That night, Hunter stood outside the entrance of the Grizzly, debating whether he should go inside. He’d called Penny to check on her, but she hadn’t answered. He figured she was probably royally pissed and he didn’t blame her. He was an idiot.
Why the heck had he kissed her? And then run out the door like a coward?
The only rational reason he’d come up with was that he needed time to sort through what was going on with him. The kiss had been as big of a surprise for him as it was for her.
He needed to talk to her. To clear the air between them. Maybe he could take her to dinner…
Shit. So this was it. He was actually going to ask Penny out.
With a sense of purpose, he walked inside.
And the first thing he saw was Trent leaning over the bar, talking to a smiling Penny.
Hunter’s jaw clenched so hard he thought his teeth would shatter. He strode over to the bar, and got both of their attentions when he sat down one stool over.
“Penny, I’d like to speak to you on your break,” Hunter said.
Penny’s blue eyes went as big as saucers, and Trent seemed to bristle. “Sorry, Doc, but she already took it with me.”
Hunter glanced his way briefly, talking himself down from laying the cocky son of a bitch out. “She’ll get another. Or I’ll drive her home. Again.”
It was an intentional dig, and he felt satisfied when Trent’s face flushed. “Like hell you will.”
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t get to walk in here and act like you own her. If you wanted her, you should have done something about it. Like I did. I’m not backing down for you or anyone else.”
The bar went dead silent. Even the song coming from the jukebox ended. Hunter stood up and said, “She’s a woman, not a prize. I don’t own her. I care about her. You know, for more than just sex.”
Trent threw the first punch, knocking Hunter back over his stool. He heard Penny yell, but couldn’t make out what she said. Once he got back on his feet, it was on, and he launched himself at Trent, tackling the bigger man to the floor.
“Damn it, knock it off!”
Hunter heard her this time, but he was too far gone to stop. Sitting on Trent’s chest, he hit him square in the nose, and felt the satisfying crack of bone under his knuckle right before the blood gushed down his opponent’s face.
“I said, stop it! Hunter!” Penny shoved him in the shoulder with her bat and it was all Trent needed to knock him off him. When both of them stood, Trent took a step in but Penny was there, her bat up and her expression furious.
“You two are going to get me fired over something stupid! Now get the hell out of here before I beat you both so bad, you’ll be crawling to your cars.”
Hunter wiped at his throbbing lip, noting the line of blood on the back of his hand. “Stay away from her,” he said darkly.
Trent glared at him, blood running over his mouth and chin. “I was going to tell you the same thing.”
Hunter shot Penny one long glance, noting her expression of disbelief. It was as if she’d never seen him before. Then he got the hell out of there.
Trent watched Hunter walk out the door, waiting until it shut behind him before he groaned in pain. Penny slapped a wet rag in his hand, and he wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t eager to nurse him back to health. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out the front door after Hunter.
“You’re banished, too.”
“I’m banished? I was defending you!”
She scoffed. “No, you were pissing on me and I don’t appreciate it. No matter what the two of you think, I’m the one who decides who I date. And it’ll have nothing to do with which one of you Neanderthals wins a bar fight.”
Trent mopped at his sore nose, pretty sure it was broken, and winced. “I know it is your decision. But I want to make sure you know that you have choices.”
“Yeah, between dumb and dumber.”
“No, kitten,” he said softly. “Between a man who will fight for you, and one who waited until he had to.”
Trent dropped the rag and cradled her face in his hands. “And in case you didn’t realize, I’m the former.”
Trent was just dipping his head to kiss her when someone tapped him on the shoulder. As soon as he let Penny go and turned around, pain exploded in his face. Another fist connected with his cheek.
He fell on his ass and looked up to find two big, burly men standing over him, identical scowls on their faces.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing to our sister?”
Penny pounded on her friend Allison Fairchild’s door twenty minutes later, ready for some much needed girl talk and a bottle of wine. She heard a series of high-pitched barks through the door before Allie opened it and gave her a once-over. Allie’s dog, Kermit, sped around Penny in a circle before disappearing back inside as fast as his little legs would take him. His long fur flew behind him like a cape.
Allie’s gaze met hers. “Should I grab the wine?”
“Definitely. Got a vat of it?”
“’Fraid not.”
Penny stepped into Allie’s homey cabin, shaking her head. “I don’t know why you don’t move in with Dex in the main house. You two have been together for eight months now.”
“I basically live with him, but we haven’t decided where to put my stuff yet. Besides, sometimes a girl needs her own space.” Allie grabbed the bottle of wine and two glasses before adding, “Hunter showed up about forty-five minutes ago looking like he was going to explode, so I figured I’d let them have some boy talk.”
Penny hadn’t even noticed Hunter’s car because she’d been so angry. “Yeah, well, he’s such a dick.”
Allie’s eyes practically bugged out of her head. “Did you just call Hunter a dick?”
“Yeah, I did. He showed up at the Grizzly and started a fight with Trent. As if he has any right to tell me we need to talk, especially after he walked out on me last night.”
“Wait, what happened last night?” Allie asked.
Penny, already on a roll, continued, “The most earth-shattering kiss of the century. And then he bolts.”
Allie tipped back one of the glasses she’d poured and shook her head. “Wait. So you’re telling me that after I broke up that fight at the hospital between Trent and Hunter, he went to your room and kissed you? And then he left?”
“Yep.” Penny downed her wine. “Like I said. Dick.”
“Idiot,” Allie said, correcting her. “So, what does this mean for you? Do you like Trent? Or Hunter?”
Penny laid her head on Allie’s kitchen counter with a groan. “God, don’t ask me that.”
“Why not?”
She turned her head to the side so she could see Allie. The smooth tile cooled the heat of her cheek. “Because I don’t know. On one hand, I’ve wanted Hunter for years. I’ve been dreaming of this moment, when he would wake up and realize he wants me, too.” Finally standing back up, she continued, “But on the other, Trent isn’t who I thought he’d be. He’s actually pretty sweet, and he’s fun, and charming, and makes me laugh. Maybe that’s the type of guy I should be with.”
“Sounds like quite the dilemma.”
Penny held out her glass for more wine. “Yeah, it is.”
“Who makes you lose control?” Allie asked.
Penny stopped tipping the glass back at her question. “What?”
“Which one of them makes you completely lose it and want to rip off their clothes and never let them go?”