by Kayla Hensen
Dad shrugged. “Maybe even better than him!”
Mom’s eyes widened and she gasped.
Penny smirked at their byplay. It was the same as it always was but the two of them were just the cutest. “You think I should… reach out?”
Mom smiled. “Maybe you should. Or lend an ear to support him through whatever he’s going through. Everyone who has ever lived in Hamilton Springs knows of the rivalry between those two families. It must be hard. For all of them.”
“I left a few messages but I don’t want to chase him.”
“Kids these days. It’s all texts and messages. Have you tried showing up at his house?”
“He lives in the pool house behind a giant iron gate. I can’t exactly show up unannounced, Dad.”
“You might need to get creative. You know a little deception never hurt anyone.” Mom wiggled her eyebrows up and down.
Penny couldn’t believe that she said that. “Mom, really!”
“Oh what? You think I got your father completely honestly? Please, dear. Do you remember what it was I told you?” She leaned across the table, gazing dreamily at her husband.
“That your car broke down. I got there and not only is her car not broken down but she was wearing the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen. I’ve been hers ever since.”
Well, that was bold. “I don’t know if that’ll work for me, but I guess I can try something else. Maybe I can just show up unannounced. Or… I can get him to agree to come to my office.”
“There you go. Good luck, dear. The two of you really would make beautiful babies.”
Penny groaned.
*****
You couldn’t stop a Mom from being a mom and Penny couldn’t stop working overtime for Logan Sinclair. It had been four nights straight that the sun had set before she headed home. Tonight appeared like it’d be even later as she and Logan hammered out contract dealings andproperty management. Just organizing his travel schedule was an exercise in extreme fatigue.
They sat together in his office, Logan at his desk, and Penny working on the conference room table. It gave her space to do things privately but it also was within earshot incase he needed something that couldn’t wait. With Logan, almost nothing could. They had chat software just for his inner circle but sometimes he just really liked to bellow.
When Penny’s phone rang, she answered it on autopilot and didn’t bother to look to see who it was. “This is Penny.”
“Hey there.”
It was Duncan. He didn’t even need to say his name because his voice caused a chill to run down her spine. She nearly dropped her phone out of surprise. She had been so busy, it kept her mind off him, but to hear his voice again…
“Duncan, hi.” She sat up a little straighter “How are you?”
“Great. Getting my head on straight. I’ve been thinking about you and how we left things… I’d really like for us to meet. Maybe talk? There’s somewhere I really want to take you. If your open to meeting me.”
“I’d like that. When were you thinking?” Penny glanced at her watch and nearly groaned. It was already so late.
“I’m sure you’re busy with work, so how about tomorrow night? If you think you can get away earlier than sunset.”
“I’ll make it happen. Sure. I… look forward to it. Hearing all about what’s been going on with you.”
“Me too. I’m sure you’ve been slaving away and I want to talk more about you. We never really do that. It’s always about me.”
“I’m pretty boring.”
“Hardly. You’re the most interesting person I know.”
Penny laughed breathlessly. She felt like she was about to be swept off her feet but that didn’t happen to her. She was practically a solitary cat lady when she wasn’t at work. Was this really happening? “Well, if you keep talking like that…”
“Oh?”
I might have to kiss you again, Penny thought. “You’re just going to make me blush.”
“Well, that’s not my goal. See you tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up there. I’m assuming you’re still at work.”
“I am. But if you don’t want to come here…”
“Nonsense. I don’t mind. I’m done hiding.”
Done hiding. Penny liked the sound of that.
She sat for a moment once the call was ended, trying to gather her thoughts. Then she marched over to Logan’s desk. “Sir, tomorrow night—”
“I heard.” He put his pen down and relaxed back in his chair. “The walls are so thin in here, there are no walls. Or well, no walls worth mentioning.”
Penny laughed. “You’re a regular comedian, Mr. Sinclair.”
“I make jokes. I’m a dad.” He fanned his arms out. “Tomorrow night you’re free to go on your date. Put a good word in for me with Duncan. I really do want to work with him if he’s willing to let his personal grudge go. I let mine go years ago.”
“Can I ask how it even got started?”
Logan glanced up as he tried to recall. “Our grandparents, more or less. We were up and coming money. The Williamsworth’s were the old legacy money. No one was ever good enough for them. It grew worse when Charles, Duncan’s grandfather, married a common girl. Eventually he left the company, leaving his children scrambling. Duncan’s father inherited the bulk, as far as I remember. When they all left town, the Sinclairs rose up. My own parents made sure no one would remember the Williamsworth family.”
He shrugged and picked his pen back up. “I never much cared either way. I thought Charles Williamsworth was brave. I can’t imagine going against my parents at that age. I know why Duncan is so upset with his father but I was only trying to help his family. Maybe I should’ve told him.” Logan scowled.
“There still might be time. Everything doesn’t have to be destroyed.”
Logan smiled briefly. “I like the way you think. You know, when my old assistant quit on me, I was devastated. I didn’t think I’d ever find someone who could fill his shoes but you do quite nicely. You might be the best assistant I’ve ever had. Goodness knows, I can use my own Jimmney Cricket.”
“I don’t think I want to be an insect, but thank you, sir. I take that as quite the compliment.” Penny smiled.
“Get out of here and get some rest. You’re going to need it for tomorrow if you expect to get out early for your date.”
“Right away. Good night, sir.” Penny collected her things thinking Logan Sinclair wasn’t the grizzly bear he pretended to be. Most of the time, he was actually pretty sweet.
Chapter Seventeen
“I’ve actually gone home to get ready,” Penny left him a voice mail earlier in the night. “So you can pick me up at my condo. My address is….”
Duncan drove over to pick Penny up for their date and his big reveal more nervous than he might’ve ever been. It wasn’t like him to be anxious about anything, so he wasn’t used to feeling that way. As he got out of his car and made it over to the door of her condo, Duncan’s stomach churned. His chest tight with anxiety.
Duncan straightened his jacket and stroked his chin that was covered in two days of stubble. He rang the door bell and waited. It didn’t take long for Penny to pull the door open and his heart immediately leaped. Was she a sight for sore eyes or what? He had forgotten how silky her black hair was.
The soft blue dress she wore hugged her waist and hips but was soft and feminine. There was a small white sweater over the crook of her arm and she stared up at him with warm, inviting eyes. She smiled and her nose crinkled. Duncan wanted to kiss her but knew he had to pace himself. There was so much he wanted to say first. So much to explain.
“You look great,” Duncan said.
“You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“I’ve missed talking to you. I’m glad you agreed to meet me and I’m sorry I’ve been such a dork.”
Penny laughed. “I doubt you’ve ever been a dork about anything.”
That might’ve been true. “Maybe but I sure feel like one.”
Duncan offered Penny his hand. “You ready to go on a little trip?”
She took his hand right away and held it firm. “I can’t wait. Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“Where would be the fun in that?” Duncan chuckled.
*****
Penny gazed out the window at the office building they had just parked in front of. “Well, it looks like a building.”
“You’re very observant,” Duncan said. He got out of the car and opened Penny’s door. He took her hand as she got out. They headed to the front door and Duncan took out a set of keys.
Penny watched with interest and baited breath in a way. She didn’t know what Duncan was going to tell her but she guessed now he was going to show her some office space but why would he do that? Had he taken out space and if he did, why? What was he up to? She had thought he was going to impress her with a fancy dinner or a show.
This wasn’t what she was expecting at all. Not that she was disappointed. Hardly. Duncan kept things interesting. Penny really wished he’d kiss her but she knew she had to be patient. She was the one who had told him she didn’t want to get romantically involved. It felt so long ago. Penny knew her heart had changed. She was already romantically involved whether she wanted them to be or not.
And now it was all she wanted.
They rode the elevator up to the fourth floor. Duncan showed her into a corner office with a pretty nice view of a park across the street. At least the view was green and not a paved parking lot. Asphalt for a view left much to be desired. The floors were hardwood and there were about three desks in the room.
Duncan let her gaze around. The biggest desk in the room had a name plate on it that read Duncan Williamsworth. Penny picked it up and her finger gently traced across the risen letters. “This is clearly your office. So, why don’t you tell me what you’re doing.”
“What do you think I’m doing?” Duncan asked playfully.
So, that was the game he wanted to play. Penny casually sat on the desk, bracing herself with her arms. “Hmm, I’m guessing you’ve gone into business for yourself.”
Duncan nodded and stepped up in front of her. “That’s a good guess considering we’re in an office.”
“You’re going into real estate to oppose your father and Logan Sinclair.”
Duncan squinted and waved his hand side to side. “Not exactly, though it is real estate. What I’m doing has little to do with them except I want to prove myself. I don’t need either of them if I’m going to be successful.”
Penny was impressed with his answer and relieved. If this had been nothing but a revenge ploy, she would’ve been hard pressed to support something like that, even if she had understood his desire to give into such dark feelings. “So, why don’t you tell me what the name of your business is? Maybe then I can guess what you do.”
“Second Chances real estate. We help secure loans and homes for people who have been knocked down once or twice. Maybe even three times.”
It was such a great idea and it was so different from what Duncan’s father and what Sinclair Enterprises did, Penny felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. “That’s… That’s amazing, Duncan.”
“Yeah well,” he didn’t look very impressed or amazed with himself. Instead he looked like he had barely been able to measure up to whatever lofty vision he had in his head. “I have a lot to make up for. I want to be worthy of you. I need to prove myself. I’m more than just a rich playboy with great hair.”
His hair really was great but from where Penny was sitting, that wasn’t all that was great. “Your beard is pretty good, too.”
Duncan laughed and shook her head. “You never let me win. I like that about you.”
“It’s not about winning, Duncan. It’s not about proving yourself to me, either. I already like you.”
Duncan raised his eyebrows. “I knew you had a flaw in you somewhere.”
Penny laughed and took his hands. “If you do something for another person, it’s never going to work. Even if I walked away, would you still do this?”
“Yeah, yeah I would. We’re small and just getting started but we have a lot of leads. I’m making new connections in finance ever day. I feel like I’m onto something big. Something that’s just mine. I love that. I feel… I feel empowered. I want this to succeed more than anything I’ve ever done. I’m not sure I ever really wanted to succeed before now.”
Her heart swelled with pride. Penny touched his cheek. “I’m so proud of you. I can see how happy you are. How this makes you feel. I’m so happy for you, Duncan. You’ll do it. I know you will.”
And Penny wanted to be with him every step of the way.
Duncan took her hands. His face changed to a nervous squint and he licked his lips. “All of it would be better if I had someone at my side. I mean, I’m not asking you to come work for me, so if you think that’s what I’m doing, it’s not. I just…” He sighed.
“You what?” Penny asked gently, wondering if he was going to say what she thought he was.
“I’m a better guy when you’re around. You make me want to be better. And I can talk to you more than I can talk to anyone else, you know? My secrets are safe with you. Your secrets are safe with me, too. I want us to be there for each other, support one another. I want… I want to kiss you. I want to kiss you and I never want to kiss another girl again for as long as I live. Only you.”
Her heart leapt wildly in her chest. “Duncan—”
“I know I have a reputation. I earned it but since I first met you, I haven’t thought of any other woman. I haven’t dated, I haven’t even tried. And trust me, when you’re as rich as I am, it’s easy to find a woman who wants to go on a date, but not you. You always had me pegged and you were right but I’m more than my reputation. I’m more than just a player.”
Penny put her hand on his cheek. “I know all that, Duncan. Just stop talking for one second, okay?”
Nervously, he nodded.
“All I was going to say was to shut up and kiss me. Kiss me and never stop. I want to be with you. I choose to be with you. I’m already in love with you, you dork.”
Duncan raised his eyebrows. “Dork?”
Penny shrugged. “I changed my mind. You are kind of a dork. In a suave sort of way.”
“And you want a dork to kiss you?”
“This dork,” Penny grabbed his shirt and pulled him in even closer.
*****
Duncan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He didn’t think about it. He just did it. They didn’t come up for air for a long time. Not until the sound of rain and thunder crashed outside, illuminating the office windows.
He rested his forehead against hers, allowing his heart to find a regular beating pattern again. “I love you, Penny. One of these days, I’m going to make you my wife. I just know it. It feels right.”
“I can’t disagree that it feels right but baby steps, Duncan. We have all the time in the world to get there. For now, maybe kiss me one more time and please remember, I’m starving and haven’t had dinner.”
Duncan smiled and gazed out the window at the rain. “I guess we’ll get something delivered because I don’t want to go out in that. My hair might get wet.”
She stared at him with a twinkle of mischief and adoration in her eyes. “You are such a diva.”
He really could be.
*****
They ate Chinese food curled up together on a sofa in the back of the office. There were a few pillows and a soft gray throw. “Have you been sleeping here?” Penny asked, her head leaned against his shoulder.
Duncan nodded, staring into his mix of roasted pork lo mein. “I have. Not because I have so much work to do but more because I don’t want to risk running into my old man. We haven’t spoken to each other since that night at the dinner party. I’m embarrassed. I don’t want to say anything to him until I have something good to say.”
Like something that proved his worth. Penny wished Duncan didn�
��t put so much value on his business for his identity but she could understand why he felt the need. “Oh, Duncan…” Penny said softly.
“So, I’m going to buy a place. Maybe a condo. Maybe a single family. I can have my pick of any kind of property I want and pay cash but I don’t know what I want. I’d like you to come, help me figure it out. So what you like, too.”
“It’ll be your place. You don’t need my input.”
“I do. I want you to like it. If I have my way, soon you’ll be spending a lot of time there.” Duncan smiled.
Penny couldn’t hide her smile, either. “All right. I’ll go with you but let’s also try to get you together soon with your father and with Logan Sinclair. Let’s patch things up.”
Duncan scowled.
“Oh, come on! You’re an adult. Your father loves you and you love your family. You don’t want to hide forever. And Logan is a good man to know in your industry. Plus, he really isn’t trying to take over your family’s company. If he was, I would’ve seen it by now. I do everything for him.”
“Yeah? That’s true. You have all his contacts.”
Penny gave him a level look. “I won’t do anything unethical and I think you know that.”
Duncan held his hands up. “I wouldn’t ask you to, either. I was just making a joke. A bad one, it seems.”
“Really bad.” Penny spooned some more helping of rice in her mouth. “But what should I expect from a dork?”
Duncan laughed. “Okay, we can drop the dork joke now.”
“Who said I was joking?”
Chapter Eighteen
Over the next month, things began to fall in place. While Penny wasn’t working long hours, she and Duncan became inseparable. She attended all of the parties and mixers at his side. She helped make his company appear to look more official just by being there. And the more she did that, the more she felt like it was a conflict of interest between her job at Sinclair Enterprises and her emotional loyalty to Duncan.
