“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.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jaxson
It had been a hell of a day. From waking up after a beating to meeting the legendary Kyle McCullough to finding out he had a freaking twin sister, it had been one surprise after another.
And yet none of those things were at the forefront of his thoughts. Penny Hoffmeier was. Specifically, the raw disappointment he’d seen in her eyes when he told her that Zeb was going to be the one driving him down to Birch Falls.
That look hurt more than the kicks to his ribs he’d taken the night before. At least he’d managed to get a few shots in, too. Somebody was walking around with some bruises and maybe some fractures of their own. Fucking cowards, jumping him from behind like that.
When he thought about what might have happened if he’d brought Penny back to his room like he’d wanted to ...
No, he was doing the right thing by refusing to cave. Last night had proven that.
But keeping Penny at a safe distance was becoming increasingly difficult. The more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted to spend with her. The more he learned, the more he wanted to know.
She wasn’t the flighty, bubbly woman he’d first thought. He’d been watching her throughout afternoon and discovered something he hadn’t expected—at least some of that perpetual sunshine was an illusion. For as friendly and outgoing as Penny was, she also tended to stay just outside the circle, on the edge, looking in. She did things for others but wasn’t comfortable with accepting help for herself.
There had been a few unguarded moments when he saw the subtle longing in her eyes. Like when Doc slipped an arm around his wife’s waist or Cage snuck a kiss from Bree. Even not-so-obvious things, like when Steve slid a slice of watermelon from his plate to Sam’s and Sam looked at him as if he’d given her the moon.
Then, there was the easy camaraderie they shared. Teasing each other while having each other’s backs. Like a family—one created by choice, not biology. It was so real, so genuine.
He couldn’t blame Penny for wanting something like that. To feel included among those who shared common bonds was nice. It was one of the reasons he’d stayed in the Army as long as he had—that sense of team and community.
Now, it looked as if he might have the chance to have that again in a way. If Sam was the sister he’d never known he had—and everything in him told him she was—he’d probably be accepted among the Sanctuary crowd as is and without question.
But Penny ... it was different for her. Even though he’d overheard the women suggest more than once that she join them for their Sunday coffees or whatever, it wouldn’t be the same. She’d still be on the outside looking in, because she would see herself as the odd one out.
This, he knew. However, if things worked out and if he and Penny actually got together, it could be a different story.
He shook his head. As attracted as he was to her, as much as he secretly enjoyed her company, he didn’t want to set any false expectations. Tomorrow, he’d have his bike back. He’d check out of Mel’s and head up to Sanctuary, where he’d spend his remaining days before heading back to Campbell’s Junction.
Back to do what, he hadn’t quite figured out yet. Beyond cleaning up his dad’s estate, which could conceivably be more complicated with Sam in the picture, he hadn’t decided what he was going to do.
He looked over to the corner table, now devoid of carnations, and rubbed absently at his chest. That look of disappointment in her eyes burned like indigestion in his chest. The knowledge that he might not see her again intensified the feeling.
There’s still time, a little voice said in the back of his head as he glanced at the digital clock.
He was in town for one more night. They were both adults. He’d just make it clear right up front that it was a one-time thing.
He pulled out his phone, tempted to do just that. If he called, she’d be there in a heartbeat.
Which was exactly why he couldn’t do anything of the sort.
He tossed his phone on the side table and picked up the television remote instead. No sooner had he pointed it at the screen than there was a knock at the door.
He opened it up to find Penny. Just like that, the indigestion vanished. “What are you—”
“This is stupid,” she said, pushing her way into his room.
“Excuse me?”
Hearing voices down the hall, Jaxson quickly closed the door.
“This,” she said, waving her hand back and forth between the two of them. “This misplaced sense of whatever it is between us.”
His heart thumped against the walls of his chest, the denial racing to his lips, even as his mind shouted, Yes! “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She snorted, a cute, feminine sound that almost made him smile.
“We’re both adults. I find you extremely attractive, and at the risk of sounding full of myself, I think you feel the same way about me.”
He opened his mouth, but she held up her hand to stop him. “I know. You don’t want to start anything. I get that. News flash: I don’t either.”
He blinked. “What do you want, Penny?”
“You. One night. No strings.”
It was like she’d read his mind.
She started pacing gingerly, then apparently thought better of it and started waving her hands around instead and talking faster. “When I was a senior in high school, our German club took a field trip to the Catskills for the big Oktoberfest celebration they have every year.”
“What does that have to do with—”
“Just listen, okay? There was this stand that had something called bienenstich kuchen—this heavenly dessert with vanilla pudding and cream and butter. It smelled so good, and I wanted to try it so bad. Just one piece. Just a taste. But I didn’t.”