huh?” Trevor asked.
“More like a spiritual than physical death,”
Penny said.
“Were you married long?”
Penny shook her head, and Drake drew in the
sand with his toe. “Not long, no,” Drake had to admit.
“Long enough,” Penny said.
“Long enough to know…” Trevor’s voice
trailed, a plea for more.
“She has a mean left hook,” Drake said.
“What are you doing?” Penny mouthed at
him.
Drake ignored her.
Trevor grinned. “My sister told me you were
violent.”
“Only when seriously provoked,” Penny said
through clenched teeth.
“She doesn’t look dangerous,” Trevor said
over her head to Drake. “She’s very small.”
“Don’t be fooled,” Drake warned. “Watch
this.”
Chapter 24
Multiple sprints of exercise can be just as
effective for fitness and weight loss as one long workout.
From Losing Penny and Pounds
When Drake grabbed
a handful of sand, Penny jumped up and ran down the beach. She
sprinted past the mother and children and dodged a surfer lugging
his board. She collided with a boy holding a boogie board and
apologized without breaking stride as she ran for the rocks.
Drake grabbed her around the waist and swung
her toward the water. Penny screamed and Wolfgang yelped and
tripped Trevor, coming from the rear. They collided and went into
the surf. A cold wave washed over Penny and she kicked away.
Cutting through the water to a safe distance, Penny began to
furiously splash first Trevor and then Drake. The two men looked at
each other. Sensing a brewing alliance, Penny dove into the water
but Trevor snagged her ankle.
While she flailed in protest, Drake caught
her wrist. He and Trevor lifted her out of the water like a soggy
hammock, and after swinging her side to side, sent her flying into
the ocean.
Water engulfed her, and when she made contact
with the ocean floor pain tore through her foot. She tried to
stand, but floundered. She spit water out of her mouth and called
for help.
When Trevor came close, she screamed, “Not
you!”
She hobbled to shore. She sat down in the
frothing tide to inspect her foot. Drake squatted next her. “Not
you either!” she said, trying to move away, using her hands and one
good foot to shift through the water. Sand filled her swimsuit
bottom. “Bugger it all,” Penny muttered.
Drake held up his hands in an I-come-in-peace
pose. Penny didn’t want to cry, but looking at the ugly gash on her
foot brought tears to her eyes.
“Penny,” Drake’s voiced coaxed, and he moved
toward her.
She jerked away from him.
Trevor stood, looking on with his arms
dangling at his sides. “I thought your name was Maggie.”
Drake shot him a quick get-lost look and
Penny sniffed. “He just calls me Penny. Like a lost Penny.”
“Or lucky Penny—depending on the day,” Drake
added as he knelt beside her and picked up her foot.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Penny complained, but she
stopped flinching away from Drake. She needed help even if it was
from him. The sting took her breath away, and she didn’t protest
when Drake hitched her onto his back. She leaned into him, her arms
circling his neck, her legs hugging his waist.
“Let me see,” Trevor said.
Penny stuck out her foot for Trevor’s
inspection. He didn’t say anything, but tightened his lips. The
blood ran from the ball of her foot and fell in drops on the sand.
Water dripped down her face and she felt chilled. “What is it?”
Trevor ran his fingers over the ball of her
foot. “Glass,” he said. Using his fingernails he loosened the
shards clinging in the flesh.
Drake, with Penny astride, crossed the beach
to where they had been sitting. Their indentions still marked the
sand.
“You should see a doctor.” Trevor picked up
his abandoned T-shirt and wrapped it around Penny’s foot.
“No,” Drake and Penny said at the same
time.
She couldn’t see a doctor. She’d have to fill
out forms, file an insurance claim, and use a lump of cash or a
credit card. To
“More like a spiritual than physical death,”
Penny said.
“Were you married long?”
Penny shook her head, and Drake drew in the
sand with his toe. “Not long, no,” Drake had to admit.
“Long enough,” Penny said.
“Long enough to know…” Trevor’s voice
trailed, a plea for more.
“She has a mean left hook,” Drake said.
“What are you doing?” Penny mouthed at
him.
Drake ignored her.
Trevor grinned. “My sister told me you were
violent.”
“Only when seriously provoked,” Penny said
through clenched teeth.
“She doesn’t look dangerous,” Trevor said
over her head to Drake. “She’s very small.”
“Don’t be fooled,” Drake warned. “Watch
this.”
Chapter 24
Multiple sprints of exercise can be just as
effective for fitness and weight loss as one long workout.
From Losing Penny and Pounds
When Drake grabbed
a handful of sand, Penny jumped up and ran down the beach. She
sprinted past the mother and children and dodged a surfer lugging
his board. She collided with a boy holding a boogie board and
apologized without breaking stride as she ran for the rocks.
Drake grabbed her around the waist and swung
her toward the water. Penny screamed and Wolfgang yelped and
tripped Trevor, coming from the rear. They collided and went into
the surf. A cold wave washed over Penny and she kicked away.
Cutting through the water to a safe distance, Penny began to
furiously splash first Trevor and then Drake. The two men looked at
each other. Sensing a brewing alliance, Penny dove into the water
but Trevor snagged her ankle.
While she flailed in protest, Drake caught
her wrist. He and Trevor lifted her out of the water like a soggy
hammock, and after swinging her side to side, sent her flying into
the ocean.
Water engulfed her, and when she made contact
with the ocean floor pain tore through her foot. She tried to
stand, but floundered. She spit water out of her mouth and called
for help.
When Trevor came close, she screamed, “Not
you!”
She hobbled to shore. She sat down in the
frothing tide to inspect her foot. Drake squatted next her. “Not
you either!” she said, trying to move away, using her hands and one
good foot to shift through the water. Sand filled her swimsuit
bottom. “Bugger it all,” Penny muttered.
Drake held up his hands in an I-come-in-peace
pose. Penny didn’t want to cry, but looking at the ugly gash on her
foot brought tears to her eyes.
“Penny,” Drake’s voiced coaxed, and he moved
toward her.
She jerked away from him.
Trevor stood, looking on with his arms
dangling at his sides. “I thought your name was Maggie.”
Drake shot him a quick get-lost look and
Penny sniffed. “He just calls me Penny. Like a lost Penny.”
“Or lucky Penny—depending on the day,” Drake
added as he knelt beside her and picked up her foot.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Penny complained, but she
stopped flinching away from Drake. She needed help even if it was
from him. The sting took her breath away, and she didn’t protest
when Drake hitched her onto his back. She leaned into him, her arms
circling his neck, her legs hugging his waist.
“Let me see,” Trevor said.
Penny stuck out her foot for Trevor’s
inspection. He didn’t say anything, but tightened his lips. The
blood ran from the ball of her foot and fell in drops on the sand.
Water dripped down her face and she felt chilled. “What is it?”
Trevor ran his fingers over the ball of her
foot. “Glass,” he said. Using his fingernails he loosened the
shards clinging in the flesh.
Drake, with Penny astride, crossed the beach
to where they had been sitting. Their indentions still marked the
sand.
“You should see a doctor.” Trevor picked up
his abandoned T-shirt and wrapped it around Penny’s foot.
“No,” Drake and Penny said at the same
time.
She couldn’t see a doctor. She’d have to fill
out forms, file an insurance claim, and use a lump of cash or a
credit card. To
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