Penny walked into the Grizzly on Friday afternoon, carrying a large vase stuffed with roses. She was meeting her brothers and Trent for lunch. Over the last week, Trent had been swinging by and trying to make nice with her brothers. It turned out that their dislike could be swayed with beer and hot wings. Now, the three of them were the best of friends, although Cal and Wes still told her they were #TeamHunter.
The dumbasses.
As she sat down at the table, she huffed out a heavy sigh.
“Whoa, are those from Hunter?” Cal asked.
“Well, they’re not from me,” Trent said, sheepishly. “Unless there’s no card. Then they totally are.”
Penny gave Trent a scathing look. “It’s not funny. My house has become a florist shop. No matter where I turn there are flowers here and there and everywhere.”
“Well, Dr. Seuss, if you want them to stop, why don’t you talk to the doc?” Wes asked.
Because I don’t want to?
That wasn’t exactly true though. Since the last kiss, he’d been sending flowers and chocolates to her all day long. A small part of her was enjoying Hunter’s wooing, even if she wasn’t responding to it. Another part of her was scared that if she believed him, he might pull away again.
And then the evil bits inside her liked torturing him. Just a little.
Plus, she was afraid if she confronted him, he might kiss her again and she didn’t seem to have any control when he did that. It was a problem.
“I think your sister is enjoying making the doc squirm.”
Penny shot him a death stare, wondering how in the hell he’d read her mind. “I do not.”
“Oh, come on! You wanted him to wise up and now that he has, you’re letting him dangle on a hook. You should throw him a bone. Guys need encouragement or they’ll give up.”
Penny bit her cheek to fight a smile. “You didn’t need any encouragement.”
Trent grinned wolfishly. “I’m a different animal.”
“You got the animal part right,” she said.
“Ouch.” Trent’s cell went off and he grimaced. “I’m gonna have to take a rain check. Duty calls.” He tossed a couple bills down for his Coke and shook her brothers’ hands before kissing her cheek. “Later, kitten.”
“You can stop that.”
“Never.” He left the Grizzly with a wink and Penny shook her head. When she finally glanced up from the menu, it was to find both of her brothers staring at her.
“What?”
“Exactly when were you going to tell us you were moving to San Diego?” Wes asked.
Damn. She hadn’t wanted to talk to them about it until she was sure what she wanted to do. She already had two men giving her their opinions on which job she should choose…she didn’t need her brothers butting in, too.
“How the…did Trent tell you that?”
Wes scowled darkly, as if she had asked the wrong question. “No…it was in the Bear Mountain Moments section.”
How in the hell had the newspaper found out about it?
“I haven’t decided. I have until today—”
“But you were going to decide without talking to us?” Cal said.
“You two are grown-ass men, and only come back to visit a couple times a year! Why would I consult with you about what I do with my life?”
They both actually looked hurt.
“’Cause we’re family,” Wes said.
Cal nodded. “And we thought once we were out, we’d come back here and settle down. We figured you’d be here, too.”
Penny was so overcome, she couldn’t speak for several seconds. Finally, she sniffled, “That’s really sweet.”
Her brothers shifted in their seats, as though they were uncomfortable with her obvious display of emotions.
“Besides, if you sell the house then we’ll have nowhere to crash when we’re on leave,” Cal said. “And we’re too broke to afford a hotel.”
Penny laughed. “That’s what I was waiting for.”
Wes put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Joking aside, sis, it’s your decision. But this place won’t feel like home without you.”
Penny stared at the two e-mails from San Diego Zoo and Yellowstone while her finger hovered over the green Call button on her phone. After she’d talked to her brothers and heard how frustrated they were about her desire to leave, she was really having her doubts. Hell, even Allie had been disappointed to hear that Penny was considering taking a job in San Diego.
Plus, Penny knew how Hunter felt about her leaving. And Trent.
Trent was really special. He’d become this supportive, bright spot in her life. Someone who could make her smile and laugh, even when she didn’t want to. He wanted her to stay for him.
And Hunter had said that Bear Mountain wouldn’t be the same without her. That he wouldn’t be the same without her around.
But ultimately, it was up to her.
What did she really want?
Penny glanced around the room at the old pictures of her family before it had been damaged by loss.
It wasn’t beyond repair though. She and her brothers had survived. They could care about other people, even love…
She pressed the button on her screen and waited for Hunter to pick up.
It went straight to voice mail, and before she lost her nerve, she started talking.
“Hey, it’s me. I wanted to tell you that I loved all the flowers. Call me when you get a chance.”
She hung up and the next phone call was a little harder. Speaking to the director at the San Diego Zoo and giving up the position she had coveted for so long was tough, but she ended the call feeling lighter. Freer.
Who would have thought staying in Bear Mountain would have made her this happy?