Page 4 of Hold On Me

“It’s a character from her favourite film. I’ve called her that since we were little.” The explanation leaves me with more questions, but rather than asking them, I nod my head in acceptance and stay silent.

“So…”

A loud sigh follows another sip of warm beer. “She bumped into me by accident and spilled her drink on me. That’s it.”

“Huh. Then why did she look all flustered and embarrassed after you spoke to her?” A note of protectiveness is in his voice and I struggle to look into his eyes.

“I don’t know. Perhaps you should ask her.” I shoulder past him and make my way to stand with Hank, who’s chatting with Mama Brady, but as I approach, Angie stands on the makeshift stage and grabs the microphone to demand everyone's attention.

“Today we’re here to celebrate the man, the myth, the legend, Hank Richardson. But before we call him on stage, I wanted to invite his gorgeous daughter up here to talk about her dad. Let’s give Penny a big round of applause.”

I track her movements before I even realise I’m doing it. She hesitates and for a brief second when her eyes collide with mine, and something darkens them before she pulls her gaze away. What the hell is that about?

She takes a tentative step onto the stage and runs her palms down the sides of her jeans. She gulps in a breath and tugs on the hem of her top as her eyes fill with unshed tears. This is a far cry from the woman who took control of the situation at the carnival. Is she scared of speaking in front of large groups?Being up on stage? Or is she emotional because of her father’s upcoming surgery and what it might mean for his job?

And doesn’t anyone in her family see her reaction? They have to know this is not normal.

I quickly take a glance at them and note no one’s paying attention to her. Angie’s smiling down at Jenson as she walks from the stage, and he is focusing solely on her. Hank’s beaming with pride at his daughter, but isn’t seeing her, maybe also caught up in the moment. And the rest of the Bradys are chatting between each other.

Penelope takes a deep breath. She looks nervous as her eyes scan the crowd while her hands toy with the hem of her top. She’s normally so confident and full of herself, seeing her like this is putting me on edge.

What she does next is my undoing. She bites her lip. She pulls that full, pink bottom lip of hers in between her teeth, and I snap.

I storm the stage, a smile fixed on my face, and narrow my eyes at her as she widens her own, causing one solitary tear to fall as she quickly swipes it away. I quickly bring the microphone and its stand in front of me and launch into meeting mode.

“Penelope and I would like to take this time to say thank you to Hank. When Penelope told me about this event, I thought it would be a fun way of showing just how much we both care about the man of the hour. Hank has been like a father, a friend and an assistant to me the whole time I’ve been with the Spartans, and it feels fitting to stand side by side with his actual daughter to share some of the love. Isn’t that right, Penelope?”

I turn my head slightly and focus on her as my hand lands on her lower back. I gently flex my fingers to try and get her to smile or say something, but she just stares up at me with a look of confusion and a hint of appreciation written on her face. I forcemyself to look away and not dip my lips down to hers like I want, and let a soft laugh out and turn back to the crowd.

“I think Penelope is a little overwhelmed with how many of you are here to honour her father. Let’s be honest, she’s used to dealing with toddlers for a living, not groups of adults. It’s something I wouldn’t be able to do, but I’m glad she’ll be able to use my donation money to make her job a little easier. Ten K should do a lot for her and the kids.”

She shuffles on her feet, swaying a little, and I steady her by gently holding her elbow. She inhales deeply, shakes her head slightly, and steps away from me with a scorching look of disgust. Like my touch has just made her physically sick to her stomach. What the fuck? She takes the microphone from the stand, and steps forward to address the crowd, her voice wobbly but determined.

“I’m sure we would’ve gotten along just fine without your contribution, but while we’re on that subject, let’s not forget how we got you to donate in the first place.”

I don’t understand the sudden turn in events as she narrows her eyes at me. She went from nearly crying to spitting fire in the space of a second, and I’m confused as fuck right now. Nevertheless, I keep my face neutral and allow her to finish.

“My right arm and a very nice cream pie made all the difference, didn’t it?”

Sniggers float through the crowd and I realise what she’s doing. Taking back control and showing me she doesn’t need to depend on me, or anyone, for anything.

Shaking my head at my own stupidity, I smirk and change it into a sweet smile. I take a step closer to her and watch as her breath hitches and her pupils dilate. If she wants to play games, then bring it.

5

PENNY

“Of course. It’s hard to forget when a pitcher for the Yankees decides to throw a pie at you?” His face is close to mine, his brown eyes a mixture of anger and amusement. Inhaling through my mouth to avoid another attack of his scent, I throw my head back and laugh.

“Maybe you should refrain from calling said pitchers ‘darling’ and then they wouldn’t feel the need to throw pies at you.” My heart is thundering in my chest. My mouth is dry. But I won’t let him win. Not after the subtle little reminder he gave to everyone that he basically owns this damn town.

Well he doesn’t own me. And I won that money fair and square, no matter what he or Director Allen think.

He inches closer to me, taking me out of my thoughts, but his eyes never leave mine. My insides do a weird flip thing when he grins at me. I’m not a fan of my emotions’ antics, and they need to stop.

“Normally when I call a beautiful girl darling, they’re more…” He lets his gaze rove over my body and my cheeks blaze at his blatant perusal. “Appreciative.”

I tilt my head to the side and scoff gently. “You need to stop assuming that all women are girls.” When his jaw clenchesand he sucks in a sharp breath through his nostrils, I know I’ve hit a nerve. “Or maybe you should take the time to learn people's names and you wouldn’t have to resort to calling peopledarling.”

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