prove if he’s worthy of participating.”
A smirk curved at the side of Beth’s face. Shit, this wasn’t going to be so easy.
He looked around at the rest of her family who’d kept themselves occupied during the introduction, but he knew they were watching out of the corner of their eyes.
“Is that why you summoned us here, Dad?” Cathy asked with a frustrated sigh. “Do you have some kind of challenge set up for us?” Her impatience was a tad annoying, considering she was well beyond her teens. Penn had rarely spoken of her family, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to peg them all at first glance.
Cole leaned down and whispered in Penn’s ear, “Is your dad ex-military?”
She shook her head. “Retired high school gym teacher.”
He laughed. This all definitely made more sense now.
Her father walked over to stand in the middle of the group. “Welcome to the Foster Family Fun-cation!” he boomed.
Penn groaned beside Cole. Despite the insider peek he was about to get into her family dynamic, he felt that groan right between his legs.
“We are here in this perfect setting to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Foster Cup. As you know,” her father continued, “the annual challenge consists of several challenges. The team with the most wins gets the cup.”
“We’re ready!” Beth pumped her fist.
“See what I’m dealing with?” Penn muttered under her breath.
“Before we get started, we need to figure out if our guest is capable of running with the Fosters.”
“This is pointless.” Dave sighed. “Penn isn’t going to win anyway.”
“She just might.” Cole directed his smile at Beth from across the group and winked. “Now that I’m here.”
Penn looked up; her eyes sparkled with happiness. There. That look was exactly what he’d wanted to see. And surprisingly, exactly what he’d needed to feel.
The Hawaiian sun beat down on his head and tingled across his arms, legs, and neck. Yet that wasn’t the reason for the warm, tingly feeling that spread through his body, unfamiliar but so welcome.
He shook it off. He needed to focus on what was important. Namely, winning this trophy for Penn. She’d been by his side the entire time he’d been planning and getting the club off the ground. Showing up here in paradise to show off his athletic skills was the least he could do.
Her father clapped to get everyone’s attention and waved his arm toward the water. The little kids jumped up and down, screaming, then darted across the beach to where three kayaks lay on the shoreline.
Why did Cole feel like he was being led toward a firing squad, like he was walking the green mile?
But when Penn grabbed his hand and squeezed, her hand lingering for only a moment before she pulled it away, something other than nervousness hung in the air. Something more potent, more priceless.
Since the very first day he’d met Penn, he’d felt an unspoken connection that ebbed and flowed between them, and no matter how hard he’d tried to deny it, that connection could only be described with one word.
Mine.
As if it was instinctive—an overwhelming urge to claim her that he’d pushed aside for three long years.
Maybe that wasn’t in the cards. But he sure as shit could win this challenge.
It was time for a Murphy to kick some Foster ass.
Penn’s mother, who still held baby Hannah, had joined the kids by the kayaks but away from the rest of the group.
Harold stood out from the crowd and addressed the family. “The object of this challenge is a race to the first buoy.” He pointed at the water. “I had originally planned on this being a team challenge, but the situation has changed. Gentlemen will participate, ladies, you will sit this one out. Mr. Murphy?”
Cole tensed and straightened. Just the sound of Harold’s voice brought him right back to grade school.
“If you are the first to capture a flag from the buoy, pin it to your T-shirt, then kayak back to the beach, then you can stay and compete as Pennie’s partner.”
“Is this for real?” Cole looked down at Penn, who was shaking her head.
“Oh, yeah. My father probably paid a premium to have hotel staff help set up the challenges.”
“This is a bit extreme.” Harold Foster was hardcore.
She rolled her eyes. “You have no idea.”
Penn squared her body in front of him and reached out to grasp his hands. “Please, Cole. I need this. If you can set the tone and win this challenge, you will have made the last twenty