Page 27 of Crazy Love

Penn rolls his eyes.

“Absolutely,” Weston says. “And Bowie would agree if he were out here…but he’s got the baby.”

I cover my mouth as I try to rein in the giggles. I was looking forward to getting to know these guys better, but I did notforesee it going this way. They’re way funnier than I expected. I’ve always liked them from afar. I even listen to Henley’s podcast now. My dad has given his life to this team, and the love for them has carried over into our family for as long as I can remember.

Penn lets out a rugged exhale. “Just…come back inside. Please. Please don’t go.”

Those eyes. They’re hazel with brown outlining his pupils and then melding into green, with a gold rim around that. I remember them in the sunlight on the beach, the way they looked like a fire being lit.

“Please,” he says again. “I’d like a redo.”

Still, I hesitate. The smart thing would be to leave, put as much distance between us as possible so my feelings for him don’t grow by the second. But then I look at him—the slight uncertainty in his expression, the way his fingers flex at his sides…

I’ve proven I’m rarely good at doing the smart thing.

“Fine,” I say, crossing my arms and giving him a playful look. “But if you say one more rude thing?—”

I hear the guys crack up in the background as they move toward the restaurant, and I smirk as I stare at Penn.

“I’ll let you insult me freely for the rest of the night,” he says.

I lift a brow and smile. “Sounds fair.”

Penn clutches his heart, shooting me a relieved smile. He gestures toward the door. “After you, Adeline Evans.”

I walk past him, feeling his eyes on me the whole way.

When we get back to the table, the girls are so excited.

“I’m so glad you came back,” Sadie says.

They all smile at me warmly.

“We just had a great little chat outside. Didn’t we, Preacher Man?”

There’s a roar of laughter when I say that.

“I’m loving this so much,” Weston says, wiping his eyes.

I sit down, picking up my fork like nothing happened. While we were gone, an array of food arrived. I think they must have ordered every appetizer on the menu.

“Camden really outdid himself tonight,” I say, digging in.

Penn mutters something under his breath, and I shoot him a look. He lifts his hands and swallows hard, pointedly focusing on the plate in front of him. Smart man. Except his little jealous bit is making me far happier than it should.

“If this was a rom-com, we’d be seconds away from a make-out scene,” Rhodes says.

Penn chokes on his water.

Bowie sighs, shaking his head. “Forgive my friends. They have no manners whatsoever.”

The restaurant buzzes with energy as we focus on the food. Laughter rises above the hum of the dinner rush. Penn has been quiet since we came in from outside, but I’ve been answering questions right and left. When there’s a lull after we order, Penn leans in closer.

“So, where have you been the past few years?” he asks. “I’ve been with the team for quite a while and I would’ve remembered seeing you.”

My romantic heart is flattered by that, but he probably doesn’t mean anything by it. I need to keep reminding myself of this, despite the way he looks at me. He said it himself—he’s not the boyfriend type.

“I’ve been at Berkeley. Lots and lots of schooling behind me.” I grin and take a sip of water.

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