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“We’ll ask him. But it’ll be his decision.”
Penny flung her arms around his neck and kissed him until they both broke away, laughing and breathless.
“At this rate, we’ll never get to the ATV,” Judge said.
Penny turned around and laughed. “We’re here.”
“Do you want to drive or shall I?” he asked.
“You drive, Joe,” she said. “Take me home.”
Chapter 20
By the time they made it back down the mountain and all the way to the community center on the four-wheeler, the buses had been unloaded and everyone else had arrived.
The local Red Cross arrived with a trailer load of everything needed to set up a shelter for the adults and minors until they could be identified, questioned by the FBI and their families notified.
When Penny and Joe walked into the community center, someone shouted, “There they are!”
The room grew suddenly silent as all eyes turned on them. Then someone clapped. Moments later, the community center thundered with the applause of every man, woman and child within.
A woman Penny had helped train at the camp, who had gone by Carrot, named for her bright red hair, came up to her and hugged her neck, tears streaming down her cheeks. “My name is Rita. Thank you for saving us.”
Tears welled in Penny’s eyes. “My name is Penny. I didn’t do it on my own.”
Rita stepped aside, and a man she’d known as Mule held out his hand. “My name is Stan. Thank you for saving us.”
One person after another came up to her, told her his or her name and thanked her for saving them. Her tears flowed freely as she walked among the people she’d lived with for months, never allowed to know who they really were or what family they’d left behind.
Joe was by her side all the way, his hand resting on the small of her back. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Sweetheart, you made a difference.”
Then the sea of faces parted, and suddenly, her parents were there.
Penny’s legs buckled under the weight of her emotions.
Joe’s arm encircled her waist and held her steady as her mother flung her arms around her, and her father enveloped them all in a tearful hug.
When Joe tried to back out of the group hug, Penny wouldn’t let him. She stepped back and pulled him closer. “Mom, Dad, this is Joe Smith. I think I love him. I hope you’ll love him, too.”
“Sweetheart, if you love him, we’ll love him like a son,” her mother said and hugged Joe’s neck.
Her father shook Joe’s hand, then pulled him in for a back-pounding hug. “Thank you for bringing our daughter home.”
Once her parents gave her a little room to breathe, Cassie appeared with Gabbie, Dezi and Molly. They managed piercing high-school-cheer-squad-worthy squeals and engulfed her in a group hug. They all wanted to get together and settled on getting their nails done as soon as Penny had settled in.
She’d barely caught her breath when the woman she’d known as Fly and her little girl Tayla appeared in front of her and hugged her.
“My name is Liza,” the woman said. “Thank you for getting us out.” The man Joe had called Utah lifted Tayla up with one arm and wrapped the other around Liza. “If not for you, I wouldn’t have met and fallen in love with these two beautiful girls. Thank you.”
Penny smiled at Liza. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I always wondered if you and Tayla were safe and happy.”
“We are,” Liza said. “Happier than I’ve ever been in my life. When you get settled, we’d like to take you to dinner.”
Before Penny could respond, Mud stepped up to her and Joe. “My name is Brian.” He held out his hand to shake hers.
“I’m Penny.” She took his hand and pulled him into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“I wouldn’t be if it hadn’t been for you and Judge.” He looked up at Joe.
