just not yet?” She smiled and touched the back of his hand. “I understand.”
He sighed. “Do you? Because I don’t. When I found out you were alive, all I could focus on was getting you back. Now you’re here and I hardly know what to say.”
Grateful for his honesty, she decided to share a little herself. “I have thought about you every single day, and God knows how sorry I am for what I did. I wish it wasn’t so strange between us.”
He chuffed and gave her a wry smile. “It’s not just me, then?”
“No.”
“There’s a lot we need to discuss, Penny. I want to take you to the cabin, is that okay?”
“You still have that?”
He grinned. “We can talk there, say whatever needs to be said. Figure it all out.”
She couldn’t help but wonder what he meant by that. They were teenagers when they fell in love and barely adults when they married. So much had happened since then. It wasn’t like they could pick up where they left off. Even now she could see a wariness in him she’d never seen before. She wanted to know what caused it, why it was there and how to get rid of it if for no other reason than for him to be happy.
“I don’t have any clothes.”
He nodded. “I have that covered. Mia will be here shortly to sort you out. Of course, if you’d rather not go to the cabin—”
“No. That sounds like a good idea.”
“It’s a lot to take in, I know. There’s no rush, Penny, and no pressure.”
Except, she felt plenty of pressure. The weight of rebuilding a relationship with her daughter settled on her shoulders, and the compulsion to work out what would happen between her and Damien buzzed through her mind. The one thing she knew for certain was the pull she still felt toward Damien.
Just like the first time he sat next to her in biology, her entire being felt the attraction. How, after so long an absence, could her body respond to him as if she were sixteen again? The magnetism bubbled beneath the surface, and provided an enormous sense of relief.
Did he feel it? Or had the pain of her disappearance two decades ago hurt him so much that he no longer felt love for her? It dawned on her that after all this time, it might not be possible for them to find their way back to each other. There were still truths to reveal and emotions to deal with. What happened at the end of it all...who knew?
A knock disrupted them and a young woman with bright red hair gave a wave. “Am I interrupting?”
Damien stood and welcomed her with a hug. “Of course not. Mia, this is Penny. Penny, Mia is Hollywood’s fiancé.”
Penny noted the radiant skin, the hopeful smile and the bright eyes. “Nice to meet you, Mia.”
Mia looked from Penny to Damien and back again. “Right, clothes.” She appraised Penny’s physical state. “Jeans, shirts, trackpants, underwear.” With a grin she pushed Damien toward the door. “Go, I need a moment of privacy.”
He glanced toward Penny and the photos. “I’m right outside if you need anything.”
When he left, Mia closed the door and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “I’ll do some shopping for you. Do you know your bra size?”
Penny laughed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d bought clothing. Hospital scrubs had been her mainstay for too long. “Unfortunately, no.”
“Okay.” Mia shrugged, seemingly unfazed. “Best guess it is. Anything you’d like to request?”
Nothing sprang to mind. “Nothing outrageous, please.”
The young woman chuckled. “Welcome home. Do you remember me at all?”
She studied the delicate face and fair skin, a sense of familiarity tugging on her memories but specifics eluded her. “I’m sorry, dear, no.”
Mia’s shoulders sagged. “Bob Holland is my father.”
“Bob?” Damien’s best friend had spent so much time in their home she’d once thought of him as family. Penny recalled him bringing Mia over to play with Hope. A few years older than Hope, Mia only had brothers and desperately needed a sister-figure. Flashes of memory came to her of Mia teaching Hope to play with dolls, but the age gap got in the way. At three, Hope had been too young to understand. “Of course.”
When Penny smiled, Mia’s face lit up. “I remember you once plaited my hair,” she said. Her eyes filled. “You were so lovely to me when I stayed over. Do you remember trying to teach me Italian?”
Oh. The vision burst into Penny’s thoughts and her throat tightened. “I do.”
A tear spilled down the porcelain-fine skin of Mia’s cheek. “I never forgot. I cried so much when Dad told me you’d died.”
She wished she could take away the hurt. Instead, she reached a hand across to the young woman and wiped away the tear. “I’m sorry, Mia.”
“It’s okay.” She blushed. “I know you did it to protect Stevie. I’m really glad you’re alive. Are you hurt?”
Penny resisted the urge to hide her hands and wrists. “A little. Superficial wounds.”
“You look exhausted.” With a smile, Mia crawled across the bed to give Penny a gentle hug. “You need to rest and recover your strength.”
Penny stroked the soft, silken red hair and soaked up the strength from the hug. “Thank you, sweetheart. Would you promise me something?”
Sitting back, Mia nodded. “Name it?”
“Be there for her when she learns I’m here. She’s going to need someone to talk to.”
The younger woman squeezed Penny’s hand. “Of course.”
Penny gave a nod and glanced toward Mia’s abdomen. “How far along are you?”
Mia blinked in surprise. “We’ve only just announced. How could you possibly know?”
“I’m a doctor. Trust me.”
Mia’s eyes widened. “Like mother like daughter,” she muttered, before she leapt off the bed and disappeared. Alone again, Penny sighed. Silence replaced the lively redhead and gave her a moment to reconcile the unintended impact her actions had. Considering what her death might have done to her daughter and husband had occurred to her, but she had to admit, she hadn’t thought beyond her immediate family members. Bringing up the past, Mia re-enforced the foolishness of her choices.
Penny covered her face with her hands. Discomfort overwhelmed her but she accepted it. If Mia’s reaction was any indication, things weren’t about to get any easier.