Hurrying back, he jotted down the numbers and the make of the car on a pad of paper and threw his pen onto the dash. He hated moments like this when he wasn’t as mobile as he wished. In the end, he doubted the man on the street meant anything and was probably just a kid who’d been spooked by Penn. However, he’d learned long ago that it was best not to shrug off anything, even if it seemed pointless.
He looked back in the window and Harley was gone from his view.
Walking through the glass door, the bell dinged and the petite blonde stepped out from a row of books. “Can I help—” Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. “Penn Jericho?”
He grinned. “Yes.” He smiled wider when the woman’s face flushed bright red. “Have we met before?”
She nibbled her bottom lip. “Once, in church. You don’t remember?”
“Sure, how could I forget?” He held out his hand. Truth was, he didn’t recall meeting her, but he wasn’t about to hurt her feelings. “You’re Jodi, right?” He took a stab in the dark. Harley had told him her employee’s name, but he wasn’t sure…
“Yes, that’s right. I work here, and I’m Harley’s best friend. And your biggest fan.” She giggled and her cheeks turned three shades of red. “All of you Jericho cowboys really. I used to love seeing you ride the bull.” He shot a quick look at her red heels that reminded him of Dorothy’s, but she didn’t have a Toto close by. “You’re here to see Harley? Of course. Silly me. Why else? I mean…I’m sure you read books…when you have the time. I’ll just shut up now.”
He nodded. “I promised I’d stop by and give her a lift.” He scanned the room, but didn’t see her.
“She’s in the reading room in the back. Can I get you a coffee? A cupcake? They’re amazing.” There was an obvious hitch to her voice.
“No, thank you. I’ll just head on back if that’s okay?”
“Head…sure…do what you want.” She clasped her hands and wrung them together.
He made his way between two shelves and as he turned the corner, he spotted Harley sitting in an oversized chair, her glasses on and her face lowered in an open book. Her hair was now pulled back in a bun, while many tendrils of wayward strands had found their way loose, brushing her pale cheeks. Her lips were slightly pursed and her nose wrinkled as if she read something that she didn’t like or agree with. He smiled.
What the hell was Hugh thinking by saying she wasn’t Penn’s type? He didn’t have a type, or at least in his opinion he didn’t. But if he did, Harley certainly did top the list. He could stand here for hours, maybe days, watching her. Seeing the changes of her expression as she ignored everything around her.
The moment was broken when she happened to look up, saw him and a smile crossed her pouty lips. She waved and he waved back. He strolled into the small room that resembled a comfy living room. An electric fireplace was turned on, adding warmth to the space. “Am I interrupting?” He sat down on the chair across from her.
“Harper Lee will forgive you,” she said as she pulled off her glasses and rested them against her chest, held on by the necklace.
“Harper Lee?”
She lifted the book she was reading. To Kill a Mockingbird. “Please tell me you’ve read this?”
“In high school.”
“Because it counted for a grade?” She lifted a thin brow.
“Will you despise me if I say yes?”
“Maybe a little.” She scooted to the edge of the chair. “I’ve read it a hundred times and I still can’t get over how drastically Atticus changes over three years.”
“The father, right?”
She nodded. “Yes, the father.”
“I do remember the book, but honestly, I was into sports more than reading.”
She shrugged. “Most teenagers are. Are you done for the day?”
“Is it too early to pick you up? I was hoping I could ask for your company tonight.”
“My company? What’s up?”
“Ballet.”
She laughed and brought her palm up to cover her mouth. “You’re into ballet?”
He shrugged. “I’m into my niece who is into ballet. I know you’d probably rather…”
“I’d love to come.” Her eyes dazzled. For some reason, he felt on top of the world knowing she’d be there with him, but what he hoped was that his brothers didn’t make too much out of it and lecture him again.
CHAPTER SEVEN
HARLEY HAD NEVER been surrounded by so much testosterone and good looks in all her life. Those were her thoughts when she sat down in the seat between Penn and one of his brothers. This could easily be called a “cowboy sandwich”.
“Hi. I’m Hugh,” the man with the deep dimples and dazzling eyes said as he dipped his hat in greeting.
“I’m Harley.” They shook hands and she noticed that he, like Penn, had callused palms and long, thick fingers.
Penn leaned forward. “Next to Hugh is Wes, then Roman, his wife Pippa, and Urban. The ugliest one of the bunch.”
Upon hearing this, Urban gave Penn the middle finger. “He’s only jealous.”
“It’s nice to meet you, all of you.” They each greeted her with a similar, panty-moistening smile and beautiful, bright eyes, except for Pippa who had a friendly smile and curious eyes. Harley also realized that a lot of women were pausing to admire the men as they made their way past, some making their attention more obvious than others by including sappy grins and almost tripping over their feet.
“It’s nice to have some female blood among the brood. We’ll talk later,” Pippa said.
Excitement rolled through Harley and she tugged on Penn’s sleeve, leaning in to whisper, “That’s Pippa Wilder.”
“Yes, I know.”
“I’ve read her self-help books.” She waved at Pippa again, not worried about containing her enthusiasm. “I love her theories about marriage. And men.”
Penn laughed.
Hugh held his phone out and above their heads for Harley to see. “Can you do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Which boots do you like best? The pair in the picture on the left or on the right?”
“Hmm. I like both, but are these for you?” He nodded. “Then I’d definitely go with the pair on the left. The pointy toe looks great on a man of your height.”
He smiled from ear to ear. “Thank you, ma’am.” He dipped his hat again.
“Take your hat off. It’s about to start.” Wes elbowed Hugh.
“Damn, man. Did you forget that I hurt my ribs last week?” Hugh winched and held his side.
“Are you still complaining?”
“Now you know why none of us are married except for Roman,” Penn said lightheartedly.
“I think your brothers are wonderful.” Being here helped her realize how close he was with his family. They joked and prodded each other, but the love was apparent between them. Unfortunately, it sunk a knife straight into Harley’s chest. She’d never been close with her siblings. Maybe because they were only half siblings or because of the age difference, but they certainly didn’t share the same bond that the Jericho boys did.
Penn shifted and his knee brushed her thigh. She jerked as heat radiated straight up her thigh and nestled in her core. She brought her gaze up to see if he realized the effect of the act, but he seemed oblivious. Yet, every inch of her had warmed up by ten degrees and sweat beaded between her breasts. She used the program to fan her face.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Sorry, I guess it’s just a bit warm in here.”
He nodded. “I spoke with Carter, the detective I told you about at the department. I made him aware of the situation. I’m not sure if there’s anything to this, but a strange thing happened while I was parked on the street in front of the bookstore earlier.”
“What’s that?”
“I saw a man who looked familiar, and when I approached him, he took off in a flash. I’ve been muddling through my brain, trying to figure out how I know h
im. By chance, did Patterson have a beard when you last saw him?”
“No. Why? Do you think the man was really Patterson?”
“I thought it could be.”
“That makes no sense. Why would he be near the store and not come to see me? He doesn’t live close and, as far as I know, doesn’t have a reason to be on that side of town.” She noticed that he didn’t seem convinced. “What are you thinking?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”
The lights flashed on stage, ending their conversation. He pointed out Brie who was in front, directly in the middle.
Harley watched, mesmerized by the lovely young girls and handsome boys who were working hard on stage. It brought back memories when she was little and dancing. Back when her mother was alive.
On occasion, Penn’s knee or his arm would brush against her and she’d spend a considerable amount of time controlling the internal chaos sparked by his closeness. By the time the curtain closed, she could barely think clearly.
“You ready?” Penn asked.
“More than you know.” Seeing his narrowed gaze, she cleared her throat. “Yes. I’m ready to leave.”
She and Penn were almost to the exit doors when a pretty blonde waved at him.
“Who’s that?” Harley asked.
“Who?” Penn followed her nod.
“The woman waving at you.”
“Oh, that’s…” Before he could finish the woman approached them, her curious gaze directed at Harley.
“I thought that was you, Penn.” The slender woman leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, lingering a good five seconds as she squeezed his bicep. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”
“My niece was in the recital,” he said unenthusiastically.
“So was mine. If I’d have known you were here, I would have invited you…both…to come sit so we could catch up.” The woman’s gaze drilled into Harley. “Hi. Since Penn has no manners, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Seneca, a long time—” There was a slight hesitation, “friend of his.”
“I’m Harley Tate.”
“Hmm, are you from around these parts?” One thin brow slithered upward on the woman’s face.
“Yes. I own Between the Lines.” Seeing the curiosity, Harley added, “The bookstore.”
“Oh.” Seneca laughed. “Haven’t been in there.”
“Stop by some time.” Seneca’s laugh faded. Realizing how awkward things were getting, Harley decided to subtly explain things. “I’ve hired Penn. I needed his insight on something I’m involved in.”
“Really?” Seneca leaned in a few inches, her gaze on Harley’s ears. “It was your earring I found on Penn’s floor. I’m glad to see that you got it back.” She snapped her eyes to Penn.
He shifted and tucked his thumbs in his pockets.
“I bet you two would like to talk. I’ll meet you out front, Penn.” Harley excused herself.
She started for the door and felt a gentle tug on her elbow. She turned to meet the pretty gaze of Pippa. She motioned for Harley to step away with her into a private corner. Following the other woman, Harley mazed through people filing into the parking lot.
“That woman is like a snake ready to sink her fangs into anything that bleeds.”
“Seneca?” Harley refused to look at the twosome.
Pippa shot her gaze past Harley. “Don’t worry about her. She’s tried to gain the attention of all the Jericho men at one time or another.”
“Oh, I’m not worried. My relationship with Penn is strictly business.”
“I thought…well…since he invited you here that you two were dating.”
“Oh, no.”
“He’s a great guy. All the brothers are. It’s a little shocking at first, being around all of them at once, but they’ll grow on you. I’m not sure if you and Penn will still be working together tomorrow, but why don’t you come by the house. It’s family dinner day. This will be the second one we’ve had. I’d love to have some female company.”
Harley shot a glance toward Penn and Seneca—couldn’t help herself. “Depends.”
“Oh, I’m sure Penn won’t mind.”
Seneca’s bottom lip puckered and she stomped away, after giving a dramatic toss of her hair. “I think I caused issues between them.” Harley sighed. Penn turned his chin, met Harley’s gaze and he shrugged. She turned to face Pippa. “I’ll have to see, but thank you for inviting me.”
*****
“I’m sorry, Penn. I’ve caused a hiccup with you and Seneca. It would seem I’ve screwed up a lot of things lately.” He shrugged one beefy shoulder as he steered the truck onto the main road.
“It was bound to happen sooner or later. We’d reached an understanding.”
“I don’t believe she was quite as much in agreement as you might think.”
“It won’t take her long before she finds another warm body to fill her bed.” He kept his gaze steady on the road. He really didn’t want to talk about Seneca, especially after she’d called him a ‘male slut’ and stomped off.
“Is that what you were? A warm body to her?”
He slipped his gaze to Harley who looked amazing in the soft blue top that hung off one slender shoulder. He’d had a hard time keeping his attention on her face when her ample breasts were like magnets to his hungry gaze. The shirt teased him with the way it skimmed the pale mounds like a cotton kiss. His intention had been to prove to his brothers that he was all business when it came to Harley, but what he’d actually proved was that the need burrowed in his gut was much deeper than he first suspected. He just hoped no one caught on, but he was pretty sure Pippa was able to read between the lines. It was probably why she gave him a shit-eating grin when she said “goodbye.”
“You don’t want to answer?” Harley shifted.
“No, I don’t have a problem answering. As crude as it sounds, yeah, I was just a warm body.” Why did he hate that it made him seem like a jerk? Maybe it was best that he asked Urban to take over the case. His brother was diligent and responsible when it came to work and would keep Harley safe. But why did that make Penn’s stomach tighten? Truth was, he didn’t want to think of anyone, not even one of his brothers, watching or doing anything with Harley. Where did the jealousy come from? He wasn’t a jealous man, never had been, but then again when had he ever been this perplexed over a woman? Never.
His mom’s last words to him stuck out in his head. “Find something you’re good at and do good deeply. Find someone you love and do love deeply.”
These emotions in him had come out of nowhere, striking him hard right where it counted, straight in the center of his chest.
“That is crude, and sad.”
“Not for someone who has no desire for a relationship,” he admitted. Had that idea changed? Hell no. Maybe…
She stretched her long, denim clad legs and his eyes gravitated to the quarter-sized hole on her thigh. Pale, smooth skin. He caught a glimpse of her pink toenails in the strappy, black sandals. He’d never thought of a woman’s feet as being delicate or sexy before, but she had nice feet.
“Wow,” her voice brought him back on track. “you’re not even going to give a woman the chance to prove you wrong, huh?”
“Are you volunteering?” He snapped up a brow and, oh brother, did he hope she would take the task on. He had a feeling that when Harley set her mind on something, she didn’t stop until she made it, or him, hers. Shivers raced through him.
“You and me? In a relationship? Have you ever been in one before, cowboy?”
That cute little smile made his zipper stretch. He wondered if she knew just how much she affected him?
“What’s your idea of a relationship, Harley?” Her tongue swept out to moisten her bottom lip and he gripped the steering wheel.
“Dinner. Movies. On the same page together. Feeling like you can’t breathe normal when they’re close, but life just isn’t the same when they’re not around. Your palms get sweaty and your tongue gets tied. You wo
uld walk across hot coals for miles just to hold them, to get a glimpse of their face. She makes you want to be a better man. Ever experience any of those things, Penn?”
He blinked. Yeah, about ninety percent of them in the last few days. But there was no way he could tell her what he was feeling. Best thing to do was change the subject. He rubbed his chin. “’Fraid I’ve seen too many relationships end horribly. Kind of scars a man’s belief system.”
“Come on, cowboy. You can’t be serious. All relationships come with a risk. We just have to choose the right person and make an effort every day to keep things fresh and alive.”
He laughed. “Oh, so you’re a romantic? I would have gathered as much.”
“How so?”
“You have your nose in a book most of the time. Don’t most book lovers believe in fairy tales?” Her sigh brought his head around.
“If I didn’t think you meant that negatively, I would say “thank you’.”
“I didn’t mean it in a negative way.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to tell about you. How old are you?”
“Thirty-five.”
“Such a narrow way of thinking for a man so young.”
“Maybe your romantic way of thinking will rub off on me. Never know. There are seven wonders of the world. Why not believe in an eighth?”
“Like that comment, I’m not sure whether to be flattered or hurt. It’s like you sugar coat things only to pour acid on it.”
“I’ll have to work on that, but you need to believe I’d never hurt you.”
Her gaze met his and then she quickly turned away. “Pippa invited me for dinner at her and Roman’s house tomorrow evening. For a family gathering.”
Yeah, just as he thought. Pippa was on to something. “She did, did she?”
“I didn’t accept, at least not yet. I said I’d have to wait and see.”
Penn's Fortune (Saddles & Second Chances Book 2) Page 10