Destiny Undone: The Complete Series Box Set

by Heartley, Amanda

  My jaw dropped. I stared right back at her. “Is this your way of apologizing?” Ugh! If she said “Jonathan” one more time I was going to throw up.

  “What do I have to apologize for? I told you—it just happened. We didn’t plan it. Don’t you believe me?”

  “Why should I believe you? I watched you screw around on Dad for years—do you think I would believe that you wouldn’t screw around on me, too? Give it a rest, Evangeline.” I stood up, ready to leave. “In the future, please don’t come to my workplace. I have a job to do. It’s not professional at all.”

  “You can’t tell me where to go or when to go. I’m not the child, darling. I’m the parent. And how dare you take that man’s side after everything I’ve been through. Always defending the great Doug Anderson!” She gave me a wicked smile, “You really have no idea, do you?” I could tell she was ready to spew some more of her hatred, but I wasn’t about to indulge her.

  “I’m not going to listen to you trash my father. If you want to be a tramp all your life then go ahead, but how about keeping it away from Mills? She’s the only one that still thinks you’ve got some good in you—and you may have screwed that up, too, after your latest indiscretions. Do something with your life, Evangeline, but do it away from me!”

  She jumped up to her feet and looked like she was ready to knock me down with her purse. “Like you? Working here in this giant… fish tank? Did dear sweet Daddy cut you off now?”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gabe poised at the top of the stairs. I could see him, but she didn’t have a clue yet. I’m sure if she knew he was there, she would have changed her tone.

  “I’m done with you. Get out!” I yelled at her and stomped back up the staircase. She spun around on her expensive heels and left the building. I pushed gently past Gabe and went straight to the bathroom to splash water on my face. I didn’t want him to see the tears and the anger I was feeling right now.

  That was it! I had made up mind. I was going to do everything I could to be just the opposite of Evangeline. When I got home, I was going to look into colleges. No way was I going to be like her when I was forty-five. Desperate, lonely and heartless.

  No fucking way!

  A heard a light tap on my door. “Pepper? You okay?”

  I took a second to compose myself and wiped my nose with a tissue. “Yes, I’m okay. I’ll be right out.” I dried my face with a paper towel, checked my makeup and walked out the bathroom, straight into the gaze of Gabe’s dark, sexy eyes.

  “Why don’t you go home and take the rest of the day off?”

  “What? Am I fired? I didn’t know she was coming! I swear!” I didn’t want to cry again, not in front of Gabe. He reached for me, grabbed my shoulders gently and bent down a little, so we were eye-to-eye.

  “No, you are not fired. I’m giving you the rest of the day off because you deserve it. You’ve been working hard, really hard. I think we can manage without you for a day or so. Why don’t you go spend some time with your sister? Maybe call your Dad?”

  “That’s very kind of you, but I don’t need a vacation or a day off. I just need her to leave me alone. I guess you wouldn’t understand that.” He let go of my shoulders and contemplated my words.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you have no idea what life is like having that woman as a mother. The constant parade of reporters, the drama, the cold indifference. You wouldn’t understand what it’s like.” He crossed his arms and kept watching me, and then he spoke quietly, yet confidently.

  “No, you don’t get it, Pepper. Sure, she’s crazy and she’s not a good mother, but she is your mother. You can’t expect her to be anything else, can you? Why don’t you try to find a way to make peace with her?”

  “Oh, Gabe. You really don’t get it. You don’t know her like I do. This woman sleeps with my ex-boyfriends. When she and Dad were still married, that woman—my mother—slept with the gardener, the pool guy, or guys, you name it. She has no respect for herself and she’s not happy unless she’s hurting me and everyone else around her.”

  “But as long as you let her hurt you, she will. Stop letting it hurt.”

  “That’s the stupidest thing I have ever heard!”

  “Well, that’s all I got. You’re right—I don’t understand what it’s like to have a promiscuous supermodel for a mother, so maybe I am luckier than you. I have good parents, and I rarely see them, but that’s beside the point. Instead of looking at how hurt you are and how much she hurts you, look at what you do have.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He sighed. His arms were still crossed and his deep voice softened. “You have a father who came to me begging me to help you. He loves you, probably more than you know. You have a sweet sister who looks up to you. You have a lot, Pepper. You have more than you think you do.”

  I knew what he was saying was true, but he still wasn’t getting it. He didn’t want to admit that he had it better. I sighed and couldn’t help but frown.

  “You know, I think I will go home for the day. Thanks for the chat.” I walked away and wrapped myself in self-pity. I knew he was right but I wasn’t done punishing my mother yet. Or myself.

  Chapter Four — Gabe

  I looked at the clock. Aggravated, frustrated—I wasn’t even sure what I felt. Damn, I need to just stop thinking about this. I hated messy situations, and so far Pepper had been as messy as they come. Maybe I was just tired. After all, I had woken up early to say goodbye to my jet-setting parents before they left again to embark on their latest philanthropic tour of some third world country. They were great people, but it would’ve been nice to have them around for more than a week at a time. Once again, I couldn’t depend on them for advice because they weren’t here. What would I say, anyway? I was a grown man—I’d have to deal with this myself.

  There was only one thing I wanted to do right now and that was to go fishing. I wanted to get away from all the drama of the last few weeks. I grabbed my keys and walked towards the front door, but before I reached it, the doorbell rang. I opened the heavy, oak door and was surprised to see Pepper Anderson standing on my doorstep.

  “Hey, Gabe. I’m sorry to show up at your house like this, but I just had to apologize for the other day. I don’t mean to take up much of your valuable weekend time, but just a few minutes would be nice.”

  “You don’t owe me an apology. Everything is fine, honestly.”

  She smiled nervously, tucked a strand of long blonde hair behind her ear and straightened her limp ponytail. Pepper was beautiful—so much more beautiful than her mother and her sister, though Mills had some fine qualities, too. She was petite and sweet, but Pepper was one of those beauties that made your jaw drop and the thing was, she didn’t even know it. Today she wore white shorts that showed off her strong, tanned legs and a fitted, navy blue shirt displayed her ample rack perfectly. If anyone ever looked like a surfer girl, it was her and I had to stifle the urge to kiss her—or fuck her—and I got this crazy idea.

  “I know you like riding dolphins, but what about fishing? Have you ever been out on a boat?”

  “Yes to the boat, no to the fishing but I’m a fast learner!” she smiled. I bet she didn’t even know how she lit up the room with that smile. I took a deep breath. I knew I had to keep my thoughts and feelings in check—at least for now.

  “Well, I’m going fishing, so if you want to talk, that’s where I’ll be.”

  “Okay! Let me grab my bag. Can I ride with you?”

  “Of course you can, but I’m driving.” We headed to my car, threw our bags in and once we were on the way, she began her apology. “I’m sorry for snapping at you yesterday—I had no right to do that. I’m really sorry about it and I’m sorry about my mother.”

  “Let’s get this straight, Pepper. You don’t need to apologize for your mother. She’s her own person and you didn’t do a thing that you need to say you’re sorry for, but…you do have some crazy friends.”


  “Well, if it’s Jonathan Church you are talking about, the guy’s a dick.”

  “I don’t know if you know this, but when I left you that night of the party, your boyfriend followed me.” Her hand flew to her chest and she looked at me in disbelief.

  “No! What happened?”

  “Your ex-boyfriend ran me off the road. I’m not hurt badly, just a little banged up.”

  “Oh, my God, Gabe! I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say—he was never really my boyfriend. I mean we…I…”

  “You don’t owe me an explanation, Pepper. That’s your business and I’m not judging you. I’m only telling you because I think maybe we need to step back a bit.”

  She glanced over at me and looked a little puzzled, so I continued. “What happened, on the helicopter…I haven’t forgotten it, and I don’t regret it for a minute, but I don’t like drama—in fact, I’ve worked hard to avoid it.” I saw the disappointment on her face—I felt it, too, but I had to be honest with her. I needed answers.

  “I’m sorry, Gabe. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. Thanks for being honest with me about how you feel. Yes, there is drama in my life, but normally I’m not the one who brings it—although I’ve had my moments in the past. I hope you can see that I’m just a normal girl, like everyone else.” She didn’t cry or freak out—her voice was calm and quiet. Pepper was full of surprises. I half-expected her to scream or throw things. Maybe she wasn’t the train wreck I thought she was.

  “Sure,” I scoffed, “just like everyone else. I tell myself that stuff all the time, but it’s not true. We aren’t like everyone else. We are rich—crazy rich—and we can do anything we want with our lives. I hope you find out what that is and do it with all your heart. That’s when life begins—when you find your purpose.” She nodded but didn’t respond, so we rode in awkward silence for a few minutes.

  Finally, I said, “I heard Bobbie Jo wants you and Singh to work the large pool. How do you feel about that?”

  “That’s great. I love Singh. He’s an amazing animal. Whoever thought I’d fall in love with a dolphin?” Her bright smile showed how much she did care and again I was impressed by her attitude. She wasn’t what I’d expected—not at all. “You know, if you need help with any of the planning for the gala, like décor or anything like that, I’d be happy to step up. Do you have a theme? You saw the party I planned for Mills. I have tons of experience organizing that kind of thing, you know…if you need me. I mean, need my help.” She smiled at me so sweetly. I tried not to think about the taste of her lips. She’d tasted like cherries—sweet and delicious.

  “Uhm no, but thanks for volunteering. I’ve called in a friend to help. She’s a full time party planner and has a lot of experience with major fundraisers. I think we’ll need more than a few kegs and a DJ for this event.” I laughed dryly and immediately regretted my comment. She gave me a sideways glance and I was half-expecting her to come back with a cutting reply of her own, but she was very gracious in her response and that made me like her even more. She still let me know that my snarky comment hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  “Okay. The offer of help still stands if your high society ‘pro planners’ let you down. Just give me enough time to get those balloons and kegs ordered,” she snarked back at me.

  Maybe my attitude came from the fact that I’d started working at Sea Lab as a kid and had to prove myself right from the start. I’d faced some of the same challenges that Pepper had when it came to being recognized and thought of as just another spoiled rich brat from Destiny Beach, but at least I’d never been photographed doing something stupid...not yet, anyway!

  I turned my car towards the marina and thought about the day ahead. Today would be a great day to go out on the water and fish. Thirty minutes later, I was turning my boat out into the gulf for a cruise with my beautiful guest. I set the wheel straight and the throttle low, then asked her, “Would you like a beer?”

  “Sure! Thank you, but what about the wheel. You can’t just leave it, can you?”

  “I do it all the time when I’m on my own,” I laughed. Maybe she’d never been on a motor boat like mine before. Probably a sailing yacht with a full crew, while she sat on deck, but not motor boats, I guessed. I left the wheel, went below for some beer then popped off the caps and walked back up with them. It was good to feel the wind in my hair from the warm breeze that blew across the water, even though it was much shorter than it had been. I seriously regretted cutting it off now, but it had seemed like the grown-up thing to do at the time. That was me, always doing the “grown-up” thing—except today. Pepper took a swig from her bottle and stood next to me at the wheel. I wasn’t sure if it was intentional, but the fine hairs on her arm brushed against mine. I wanted to put my arm around her shoulder and pull her close to me so I could kiss her again, but I played it safe. Her hair whipped around her perfect body as she closed her eyes to savor these moments in the sun. She was a goddess to me and I loved looking at her silky, golden skin.

  Once we’d gotten to my favorite spot just beyond the bay, I turned off the engine, dropped the anchor and prepared my rods. When the first one was baited, I tossed my hook in the water and started on the next one. I never kept what I caught, but I just loved to outsmart those fish and catch them. There was something primeval about it—man versus nature—and I wondered what kind of fisherman Pepper would be.

  “Kind of a crazy hobby for a guy who works around fish every day!”

  “Yeah, I guess, but we all need something. What do you do for fun? Oh, yeah, ride dolphins. Now, let’s get some hooks in the water, Pepper.” She laughed, then helped me bait fish on the lines and in fairness to her, she only said, “Yuck,” once. We stuck the poles in the slots on the edge of the boat, and I grabbed a chair and invited her to sit alongside me.

  “Thanks for inviting me to join you, Gabe. I had nothing else going on today so this is a real treat. Do you mind if I change into my bathing suit? If I’ve got to ride a dolphin in front of a crowd soon, I’d like to avoid any tan lines, if possible.” She smiled her sexy smile and her bright blue eyes looked so innocent.

  “Sure. There’s a cabin below. Please tell me it’s the glittery one you wore to Sea Lab on your first day?”

  “You wish,” she chuckled as she went below to change and I couldn’t stop myself from staring after her. God, I so wanted to follow her down there and fuck her, but I was too polite to be so forward...and yeah, I did wish. Maybe it was the beer, or the sunshine or just being on the water, but I knew it wasn’t over between us. Even after all the craziness, I didn’t want it to be over.

  I put my feet up on the side of the boat, kicked back in the chair and watched the lines as I sipped my beer. Suddenly, the reel on the rod closest to Pepper’s chair whirred as it let out a little of the line. I set down my beer on the deck and wiped my hands on my shorts. As gently as I could, I eased the pole out of its holder and stood with anticipation, waiting on the action. I didn’t have to wait long. The fish took off, the reel whirred again and I let the line go without any resistance. “Pepper! We’ve got one!”

  She came back outside wearing her bathing suit—a stunning, high-cut orange bikini no less, minus the sparkles. How was I supposed to focus on fishing with her looking like that? “Hot damn,” I muttered under my breath.

  “You caught a fish already, Gabe? How cool! Is it a big one?”

  “Feels like it. He took the bait and then took off in a hurry.”

  Once the fish had stopped running, I reeled in the loose line until I could feel him tug back. Yeah, I had him now, but he was still fighting and it was never a sure thing until it was landed in the boat. For the next twenty minutes, the fish and I tugged back and forth as we struggled against one another and Pepper cheered me on every time I got it a little bit closer to the boat.

  “Oh, my God! This is so amazing! You can do it, Gabe!” I sat in my chair and she slid her arms around my neck. It felt so good to feel her warm, soft skin against mine. The f
ish took off again and I let him go then pulled him back until finally, he got tired and I could ease him closer to the boat. I was getting tired myself and with my last bit of strength, I reeled furiously and spotted the green back and yellow dots of a fat, Spanish mackerel. He had to be at least twenty pounds and although he’d almost stopped fighting me, I felt every ounce of his strength.

  “Quick, Pepper. Get the net over there. Do you see it?”

  I watched her ass as she scrambled to the bow and ran back to me.

  “What do I do? What do I do?” she said, all excited. My heart pounded in my chest as I pulled the fish up to the side of the boat, slid the pole into the slot and reached for the line. Before I could grab it, it snapped as the fish gave a final thrash and I watched it slip away into the green waters of the gulf. Pepper put her hand to her mouth in shock, and I just stood there and stared after him for a few seconds.

  “Are you freaking kidding me?” I yelled at the water. I sat back in the chair, tired from my exertions, and we just looked at each other and laughed. Despite losing the fish, life was good. We still had cold beer and we still had each other’s company—and what beautiful company it was. She looked gorgeous.

  “Well, there’s only one thing we can do.”

  “What’s that, Pepper?”

  “Swim!” And with that, she climbed up on the side of the boat ready to jump in, but I grabbed her and pulled her down toward me.

  “Hey! Why did you stop me? I’m not afraid!” Normally, she wouldn’t have to be since the emerald waters of the Gulf Coast are warm and relatively safe, but not today.

  I laughed and pointed across the water. “Well, I am and I wouldn’t go in after you. Those are shark fins, Pepper—they belong to a blacktip shark. And look over there.” I pointed to a different spot on the water. “Those fins belong to a tiger shark. Big ones, too. We need to get the boat out of here and find somewhere else to swim.”