Saturday afternoon, Penny stood in front of her Tacoma, beating on the green metal hood with her fists.
“Stupid piece of shit!”
The whole day had been like that, though. She’d had trouble sleeping last night after she’d written responding e-mails to both job offers the day before. Both of them wanted to interview her in person. That wouldn’t be hard to manage for the Yellowstone job, but she was going to have to get on a plane for San Diego. God, she hated to fly. And that explained why she’d gotten home from work last night, gone straight to bed, and ended up dreaming about being on a crashing plane. After waking up in a panic, she tossed and turned for the rest of the night, and finally gave up on sleep to watch Supergirl on Netflix.
And then in the morning, she slept through her alarm. She’d gone to grab her laundry out of the dryer, only to realize it was still wet. Either she had forgotten to turn it on, or her cat, Bart, had bumped the Off button when he jumped up to eat on top of the dryer. Regardless, the only thing she had left in her closet were dresses and skirts, none of which were appropriate for a crowded bar.
She’d settled on her jean skirt and a low-cut tank top, anyway. It may have been degrading, but during peak tourist season, showing a bit more skin got her better tips.
However, it was one thing to drive to work in her outfit, but walk the two miles to work? People were going to think she was a hooker. Not that hookers frequented Bear Mountain…but still.
Hiking her purse strap over her shoulder, she started moving, her black combat boots eating up the gravel road. A car full of idiots drove by, yelling and catcalling, and she flipped them the bird.
After a minute, she started to sweat. It was only eighty-five degrees, but her black tank was absorbing the heat like a sponge and her thick ponytail rested on the back of her neck like a wet mop.
A black SUV pulled over in front of her, and she stopped, waiting for the driver to get out. She prayed it was someone she knew and not a creepy stranger. If he tried anything, she would break his balls with her steel toes.
Hunter stepped out of the driver side. His expression was thunderous. “What in the hell are you doing?”
Immediately on the defensive, her hands slammed down on her hips. “Knitting a sweater. What does it look like? My truck wouldn’t start so I’m walking.”
“Why didn’t you call someone for a ride?” His gaze raked over her from head to toe. “There is no way you can walk home tonight after work in that.”
Penny stiffened. “There you go, acting as though you can tell me what to do again.”
Hunter sighed heavily, shoving his hands in his hair. “I’m not telling you what to do. I’m saying that this town is packed with a bunch of strangers. It isn’t safe for you to walk home at two thirty in the morning while the drunk tourists are roaming the streets.”
Penny’s first inclination was to make some smart-ass comment, but she thought about what he’d said to her about being nice. She didn’t need to be snarky all the time, especially when someone was trying to help her.
And despite his rather abrasive way of handling it, Hunter was looking out for her. He cared that she was safe.
He took a deep breath and then held his hand out before she came up with something nasty to say. “Let me start over. Can I just give you a ride? Please?”
Okay, so it was kind of nice to see him concerned. Slipping her hand in his, she smiled. “Thanks. That would be nice. It’s hot out here.”
He led her to the passenger side of his car, her heart thudding at the little zing that ran through her body in reaction to his grip on her arm.
“When did you get this car?” she asked.
“Last week.” He released her hand and opened the door on the passenger’s side.
“It’s nice.”
He shut the door without saying anything, and she leaned her head back, letting the air-conditioning cool her skin. When he hopped in, she sighed.
“This feels amazing. My truck hasn’t had AC in over a year.”
“Why don’t you get it fixed?”
“Because not all of us make over a hundo thundo a year.”
Hunter pulled out onto the road, scoffing. “You work all the time. You should be able to afford basic car maintenance.”
“Not when you bury a parent,” she said, softly.
She thought she saw him wince out of the corner of her eye. “I’m sorry. I know it was hard losing your dad.”
Penny didn’t want to tell him that her dad had been gone long before he’d had his heart attack. It seemed as though after her mom died, he’d gone to work at night and come home to sleep the day away. He didn’t care what his kids were doing, or what kind of trouble they got into. Penny had tried to keep her brothers out of any real danger, but they’d still gotten a reputation.
But Penny had worked hard in school and gotten good grades. She couldn’t go away to college and leave her brothers, so she’d taken online courses while she worked to pay for them. When her brothers had decided to enlist, it had just been her and her dad. She’d made meals for him and kept the house clean; but otherwise, they’d been like strangers, hardly seeing each other.
When he’d died, he’d left the house to her, but between the medical deductibles and the funeral costs, she’d had to sell anything and everything of value. She was still trying to get out of the hole he left behind.
Hunter’s hand covered hers, drawing her out of her thoughts.
“I am sorry for giving you a hard time about your car.”
“It’s okay. I should get it fixed. Or trade it in for something more reliable.”
Hunter cleared his throat. “Speaking of reliable…the offer still stands for me to tell that Trent guy to take a hike.”
Penny smiled, enjoying the feel of his hand still on hers. “I told you I could handle Trent.”
“Yeah, but guys like him will use their charm to wear a girl down. Then they break her heart. You deserve better.”
I deserve you.
Suddenly, she was angry with him. Who was he to act so concerned about who she dated, when he had to know that she only wanted him?
When he pulled into the parking lot of the Grizzly, Penny got out, and stood in the door of his SUV, staring at him. Finally mustering up her nerve, she said, “Hunter, if you really want a say in who I date, then you should ask me out yourself.”