Finally, Gabe’s handsome face appeared around the door. His dark eyes were full of concern and I thought for a second…I really did love him, didn’t I? Or not? …then he walked in holding hands with a beautiful brunette lady—and it wasn’t his mother.
I hated her instantly. I hated her because she was beautiful and healthy and she wasn’t wearing a hospital gown, but mostly I didn’t like her because she was holding Gabe’s hand. I had a hard time putting my thoughts together but this feeling, this jealousy—that was real.
“Pepper, you’re awake. Thank God. They told me downstairs you were unconscious. I’m so glad you’re awake.” Then he turned to my father and I waited for my dad to cuss him out or something, especially since he was still holding Miss Bitch’s hand but he stayed quiet, then Gabe said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Anderson, but I assure you it was an accident—I saw the whole thing.”
My dad stood near me, put a protective hand on my shoulder and with a serious look on his face he said, “I’m sorry, Gabriel. She’s not well. She may even have a concussion, but the doctor says they’re waiting on the results of one more test to come back from the lab. I was just telling my daughter that I think she’s done enough at Sea Lab. It’s time to quit before she really gets hurt, or even killed. I think we should leave the porpoise-wrangling to the professionals.”
Gabe let go of the woman’s hand and moved closer to my bedside. I gazed at his dark, smoldering good looks and saw him looking down at me with a frown on his face. “Is this true? Are you quitting?” My head still pounded and I ignored Miss Bitchy who watched us from the foot of the bed. I felt my lip quiver as I stared into his face and said in the loudest voice I could manage, “I’m not quitting.”
“Pepper!” my dad protested, but I was too much his daughter to quit anything.
“Guys, can we talk about this later?”
David reached over and held my hand. His big hand was warm, like Gabe’s, and I could see Gabe’s jaw pop in anger, but I had no reason to pull away. David was just a friend, and Gabe had a lot of explaining to do, bringing that woman in here, hand-in-hand.
“Singh has done well every other practice. I say we let the girls take solo rides. That way, he has no reason to get aggressive or irritated. I swear, Mr. Anderson, he’s usually very even-tempered.” I wondered if David had any idea just how rich all the people in this room were—besides him. He wasn’t rich at all, but I didn’t care. He had been right by my side the whole way—I was starting to remember it all now. And I remembered that lady from Sea Lab. She was watching me before I bonked my head.
“All right, we’ll talk about this later. Now, let me see what I can find out from the doctor, then I promised Mills I’d call her to let her know what was going on. I’ll be back in a minute.” Dad was fuming, but I was the only one that knew it. He’d never openly display anger, except to my mother. She always brought the worst out of him—out of anyone.
Gabe gave me a smile and said, “It looks like you’re in good hands here, Pepper, so we’ll go now, but I’ll be back to check on you later this evening. Please call me if you need anything, okay?”
David chimed in before I could answer. “Don’t worry, Mr. Gregory. I’m going to stay until she throws me out.” He smiled.
“Gabe, you’re leaving?” I whispered to him. He didn’t say a word and just patted my hand like I was his sister, then left. I guess he didn’t hear me. I couldn’t believe he’d just treated me like that and left with that bitch, who he never even introduced me to. I thought he cared about me, but maybe he was just like every other guy and I was just another conquest to him and now he was on to the next one. Maybe he was more like Church than I wanted to believe. Just a taker—someone who always had an agenda.
“Anyone I should call for you?” David snapped me out of my musing.
“What do you mean, David? Dad’s calling my sister. That’s it, I think.”
“I don’t know. Maybe your publicist? Don’t all you celebrities have a publicist? You should probably put up a Twitter message or something, asking fans not to come.” I felt sick again. So, was this what his so-called concern was all about? David was here not because he was my friend, but because he thought I was some sort of celebrity? I guess he’d known all along what kind of company he was in and that he wasn’t the richest guy in the room.
I smiled at him sweetly, but inwardly I was pissed. I asked, “Could you ask my Dad to come back, please?” He grinned, ready to be of help and was gone in a flash. He came back a few minutes later with my father.
“Please excuse us a minute, David. Thanks.” I smiled sweetly but inside I was ready to vomit again. When I heard the door shut, I whispered to Dad. “Please get him out of here and make sure he doesn’t have a cell phone with my picture on it. He’s not a real friend, Daddy. He’s just like the stupid paparazzi.”
“I’ll take care of it, honey. Don’t you worry,” he said and he left immediately. I knew he’d handle the situation with tact, but how could I ever work with David again? I’d had a funny feeling about him right from the start, and I wasn’t wrong about him. I should have listened to my gut instinct. Dad was back in less than five minutes. “Problem solved. I’ll talk to Gregory as well and let him know.”
“Thank you, Daddy. I’m getting sleepy and it’s cold in here. Can I have another blanket? Is Mills coming? Or Charlotte?” I’d gotten used to having Charlotte around. Not like a Mom—I’d never have one of those—but like someone extra that loved Dad in a real way.
“Your sister is on the way, and I wasn’t sure that you’d want Charlotte here.”
“I love Charlotte, but please don’t tell Mom I’m here. This hospital would be in total chaos.”
Dad laughed at the thought of Evangeline Anderson in a hospital. “Not only that, but she’s such a hypochondriac, she’d have all the doctors running CAT scans and MRI’s on her. I’m afraid you’d be completely forgotten.”
“I forgot to tell you, she came to my work the other day and made a big scene. At Mills’ party, she hooked up with Church. I can’t forgive the woman for being so…so…Evangeline. How did you do it, Dad? Why did you stay with her?” I felt a tear slide down my face as I thought about everything my poor dad had put up with over the years.
“At first, I stayed because I loved her and I thought she’d change. Then I stayed because I loved you two girls so much. I couldn’t just abandon you and your sister. I mean—you know what kind of parenting skills she has. I had to hang in there for your sakes and when I thought the time was right, I filed the paperwork.”
“Then you were in court for five years.”
“Yes, but every court trip was worth it because I have you two. I love you girls more than anything in the world.” He put his arm around me, kissed my cheek and I started to feel better.
A few minutes later, one of my many doctors came in to tell us that I had a mild concussion and that I’d be in the hospital for at least one more day, maybe two, for monitoring. They were concerned that my brain might swell, and the physician wanted to keep me in for observation. It sounded frightening, but the doctor assured us it was just standard procedure with concussions, and that it would probably result in nothing more than a slight scar, a bruise and a bad headache for a while.
After the doctor left, Daddy said, “Mills is on her way with your stuff and, of course, she’s insisting on staying with you. She just sent me another text.”
“That’s great. It’ll be nice to have her here.” We chit-chatted for a few more minutes, then he walked back to the bed and hugged me again.
“You know I’m so proud of you, Pepper. I gave you a challenge and you met it head on. You did exactly as I asked you to, and I think you learned a few things about yourself, like how intelligent you truly are. You don’t have to keep going to Sea Lab. Having said that, if you want to stay and finish the internship, you know I’ll support you. But I may insist you wear a helmet when riding the dolphins.” That was my daddy—always trying to lighte
n the mood.
“Won’t that be hilarious? Then the people at the gala won’t even recognize me. I’ll be incognito.” I grinned, and added, “I’m not going to embarrass you, Dad, I promise. I’m really good at this.”
“Why would you think this would embarrass me?”
“Because I’ll be riding a dolphin in front of Destiny Beach’s richest people the night of the gala. Everyone is going to be there. Bobbie Jo says the tickets have practically sold out, and it’s going to be a packed house—or aquarium. I totally understand if you don’t want to be there.”
“You must have really hit your head, daughter. Of course I’m going to be there. I’m going to clap and cheer and tell everyone, ‘That’s my daughter’. I’m really very proud of you.”
I squeezed his hand. “Oh, Daddy! I love you. I really like the dolphins, and I’d never have known if it weren’t for you. Thank you!”
He laughed and said, “I’m glad you like it. Glad it turned out well for you. Well…except this. You are in the hospital and you scared the daylights out of me.”
“I know and I’m so sorry. Really, I’m safe there. It was just a freaky accident.” I loved spending time with my dad. He was a great role model, unlike my mom, and I could tell how much he loved me. “You know what? I’m even thinking about going to college. Marine biology. What do you think about that? Do you think I could do it?”
He smiled at me and the creases around his tanned face deepened. “I think you’d be a wonderful marine biologist, and I’ll support you one hundred percent, Pepper.”
“Thanks, Daddy—but keep that to yourself for now. I’m still thinking about it.”
He nodded. “Will do,” he said, just as Charlotte walked into the room. Dad turned around to see who it was and looked surprised. “Hey, look who’s here.” And his face lit up as he caught sight of his girlfriend. She smiled back and he walked over, held her hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek. I don’t know why, but he looked a little nervous from what I could tell. “She’s being a model patient, Charlotte,” he said, then he turned back to me. “Pepper, did you know Charlotte used to be the head nurse here years ago?”
“Hey! Not that many years ago, Doug,” she joked with him. “I’m glad to hear you’re being a good patient. Gee, this room is chilly. Are you cold?”
I nodded. “Yes, it is a little chilly in here. How are you? Good of you to come.”
“No, the question is how are you?”
“I guess I’m fine. Little bump on the head. Two stitches.” I reached my hand up to my bandages. “New fashion statement hat!” I chuckled.
Charlotte and Dad both laughed, and she looked at him then back at me. She had sparkles in her eyes and I was so happy for my dad to have found someone that loved him. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. I’ll go get some more blankets,” she said, and she walked out of the room toward the nurse’s station.
“I really like her, Daddy. You should marry her.”
“What? You really did whack your head, didn’t you?”
Charlotte came back with blankets and pillows and fussed around the room for a little while as I told her the story of what had landed me in hospital. After a few minutes, Mills finally walked in carrying two bags, and to my surprise she’d brought Aven with her.
“Are you all right, Pep? Ow, that looks like it hurts.”
I saw Mills roll her eyes then she gave me a hug and said, “I’m going down to the cafeteria real quick to grab a sandwich. I’m starving. You want anything, Pepper? Anyone else?”
“Yes, a coffee please,” I said. No one else wanted anything so my sister left and Aven sat in the chair by my bed. I really wished those two could get along. It would make my life so much easier to be around them. “What did you do to piss Mills off?”
“I’m not sure,” Aven lied. I could tell she was lying, because she always did that weird thing with her nose. It crinkled a little bit when she lied, but I let it go. They’d have to figure it out themselves. I wasn’t up to it right now.
“How did you know I was here? Mills called you?”
“No, my mom is friends with Charlotte and she was there when Charlotte got the call. Gee, I hope it’s okay that I came by? We are still friends, right?” She ended her question with a nervous laugh.
“Sure we are, Aven.” She didn’t ask me about my work, and just talked about herself and what was going on in her life for the next fifteen minutes. She’d gotten a new car, some kind of Audi, but decided she looked fat in it so she’d replaced it with a Mazda instead. It was petite, but not so petite that she looked puffy or fat in it. I sighed, thankful when the nurse came in to check my vitals.
“So, what’s the deal with you and Church? He says he doesn’t want to talk about it, but I can tell he did something stupid again. Want to share the deets?” I couldn’t believe her. Here I was in the hospital with a concussion, and the only thing my friend wanted to do was to get the latest gossip. I wasn’t in the mood for it at all, but I tried to be as polite as I could.
“Well, if he doesn’t want to talk about it, then I don’t think it’s my place to, either. Do you mind, Aven? I’m really tired and I just want to get some sleep.”
“Alrighty, then.” She got out of her chair, walked toward the door and left the room without even saying goodbye. What a brat! I guessed she wasn’t really my friend, either. Amazing—I’d lost two friends in one day. That had to be a record.
My sister came back with my coffee and, to my surprise, it was delicious and I enjoyed the aroma as I sipped at it. Mills didn’t seem fazed when I told her what had just happened with Aven. She just reinforced my own belief that maybe she wasn’t the friend I’d thought she was and told me I’d be better off without her.
Dad and Charlotte stayed for a while longer—long enough for the staff to get Mills a cot and everything else we needed for a comfortable night’s stay together. I had my own private nurse and just had to call her if I felt sick. I kissed Dad and Charlotte goodbye then drifted off to sleep for a while, and when I woke up, I saw my sister reading a book on her tablet. Probably 50 Shades of Grey, I thought. God, I hoped not!
“When did you start reading books, Mills?” I turned on my side, carefully guiding my IV cord so I didn’t pull it out.
“You haven’t been paying attention, sister. I’ve always loved to read. When you’re at boarding school, there isn’t much else to do—unless you want to get drunk all the time. I’m not much of a drinker, as you well know.” She grinned.
“This is true,” I chuckled.
Mills sprawled out on her cot and at some point, she’d pulled her hair up into a ponytail on the top of her head. She looked so young—just a kid in so many ways.
“Just think, my sister was assaulted by a dolphin. I wonder if that will be in the papers tomorrow.”
“Well, if you want to keep it out of the papers, don’t tell Evangeline, whatever you do.”
“Come on, Pepper. Will you stop picking on her? She already knows, and she knows you don’t want her here, which is why she’s staying away. Isn’t that enough?” Mills scolded me and her socked feet swung back and forth as she lay on her stomach clutching her tablet.
“I guess it is, and I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. Not sorry about hers, though. What she did was so wrong, Mills. You can’t say that it wasn’t.”
Mills tossed the book to the side and sat up. “Pepper, you’re too sick to worry about this right now.”
My many naps had helped and I felt much better than I had earlier, but I still couldn’t move very quickly or else I might be sick. “I’m not at death’s door, if that’s what you think. I’m just wondering how you can defend her.”
“I’m not defending what she did. It was totally wrong—wrong in every way. There’s no excuse for what happened, but she is your mother. The only one you’ve got. Even if Dad marries Charlotte, she will never be your mom. You might as well make the most of what you’ve got, right?”
“That might be eno
ugh for you, and I respect that, but it’s not enough for me. I don’t know why, Mills, but she and I—we’re like oil and water. We’ve never gotten along like the two of you have. It’s always been a fight,” I sighed. I really didn’t want to talk about this now, but I knew Mills did. “Evangeline brought this on herself.”
“Yes, but you like punishing her, Pepper. You enjoy it. Of all the things I love about you, that is the one thing I hate. I just wish you’d try.”
Another tear slid down my face. “I can’t believe this, Mills. You want me to just forgive and forget that she slept with Church? My guy friend?”
“No, I didn’t say that. You aren’t listening. I’m saying don’t enjoy her failures so much. You can’t do anything about her character, but you can do something about yours.”
I wiped my face with the sheet. “Have you been talking to Gabe? Because you sound a lot like him.”
“Then I like him even more. Where is he, by the way?”
“He came by, but didn’t stay. He said he’d come back later. I think he said tonight, but I’m not sure. He brought some girl with him. Some brunette. I just hope if he does come back, he’ll leave her where he found her.”
“Oooh….jealous! I guess we now know who you love. Tell me the details. How many times have you kissed?”
The rest of the evening, we shared girl talk. Of course, she was only eighteen so I didn’t give her all the sordid details, but I didn’t hold back on the kissing parts. She told me all about her and Fallon, how they’d been hanging out, and how she thought they could get serious. It was nice to hear her so excited about a guy. Mills had much more reserve than I normally did. If my sister ever fell in love, it would be the real thing—and it would be forever.
At least there were no Jonathan Churches sniffing around, or Davids for that matter. All they would do is take advantage of her…or worse, break her heart.
Chapter Eight — Gabe
I walked by the hospital gift shop on my way to see Pepper and spotted a huge stuffed dolphin in the window. I hoped it would be the perfect present to cheer up my beautiful dolphin girl, so I went in and bought it along with a get well card. I sat down on a bench in the corridor for a minute and wrote a note inside it before I went upstairs to see Pepper. Last night had been awkward—I hadn’t planned on bringing Sophie with me, but she’d insisted on coming to ‘check out the competition.’ I knew she was only joking—we were just friends—but the hand-holding had made me wonder if she’d been trying to stake her claim on me and I’d felt uncomfortable about it. Pepper was a friend as well, but I had fucked her on the boat and she hadn’t brought that up yet, so I wasn’t sure if we were still just friends. Friends. Who was I kidding? I was completely nuts about her—more than I’d ever admit out loud—and now I regretted bringing Sophie with me. I should have said no.
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