Page 118 of Penny & Royce

The words hit too close.

Penny pressed a trembling hand to her stomach.

Royce’s gaze followed the movement, and his expression shifted into something almost reverent. His hand hovered near hers, asking without words.

She nodded.

He rested his palm gently over her hand.

“You’re my whole world, Penny,” he whispered. “You…and now this baby, too.”

Her breath hitched, getting painfully lodged in her chest. She rested her free hand over the top of his and shivered. “You really think we can make this work? Even with how everything is between our families? I don’t want to lose them. But I know I can’t live without you.”

He exhaled. The sound was so heavy, so burdened, that she grimaced inwardly. She’d been a large part of the weight he’d carried.

“I know we can,” he said. “Not because it’ll be easy. It won’t. But because we’re going to stop trying to carry everything alone.”

Tears blurred her vision again.

“I’m not letting fear make decisions for us anymore,” he said. “And I don’t want you to either.”

Penny nodded slowly, even though she wasn’t sure she fully knew how to do that yet.

Royce’s smile appeared then, tentative but real. For the first time in a long while, he looked more like himself instead of a shadow of the man she’d grown to love.

“Besides,” he added, “if there’s one thing my dad can’t dispute, it’s how important family is. Blood. Loyalty. All that stuff. When he finds out his first grandbaby is on the way, I don’t think he’ll have a choice but to at least consider a truce.”

Penny couldn’t help it.

A laugh bubbled free from her chest.

There was still so much they had to work out between the two of them. She wasn’t so naïve to believe their relationship would pick up exactly where they’d left off. It was on shaky ground at best. Trust would have to be earned again. They’d have to communicate better. Her fears, while understandable, had caused so much hurt, and she’d have to do a lot to make up for it.

Hopefully, Royce would give her the chance to do just that.

As if he knew exactly where her thoughts had gone, he touched his forehead to hers.

“One day at a time,” he whispered.

Penny closed her eyes and finally let herself lean into him.

“One day at a time.”

30

ROYCE

“Istill don’t understand why everyone was required to come,” Lincoln grumbled, slamming the door to his truck shut.

Royce cut him a look. “You said we needed to come up with ideas for how to keep that goat on her side of the fence. Well, this is my idea. And if we’re going to get a dog or two, I want everyone involved in picking it. We’re all going to have to take care of them, right?”

Lincoln’s scowl didn’t change. “While I appreciate that you’re thinking outside the box, I disagree that we all need to be here. Mateo could have easily picked out a few pups for us and delivered them after the initial training was complete.”

“Come on, Lincoln,” Morgan crooned, hopping up beside him. “You love animals. You want this dog as much as we do. And I bet you’re going to be the one to veto any of our choices anyway.”

“Exactly my point,” Lincoln muttered. “I could have easily picked one, and we’d be done with this whole charade.”

He glanced over to where their father was walking beside Bentley. “At least you didn’t make the others come.”