Page 57 of Penny & Royce

Penny’s eyes narrowed. “What are you doing?”

“I told you, we can’t get caught.”

Penny had the most adorable scowl. He nearly kissed the frown lines between her brows, but she gave him a little push before he could.

“Are you sure they’d even recognize me? I’m not exactly at the farm all the time.”

“Oh, they’d know.” He didn’t need to tell her that his brother had recognized her when they’d been at the country club. If she knew just how crazy his family could be, she might actually go running for the hills.

He placed one hand against the wall beside her shoulder and grinned down at her. “Besides, you like sneaking around.”

“Do I?”

Royce leaned in closer, his lips grazing her ear. “Every now and again, there’s something exciting about breaking the rules. What was it you called it? Oh yeah. Being reckless.”

Her breathy laugh warmed him, and when she turned her face to capture him in a kiss, he groaned.

“Careful, my wife,” he murmured. “You don’t know what you’re doin’ to me.”

“I thought tonight was supposed to be romantic?” she said teasingly.

“Hmm?”

She giggled and gave him another firmer push. He stumbled back a step and chuckled as he held out his hand toward her. She took it, and he led her into the barn so they could saddle two horses for their little outing.

It was dark, and no one was usually out in the barn this late. Nearly bumping into someone already had been a fluke.

He tightened his hand around hers and, not for the first time, reveled in just how happy he was. Being here with her, showing her everything he loved about his home, was worth the risk of being caught.

Or at least that was what he’d told himself until a hard voice interrupt them.

He was just about to cinch the saddle on Penny’s horse when he stopped cold.

“What are you doing?”

Penny gasped.

Royce’s head popped up, and his eyes connected with Morgan’s. Instinctively, he shifted closer to Penny, but he stopped himself from putting her behind him like she needed to be hidden or protected from his sister.

Morgan’s arms were folded, and she’d tipped her head slightly. The way she was watching them unnerved him. Out of all his siblings, she was supposed to be the reasonable one. She wasn’t a sheep. Not normally. How many times had she told Lincoln he was being an idiot when he complained about Rose Taylor?

“Morgan,” he said quietly, “what do you need?”

She scoffed. “I asked you a question first.” Morgan nodded toward Penny. “What is she doing here? Do you have any idea how dumb it is that you brought her to our property?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Royce insisted.

Penny was standing right there, so there was no denying what she was talking about.

Morgan’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not an idiot, Royce. I know who she is. And we both know that if Dad knew you were spending time with her, he’d threaten to disown you.”

Penny sucked in a quiet breath beside him, and Royce flinched.

That had been a threat once upon a time, but he hadn’t heard his dad bring it up in a while. He shook his head. “She’s a friend.”

He felt sick to his stomach the second the words left his mouth.

And he prayed Penny wouldn’t take offense. Otherwise, he’d be in hot water for more than one reason.