by Sable Hunter
“That is so sad,” Molly, Tennessee’s wife, wiped tears from her eyes. She wasn’t the only one crying, there were others who just couldn’t imagine a family being torn apart by such agony.
“Is Gillian alive?” Aron couldn’t stand the suspense.
“Yes, she was found abandoned at a fire station in Kansas. Apparently, whoever kidnapped Gillian decided they couldn’t keep her. The police weren’t able to identify her and she wasn’t returned to her rightful family. Instead, Gillian was adopted and has had a good life. She’s a married lady with grown children.”
Christians announcement brought a dozen or more questions from the room.
“How many children?”
“What’s their names?”
“Where do they live?”
“When can we meet them?”
Christian smiled and glanced at his watch. “Well…”
At that exact moment, there was a knock at the door.
“Aron. See to the door, please.”
The elder Tebow McCoy followed his uncle’s directive.
Every eye followed his movement and watched him open the door.
At first, Aron’s bulk blocked the entrance. The room was so quiet, the proverbial pin drop would have sounded like a cannon.
“Merry Christmas and welcome to Tebow Ranch. Y’all come on in, we’re about to share our holiday supper.”
As one, the occupants of the room stood. Pepper drew in a gasp at the stately woman who entered first. “Aunt Gillian,” she whispered, taking note of the McCoy traits. There was a distinct resemblance between this woman and her sister, Ryder.
Even more amazing were the others who followed her. Three men and three women, all who appeared to be in their twenties. Everyone was frozen in shock. Christian led the way, coming around with extended hands.
“Gillian, I’m so glad you all could come. McCoys, this is mine and Sebastian’s sister. Gillian Marie McCoy Wilder.”
“Thank you for having us,” Gillian responded with an indulgent look in her eye. “We’re very excited to meet everyone.”
“Let me do the honors.” Christian stood by the newcomers. “I’ll make sure all of you are properly acquainted, but let me start off by introducing you to Gillian’s children.”
Pepper watched on in amazement. Three young men and three young women. Even if she hadn’t known they were McCoys, the thought would’ve crossed her mind that they looked familiar.
“I’m pleased to present our long-lost family: Colleen, Cassidy, Bellamy, Kyd, Rowan, and Clint.”
* * *
The remainder of the evening passed in a blur. By the time they called it a night, Pepper was exhausted. They hadn’t made plans to sleep over, for as big as Tebow Ranch was, the entire family would strain even its limits. The clock had struck two in the am before the party broke up.
“Wasn’t that crazy?” Philip asked as he steered the big SUV northward, following the vehicle Tennessee was driving ahead of them. Ryder and her husbands were taking Christian and Olivia back to Austin, then the trio were heading to the airport for a trip to their ranch in Hawaii. The next time most of them would see one another would be at Jimmy’s party on New Year’s. No one was the least bit sleepy and since the drive from Kerrville to Burnet would take several hours, the conversation was flowing.
“It sure was.” Pepper was almost bubbling over with joy. “Did you see how much Kyd favored Heath?”
“Yea, but that was where the likeness ended,” Jaxson drawled. “Kyd seems to have a sense of humor.”
“Hey, I have as much humor as the next guy.” Heath signed into Cato’s palm, explaining the comment, just in case she missed it. “Isn’t that right, baby?”
“That’s right, your brother’s a comedian.” Cato espoused happily. “Hey, did Heath tell you our good news?”
Philip clicked on the overhead light so Cato could see their faces better. “That’s not as necessary as it used to be,” she said with a beaming smile on her face.
“No, I haven’t said anything…” Heath said with an odd inflection in his voice.
“What’s going on?” Pepper asked, looking from her brother to his wife. When she saw the excited expressions on their face, she grinned. “I bet I know.”
“Are you going to have a baby?” Jaxson asked from the front passenger seat. He was half turned around so he could see those behind him.
“No, no baby,” Cato said, her voice brimming with happiness. “Not yet, at least.”
Since Cato was sitting between her and Heath, Pepper could grasp her hand. “Can you hear?”
“Yes!” she squealed, throwing herself in Heath’s arms. “Not perfectly, but anything is better than before.”
Pepper was elated for them, for all of them! Cato was the love of their older brother’s life and she was important to all the McCoys. “I didn’t think the surgery worked.”
“Well, she had to heal,” Heath explained. “We didn’t make a big deal out of her progress, she didn’t want me to. The new hearing aids came in a few days ago, so this trip was sort of a trial run. Being in a crowd with dozens of people all talking at once was a challenge.”
“Yes,” Cato agreed. “Reading lips helps fill in the blanks.”
“I’m so happy for you both!” Pepper hugged them and Jaxson and Philip gave their congratulations as well.
Once they’d calmed a bit, the conversation turned back to their new relatives. “What did they say Kyd did for a living?” Heath asked, methodically rubbing Cato’s palm with his thumb.
“So much was going on, but I think he said he was an architect in Dallas,” Philip answered. “I think it’s amazing how close we were to them all these years and never had a clue they existed.”
“Once things calmed down, I recognized Clint.” Jaxson hooked his arm over the seat to make eye contact with Heath. “He played running back for Baylor and just got drafted by the Texans this fall.”
“Oh, yea, I remember watching Clint Wilder play football.” Heath shook his head. “He looks a helluva lot like Joseph, doesn’t he?”
“It’s amazing,” Pepper agreed. “The more I was around Colleen, the more I liked her. “She’s so tall and graceful, with those long legs like Ryder’s. I understand she models.”
“It’s going to be fun getting to know them,” Cato inserted with a happy sigh. “I was impressed with Bellamy, she’s a preschool teacher. Now, that takes a special person to take care of a roomful of babies all day.”
“Cassidy seemed nice,” Philip ventured. “I think I heard her saying that she’s a chef, now that’s intriguing.”
“Rowan is the one who seemed to have the most in common with us, he owns a small horse farm north of Fort Worth. I’d love to go up and see his place.”
They were all hyped up with the wonder of their family’s expansion. “It will be fun to get to know everyone,” Pepper mused, her finger running over the embossed paper covering the unopened package she still held in her lap.
“Aren’t you ever going to open that?” Cato’s curiosity was getting the best of her.
“Oh, okay, yes.”
Philip flipped the overhead light back on so she could see well enough to examine her anonymous gift. Pepper’s fingers trembled. She didn’t know why her hand shook, no one had claimed credit for the gift, but after the excitement over Gillian and her family, she hadn’t asked anyone else if they had a clue as to where it came from. “Let’s see what we have here.” As her family looked on, she tore open the paper to find a box from Tiffany Jewelers. “Oh, wow.”
“Open it!” Cato encouraged with a squeal.
Pepper did so and when she saw what the box contained, she gasped, “How beautiful.” She pulled out a long, delicate gold necklace with turquoise stations and a dreamcatcher pendant. “Who would give this to me?”
“Is there another card inside?” Jaxson asked, as curious as everyone else.
“No, no card.” She looked through all the papers. Holding the necklac
e in her hand, she turned it over. “Oh, it’s engraved!” Holding it nearer to her face, she read: “Dreamweaver, mine.”
“I wonder who that’s from?” Heath asked, taking the fragile necklace from her hand. “Do you have a boyfriend that I don’t know about?”
Pepper shook her head, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew exactly who it was from.
Judah once called her his dreamweaver.
What she didn’t know, was what the gift meant.
* * *
Between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Pepper waited for some communication from Judah.
None came.
After a week of worrying, she began to wonder if she was mistaken. Could someone else have given her the gift? She didn’t know. Besides, he was a married man. She’d always had her suspicions about the marriage, but they were based on nothing but wishful thinking.
A text popped up on her phone. It was from Ryder.
What are you wearing tonight?
She texted back. The gold cocktail dress. She intended to wear the dreamweaver necklace. If she ran into Judah, she wanted to see his reaction. A cold feeling of dread made her shiver. She wanted to see him, but she knew nothing could come from it. He was forever out of her reach.
Is everyone going?
Pepper glanced at the clock. She needed to start getting ready. No, just Heath, Cato, and myself. Philip and Jaxson weren’t in the mood. Ten and Molly didn’t want to get a babysitter.
Do you want to ride with us or Heath?
Pepper smiled. Neither. I’m driving myself. I don’t want to answer questions and I might want to leave early.
All right. Make yourself happy and I’ll be close if you need me.
Thanks, Sis. See you there.
Pepper wasn’t planning on attending the concert, she was going straight to Jimmy’s, so she could take her time. “This may be a mistake,” she murmured as she placed the phone in her evening bag, then went to get ready for the evening.
…Judah knew he’d made a mistake with the Christmas gift. He’d succumbed to a moment of weakness, thinking he couldn’t let the holiday go by without having some kind of contact with Pepper. Did she suspect it was from him? He didn’t know.
“Judah, do you want me to call for the driver?” Zion hailed him from outside his dressing room. The concert had been a success, but a New Year’s Eve crowd was easily pleased. Liquor had flowed like a fountain.
“Yea, I guess so. Thanks.”
“Is Ivana going with us?”
Judah cursed under his breath, “Fuck. I suppose we have a charade to maintain.”
“I’ll go out in the parking lot and make sure the car is ready,” Zion offered.
“Thanks, man.” Judah didn’t know what he’d do without Zion Chastain. In the last three months, his life had been hectic. He felt as though he’d sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind. There’d been good times, he’d won two Grammy’s and his first album had gone platinum. Their second album was well on its way to gold and there was talk he was going to be asked to sing at the Super Bowl this coming year. On the other hand, his personal life was in shambles. His fake wife, Ivana, was a constant pain in the ass. She was high-maintenance and hot-headed. More than once, he’d had to get her out of jail, then move heaven and earth to keep her indiscretions out of the newspapers. He swore to God, if she got caught in a compromising position with another woman again or trashed another hotel room – he was going to let the cards fall where they may. Judah was beginning to wonder if the world knowing his secret would be easier than having to live a lie.
“Hey, baby!” Ivana came up behind him and draped an arm around his neck. Her breath reeked to high heaven.
“You’re drunk,” he told her with disdain.
“Nah, I’m just tipsy. And happy.” She gave him a big kiss on the cheek. “Hey, you wanna have a threesome with me and Heather tonight?”
“No.” No matter how many times he turned down her offers of sex, she never grew tired of issuing them. Judah wondered if she really thought he was tempted.
He wasn’t.
If the party wasn’t at Jimmy Dushku’s, he wouldn’t go. For a split second, he wondered if Pepper would be there. He didn’t expect her to be, not if she knew he was attending. After the way he’d treated her, she’d never be able to forgive him. If she figured out who the necklace was from, she probably tossed it out of the window on the way home.
“Hey, why so glum?” Ivana pulled him close for a kiss.
“Stop, Ivana, I’m not in the mood.” He shook her off and made his way outside, thankful to spot the car waiting for them and Zion standing alongside. “When we get to the party, give me some space. Okay?”
Ivana poked her finger into his chest. “As far as the world is concerned, we’re married. Remember, we have an arrangement. If you don’t hold up your end of the bargain, neither will I.”
Judah clenched his fists. He’d never hit a woman, but he was sorely tempted.
“What’s going on?” Zion asked, waiting for Judah to join him. The driver opened the front passenger door for Ivana and the men climbed in the back.
“Nothing.” He spoke lowly, so only his friend could hear him, “I just don’t feel like partying, is all.” Judah inclined his head toward Ivana, indicating she was the problem – as usual.
“Well, let me give you some good news.” He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Judah. “Reese is with his family, but he told me to give you this. You’re going to Hollywood, bud. They want you to record the next Bond movie song.”
Judah barked out a laugh. “Really?”
“What was that? I want to go.” Ivana squealed from the front seat. “Do you think they’d let me sing with you?”
“No.” Judah shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
She turned around her lips pooched out in a pout. “You’d best be nice to me, husband. I hold your future in the palm of my little hand.”
Judah didn’t answer and Ivana flounced around to face toward the front.
Zion raised an eyebrow to Judah. “So, who did Dushku invite? Anybody interesting?”
“Tommy Lee, Renee, Sandra, and Mack Brown. Out of those, I want to see Mack the most.” Judah glanced down at the copy of the offer. “This is pretty neat, isn’t it?”
“It is.” Zion studied his friend’s face. “You feeling all right?”
“Better.” He nodded his head. Sad. Wishful. Zion understood, he didn’t need to repeat himself on a topic they’d rehashed to death. “I just can’t muster up any excitement over the new year.”
Zion pointed at the movie soundtrack offer. “I don’t know, I’ve got a feeling this year might be our best yet.”
…Pepper sipped her drink slowly, she had no intention of getting drunk. She wasn’t even dancing or mingling with the party-goers. For the last fifteen minutes, she’d lingered in the solarium, gazing out over Lake Travis. There was a myriad of fireworks dancing in the sky, set off from various estates like Jimmy’s. The colors, contrasting with the velvet sky and reflecting on the glass surface of the lake was a sight to behold. “I shouldn’t have come,” she whispered to herself. Pepper thought she’d be courageous enough to seek Judah out, but she wasn’t. So, here she was, hiding in the shadows, trying to decide if she should just go ahead and leave or continue her lakeside vigil.
She was just about to take her leave when her phone buzzed.
Where are you?
Solarium, enjoying fireworks. Beautiful.
Come to the ballroom, I’ve got a surprise for you.
What?
Just get out here! Jimmy is giving away diamonds!
Pepper smiled at her sister’s excitement. It didn’t matter that her husbands were billionaires, the prospect of getting anything for free or deeply discounted set Ryder off like a rocket. She was the kind to stand outside of a store in freezing weather in order to be the first in line for a sale. At least Pepper knew Judah wasn’t about or Ryder would’ve said somethin
g. Wouldn’t she?
Carrying her champagne flute with her, she took one last look at the vibrant display in the sky, then headed through the darkened room toward the front part of the house. She didn’t bother turning on lights, Pepper had visited the villa enough to know her way around. Rounding a corner, she gasped, taken aback by what she saw – two naked women entwined on a couch in a 69 position. “Oh, my goodness,” she cried, clamping a hand over her mouth.
One of the women raised her head from between the other one’s thighs and Pepper recognized Ivana Paul.
Judah’s wife!
“Want to join us, Blondie?”
Pepper shook her head and wheeled around, running square into someone else. “Excuse me, I’m so sorry.”
She was cradled by strong arms against a hard chest. Safe. Secure. A second or two passed as Pepper tried to get her bearings, a second or two more before her body began to tremble with recognition. “Judah.”
“Pepper,” he whispered. Holding her was such a relief. He didn’t let her go, he couldn’t.
Being near him felt so right, Pepper had to force herself to move away. “I didn’t mean to barrel into you like that, I apologize. I was watching fireworks. I love fireworks,” she said weakly. “If you’ll excuse me.” Stepping backward, she attempted to escape.
“Wait, Pepper, please.”
“Why? There’s nothing more for us to say to one another, is there?” She tugged, trying to free herself from his grasp. “Just let me go.”
“No.” He stepped up and took her into his arms. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered in a voice filled with pain.
Pepper froze, she didn’t know whether to hug him back or struggle for him to release her. “Judah, I don’t understand.”
“Just let me hold you for a minute, I haven’t been able to breathe without you.” He drew her into a room with a light. “I want to see you.”
When he would’ve led her to the room where his wife was enjoying another woman’s company, she stopped him. “No, this way.” She guided him to a small sitting room. When her eyes adjusted to the brighter light, Pepper studied his beautiful face. “What’s wrong? You look so tired.” She touched his cheek. “Are you all right?”