Page 6 of Penny & Royce

“I know who she is.”

“So you know she’s off-limits.”

“No one is off-limits. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“But Dad?—”

“Dad doesn’t get a say in who I talk to.”

Bentley’s brows rose, and his eyes widened to comical proportions. “Please tell me you haven’t?—”

Royce sighed. “No, I haven’t.”

He didn’t add that he hadn’t done anything yet, because that would just get Bentley even more suspicious. He turned to face his brother. “But if I decided to ask her to dance, you’d keep your mouth shut because you know this feud is ridiculous.”

His brother groaned. “I’m not getting in the middle of this.”

“You’re right. You won’t.”

Once again, shock flooded Bentley’s features. But rather than argue, he shook his head. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

And that was the problem, wasn’t it?

Royce didn’t have a clue what he was doing.

All he knew was that he wanted a chance with Penny Klein, and he wasn’t going to let some old family grudge decide the answer for both of them.

Bentley took off shortly after that, leaving Royce alone with Quinn.

She leaned over the counter, resting her forearms atop it. “I get it now,” she said quietly enough for only him to hear.

He grunted, still watching Penny as she spoke to some random guy. The smile she wore wasn’t one of her genuine ones. He’d seen what she looked like when she was happy. And that smile? It was one of those polite smiles people gave when they were nervous and wanted out.

He’d lost track of how many times he’d wanted to cross the room and give her an escape from a conversation with a man who wasn’t taking the hint.

But Penny didn’t look helpless.

She looked like a woman perfectly capable of handling herself, whether Royce liked standing back or not.

Quinn laughed. “Dang, you have it bad.”

He startled, having been dragged from his thoughts. Again. “What?”

She nodded in Penny’s direction. “This isn’t going to end well.”

“Who says it has to end at all?” he muttered.

He’d said it quietly enough that not even Quinn could have heard him. She proved as much when she continued.

“So, she’s one of those… Taylors?”

“Her last name is Klein.”

Quinn’s brows furrowed. “Then what does she have to do with the Taylors and that ridiculous feud your family has going on?”

“They’re her cousins.”

“Ah.” Quinn nodded. “And you’re hung up on her.”