Work Text:
She knew the second her family showed up at the bar shortly after five that her two loves were up to something. Nothing could have prepared her for what, though. And the grinning handsome devils certainly weren’t planning to share anytime soon. So, when Jimmy told her to go on already, she went reluctantly, promising to be back in time for closing.
It wasn’t until they were pulling into a gravel parking lot that she realized where they were.
“How on earth did you find this place?” she gasped, glancing around the familiar farm.
“Well, I might have persuaded your dad into telling us the rest of the story from the other night,” Pete revealed with a sly smirk.
“And I looked it up afterwards and found out they were having a harvest festival tonight,” stated Tom with his own smirk while he shut off the engine after parking.
“Is this the pumpkin patch you were talking about dinner, Mom?”
“It is,” Penny laughed in disbelief, taking off her seat belt and stepping out of Tom’s car.
“Come on, Mel,” Bradley called out as he approached from his Bronco. “Let’s save ourselves from them.”
She watched the kids wander off together, shaking her head and smiling. She was glad to see them getting along so well so far.
“I cannot believe you found this place.”
“It wasn’t difficult,” shrugged her husband, grabbing her hand as he walked beside Tom. “Your dad actually still remembered the name. Made it easy for Ice to find on the map.”
“The fact that they were holding a festival was sheer luck, however,” Tom commented.
“So, what are you thinking we do first, sweetheart? Sample some of the apple ciders? Maybe some donuts perhaps?”
She laughed. “Let’s check out the crafts first before we fill ourselves up on food.”
“Deal,” Pete replied, kissing her cheek.
They wandered down the row of handmade arts and crafts, stopping occasionally to inspect a piece more closely before they continued onward.
“Looking for a new paperweight, Ice?” asked her husband, starting on their usual bullshit already.
“You mean, since you broke my last one?”
“Technically, I didn’t break it, Kazansky. It broke itself.”
“And how did it do that, Mav? Hmm?”
“Okay, so, you might have a point.”
“Exactly.”
Oh, her sweet guys . . .
She was so lucky to share her life with two amazing men, the best of mankind.
Her eyes caught a stained-glass window piece a second later, focusing solely on that and not on hearing her loves bickering.
“If you don’t see something you like, let me know," announced the artist, who noticed Penny looking at the pieces and approached her. "I might have something at the workshop or could create you an entirely new piece instead if you’d like."
“You do these all by yourself?” she asked, glancing at him. She couldn’t help but think how he had the aura of an artist with how colorful his hair was and the numerous piercings.
“I do. Started as a busy project after classes to deal with stress of life and all, and, well, it grew from here obviously.”
“They’re gorgeous.” She could see the care put into each piece of work. The problem was they were all so beautiful she didn’t know which one to get. Because, for sure, one was coming home with her today. His talents deserved to be shown off to the world.
“Thank you.” His hazel eyes then darted across the way to where she knew Pete and Tom were playfully bickering over a piece of art.
“If you want, I can tell them to stop if it’s bothering you,” she offered. “They have a habit of forgetting entirely about the rest of the world unfortunately when they’re around one another.” She gave him a soft, kind smile. At his sudden blink of recognition, she tilted her head. “Is something wrong?”
“You’re Penny Benjamin, aren’t you?” he gasped, glancing between her and her loves.
“Well, Penny Mitchell, but yes,” she replied. “Do we know each other somehow?” She was fairly certain she’d remember him if she did.
“Not exactly, no,” he laughed nervously. “My brother, he serves. Raves about your place all the time, about how I should check it out sometime and have a drink on him. That it has good vibes and all. Safe for, well, you know, people like me.”
Her heart ached to hear his unspoken words. For knowing that in 2021, people still had to be cautious of what kind of bars they frequented instead of just enjoying a night out like it should’ve been with friends. Had to be on their guard so they wouldn’t end up another hate crime statistic.
God, she really hated the world sometimes.
“Where’s your brother stationed?” she asked politely.
“Japan. By, uh, way of the Middle East,” he answered, trying to fight off the instinctive grimace with revealing how close a loved one was to powder keg hotspots in the world.
“Okay, well, the next time your brother’s home, stop in at the bar with him. Your first drinks are on me.” She didn’t always offer a round on her, but something told her that this sweet kid needed something to look forward to in life. Lord knew she had times like that over the years herself.
“I’ll let him know. Thanks.” He smiled brightly, reminding her of so many who passed through her doors some nights. “Anyway, like I said, if nothing is tripping your trigger here, I have more at my workshop and am good with creating something if need be.”
“Problem here is, I love it all,” she laughed warmly.
He chuckled. “I’m glad you like them.”
“How long does it take you usually to complete one? On average?”
“Depends on the piece honestly. Most are about a couple of weeks.”
She nodded, already dreaming of a few areas were she could add his pieces in the bar.
“Wow, these are amazing!” Pete exclaimed, coming to stand beside her.
She felt Tom step up on her other side and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at them.
“Find something you like?” Tom asked her.
“Like I was telling him, I love it all,” laughed Penny. “Do you happen to have a business card at all? I’ve got an idea in mind, and I think your pieces would be perfect for it.”
“Yeah, course, uh, here.”
She grabbed the business card. “You’ll be hearing from me tomorrow then.”
“I look forward to it.” His hazel eyes then shifted back to Pete and Tom. “Admiral, Captain.” He turned away a moment later and headed to speak to another who was perusing his booth.
“Uh, do we know that kid, Pen?” Pete asked a bit later when they headed to where they saw their kids laughing about something they were looking at together.
“No.”
“Then how did he know our ranks?” Pete and Tom were both dressed in civilian wear.
“His brother’s Navy. Sounds like they’re pretty close to one another.” She then glanced sideways at her husband. “And who doesn’t know our Tom at this point? We’re walking around with the anointed Prince of the Navy, remember?”
Tom snorted. “I’m hardly a prince.”
“You are to us,” she retorted, wrapping an arm around his back and rubbing it for a second. “Now, what are you two monsters up to here?” she asked Bradley and Amelia, finding a box of half-eaten mini donuts between them.
“Nothing,” her youngest mumbled around the mini donuts she stuffed in her mouth, doing the most adorable chipmunk impression Penny ever saw.
She rolled her eyes the second she noticed that Bradley had done the same thing.
“I can’t take you four anywhere, can I?”
Pete and Tom kissed her cheeks as Amelia gave her a quick hug, tugging Bradley with her.
“Love you, Mom," her daughter said around the apple cider mini-donuts she was trying to chew and swallow to get rid of the evidence.
She shook her head with a laugh. “Come on then. Let’s go find our pumpkins before you four little monsters of mine get us banned.”
“How would we do that?”
“I don’t know, but knowing you, Pete Mitchell, you’ll manage it somehow, I’m sure,” she drawled, laughing with the kids and Tom at Pete’s semi-offended look.
“You know, I happen to recall a certain trouble-making admiral’s daughter who—”
“Oh, come on, you.” Now this was the perfect memory.