Dreamweaver (Hell Yeah!)

by Sable Hunter

  “Stop, that’s what my brothers say.” She wrapped his hair around her own fingers. “I want to be real to you, not some make-believe character.”

  Judah drew her close. “You are real, you’re what I held onto tonight while I sang, Pepper McCoy.”

  She shivered at his words. “I love how you say my name, Judah, how your voice gets a little rough. It makes me tingle.”

  “God, let’s get out of here before I can’t let you go.” He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her from the room.

  * * *

  “Do you want to fill me in on your date last weekend?” Heath asked as Pepper spread butter on her pancakes.

  “No, not really and it wasn’t actually a date. We didn’t get to spend much time together at all.” She gave her big brother a sweet smile. When he narrowed his eyes, and gave her what the rest of the family referred to as ‘the look’, she relented. “Oh, all right. His name is Judah James and he’s a senior at UT and he has a band.”

  “A band?” Heath screwed up his face like he’d just swallowed a big dose of castor oil. “You’re dating a musician? They’re the lowest form of…”

  “Heath, no.” Pepper raised her hand. “Don’t say it. So, what if he’s not a cowboy? Just because he doesn’t chase cows for a living doesn’t make him any better or worse than you.”

  “I didn’t say that.” Heath continued to grimace. “We’re not just cowboys, anyway. We have the resort and the energy company. Philip has his teaching and his archaeological digs, and Ten has his wilderness tracking. We all have our interests. They’re just not…music.” He said the word like it was dirty. “Do you know the percentage of musicians who actually make enough money to live on?”

  Pepper took a sip of milk, trying to stay calm. She picked up a folded newspaper by her plate and handed it to him, with the story she wanted her brother to see facing up. “Just read this and look who’s in the picture with him.”

  Heath took the picture and held it several feet away from his face.

  “You need glasses.”

  “Do not.” He squinted. “Why is his hair so long? He looks like he could play the lead in Jesus Christ Superstar.”

  “Read,” Pepper insisted, noticing Ryder sneaking in for a cup of coffee. Her sister was in the midst of her own romantic crisis and probably intended to take full advantage of their oldest brother’s preoccupation with Judah James.

  “Local artist makes it big, signs multiple album contract with Ace records.” He slammed the paper down. “So, what? The music business is fickle. Fame is here today and gone tomorrow. Besides, I don’t want you dating some celebrity, they’re never a good risk. They don’t know what faithful means.”

  She didn’t bother to point out Heath’s own failed relationship. “Did you notice your best friend in the picture? If you don’t trust my good judgment, I know you trust Jimmy Dushku’s.” Everyone was always surprised to learn that cowboy, Heath McCoy, was best friends with Austin’s politically divisive, international playboy and multi-millionaire entrepreneur, Jimmy Dushku.

  “There’s a big difference in Jimmy doing business with James and you dating him. I don’t have to worry about Dushku’s virtue.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about mine for a while. He’s out of town on tour. The only contact I have with him is the telephone.” She smiled to herself. There were also texts, emails, facetime, and skype. Plus, she had tickets in hand for an upcoming concert in Dallas. What Heath didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt either one of them. Pepper laid down her fork. “I’m not a child, Heath. Judah is a fine man with a good heart.” She was surer of this than ever before. They’d spoken daily and each time their bond seemed to grow stronger.

  “Just be careful, sweetie.” Heath patted her shoulder. “You’re the baby in the family and I can’t help but worry about you.”

  … Four press events, six recording sessions, and two charity events later, Judah was beyond exhausted. He folded the letter to the Dean and slipped it into an envelope. The request to postpone the completion of his degree would be approved, he had the verbal okay already, the paperwork was merely a formality. There was no way he could keep up with his studies and the rigorous schedule the label had set up for him.

  Rising from his chair, Judah went to stare out the window. When the first check came from Ace, he’d rented a loft downtown overlooking the river. He couldn’t wait for Pepper to see it and he couldn’t wait to spend time there himself. Tonight, however, the river he was surveying from his bedroom window wasn’t the Colorado in downtown Austin. He was in Chicago about to perform to a sold-out stadium. A smile played on his lips, what he’d always hoped to attain was within his grasp.

  “Judah.”

  He whirled around. “Pepper? How did you get here?”

  “I missed you. I couldn’t wait to see you again.”

  With elation, Judah moved to take her in his arms…but when he did, he found his arms empty.

  “Pepper?”

  Fear such as he’d never known paralyzed Judah. What was wrong with him? Was he dying? Did he have a brain tumor? He grasped his head and spun around, ensuring there were no more figments of his imagination lurking anywhere in the room. Just when things were coming together, this horrific malady raised its ugly head. Up until now, he’d been able to ignore it. He’d considered the whole thing to be a type of curious muse his brain conjured up to bring creative thoughts to the forefront. He knew some artists received their inspiration from peculiar sources; the writer, Collette, couldn’t begin her work until she’d located a flea on her French bulldog, and Friedrich Schiller couldn’t write unless his desk drawer was full of rotten apples.

  But this…this was too much.

  Taking his phone, he called Dr. Jergen. Once he was on the line, Judah closed his eyes in sad resignation. “I’ll be in town in two weeks, make those appointments for me. I need to get to the bottom of this.”

  * * *

  Just as a car won’t make the funny noise when you take it in to the mechanic and the television works perfectly the day the cable guy comes to repair it, Judah felt entirely normal the day he went in to the hospital for a battery of tests. He told no one in his family or the band that he was going to the hospital. If his days were numbered because of some terrible brain aneurism, he wanted to tell his mother in his own time and in his own way.

  When he was finished, the attendant informed him they would call when the results were ready. He thanked them and left quickly, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed to outrun whatever diagnosis the tests might reveal. Judah knew something was amiss, he just hoped it could be fixed with a pill or a round of antibiotics.

  Needing to escape his trepidation, he called the only person in the world he truly wanted to talk to.

  “Judah?”

  Just the sound of her voice made him feel better. “Pepper, hey.”

  “I’m so glad to hear from you. How has your day been?”

  “Talking to you makes it a thousand times better. I’m in town. Can I see you?” There was a pause. “Pepper, is something wrong?”

  Pepper shook her head, then realized he couldn’t see her. “No, nothing’s wrong. The family has plans, but it’s at Jimmy Dushku’s house. You know him, right? He wouldn’t mind if you joined us. Can you come?”

  He’d hoped to see her alone, but he’d take what he could get. “Sure, Dushku’s cool. I’ll give him a call and wrangle an invitation. What’s the occasion?”

  She laughed lightly. “Does Jimmy need one? I think he’s doing this to get my brother’s mind off the anniversary of his almost wedding. I’ll explain everything to you when I see you.”

  “Perfect. I hope we can find time to be alone.”

  “I want that too.” Pepper wasn’t sure how that would work with her eagle-eyed brothers around. Come hell or high-water, as Heath would say, she didn’t intend to miss this chance to spend some time with Judah.

  ...When he arrived at Jimmy’s villa on Lake Travis,
Judah grabbed his guitar from the back seat before reluctantly relinquishing his beloved Challenger to the valet parking attendant. His call to Dushku had resulted in more than an invitation to the party. By the time he’d ended the conversation, Judah had agreed to sing a few songs in Heath’s honor. Just him and his guitar, nothing fancy.

  “James! Over here!” His host hailed him as soon as he stepped into the formal garden. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

  As Judah made his way through the milling throng of people, he recognized several celebrities. Austin was a haven for the rich and famous. Besides being known for its ‘keep Austin weird’ theme, it also held the bragging rights for being the ‘live music capital of the world’. Many movies were filmed in and around Austin, also earning the city the reputation as the ‘new Hollywood’. All in all, there was no shortage of celebrities in the area. Several times he was stopped and introduced to folks whose names were familiar to him and at other times, it was his face that was recognized by someone else. To say he was living his dream was an understatement.

  If only the reason for those tests weren’t an issue.

  When he joined Jimmy, he was surprised to find him with a beautiful woman who looked familiar to Judah. “Hello,” he greeted them both.

  A consummate host, comfortable with people from all walks of life, Jimmy made them both feel welcome. “Ivana, this is Judah James. His band Shiloh is making waves in the music world. Judah, this is Ivana Paul, another rising star in the industry. I think you’ll find that you two have much in common. She’s Mickey Thomas’s niece, by the way.”

  “I agree. I think we’ll come to know one another…very well.” Ivana gave Judah a dazzling smile, reaching out to smooth his collar with a familiar touch.

  After being reminded of her name, Judah recalled hearing her sing. “It’s my pleasure, Miss Paul,” his response earned him another dazzling smile and her hand lingered on his body, her fingers moving down to toy with the top button of his shirt. Judah knew a come-on when he saw it. Prior to his run-in with the lamp post, he would’ve welcomed this woman’s attention. Meeting Pepper had eliminated that possibility. “I admire your work and I’m sure our paths will cross many times,” he said, taking one step back. “Jimmy, thank you so much for having me. I look forward to singing for everyone. However, if you’ll excuse me, I’m waiting for someone to arrive.”

  He saw a shadow cross Ivana’s face and Jimmy’s eyebrows raised as he read the situation. “Absolutely, Judah, make yourself at home.” He placed a hand on Ivana’s arm. “Come with me, Miss Paul. Have you ever met Willie and Waylon?”

  Judah didn’t linger, his eye was captured by pale blonde hair and eyes so blue he could happily drown in their depths. “Pepper,” he breathed. For a moment, he paused, staring at the beautiful vision, making sure she was really here and not a conjuration of his desire. Twice more, she’d come to him in a weak moment, so lifelike and substantive that Judah had conversed with her before realizing she was a product of his… What? His imagination? His wishful thinking? His…insanity?

  Shaking his head, he raised a hand to capture her attention. Seeing her brothers and sister surrounding her, reacting to Pepper’s acknowledgment of his greeting, convinced Judah that he wasn’t fantasizing her presence.

  “Judah!” She came to him like a breath of fresh air. “Are you okay?”

  He knew she could see the strain on his face, yet he couldn’t relax until he touched her. As soon as his hand rested on the warm silk of her cheek, he felt the tension leave his body. “I’m good. How are you? Did you have a good day?”

  She lifted one delicate shoulder in a shrug. “Nothing exciting. I worked on a school paper and baked a cherry cobbler.”

  “I hope I get the chance to taste your cooking soon. Hint. Hint.” He grinned at her and she smiled back. Lifting his hand again, he brushed her hair over her shoulder. “I can’t keep my hands off you. Want to take a walk?”

  Pepper took a moment to find her family in the crowd. Heath was with Jimmy, Ten and Jaxson were deep in conversation with one of the UT football coaches, and Philip was at the bar with a man she didn’t recognize. The only one who appeared concerned about her whereabouts was Ryder and she gave Pepper a big thumbs-up. Giving her sister an exasperated smile, she took Judah’s proffered arm. “I’d love to. Let’s stroll down to the lake.”

  “Good idea. You live on a lake too, don’t you?”

  “Close. Some of our property is waterfront and I can see Lake Buchanan from my bedroom window. Heath’s resort is on the lake also. We have a houseboat that we love to take on trips to watch the eagles during nesting season.”

  “Sounds intriguing, I’d love to go with you soon.”

  Twice in a row he’d expressed a desire to spend time with her in the future. “I’m ready when you are. Just let me know when you have a free day.”

  His face grew serious as he studied her expression. “This tour won’t last forever. We finished the recording session for the album yesterday.”

  “Good. I can’t turn on the radio without hearing your newest single. I trust it’s doing well.” She didn’t feel comfortable telling him of her pride in the situation, she found herself rejoicing as if his success was her own.

  “Yea, we’re moving up on the top forty. If we continue to get radio play and the downloads stay consistent over the next few weeks, I hope we’ll crack the top ten.”

  “I’m sure you will. You not only have tremendous talent, but your personality and stage presence is far beyond anyone I’ve ever seen.”

  Judah gave her a peck on the cheek. “I think you’re prejudice.”

  Pepper blushed. “Perhaps. Sorry.”

  They’d walked far enough down the hill to be out of sight. Finding a small grove of trees, Judah pulled Pepper among them. “Don’t misunderstand me, I crave your prejudice. I want you thinking of me as much as I think about you.”

  Pepper knew her experience with the opposite sex was lacking. She didn’t have the ability or the inclination to be coy. “You are always on my mind, Judah. I think about you all the time. I dream about you every night.”

  “You’re so beautiful.” He bent his head to hers. “How does it feel to be someone’s obsession?”

  Pepper couldn’t breathe. “I don’t know, I’ve never been one.”

  “You are now.” He touched the pad of his thumb to her bottom lip. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the first moment I saw you on the street.” Judah tangled one hand in her hair. “This is the stuff of fantasies, spun gold. And your lips,” he moaned. “I’m desperate for your lips. I want to kiss them, taste them, bite them.” He pressed his mouth to hers. “Suck them,” he whispered, pulling her lower lip between his teeth. “Fuck them.”

  Pepper groaned as he pushed his body hard to hers. He was aroused and she was overwhelmed. She wanted to touch him, but it was all she could do to cope with his amazing mouth.

  Unable to wait, he clasped her to him and found her lips with his. The kiss began with a whisper soft touch. He didn’t want to rush this, Judah wanted to memorize each moment. He wondered if he’d died and gone to heaven, which might explain why he kept seeing her everywhere he looked. He smoothed the pale golden hair away from her face with one trembling finger, then traced each line of her delicate features. From her forehead to the slightly upturned nose, from the cupid’s bow of her mouth, then back to the upturned corners of her cornflower blue eyes. “I don’t deserve you. You’re too perfect for me.”

  Pepper wanted to protest, but she wanted his kiss more. When he played his tongue against her lips, she opened for him. Looping her arms around his neck, she sifted her fingers through his dark-as-night hair, finding the strong muscles of his neck beneath it.

  Judah pulled her closer, loving the press of her cushiony breasts to his chest. He devoured her mouth, his hands gliding down to the upper swell of her hips. With a slight tug, he brought her close enough so she could feel his desire. To hi
s amazement, Pepper didn’t shy away, she stood on tiptoe and answered his kiss with feminine fierceness, their tongues tangling together.

  Pepper was so aroused, she was in danger of forgetting her own name. Judah was kissing her the way she’d always dreamed a man would. Deep. Tender. Passionately. Pressing against him, she let him feel her own excitement as her nipples hardened and her body trembled in his embrace.

  “Hey! Look, there’s a yacht on the lake.”

  Hearing approaching voices, Judah pulled his lips from hers, then proceeded to dust butterfly kisses on her face, easing her down from the high pinnacle of pleasure they’d been fast ascending. “We’re not alone.”

  She pressed her face to his shoulder. “Dammit.”

  Judah chuckled with delight. “You’re adorable.”

  “I guess we should continue our stroll.” Joining hands, they headed on down to the shoreline, admiring the blue water and the picturesque limestone cliffs. Even though the hour was growing late, the strategic landscape lighting gave them a spectacular view. “So, what’s next? How many days do you have home?”

  “I…came home for a meeting.” He hated to lie to Pepper, but he didn’t want to alarm her unnecessarily. “I plan on spending a few hours with my folks in the morning, then flying out tomorrow afternoon. Shiloh performs in Kansas City tomorrow night.”

  “I’m watching all the clips uploaded on You-Tube.” She nudged him playfully with her shoulder. “You have some seriously devoted fans.”

  Judah nodded. “I do, thank goodness. They’re the ones who spend the money on records and concert tickets.”

  “What’s been the most fun, so far? Being on stage? The interviews?”

  Her question made Judah think. He slipped an arm around her waist as they started down a steep incline to the water’s edge. “Well, I do enjoy making music. Performing live is a high unlike anything else I’ve ever known. The energy of the crowd is palatable, I feed off it. Honestly, recording in a studio is harder.”