She nodded as she pulled her knees up to her chest. “I know. I called a car for you. It’ll be here in forty-five minutes.”
He sat on the bed. “You’ll come out in two weeks for the weekend. Time will fly. You’ll be so busy. We’ll text all the time and talk on the phone. It’ll be fine.”
“Sure, yeah,” she said dully.
The sadness in her eyes was more than he could tolerate without losing it. He went to his suitcase and pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt to wear. While he dressed, she slipped from the bed and went into the bathroom. After a moment, he heard the shower turn on.
No singing today.
Stone went to the window and drew back the curtain. The sight of gray and gritty Manhattan greeted him. Even from the twentieth floor, the sounds of horns and traffic called out to him. People crowded the sidewalks, shoving and pushing their way to work or shopping or school. Could he live here? Could he do it to be with Pepper?
Stay. Save yourself. Save her. You need each other.
But in the next second, he remembered the Wolves and his commitment to them. And Kyle and Autumn? They would understand if he chose love over them. They’d be fine. But what about him? Alone in a strange city with a woman who would probably be working most of the time. What would he do here? Get his contractor license? He could, he supposed. If he could afford to live here. Everything had fallen into place for him in Cliffside Bay. Walking away for a woman who would probably outgrow him was a disaster waiting to happen.
Pepper distracted him from the window and his thoughts when she returned from her shower. She’d fixed her hair and applied makeup, but none of it hid the dark circles under her eyes. It hurt him to see her this way.
“I want to go the airport with you, but I’m afraid it’ll make me late for the meeting,” she said.
He agreed, assuring her it was fine. “I hate goodbyes at the airport anyway.”
“Not goodbye. See you soon.”
He crossed over to her and pulled her into his arms. With his face buried in her curls, he breathed in her scent, wishing he could at least take that with him.
“I wish you didn’t have to go.” Her voice was flat and defeated. She didn’t sound like his fiery Pepper.
“I’ll see you soon.” He pulled away to look into her eyes. His lips touched hers, and he lingered for a moment. “I love you.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I’ll see you in two weeks.”
“Two weeks.”
He wrenched away and grabbed his suitcase, leaving without a backward glance. If he looked back at her, he might never leave. And that wasn’t what either of them needed.
Two hours later, after surviving security and crowds, he reached his gate, only to find out his flight was delayed by thirty minutes. He called Rafael. They hadn’t spoken since he’d called him from San Francisco to let him know he was accompanying Pepper to New York and that they’d managed to fall in love in the middle of a snowstorm. Now he filled him in on the unsettling events of the last twenty-four hours. His friend didn’t say much until he finished his sad tale. “I left her at the hotel, and now I’m flying home.”
“Man, I’m sorry,” Rafael said. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Tell me I’m doing the right thing.”
“You are. Giving her space to see where it might lead is the only path to happiness for both of you. And you have commitments here. Bailing on them isn’t in you. Everyone knows that, including Pepper, which is probably one of the reasons she loves you.”
“I know you’re right, but I feel pretty miserable right now.”
“I know, man, but listen. You got the girl. She’ll come back to you if your bond is as strong as you think it is. I promise you—it’s going to be okay.”
“I hope you’re right.” He hesitated for a moment. “How’s it been for you—the whole money thing?”
“You mean because Lisa is rich and getting richer? I struggle every now and then. I’m not proud of it, but yeah, it still bugs me. That said, it gives me more incentive to make our business venture work.”
“That’s a good way to look at it.”
“You’ll get used to the idea after a time. It’s still hard when you wish you could get her something and you realize she can get it for herself.”
“These girls don’t care about that stuff,” Stone said. “You know what Pepper said when she found out her dad left her all that money? ‘Why didn’t he love me?’”
“That makes me want to murder the guy even though he’s already dead.”
“I know. They say money makes the world go around, but it’s actually love.”
“Amen, brother. Now, come home. We’ll sew you back together until your girl comes back to you.”
After he hung up the phone, Stone sat staring at his hands, crushed and broken. What had he been thinking? He was a joke. Had he really believed that Pepper was going to marry him and have his babies and live in his small apartment in Cliffside Bay while he built his business? This woman was a star who belonged on the stage and screen with millions of adoring fans clamoring for her every word. He knew it was right to let her go fulfill her destiny, even as his guts were being twisted by invisible monster hands.
It was nearing six in the evening when he arrived home to Cliffside Bay. As soon as he stepped inside his apartment, the scent of his sister’s spaghetti sauce filled the air. Voices and laughter came from the kitchen. He left his bag by the front door and followed the noise of what sounded like happy people. Autumn, wearing an apron over jeans and a pink sweater, stood at the stove with a wooden spoon in her hand. Trey was at the counter making a salad.
“Big brother, you’re home.” Autumn moved across the room with the slight hitch in her step to hug him. “I missed you so much.”
Trey stood, and they exchanged a quick brotherly embrace.
“How you doing, man?” Trey asked. “Good to see your ugly mug.”
“You too,” Stone said. Despite his heartbreak, the sight of these two people cheered him. “It smells fantastic in here.”
“I made my special sauce,” Autumn said. “Thought you might need a little comfort food.”
“You know me too well.” Stone smiled at his sister. Flushed from the heat of the stove, she looked even lovelier than usual. He wished for the thousandth time that she and Trey were attracted to each other. They had so much in common and already had the foundation of friendship. But without the attraction factor, it didn’t matter how compatible they were. The irony was not lost on him. He and Pepper were in love but couldn’t live together. These two practically lived together but could never be in love.
Trey opened the refrigerator and pulled out two beers, then poured a glass of wine for Autumn. “Take a load off,” Trey said to Stone. “Tell us all about it.”
“Rafael called earlier and told us what happened,” Autumn said.
“Ah, the spaghetti sauce is making more sense,” Stone said. He wasn’t surprised Rafael had shared his news. These guys were starting to feel like family. As much as every cell missed Pepper, being home was a comfort.
“There’s not much to tell that you don’t know, then. Pepper and I spent the last ten days wrapped up in each other, and I’m madly in love with her. We were headed home to work on making our dreams come true, together. Then her bastard father left her his theater company and loads of cash, which means she can live her dream. Without me.” Stone lifted his beer and took a long drink. Autumn and Trey exchanged glances, as if they knew something he didn’t. “What?”
“Nothing really,” Autumn said.
“Go ahead,” Stone said. “I know you have an opinion.”
“I’ve never been prouder of you. Encouraging her to spread her wings is so very cool,” Autumn said.
“Once we get things running like we want, there’s no reason you can’t live in New York part of the year, and she could live here part of the year,” Trey said. “Or do what Rafael and Lisa are doing.�
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“Sure. That’s the plan,” Stone said, not entirely believing it even as it came out of his mouth.
“Or maybe she could hire someone to run the theater?” Autumn asked. “Like an artistic director or something.”
“She could,” Stone said. “But she needs time to figure out how it’s going to work.”
“Why do you sound so pessimistic?” Autumn turned to stir her sauce and spoke with her back to him. “It’s not like you.”
“I’m just not sure I’m going to hold up against the allure of the rich people she’s going to be around now,” Stone said. “And I miss her like hell. Like I lost a limb. Or two.”
Autumn set aside her spoon and turned around to face him, her eyes full of sympathy. “She’ll be back.”
“I hope you’re right, but the odds are stacked against us,” Stone said. “Think about it. She’s mega rich. She’s going to run one of the most successful theater companies in New York and probably get to star in several productions a year. She’ll be surrounded by the elite society of New York. Take a guess how long it takes before she’s moved on to bigger and better.” Saying it out loud was a relief. “I’m just plain old me. I had to buy a shirt just to visit the attorney’s office.”
Trey grimaced. “The logic pans out. I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right. You know how it is with women.”
Autumn crossed her arms over her chest and glared at them. “Really now? And how is it with women?”
“You know, they’re attracted to men with money,” Trey said. “It’s no secret.”
Autumn rolled her eyes. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Look at my ex-wife if you need proof,” Trey said. “The guy she cheated on me with and subsequently married is richer than God.”
“No one’s richer than God,” Autumn said with a pious knitting of her eyebrows.
“You know what I mean.” Trey gave her a sheepish grin.
“You two have major chips on your shoulders,” Autumn said. “It’s sad. If she loves you like she says she does, she’ll make an effort.”
“I don’t know.” Stone sat at the table, suddenly weary. “We’re so different. She’s the city and I’m the country. If I move there, I’m miserable. If she comes home with me, she gives up the opportunity of a lifetime. The thought of losing her makes me want to throw up.”
Autumn sighed. “You poor thing.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes love ain’t enough,” Stone said. “Enough about me, what have you two kids been up to?”
Autumn gave him one more of her sisterly glares that told him this discussion would be revisited whether he liked it or not. “We actually have big news.”
“News that will cheer you up,” Trey said.
He doubted anything could cheer him. “What is it?”
“The permits were approved for Sara’s house,” Autumn said.
“We can start next week. This house is going to be huge for us,” Trey said.
“Great news.” He tried to sound enthusiastic but succeeded in conveying extreme weariness instead.
“Oh, Stone, you’re in bad shape,” Autumn said. “A month ago, this would have made you do cartwheels.”
He pushed into his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Leaving her was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Imagining my life without her is impossible.”
When he removed his hands, he looked up to see Trey and Autumn staring at him with expressions of helplessness.
“You guys will find a way,” Autumn said. “If you love each other, nothing’s impossible.”
“Sure. One hundred percent,” Trey said without meeting Stone’s gaze.
Stone almost laughed at Trey’s insincerity. His friend was a skeptic when it came to romantic relationships. Not that he could blame him. Trey’s ex-wife had cheated on him and then taken the business he’d spent ten years building.
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Let’s eat,” Stone said. “That sauce is making my mouth water.” One foot in front of the other. Concentrate on his life here. The business. His friends. His family. This was his life. With or without Pepper, he had to keep moving forward. That’s what the Marines had taught him. Even if he felt as if he were dying, life must go on.
Chapter 21
Pepper
* * *
After meeting with several attorneys and the board members of the theater, Pepper went home to the hotel and stripped off her uncomfortable clothes and shoes and slipped into the bathrobe. The day had exhausted her, and not only because she’d barely slept the night before. Her tearful goodbye to Stone seemed like a lifetime ago. Somehow, she’d gotten through the day without breaking down. In fact, her traitorous brain almost tricked her into believing it had all been a bad dream. She almost expected Stone to be waiting at the hotel. He wasn’t. An empty can of shaving cream next to her toothbrush was the only proof that he’d been there at all.
She ordered some dinner up but didn’t have the heart or appetite to eat. All day her phone had been blowing up with messages from Lisa, Maggie, and her mom. Everyone but Stone. She needed to return the phone calls and share the remarkable turn of events. She dreaded telling the same story three times and wished she could send a simple text instead.
Dad left me his theater company and gobs of money. Stone had to go home to Cliffside Bay instead of staying with me. I chose to stay here and pursue the dream I thought I wanted but all I can think about is the man who hates crowds and cities and noise.
She pushed aside her dinner and picked up the phone. She punched in Lisa’s and Maggie’s numbers for a three-way call. Amazingly, given their schedules, they both picked up. Five minutes later, they knew the whole story. For the second time in the history of their friendships, they were stunned into silence. The only other time that had ever happened was when Maggie called to tell Lisa and Pepper that everyone in Cliffside Bay had believed she died at eighteen in a car crash.
Maggie was the first to break the silence. “After like twelve years of no contact, he decides to leave you his theater and all his money?”
“I know it’s unbelievable,” Pepper said. “My dad always knew how to mess with my head.”
“Are you all right?” Lisa asked.
The sympathy in her voice was too much. Her resolve to stay numb and strong disintegrated. “No. I’m all messed up. I don’t know what to do or think. And I miss Stone so much it feels like I’m dying a slow and painful death.”
“Do you need me to come out there?” Maggie asked.
“No, no. You have the baby, and you’re finally home,” Pepper said.
“Is the theater what you want?” Maggie asked. “Because you’re not sounding so sure.”
“I’m not,” Pepper said. “A month ago, if you’d told me I would rather go back with Stone and live a simple life in Cliffside Bay, I would have said you were delusional. Did you guys ever notice how loud it is here? I mean, last night when I was trying to sleep all I could hear were horns and engines and people screaming. Maybe it didn’t seem so loud when you guys were here to keep me company. I feel alone without you. This whole thing feels wrong. Do I sound crazy?”
“You sound like you’re in love,” Lisa said. “And love changes us. Our work isn’t everything, despite what we believed all these years.”
“It’s just one part of us,” Maggie said. “Art’s fed by love.”
“Stone’s so generous,” Pepper said. “The moment we learned the details of the will, he told me how much he wants this for me. But what if he’s wrong? What if the huge opportunity is him?” Pepper tightened the belt of the robe around her waist. “You can’t imagine the meeting I just had with the board. It turns out I’m not even in charge. They are. They’re all a bunch of scary old people who told me my main responsibility is making sure we’re on budget and hiring the right people. All the artistic choices will be made by directors and designers. I’ll be a businessperson. Like in an office all day long looking at numbers. It’s my
worst nightmare. I had no idea what my dad actually did.”
“That sounds awful,” Lisa said.
“I know. And get this—our annual numbers are low because of my dad’s illness. They want me to get started right away.” She sighed, remembering the edict from the board.
“Do you want to be a businessperson?” Maggie asked. “Or an actress?”
“You know the answer to that,” Pepper said. “But am I wimping out? Am I letting my dad down?”
“Screw him,” Lisa said, uncharacteristically crass. “He never did one thing for you. Get out of there. Take the money, don’t get me wrong, but resign from the company. Seriously, honey, you would be miserable.”
“I agree,” Maggie said. “Run as fast as you can.”
“Not to throw even more complications at you, but I talked to Gennie today,” Lisa said.
Gennie, otherwise known as Genevieve Banks, the most famous movie star in the world. Since Lisa’s rise to fame, they had become friends. Recently, Gennie had started her own production company, making films about women. She’d offered Lisa a role in her next project. Pepper burned with shame remembering how jealous she’d been.
Sounding nervous, Lisa continued. “Pepper, she has a role for you in the film. It’s a good one, too. Juicy and complex. She watched your scenes in the horror film and thinks you’re perfect for the role of the salty bartender.”
“What are you talking about?” She blinked. Her limbs tingled with what felt like electric currents. Had she heard her correctly?
“I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure,” Lisa said. “Almost all of your scenes would be with me. They’re good ones, Pepper. Really good.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Other than I’m a terrible, jealous, awful person and now you’ve done this wonderful thing for me.
“We always said if one of us got a break, we’d help the others,” Lisa said. “But it would require you to come out here to film.”
“I’d be an actress.” And maybe a wife. She could live in Cliffside Bay with Maggie and Lisa when she wasn’t filming. If she had children, they could raise them together.
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