Page 70 of Penn

Kicking him, he says, “Either you get up on your own, or I pick you up. And you don’t want me to do that, because you’ll land fucking hard in the middle of the goddamn desert.”

He scrambles to his feet, using the chairs and tables to help him up. I gasp as I see his bloody, swollen face while he sways from side to side.

“Get out of here and don’t fucking come back,” Penn says. “If you come back, you’re never fucking leaving.”

Picking up his wallet and ID, he stumbles past everyone as he hurries out the front door. Kannon holds up the money. “He forgot his cash. Guess the tab’s on him tonight. Round for everyone!”

Penn hurries toward me and gently reaches out for me but stops before touching me. “Are you okay?”

“He’s going to take my baby.”

“No, he fucking won’t,” Kannon shouts. “Motherfucker will be in seventeen goddamn pieces if he tries.”

After what I just witnessed, I don’t think that’s much of an exaggeration, and I lean forward to rest my hands on my knees. “I don’t think he’s going to give up that easily. He’ll be at the hospital when I go into labor.”

“And we’ll be there, too, sweetheart,” Pacino says. “He’s not getting your kid. We’ll make sure of that.”

“Penn, why don’t you take Dixie home?” Nancy says as she rolls out a mop bucket. “I’ll cover your shift. And we’ll put you back on the schedule after you’ve gotten settled after having the baby.”

“Nancy—”

“It’s already decided, honey.”

Penn nods. “I’ll take her home. Sorry about the mess.”

“Yeah, way to go, Penn. Make Nancy clean up your mess,” Rooster says, laughing at the bar.

“You think I’m cleaning this up?” Nancy asks, tilting her head back with a loud laugh. “Get your ass over here, Rooster. You’re on mop duty.”

“What? I didn’t—”

“You wanna be banned for two weeks?”

Clamping his jaw shut, he nods. “No, ma’am,” he says between gritted teeth and glares at Penn.

“It’s not his fault,” I tell Rooster. “Don’t give him that look.”

Rooster’s eyes widen. “I mean, he kind of—”

“Stopped a man trying to hurt me? Yeah, I guess that’s really such a bad thing.”

His face turns red. “I didn’t mean—”

“Pissing off a pregnant woman is really not a good idea,” Nancy says. “Especially one who knows your biggest fear is birds.”

“I have an uncle who has chickens,” I lie. “I bet I could get him to bring a few roosters for—”

“Sorry!” he shouts. “I’m fucking sorry!”

“Come on,” Penn says, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “Let’s go.”

The moment we’re outside, the adrenaline drops, and my knees buckle. “He’s going to try—”

“He can try anything he wants, but he won’t be successful. I promise, Dixie,” Penn says, his eyes locking with mine as he holds me steady.

His fists have blood on them, and I think about what Misty said. When these men love, they love hard.

I just didn’t think it was meant literally.