“That sounds like fun actually,” he said. “Maybe we’ll have to get all dressed up together someday.”
“I’d rather get undressed together.” She put a hand on his pants over his erection.
“Always my preference when it comes to you.” He slipped a finger inside her as she moved her hand to his tight bulge, where she squeezed. He growled. “Damn you drive me crazy like no woman ever has,” he growled and kissed her hard again.
She broke away from him to remove her top, revealing that certain blue bra.
“I’d better damn well be the last woman you ever say that to.”
“You’re the only one,” he said, bringing his hands around to her back to undo her bra as she made short work of the button and zipper on his pants. “But in case you still don’t believe me, let me show you. Again.”
In no time they were nude, yet Jon did not gently lead her to the bed or push her back as expected. Instead, he stroked her, and brushed her hands away from his length, unwilling to let her pleasure him. She understood why; he wanted control, and she didn’t mind giving it to him.
At least for their first round that night. All bets would be off when it came to the second time they made love that night. And the third.
“I wish I had a tie,” he said against her lips.
“My turn to be blindfolded?”
“Maybe. Or maybe I’ll tie you up instead.”
“Perhaps we should save that kind of fun for our honeymoon. After all, everyone needs something to look forward to,” she whispered.
“I promise you’ll have plenty of fun, and starting right now.”
He finally eased her back on top of the bed, kissing, stroking, caressing her, until she was at his mercy, legs apart, and on her back. He feasted upon her, slowly raking his mouth, tongue, lips over her center until she was close to climax.
He pulled his face away from her and crawled up her body, kissing her thighs, tummy, chest, and breasts. His hand moved back to her, his thumb hard against her clit. She was so very close to that edge, that peak. And she knew he knew it, would not give it to her. Not yet.
“Jon…,” she moaned, moving her hips against his hand. She was frantic yet elated.
“If I can make you feel a sliver of the same need I have for you, I’m going to do it, Pepper. Remember how desperate you feel right now. That’s how I feel too. That’s how I feel about needing you, wanting you, loving you. It’s that painful, that strong, that deep, that wonderful. Don’t forget. Don’t ever forget.”
His hand moved and he slipped into her as Pepper’s hips moved to accept him. She shuddered, and so did he, both of them joining and climaxing together after only a few strokes. Through long cries of shock and ecstasy, the waves moved over and through her until she could sense nothing but Jon’s weight upon her body and his tears upon her shoulder.
* * *
The drive to Frankfort that clear April morning was something akin to driving into the heart of the big bourbon nation, the center of an empire.
On her way to the hearing, Pepper saw signs pointing the way to Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace, and Jim Beam—four major distilleries and all within an hour’s drive from Old Garnet. The drive also took her through gorgeous rolling countryside that reminded her a lot of Bourbon Springs. The whole world felt like home that sunny morning.
On the way up, Pepper reviewed her last conversation with her father, which had been by telephone a few nights earlier. He’d apologized for all the trouble, saying he wished that the bar hadn’t involved her in his case. He’d kept the conversation short, telling Pepper that he didn’t want to say anything before the hearing that could be misconstrued and that after the case was over he wanted to try to get together more often, if she’d allow it.
Pepper was still keeping her father at arm’s length, but wasn’t unwilling to consider a future with him in it. She knew Jon disapproved of him, and understood the source of that dislike. But if the two men were going to have any role in her life, they would have to accept the other’s presence.
Nina had e-mailed Pepper the night before with directions to the attorney regulation offices, and said that she would probably have to wait before she was called as a witness. Thus forewarned, Pepper left Bourbon Springs prepared with a new book downloaded onto her phone, as well as her planner; her schedule in the upcoming months was getting very full. She was looking at doing tours at Old Garnet as well as owner-led tours occasionally at GarnetBrooke. And she needed to approve of some of the final touches to the new visitors’ center at the farm. The renovations were due to be completed next week in anticipation of tours beginning in May.
Pepper knew the way to Frankfort very well. She had been to the capital city as recently as the previous fall, when she’d accompanied her fourth graders to the annual tour of the state capitol building. But those trips were always in a big, rumbling bouncing school bus with a bunch of boisterous kids. By contrast, the drive in her small car was so peaceful that the trip almost made her sleepy.
Thinking about her former students made her a little wistful, and she wondered how Mack Blanton was getting along as her replacement. Mack, a former teaching colleague, had called her a few weeks earlier looking for a reference. She’d been surprised to hear from him because he’d gone off to Nashville and won a big talent competition. But he’d said his luck had changed, and he was coming home. She was happy to give him the reference; he’d later left her a voice mail that he’d gotten the long-term substitute teacher position and was hoping for a teaching contract for the next school year. She’d been delighted to see him make it big in Nashville since they’d both shared rather difficult upbringings in Craig County. His story had chilled her; good fortune could so easily disappear.
Using Nina’s excellent directions, Pepper easily found the building, a large, porticoed red brick structure, two stories, with four Ionic columns across the front. As Pepper approached from the north, she realized that the building actually sat on the banks of the Kentucky River, which glistened a bright blue-green that day in the spring sun.
Pepper parked in the large lot adjoining the building and immediately upon exiting her car felt right at home. The smell of mash hung heavily in the humid spring air. Curious about her surroundings, Pepper looked around for any indication of a distillery and soon found it—a cloud of steam rising about a mile down the river.
Pepper had worn something appropriate for court but not business-dressy: light tan slacks with a royal blue twin set, and a strand of pearls. She had put her long, thick red hair in a French braid, unable to do much with it after her night with Jon.
As she ascended the portico steps to the front door, Pepper imagined she was approaching a temple and felt compelled to silence. Upon entering the enormous two-story lobby she blinked, giving her eyes time to adjust to the relative dimness of the space. In front of her winding double staircases ascended to a landing and then a doorway to the second floor. To the right and left were long hallways and tucked under the right stairway was a small reception area. It was big, imposing, and silent—a government office at its most intimidating.
Pepper crept to the receptionist’s desk to check in and ask what she should do.
“Oh, yes,” the receptionist said in a whisper, “Ms. Cain said for you to wait and that you’d be called upstairs to the hearing when they’re ready for you. You can just take a seat over there.”
Pepper turned to see a couch near the door and dutifully sat to wait her turn in the witness chair.
And she waited and waited.
And waited some more.
By the time Nina appeared at the top of the stairs to call her up, Pepper had tired of her book and had gone through her planner for the next two months, completely updating it. After such a dull wait, the reality of her situation hit her suddenly and hard.
She was about to testify.
Everyone would be watching her.
Her father would be there.
Once she arriv
ed at the landing above the lobby, Nina noticed Pepper’s anxious state.
“You okay? Need a little more time before you do this?”
Pepper shook her head determinedly. “No. I’m ready. Let’s go.”
24
Feeling jittery and a little frightened, Pepper followed Nina down the hall to the left to the hearing room. Inside was a long rectangular table with a man at one end she assumed was the judge or presiding officer. Next to him was a court reporter, and across the table and facing the door was her father. The scene gave the appearance of looking simple and dull, but Pepper could feel the tenseness in the room.
Everyone rose when Nina and Pepper entered the room, and the hearing officer shook Pepper’s hand and directed her into a seat next to the court reporter. As Nina took her seat next to Pepper, the court reporter administered the oath and Pepper’s testimony began.
It was nearly a repeat of her conversation with Nina at GarnetBrooke, although the questions were more formal and Pepper’s responses therefore more stiff. Even the questioning about the heart of the issue was, well, dull.
“Your father never returned to Bourbon Springs after his conviction?” Nina asked.
“No.”
“Did he ever give you any reason for that?”
“No,” Pepper sighed, and cast a sideways glance at her father, who was smiling.
“Did you ever ask him why he didn’t return?”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you ask him?” the hearing officer interjected, surprising Pepper.
“Well, I didn’t have the chance, really,” Pepper pointed out. “I’ve only seen him or talked to him a handful of times in the past two decades.”
“Why do you think he didn’t return?” the hearing officer asked. He was a man in his sixties, at least, and sported a full head of white hair and a bushy beard and mustache. It was like being cross-examined by Santa Claus.
Pepper paused, pressed her lips together, and stared at the edge of the glass-topped table. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her father squirming in his seat.
“I think he was afraid to return, that he wouldn’t be welcome in Bourbon Springs. And that probably was the truth.”
Nina then moved Pepper to describe the cemetery scene, and Pepper testified that she forgave her father. But Nina was interested in something else.
“Back up a bit there—did your mother ever tell you that she’d requested your father stay away from town?”
There it was, the question she’d expected, even though she’d already told Nina her answer.
“No, she never told me that she’d asked him to do that.”
“How did she explain his absence?” the hearing officer asked.
“She didn’t, really,” Pepper said. “She would try to comfort me, and tell me that we were better off without him, and that we would be fine on our own.”
Upon these words, Walt dropped his head and started shaking a little and Pepper began to get upset.
“Were you close to your mother?” Nina asked.
“Absolutely,” Pepper said, her voice cracking.
Pepper had to stop for a moment to regain her composure, but quickly recovered. She had resolved not to dissolve into tears at this stupid hearing. The emotional energy loss just wasn’t worth it.
After a few follow-up questions regarding her contact with her father in the past several weeks, which Pepper testified was limited, Nina concluded and handed the witness over to Walt.
“No questions, your honor,” Walt said, his eyes watery.
The hearing officer turned to Nina. “May Ms. Montrose be excused?”
“Yes. The bar will not be calling her in rebuttal.”
“Your honor, if I may,” Walt interposed. “I’d like Pepper to stay here with me in the room as the hearing concludes. She’s not going to be a witness, so that’s not a problem.”
“I think we’d have to object,” Nina said.
“But if you’re done with her and Ms. Montrose doesn’t mind, I don’t see the issue,” the hearing officer declared and turned to Pepper with a smile.
“Pepper, do you mind staying?” her father asked. “I don’t think that we’ll be much longer, and I’d love for you to be here.”
Pepper was not pleased about being put on the spot, but also didn’t want to appear spitefully unsupportive. She recognized the manipulative nature of the request, but wasn’t going to be the one to trash her father’s case by merely refusing to sit in the room for a few more minutes as the hearing wrapped up.
“I don’t mind,” Pepper said. She caught Nina’s eye.
Nina’s face was tense and Pepper interpreted the look as apologetic. Even though she could tell Nina wanted to talk to her, the hearing officer gave no indication that there was going to be any break. Pepper then changed seats, finding a chair in the corner several feet behind her father’s place at the table. She had a perfect view of Nina and anyone who might enter the hearing room.
“Ms. Cain, does the bar have any other witnesses?”
“We call Mr. Montrose in rebuttal, and we possibly have one more witness, depending on what he says.”
“Can you tell me the identity of the other witness?” Walt asked, irritation in his voice. “I think I’m entitled to know that.”
“Actually, Mr. Montrose, you’re not,” the hearing officer corrected him. “The bar just said they need to hear what you say first. Remember that you’re still under oath from your previous testimony,” Santa warned him.
“I just have a few questions in light of Ms. Montrose’s testimony,” Nina said, “and I wanted to clarify something that I think you said in your previous testimony. Did you ever tell your daughter why you didn’t return to Bourbon Springs after your conviction?”
“Not until the day of her mother’s funeral. I already testified to that,” Walt snapped. “It was her mother’s wish I stay away, and I did so. I’d already done enough damage, and I knew it, and figured that by coming back around, I’d just be hurting Pepper again and opening up old wounds. She tried to contact me, bless her, but with Glenda still alive—well, I’ve admitted that I didn’t exactly keep in touch. I didn’t want Pepper’s relationship with her mother to suffer because of the likes of me. I don’t know whether that was right, but all I can say is that I thought I was doing the right thing.” Walt teared up again and then turned to Pepper. “And I’m sorry if I was wrong. Maybe I was.”
“Sir, please do not address others in the room,” admonished the hearing officer.
“So until recently, you never gave any reason to anyone, publicly or privately, as to why you did not return to Bourbon Springs?” Nina continued.
“Like I said, I didn’t reveal it until the day of Glenda’s funeral. It was finally time.” Walt turned his head just a little bit so that Pepper could see his eyes. “I kept that secret all these years. Again, maybe I was wrong. But I’m here trying to explain myself as best I can, and I hope you’ll see that.”
“No further questions,” Nina declared, and sat back in her chair.
Nina gave Walt what could only be described as a death stare: lips lightly pursed, brow furrowed, nostrils flared. Walt had just made Nina Cain very angry, but Pepper couldn’t see why.
“Ms. Cain, does the bar still wish to call that rebuttal witness you mentioned?” the hearing officer asked.
“Yes, your honor, we will, but I need to take a break first to confirm that we’ll be doing that.”
“Is the witness here?” Walt asked.
“Yes.”
“So do I get to know who this witness is?” he demanded.
“You’ll know if I call her,” Nina snapped, and the hearing officer declared a short break.
Nina bolted from the room, Walt rose from his chair and stretched, and the hearing officer excused himself and pulled out his phone as he stepped into the hall. No doubt he needed to call Mrs. Claus and the elves to tell them he might be late back to the Pole that evening. Since he was
in the area, maybe he was planning on stopping at one of the local distilleries to stock up several months before Christmas.
Her father walked over where she still sat and thanked her for staying. “You can leave if you want, you know,” he pointed out.
“I want to see this witness,” Pepper said. “Nina’s got me curious.”
“Me too.” He stroked his chin, frowned, and looked toward the door.
Her father left for the bathroom, but Pepper stayed put and checked her phone.
Jon had texted her.
I love you
Always keep me with you
With a shiver of excitement, she smiled at the phone, wondering where he was and wishing herself there with him.
His plea was a little troublesome—had his meeting with Bruce gone poorly? Was he asking for her good thoughts and prayers? Or was it just a simple expression of love? Whatever it was, she claimed it, and it made her all the more eager to get the hell out of Frankfort and back to him in Bourbon Springs.
Her father returned and asked about the farm and how things were going. He showed enough interest to spark her enthusiastic response about her new home and her plans for the upcoming tours. She was about to mention Jon’s name, just to gauge her father’s reaction, when an ashen-faced Nina returned to the hearing room, followed by the hearing officer. Everyone was seated and the hearing recommenced.
“So is the bar calling another rebuttal witness?”
“Yes,” Nina said in a clear, cold voice as she looked at Walt. “The bar calls Lucy Davenport.”
Pepper felt a twinge of sick in her gut. She knew that Lucy and her mother had been very good friends, but that had been before everything had gone to hell. Pepper couldn’t recall the last time her mother mentioned Lucy. What could she possibly know?
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Walt exploded before Nina could even get out of her seat.
“Sir, you will watch your language and your conduct in my presence. If you have an objection, you state it,” growled the hearing officer.
Bourbon Springs Box Set: Volume II, Books 4-6 (Bourbon Springs Box Sets Book 2) Page 84
