I ignore them. Every last one.
I don’t care if it takes a month, a year, or a damn lifetime, I’ll do whatever it takes to earn her trust. And when she finally lets me in, I’ll make damn sure she never feels the need to hide behind walls again.
Summer
It’s late afternoon, and the scent of coffee fills the air as I swirl foam over a cappuccino. The bell above the door jingles, and Penny walks into Sugar & Spice, cheeks flushed from the cold.
“Hey, bestie!” she grins, shaking the snow from her coat before hanging it by the door. She plops down on one of the stools at the counter.
“Hey, Penny. How are you? More photoshoots today?” I ask, already reaching for her favorite mug.
“Nope. Took all my appointments this morning so I could sneak in a coffee break and spend the rest of the day editing.” She sighs, happy and relaxed, as I start her drink.
“I’m proud of you,” I tell her.“Building your photo studio from scratch? That’s amazing.”
“Look who’s talking,” she teases.“Miss I-own-the-best-coffee-shop-in-Fremont-County.”
I laugh, sliding a Christmas brownie toward her just as she leans in.“I talked to Dex this morning, and I have news for tonight…” she says, dragging it out.
“That sounds suspicious,” I say, setting her cappuccino in front of her.
Penny takes a sip, eyes sparkling.“Starting this Thursday, the Midnight Rodeo bar is hosting karaoke night. Once a month.”
My jaw drops.“You’re kidding.”
“Nope! Beer, fun, and karaoke. What could go wrong?”
“Penny, I’m going to need more than one beer before you hand me a microphone.”
“Please. I’d pay good money to hear you sing with Grace and me. Cas and I might even do a duet.”
“Grace is coming too?”
“Yep. She needs a girls’night out as much as we do. And what better excuse than karaoke, beer, and fun Thursday?”
I groan.“We really need a better name than that.”
Penny shakes her head solemnly.“Absolutely not. That name was chosen the night Cas asked me out. It’s tradition now.”
“Fine,” I laugh.“Thursday karaoke, beer, and fun it is.”
“Well, just karaoke and fun for Grace,” she adds with a smirk.“Semantics.”
We both laugh until the noise settles into a comfortable quiet. Penny takes another sip, then glances up at me with that familiar look, the one that means she’s about to shift gears.
“Speaking of the Hawthornes…” she begins softly.“How’s life at the ranch?”
I smile, warmth blooming in my chest.“Mia loves it. She goes on horse rides with Grace after school, bakes cookies with Lily, and watches Tom & Jerry with Josh, who, by the way, pretends it’s for her but laughs louder than she does. She even convinced him to watch Frozen more than once.”
Penny chuckles.“You’re family now.”
Her voice softens.“And what about Ethan?”
I pause, my hands tightening around the dish towel.“What about him?”
“I think he really likes you, Summer.” Her tone is careful, gentle.“You should see the way he looks at you. The second he walks into a room, you’re the first person his eyes find.”
I shake my head quickly.“Penny, no. I’m not looking for a boyfriend. You know that. And anyway, a man like Ethan has nothing to do with a woman like me. Have you seen the womenwho chase him around town? They could be models. I’m not… that.”
