Chapter Five

Penny was fuming with anger, embarrassment and wounded pride as she cleaned herself up and slid into a much simpler blue cotton dress which she had also sewed for herself. She left her freshly washed hair hanging loose and curled up in the bed, clinging to the pillow while she cried softly.

She didn't want to be here—and yet she had nothing much to go back home to either. Penny felt completely lost and unwanted. She knew her parents didn't want her and it seemed that no one here truly wanted her here either. Penny was so alone. While it was true that her sister lived here, Patricia and Penny had never been close. Penny had never attempted to confide in her older sister—she'd never confided in anyone; not even the few friends she had managed to make back east.

Penny knew if she went back east she would once again be living with her mother and father. Her mother was a cold and distant woman who had no interest in her daughter. Her father was an alcoholic who cared more about drinking and gambling than he did providing for or loving his family.

Memories of her father had Penny thinking of Ace. Ace was a cocky, arrogant, violent, drunken gambler who was no different from her own father. No matter how different Montgomery had seemed, it had simply been Ace putting on an act. She had seen his temper first hand in town just yesterday when he had thrown that other man out of the saloon.

'So, why were you attracted to him today?' A voice inside her head questioned. Penny forced that thought from her head and called it foolish. She was not attracted to Ace.

A knock sounded on her door and Penny tried desperately to dry her eyes before telling whomever was there to come in. However, when she saw her sister and Carol enter, the wall she had always kept up refused to stay and her tears began to fall harder.

Patricia, who Penny knew had never seen her cry, rushed forward and sat beside her on the bed. "What's wrong?" she asked softly as she rubbed her back.

Penny swiped at her face, ashamed to show this weakness. "I don't know..." she whispered. "I.. I want to go home."

She saw Patricia and Carol exchange an odd glance before Carol nodded. "Penny, I believe we need to talk."

Penny pulled away from her sister a bit. She grabbed her brush from the bedside table and began running it through her hair to busy herself. "About what?"

"Mother and father."

Penny tensed but didn't meet anyone's gaze. "What about them?"

"There is no easy way to say this, Penny, so I'm simply going to say it." Patricia swallowed hard. "Our parents have abandoned you, Penny. They sent word to me that you were not welcome there with them any longer. I talked with Carol and Ed and they were kind enough to agree to take you in."

Penny simply sat there in stunned silence. "What?" she finally managed to whisper.

Carol gaze was one of sympathy. "It's true, dear. Ed and I welcomed you here without hesitation. This is your home now, Penny."

"And Gregory?" Penny asked, her voice tight.

Carol sighed. "I'm afraid that story was the excuse your parents decided they wanted to tell you. My husband, bless his heart, agreed to go along with it because he's a romantic fool and hoped he might make a love match for his son. Your home here is not dependent on your relationship with Gregory. You are more than welcome to stay here, dear. As I said before, you have a home here now."

Penny sat silently, attempting to take it all in. Everyone had misled her. Her parents, this family, and even her sister. She should be furious. Instead she simply felt that sadness and loneliness increase.

"Penny...?" Patricia whispered hesitantly.

Penny was sure to choose her words carefully. "While I am not happy to hear that I was misled by everyone around me, I owe you my thanks, Carol, for allowing me to come here while my parents threw their temper. I am sorry if I have been less than friendly since I've been here."

Carol shook her head. "Oh darling, you don't owe me any apologies! If anything, we all need to apologize to you. I never should have allowed my husband to talk me into not telling you the real reason for your trip out here."

Penny chewed her lip. She wasn't angry at them. If anything she was realizing she had judged them harshly. Carol and her family had been nothing but kind to her—well most of them. Her mind went to Ace. "You're home is beautiful, Carol, and I appreciate your kindness. However, I would still like to go home. I'm certain my parents did not truly abandon me. They simply needed a break...."

Patricia shook her head and took Penny's hand. "You don't understand. There's no home for you to go back to. They sold it. They are gone. They sent me a letter saying they were shipping the rest of your things here and they should be here within a week. I can show you both letters if you'd like to see them.."

Penny quickly shook her head. She didn't want to see those harsh words in writing. Tears were threatening to fall once again but Penny bit furiously at the inside of her cheek to hold them back. She spoke again, knowing she was in denial but not able to stop. "Even if I don't have a home with them any longer, I have friends back home. I'm sure some of them would be willing to take me in for a while..."

Patricia sighed harshly. "Penny, those people are not your friends. They don't treat you kind at all. And they don't know the real you."

Penny didn't even bother trying to argue with her sister about her friends lack of kindness. They were known for making horrible comments and only inviting her to do things if she accidentally found out about them beforehand. But her sister's other comment confused her. "What do you mean, they don't know the real me?"

Patricia's gaze softened. "Penny, you know you aren't truly the person you've spent the last few years pretending to be. You created this person as a shield—a mask."

Penny stiffened. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Patricia didn't seem offended. "Yes I do. You are not a snobbish, spoiled, and haughty person. I remember the person you used to be. We grew up in the same home, remember? I know what if felt like following mama around, begging for a single ounce of attention. And I know how it felt walking on eggshells around papa with his drinking, temper, and heavy fists. Being afraid to walk into our own home, never knowing if he would be entertaining his many women. And I know it was worse on you. He always took his anger out on you the most. "

Penny was embarrassed to have Carol hear about their life. She was embarrassed to have so much of her past out in the open. She had worked hard to never let herself be so vulnerable as she felt in that moment. But if her sister cared about her discomfort, she didn't let it show.

"I remember when you started acting this way," Patricia continued. "You wanted to be the spoiled, rich girl. The prim and proper lady. You wore those things like a mask so that no one would know what your life was truly like. And the friends you made don't truly care about you. You know that as well as I do. You don't want friends like that."

Penny knew that what Patricia was saying was true. She also knew that she didn't want to hear it. The truth hurt. She squared her shoulders. "Maybe it's you that doesn't know me."

Patricia's response was to laugh and tuck a bit of Penny's dark blond hair behind her ear. "Yes, I do. You are feisty, opinionated and stubborn. You are also kind, generous, and loving. You let papa and mama force you to hide those traits but I know they are still there. You are not the person you've been acting like lately. You are not the person you were outside earlier with Ace."

Penny rolled her eyes, happy to have a safer topic to speak of. "That cocky, self-centered, egotistical drunkard deserved to have his nasty hat thrown in that mud puddle." Then Penny remembered that the man's mother was standing in front of her. She bit her lip. "I apologize. I shouldn't say those things about your son in front of you."

Carol laughed. "My Ace is most certainly all those things you mentioned. He is also a very good man."

Penny had her doubts about that but chose to keep them to herself. It didn't matter. She finally met his sister's gaze. "Patricia, I want to go home. Even if mama and papa are gone, and most of my friends aren't true ones, Francine is a real friend. I will go into town today and send word to her to see if I can stay with her family for a while. I honestly appreciate you and your family, Carol, and I don't want you to think I am being ungrateful."

Carol sighed. "I don't think bad of you, Penny. You've had such a hard life. Please, know that you have a home here anytime you want it."

"If you're determined to contact Francine, I'll go down and get someone to hook up the cart. It isn't my choice to make for you even if I think you're making a mistake," Patricia stated.

Penny simply nodded. She wasn't truly sure what she wanted all she knew was she needed to feel as if she had some control of her life. She wanted to make a decision for herself. She wanted to know if there was any way she could ever find happiness. She needed to be in control of her life.

Patricia stood slowly. "Okay then. Let's head to town."

***

Late that evening, Ace was just heading out of the barn with his large black stallion when his father stopped him. "Boy, I want to talk to you."

Ace swallowed hard. It was never good when his father used that tone and called him boy. "What is it, pa?"

"It's about Penny."

Grunting, Ace shook his head. "If you want me to apologize for what I said to Princess Penny earlier today, the answer is no. She deserved what I said."

Ace was shocked by his father's next words. "You're right. She did."

"Huh? You aren't gonna tell me off for speaking to a lady that way?"

Ed shook his head. "Nope. What I am going to remind you of is that Penny has had a hard life you know nothing about and she may have reasons for her behavior—even if it's not exactly acceptable. You, however, have had quite an easy life and therefore have no reason for the behavior I saw out of you."

Ace swallowed hard. Damn his daddy for making him feel about two foot tall. He'd seen the sadness and the loneliness in Penny's eyes and he'd forgotten about it the moment that brat's temper had sparked. Now those guarded green/gray eyes were filling his mind.

"And, I'm also going to remind you that you need to leave the girl alone."

Ace patted his horses neck and shifted his feet. "What are you talking about?"

Ed rubbed at his mustache. "She is an innocent lady and she is meant for your brother. You and I both know you don't want a real relationship with any woman and Gregory doesn't need you messing things up for him."

Ace snorted. "Are you worried I'll hurt the girl or something? Hell, I'm not interested in that damn princess."

"Like I said, I brought her here hoping your brother would take a liking to her...."

Ace laughed harshly and kicked at a rock. "Gregory wouldn't take a liking to any woman unless she grows fur, develops an appetite for grass, and struts around with a real nice moo."

Ace saw his daddy's lips twitch a bit as he fought back laughter. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Is there some reason you don't want her with your brother?"

Ace picked at a knot in his horse's main. "Of course not. I just think Gregory would bore the poor woman to death."

Ed's brow rose. "What is it, Ace? Are you interested in the woman? Do you want to court her?"

Ace sputtered and he felt his face redden as he found himself unable to form a coherent response. What he wanted to say was, 'Hell no, I ain't interested in that witch of a woman'. But he suddenly found another voice in his head calling him a liar. He had thought of little else but that woman all day and how damn adorable she had looked with her hands on tiny hips, that little foot stomping, her tiny nose in the air, and her freckled cheeks flushed.

Ace chose to remain silent a moment and hop up into the saddle. "Damn, old man, I knew you were getting old but I didn't realize you were getting senile too."

Without giving his father a chance to reply or put further ideas in Ace's head, his let out a loud whoop and quickly urged his horse into a run toward town.

A/N: i hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! The next chapter will be completely new! A chapter that was never in the original Ace's are Wild! I'm super excited to share it all with you! That will be posted tomorrow evening! Please leave me feedback, i haven't been getting much. Feedback can be anything! Your favorite line, your thoughts on characters, 'quit writing and never come back'.... anything!!!! Feedback is my crack y'all and you are my dealers! (Also i super enjoy reading your comments and feeling as if i'm interacting with y'all!