Page 21 of Sexy Summer Flings (Bear Mountain Rescue 2)

Shit, he was so screwed.

Chapter 11

That night, Hunter stood outside the entrance of the Grizzly, debating whether he should go inside. He’d called Penny to check on her, but she hadn’t answered. He figured she was probably royally pissed and he didn’t blame her. He was an idiot.

Why the heck had he kissed her? And then run out the door like a coward?

The only rational reason

he’d come up with was that he needed time to sort through what was going on with him. The kiss had been as big of a surprise for him as it was for her.

He needed to talk to her. To clear the air between them. Maybe he could take her to dinner…

Shit. So this was it. He was actually going to ask Penny out.

With a sense of purpose, he walked inside.

And the first thing he saw was Trent leaning over the bar, talking to a smiling Penny.

Hunter’s jaw clenched so hard he thought his teeth would shatter. He strode over to the bar, and got both of their attentions when he sat down one stool over.

“Penny, I’d like to speak to you on your break,” Hunter said.

Penny’s blue eyes went as big as saucers, and Trent seemed to bristle. “Sorry, Doc, but she already took it with me.”

Hunter glanced his way briefly, talking himself down from laying the cocky son of a bitch out. “She’ll get another. Or I’ll drive her home. Again.”

It was an intentional dig, and he felt satisfied when Trent’s face flushed. “Like hell you will.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t get to walk in here and act like you own her. If you wanted her, you should have done something about it. Like I did. I’m not backing down for you or anyone else.”

The bar went dead silent. Even the song coming from the jukebox ended. Hunter stood up and said, “She’s a woman, not a prize. I don’t own her. I care about her. You know, for more than just sex.”

Trent threw the first punch, knocking Hunter back over his stool. He heard Penny yell, but couldn’t make out what she said. Once he got back on his feet, it was on, and he launched himself at Trent, tackling the bigger man to the floor.

“Damn it, knock it off!”

Hunter heard her this time, but he was too far gone to stop. Sitting on Trent’s chest, he hit him square in the nose, and felt the satisfying crack of bone under his knuckle right before the blood gushed down his opponent’s face.

“I said, stop it! Hunter!” Penny shoved him in the shoulder with her bat and it was all Trent needed to knock him off him. When both of them stood, Trent took a step in but Penny was there, her bat up and her expression furious.

“You two are going to get me fired over something stupid! Now get the hell out of here before I beat you both so bad, you’ll be crawling to your cars.”

Hunter wiped at his throbbing lip, noting the line of blood on the back of his hand. “Stay away from her,” he said darkly.

Trent glared at him, blood running over his mouth and chin. “I was going to tell you the same thing.”

Hunter shot Penny one long glance, noting her expression of disbelief. It was as if she’d never seen him before. Then he got the hell out of there.

Trent watched Hunter walk out the door, waiting until it shut behind him before he groaned in pain. Penny slapped a wet rag in his hand, and he wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t eager to nurse him back to health. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out the front door after Hunter.

“You’re banished, too.”

“I’m banished? I was defending you!”

She scoffed. “No, you were pissing on me and I don’t appreciate it. No matter what the two of you think, I’m the one who decides who I date. And it’ll have nothing to do with which one of you Neanderthals wins a bar fight.”

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