by K. L. Donn
“She’s coming back with me!”
Her brows furrowed at the angry voice. One she’d never heard before.
“That’s her choice,” Ace’s equally angry voice snarled.
She deduced that she was the her they were referring to.
“Now, boys, calm down,” Jake’s reasonable voice made her smile. He was supposed to arrive for dinner that night, she wondered what he was doing there now.
“Pepper has to come home. She has a life there.”
Maybe it was her brother’s voice?
She still hadn’t heard Nick speak and that more than anything worried her. He was quiet, not nearly as volatile as Ace could be. Until it was too late. She may not have known them long, but she knew their personalities better than her own.
“You do realize she is her own person, right?” Jake sounded bewildered.
“Ace,” Nick finally spoke. “He’s right.” Her heart plummeted. “I don’t want her to feel pressured into staying. If she wants to leave, we have to let her.”
Now that pissed her off.
Rounding the corner, hands on her hips, she shouted to the room in general. “How about we ask Pepper what the fuck she wants?” Through her anger, she saw shock on everyone’s faces excepts Jake’s, the funny old man smiled with pride, winking at her.
“Pepper.”
She finally saw the stranger and now realized he was her brother from the pictures she’d seen of him online. When he attempted to walk closer to her, she backed away. He might be her blood, but she had no idea who he was. For all she knew, he’d left her for dead. Without her memories, she had nothing.
The hurt on his face nearly made her back down.
“I don’t know you,” she muttered softly.
“You still don’t recognize me?” His voice was gruff with emotion.
She looked to Nick for help, and when he held open his arms for her, she rushed to his side. His embrace was comforting. Ace walked over to them, leaning down for a kiss. “Morning, baby,” he said.
“Hi,” she murmured back, a shy smile gracing her lips.
“Un-fucking-believable!” was shouted from across the room.
“Watch your tone,” Nick warned, getting to his feet.
She observed James as so many emotions crossed his handsome features. A face that looked much older than her dreams from when they were younger. He looked haggard, worried, and sad.
“What happened to her?” she asked him, meaning the woman who’d turned him against her. Ruined the perilous relationship they’d had.
There wasn’t much she did remember, but there were things that lingered. What that woman had him believing and saying to Pepper was one that stuck with her. She couldn’t let it go. He may be there now, but what about before? She couldn’t help but wonder if the situation she found herself in now ever would have happened if he hadn’t pushed her away so callously.
“Gone,” he told her flatly, not even trying to pretend like he didn’t know what she was talking about. “You remember that?”
“I remember certain things, feelings. I woke up after a nightmare one night with your words ringing in my head. How I felt when you said them. I know that before anything happened, I felt lonely. I wanted to finally have someone love me for me. I remember feeling like I would never have that.” Tears threatened to spill over as she explained what was happening in her own mind.
“I didn’t mean it,” he said, and she believed him. When she remembered him and the fractured images of her family, she only ever got a sense of love.
“Who was he?” she finally asked the room at large. Nick had mentioned they had her attacker’s name, but she hadn’t been ready to hear it yet. The time had come, and she couldn’t avoid it.
“Alex Medina,” Nick answered again. She had blocked his name out the first time they mentioned him. Closing her eyes, she relaxed her mind, pushing everything to the side in the hopes of something coming through. It was nothing but blank space.
“He works with Ray,” James said.
“Who’s Ray?” The name wasn’t familiar.
“Shit,” he mumbled. “Tami. You remember her?”
“I had a dream or memory, whatever. There was a Tami in it, and she helped me get ready for a date?”
His smile was blinding. “Yeah, that sounds like Tam. She’s your best friend. Has been your whole life. Ray’s her brother. They’re both firefighters. Since you and Alex came here, no one’s seen hide nor hair of the man. You were supposed to be back two weeks ago.”
“Why did he…” Her throat tightened at the question she was about to ask. “Why did he choose me?”
Regret colored James’ eyes. “He was talking to Ray about finding a submissive girl when you and Tami had been by the station one day. Ray mentioned you were the perfect mix of submissive and backbone. He’s torn up about it now, Pep.”
Pep.
The nickname had a gush of memories rushing forward at lightning speed as she gasped for breath. Her head was swimming. Stars burst behind her lids as her knees weakened, dragging her to the floor. Hands on the ground, she let the memories run through her. Absorbing all the pain and love she’d ever felt. Knowing if she wanted answers, if she wanted to be free, she had to let them come.
Voices could be heard through a tunnel as they all checked to see if she was alright. The memories were so intense her body started shaking. The pain from losing their parents was forefront, something she’d never been able to let go of. She carried it like a shield of armour around her heart, never letting anyone in long enough to feel anything.
Breathless and trembling, she collapsed in a heap on the floor. It was almost as if she’d been possessed with the way her body felt used, but she knew it was the emotions. Pepper had always been someone who felt things intensely, right to her soul. So when she was hurt, it lingered until she was ready to process the loss.
Since waking up, she hadn’t been able to absorb much of anything. What she felt for Nick and Ace didn’t begin to reach anything like the pain running through her at the multiple betrayals in her life.
Her parents dying in front of her.
Paul, her ex, treating her like trash.
Envy at Tami’s free spirit.
James’ rejection.
Finally, Alex’s betrayal when he left her for dead.
It all lingered in her mind, her heart. Stole every inch of her soul.
“Oh God!” She felt like she was being ripped to shreds as the thought of leaving Nick and Ace crossed her mind. That was one emotional breakdown she knew she wouldn’t survive.
If there was ever a time where Nick could commit murder, it had come. James was her family, her brother, one of three people not including him, Ace, and his dad that gave a shit about her. So, he could get why the other man wanted her home.
Seeing her in such emotional pain now made him want to slaughter the other man. She was clearly gaining her memories back as she cried on the floor. Every time one of them tried to touch her, she’d flinch away.
“Rox,” he whistled for the animal, who immediately came padding over from her spot near the couch. She didn’t even need direction as she lay next to Pepper. From the moment the dog had met her, they’d had an unbreakable bond.
“Pepper,” James called softly, clearly in distress over his sister’s heartbreak.
“It’s okay,” she replied roughly. “The memories, they’re just a lot.”
Having had enough of seeing her in such pain, he sat on the floor beside her, pulling her into his arms and cradling her between his thighs. “Make it stop, Nick,” she moaned as he rubbed circles on her back.
“Ah, baby, I’m sorry. This is good, though.” A shudder ran through her at his words.
“Take a seat, James,” Ace suggested. The look on his face had Nick smirking, the man had no clue what was happening as he sat down.
“My head hurts,” she commented faintly.
Ace came over and sat beside them. Hearing what Pep
per had said, he started massaging her scalp.
“I’ll make some tea,” his dad offered as he got up from his stool. “Where’s the bourbon, Nicky?”
“It’s not even nine, Dad.” The foolish old man.
“Trust me, that girl’s gonna need a drink,” he snapped. “Especially dealing with you three boneheads.”
“Hey!” Ace pretended to act affronted.
“You three are fighting over whether she’s gonna stay or go. Don’t you think she has bigger problems than that?” They all kept their mouths shut as he spoke. “She has some tough decisions ahead of her. The likes of you all had better get on the supportive train and not the pain in the ass one. She’ll kick all of you to the curb then. And if she doesn’t, I’ll do it for her.”
“Dad,” Nick warned, not wanting to deal with that just yet. He wasn’t lying when he said he’d support any decisions she made about staying or leaving, but it didn’t mean he wanted to hear about them yet.
“She wants to go, you boys better follow her.” He pointed at Nick and Ace, then drilled James with the same look. “She wants to stay, you better tell her you’ll come as often as you can. And if, heaven forbid, she tells you all to take a hike and moves in with me, you better back off or meet the funny end of my shotgun. We clear?”
“Yes, sir” rang through the room as they all fought back laughter about his last threat. If Nick didn’t love his father so much, he’d toss the old man out on his ass for making such a threat. Taking their woman? Hell to the no.
“I can hear you, you know,” Pepper murmured from her spot, making everyone burst out in laughter.
“Good,” Jake told her, “that means you can tell these fools you’re coming home with me.”
She shook her head at his antics, but otherwise, didn’t say a word in response. She did, however, ask them about their plan for catching Alex.
“Until we know where he is, I’m not sure,” James explained.
She looked up at Nick before darting a glance at Ace, hoping one of them had an answer.
“He was here twice, at least,” Nick replied. Talking to the room in general.
“The bear trap,” Ace answered, reading his thoughts.
“Also, the open window the night the power went out,” he admitted.
Pepper’s gasp of horror could be felt through the room as she whipped around to look at him with a glare. “You made me feel like that was in my head.” She was hurt.
Running a finger down her tan cheek, he reassured her. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t want you to worry about anything when I wasn’t sure if it was even him or not.”
“Okey doke, boys!” Jake clapped. “Let’s get this sorted out so we can have ourselves a wedding!”
“Uh, what?” James looked just as bewildered as Nick felt.
“Oh, did I not mention that?” His dad had a coy look in his eyes that he didn’t quite trust.
Ace couldn’t believe Jake. Well, actually he could. His uncle had always been a bit of a free-spirit, beat to the march of his own drum kind of guy. But to blindly announce a wedding threw them all off.
“Who’s getting married?” Pepper whispered out the side of her mouth, not realizing Jake wanted the three of them to unite.
“You are, sweetheart,” he told her calm as could be. Like he was announcing the weather.
“Ummm,” she was bewildered.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already got the pastor ready and willing.” Jake ran roughshod over her, and Ace realized he couldn’t tell if the man was kidding or not in order to lighten the mood.
“But,” she tried again.
“Dad,” Nick warned again.
“Well, it’s perfect timing. Her brother’s here to walk her down the aisle and everything. I think she’ll look lovely in your mother’s wedding dress, too.” He continued ignoring their protests.
“First, we catch this guy,” James chimed in.
“Wait just a damn minute!” Ace finally protested. As much as he’d love for Pepper to be tied to them, he wouldn’t do it because Jake was an impatient bastard.
“Could it be in the meadow?” Pepper asked shyly. He and Nick both stared at her in shock, neither able to form a coherent thought.
She wasn’t saying what he thought she was, was she? Her sly smile had his chest releasing the breath he held. Whether in disappoint or relief, he didn’t know.
“He’s kidding, guys,” she said.
“You didn’t think I’d actually plan that before you popped the question, did you?” Jake asked them, shaking his head. “For badass soldier boys, you sure are skittish.”
Sitting up straighter, Pepper looked at them all, questions in her eyes. “So, what’s the plan fellas; how do we catch my attacker?”
That’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question.
Running his hand through her hair and across her soft cheek, Ace promised, “We’ll find a way, baby.” Hoping it wasn’t a false one.
Chapter Twelve
Waiting was the worst. Pepper didn’t know what was what or how things would go down. Jake had insisted that she and Roxie come back to his cabin closer to town and give the men some time to formulate a plan, as well as, giving her some breathing room from all the chaos that was her life.
As she sat on the front porch with her canine pal practically in her lap, she watched fascinated as a moose came into Jake’s front yard. One would think being a B.C girl, she’d have seen it all, but she hadn’t. She was trapped in a life she no longer understood.
The animal watched them steadily as it moved around the yard, searching for food. She was lost in the way its muscles rippled, the way it seamlessly walked through the snow with no trouble at all. It’s huge hooves left a trail as it moved on.
Envy coursed through her at the moose’s freedom. The basic instincts it would have even if it lost its memory. She struggled to pick up on her own. Her impatience was getting the best of her.
“My Addy used to sit in that same spot watching nature as it went by.” Jake smiled at her.
That was the first time she’d heard anything about Nick’s mom. She could tell the woman was loving by the way the men all acted, only a strong woman could bring that out.
“Tell me about her?”
Walking over, he handed her cup of hot chocolate. “She was a remarkable woman,” he murmured sitting beside her.
“I bet she was a firecracker.” Pepper smiled back at him.
His chuckle was warm, loving, as he told her, “She’d have loved you.” His words warmed her heart. “She was a simple farmer’s daughter when she caught my eye. It was at the PnE I first saw her, roping a calf better than most men.”
“PnE?” she asked quietly while he thought on the fond memory.
“Pacific National Exhibition. Right there in your town.”
“Oh, I should know that.” She felt so stupid.
His hand gripping hers had her gazing up into his kind eyes. “No dear, don’t do that. Your memory is protecting you. Remembering the trivial things isn’t important.” The understanding reflected back at her soothed her frayed nerves.
“Tell me more,” she insisted.
“She took that calf down with grace. Not a hair out of place. I think I fell in love right then.” He remained silent for a moment. “When I finally got a chance to speak to her, she told me off. Told me if I couldn’t handle a woman in a man’s world, I didn’t belong, not her.” His laughter was full-bodied. “When I finally told her I thought she was better than most men, the prettiest blush I’d ever seen worked up her tanned skin. I was hooked.”
Turning her body more fully to face him, she smiled and asked, “Did she like you, too?”
“Oh, she thought I was a fool. Especially after I’d made a mess of myself trying to rope a calf. It got away from me with one leg tied and wrapped me up but good.” Pepper couldn’t help laughing at the picture he’d painted in her mind. “I kept going back for more, though. After that first time of hearing her laugh,
I knew I wanted to hear it for the rest of my life.”
“That’s so sweet,” her eyes misted up.
He gave her a sardonic look as if to tell her that she had her head in the clouds. “By the time I’d finally convinced her daddy to let her go on a date with me, she was off to college. I think that’s why the bastard said yes. That man was a pain in my rear from the day we met. Too bad for him, I was fixing to buy my own piece of land.”
“Where did she go to school?”
“Back then it was Okanagan University College, now they call it Okanagan College. Changed that name four times; twice it was the same. Fools. She studied Administration and Bookkeeping. Told me when I finally got things running, I’d have my own office manager.”
“Did you follow her?”
“As far as I could. Not much for farming in Kelowna, so I moved here. On the weekends, she would come here, or I would go there. Made her daddy right mad.” Laughter rumbled from his chest. “That old man finally came to see me after a year of us sneaking behind him, told me to make an honest woman of her or back off so he could find a suitable man for her.”
“Oh, goodness,” Pepper gasped.
“We married a month later.” The smile that graced his face sent chills running down her spine. It was pure contentment and love. “When she gave me Nick, I thought I would die from happiness. That woman was the epitome of what a wife and mother should be. She never complained unless I tracked mud through the house—then she took the broom to me. She took everything in stride.”
“She sounds incredible.” Bowing her head, Pepper wondered if she could ever be that for Nick and Ace. Would they praise her that way in forty years?
“Nick and Ace,” he sighed, “they look at you the way I did Addy.” His voice held pride. “And you, Miss Pepper, you watch them with an intensity that any man should be so lucky to feel.”
Was that good or bad?
“How did you know everything would work out? Being so far apart, her in school, and you working so hard. How did you know?” Her voice sounded desperate even to her own ears.
“Faith and love, girl. A little faith in her, and a lot of love.” So simple. “Everything else will fall into place.” With that, he got up to leave.
