Page 66 of Recipe for Temptation (Madewood Brothers 4)

“What I don’t understand is where this is all coming from,” her mother said, shooting a disapproving look at her father. Interesting.

“It was the only way to make you actually listen.”

Which was true, but it had everything to do with being angry that she’d fucked up with Cole. His departure was the straw that broke the camel’s back, forcing her to be true to herself.

“You all know nothing about me. Yes, it’s my own fault. I should have told you I was changing. But I didn’t dare, because I was afraid of being criticized or laughed at, and—” She’d hidden herself from her family out of fear. “I was afraid that you wouldn’t love me anymore.”

“That’s preposterous,” her father scoffed.

“Not entirely, dear,” her mother responded.

The stick Penn was holding caught on fire when she froze at her mother’s words.

“What are you saying?” Her father had a furious look on his face.

Penn shoved the stick into the sand, putting out the flame, and quickly returned to the scene between her parents.

“You made it very clear that if any one of our children didn’t excel at sports or follow in your footsteps, they weren’t good enough. You showered our sons with love and affection because they could throw a ball through a hoop. But Pennelope? Not so much.”

Penn still couldn’t shoot a free throw to save her life. And the surfing fiasco the other day had proven her aversion to water sports was warranted.

“I—” Her father gaped. “That’s not—”

“Forty years. We’ve been married for forty years, and I have always stood by you. But I’ve always thought you pushed the children too hard.”

Penn looked over at Pete. His face was frozen in shock.

Her mother sighed. “They all seemed to like competition. Thrived on it. So I never questioned your methods. But apparently that wasn’t really the case.” She turned to Penn. “I thought you were happy, Pennelope. If I’d known you weren’t, I would have spoken up years ago.”

She stared blankly at her mother. She appreciated the support, if belated, but right now, there were too many thoughts spinning around in her head. The only words she could muster were, “Thanks, Mom.”

Penn felt lighter than she had all week. She felt like herself. And she owed it all to Cole.

She wasn’t going to feel bad anymore about not following the same family drum. She had so many other qualities that not living up to the few skills her father valued would no longer define her as a person. Not as a daughter, or a sister, or a friend. Or as a woman.

“I think the other kids and I should go for a walk down the beach.” Her mother patted her father’s knee and stood, shuffling the rest of her siblings out of the pit toward the shoreline.

Then it was just her and her father.

“Pennelope?” Her father’s voice carried over the sizzle and crackle of the fire.

But she said nothing.

The next thing she knew, he loomed over her with his hands on his hips. The classic Harold Foster I-mean-business stance.

When she still didn’t acknowledge him, he sank down into the sand beside her, letting out a tiny groan on his way down.

Silence fell between them as she once again poked the stick into the ash, but her father broke it with a sigh. “I’ll admit it. I did want you to be like your brothers.”

Finally. The truth. She only hoped it would set her free.

“I couldn’t relate to you. I didn’t know how to interact with a little girl. So I treated you like a boy. In hindsight, maybe that wasn’t the best idea.”

“You wanted me to be a demure little girl who said yes, please, and thank you, but also a warrior on the field. It was impossible to live up to.”

So, she had stopped trying. Maybe if she had rebelled against it all as a teenager, her entire life might have played out differently.

“But you are my little girl.” He lifted her chin and wiped away a tear she hadn’t even known was there. “And my little girl isn’t supposed to swear or wear skimpy clothing.”

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