“I like the changes. Not fond of thick carpeting all over…you have good taste,” she said simply.
His palm went beneath her chin, thumb caressing her lip. “That’s obvious by the woman in my arms, isn’t it?” The instant she slid from the stool to the floor and into his arms the rage of tension slipped free like a silken knot untying in the breeze.
“Why were you worried, Chase? I could see it…in your eyes…” She wasn’t surprised she was being held against him, her elbows rested along his shoulders and her toes barely touched the floor. “Did you think what we felt was going to vanish?”
“I’m used to making decisions without consulting anyone else,” he began after a thoughtful minute. “I’m working on adjusting that in the personal portion of my life and ask for a little patience.”
“To avoid fighting,” she said with a little grin.
“To avoid conflict…” The gleam in his eye matched hers. “I’m not sure fighting with you wouldn’t be…erotic…on a strange level…”
“I think what you have in mind is called sparing…you know on a mat…kind of like a big mattress,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Let’s go…” he tapped the alarm and guided her to the car. “It’ll be a few days…but we can move in within a week,” he let her slide into the car, closing the door behind him.
“Just remember…” She leaned into him, her mouth hard on his for a long minute as the car moved back to the resort. “It’s your turn to collect the clothes,” she told him, her palm gliding along his thigh and pulling a low groan from inside him.
Chapter Fifteen
Chase watched her with one eye closed as he knotted his tie, twirling past him chanting about Friday. “Breakfast?” He asked in one of the lulls in excitement.
“Not hungry, thank you,” she sang out. “It’s Friday! You know what that means?” She came to a stop in front of him, the back of the sofa at his thighs.
“Frantically searching memory…did we have something planned?” Coffee, his brain shouted as she danced away and gestured to the toasted bagel and coffee she had waiting for him.
“It means…we have all weekend for wild, wicked sex! It’s supposed to be a stormy, dark and dreary weekend! I brought candles from my apartment just for the occasion.” She told him, lifting her sweater and shoving her arms inside before picking up her pack and kissing him soundly. “I’m off to work.”
“Pepper!” Chase said her name loud and firm. She came to a stop and looked back at him through those large round lenses. “No opposition here to your plans at all. Do you think you can dance to my office about one and sign some papers for me and the bank, please? You’ve put it off for the last two days,” he held out his new business card, watching his words flicker in her eyes.
“Papers? For what?”
“Insurance on the house and joint accounts,” he waited, watched her blink and tilt her head. “I’ll take you to lunch.”
“One…alright…no problem, it’s a half day,” she nodded, slipped her ear pods in and tuned up her music before heading out of the apartment.
Pepper lost herself in paperwork, talking to vendors and protested being dragged to the cafeteria at ten-thirty for a break.
“Abby…I’m not hungry,” she snarled, glaring at the woman behind her pushing her along the corridor.
“You are. You’re grumpy and that’s a clear indication of low blood sugar,” Abby told her with a nod. “Come on…besides…you have to explain the story in the newspaper to me.”
“What story? I don’t read the newspaper. It’s annoying and depressing,” Pepper did a quick pat down to make certain she had her badge with her. “I am leaving promptly at noon and wanted to get some paperwork cleared off my…what the…” Blond head swiveled wildly from Abby to the large sign to the women gathered in the south end of the cafeteria. “You can’t be serious…”
“Surprise!”
Pepper was positive it would be a week before her ears cleared out.
“This story…why didn’t you tell us? Your best buds?” Cassidy came from the side, the newspaper in her hands, the clear photo of her and Chase from last weekend.
“I…we went…to this place…” Pepper sunk into the chair behind her, accepted the tall glass of pineapple punch in her fingers and took a long, long drink.
Married?
She looked again at the photo, her head tilted and brows knit in confusion.
Those were her glassy eyes in there, smiling a little more than sappily at the ruggedly handsome guy she’d fallen for. Hard.
Champagne, a distant part of her mind recalled. Really good champagne, she admitted in defense of the champagne. Had she been that out of it? She looked around at all the laughing chattering friends and held up one finger as she pulled out her phone.
No…this called for a face to face talk.
“Hey…have some cake!” One of the women from her department held out a plate for her.
“This was really sweet of you guys…seriously…” Pepper accepted the cake and took a bite.
“It’s okay…I told them no presents, that you wouldn’t like that,” Abby sunk down beside her. “But we thought it would be nice just to get together and have cake and sandwiches…besides…it’s Friday…so…how was the wedding?”
“I’ll show you photos when I get them back,” Pepper said, hoping that would answer the question. “It was…enchanted…like a princess castle thing…all glittery and…nice…” she sighed. It was nice. That part was in her memory. She glanced around and spotted the large screen to the left. “Does that have internet access?
Cassidy grinned. “It definitely does.”
“Call up SKYPE…would you please,” Pepper said with her teeth close together. She looked around. It would give him a nice view of the room and the people.
Cassidy offered the wireless keyboard to her with a glance at Abby.
“Miss Ambrose…what a delicious surprise for my midmorning,” his voice was strong and filled with all the pleasure he expressed in his words. Until he saw what was on the screen around her. His features froze into a solid mask.
“Mr. Montgomery…” Pepper leaned back in the chair. She knew she was the only one who saw the flicker of apprehension in his eyes. “I thought you might enjoy a glimpse…and share in the surprise from my friends. I’m sorry you’ll miss the cake and other food goodies, though.”
“A bridal shower…a great way to get together with your friends.” Chase cleared his throat a few times while his brain frantically worked for words.
“No bridal photos, though,” one of the woman said with a sigh.
“I can promise you, and I have an excellent memory,” Chase relaxed and kept his eyes locked with Pepper’s. “My bride was more enchanting, more lovely, than anything the imagination can conjure. And I’ll be sure to remind her to share the photos when they arrive from the printer. I appreciate being included, but I have an appointment. Later, Pepper.”
“I’ll be there at one, Chase, thank you,” Pepper shook her head and laughed, closing their connection. She caught the look on Abby and Cassidy’s face as people murmured and ate. “What?”
“We’ve seen that look before…just waltzed himself out of trouble, didn’t he?” Cassidy chuckled and took a bite of cake.
“Oh, yeah…and it was a primo waltz, too, let me tell you,” Pepper laughed, her head shaking. “The man has some prime moves,” and she threw herself into the conversations and congratulations.
Pepper stepped from her little SUV and closed her eyes as the winds swept in from the beach, swirling leaves and spring around her. She loved the scent and inhaled deeply before striding toward the double doors to the newly completed business office. One admin, two doors on opposite sides of the room.
“I’ve been looking for you,” Paige said with a glance tossed to the side, her hands working over the keyboard. She stopped and faced her with a greeting smile.
Pepper laughed. “This is the admin job
you nailed? Excellent…”
“Are you kidding me? It’s beyond excellent!” Paige Andrews laughed happily. “I have so much stuff to work on boredom will not be an issue. Have you seen the plans?”
“I have…I can’t even envision that kind of…it’s incredible,” she allowed, glancing to the closed door with the name C. Montgomery etched on a simple plaque. “Is he in?”
“And waiting…I’ll let you know when the bank rep shows. And congratulations…why didn’t you tell anyone?” Paige saw her hand hesitate on the door handle.
“Guess we weren’t ready yet…it all seemed so…unreal,” Pepper said softly, the word fitting as she pushed the door opened and stepped inside, closing it behind her. She watched him, his head bent and pen moving over a piece of paper filled with print.
He was left handed. She’d never noticed before, she realized with a little smile. She leaned against the door and waited until he looked up.
Surprise wasn’t the only thing she saw flicker into his gaze. A little trepidation…a little of the lust that had been sweeping through them both since meeting…a little of the romance, too, though she noted with a sigh.
Chapter Sixteen
“Do I look as nervous as I feel?” Chase sat back, watching, trying to gauge where her mind was, where her emotions were.
“I could naively ask why you’re feeling nervous, Chase,” she said softly, leaning against the door, at least fifteen feet between them in the large office.
“Chiefly because you aren’t shouting down the walls,” he replied honestly, pale lashes narrowed slightly behind his lenses. He continued to watch her, unable to get a handle on her mood or disposition.
“Would it do any good?”
“Pepper…I can explain…”
“That’s why I’m here early, Chase. Being the multitalented individual that I know you are, the idea of explanations simply fascinated me no end on the drive over here,” Pepper hung her pack on the door handle, her hands up and open. “So…I’m listening.”
“Would you at least sit? Some water?” He asked, draining half the bottle on his desk.
“I’m good…thanks…” but she did sit in one of the armed chairs in front of his desk, blue eyes studying him curiously. “You were prepared for semi hysterical…yelling. Even tears,” she said after a quiet minute.
“I…yeah…yeah, I was…”
“I remember signing the papers. Don’t recall reading them…someone was whispering hotly in my ear that they were formalities for the liability of the costumes and our presence on the grounds,” she watched definite surprise in his eyes that she recalled all that so clearly.
“It honestly wasn’t my intent to have you drink quite so much of the champagne, Pepper,” he saw one brow raise, her expression doubting. “I hoped it would make you more receptive to the logic I had behind the…”
“Every girl wants to get married because it’s logical, Chase,” Pepper laughed, her head shaking.
“Given the days before, would you have accepted if I’d told you I was madly in love with you and couldn’t imagine a day without you in it?” Chase saw the moisture in her eyes as she bit down on her lip. He came around the desk, leaning on it in front of her. “I am you know…”
“And you were afraid I’d run,” she whispered, inhaling raggedly and willing the tears to go away. “I quit running, Chase. Not from you…never from you,” she told him, launching herself into the arms that immediately opened to her. She felt his hands, one smoothing over the frayed braid, the other holding her firmly against him. “That was a very good explanation,” she whispered raggedly, giving into the sweet kiss, their foreheads against one another.
“It’s only part of it…I didn’t know at the time…but I hoped…it would go towards stopping Jacob Ambrose.” He met the confused look in her eyes, one hand up and removing both his and her glasses and setting them behind him on the desk. He kissed her again, just because it was nice.
“Why would he care, Chase?” Pepper asked, stepping back when the knock came on the door.
“Miss Chester from the bank is here, Chase…Pepper…all you need to do is provide some ID and sign the papers,” Paige opened the door with a smile.
“You think this part is necessary?” Pepper bit her lower lip and reached for her glasses, watching him motion the young woman into the office.
“Are you going to divorce me?” Chase asked softly, ignoring the looks from the others and signing the papers the woman gestured to.
“I…no…of course not…” She accepted the pen he held out to her.
“Then this is simply a progression…a step forward. Part of the package,” Chase explained, pointing to the little x’s on the papers. He watched Paige hand her back her ID, providing copies to Miss Chester. “Thank you for coming out to my office.”
“Not a problem at all, Mr. Montgomery. Congratulations,” she said with a smile, filing things into the folder she held and shaking their hands before leaving, closing the door behind her.
“Easy and done.”
“I haven’t added you to my accounts,” she said sullenly.
“I’m sure it’s an oversight,” he teased with a wink, sliding his glasses back on. “If I need to borrow money, I’ll be sure to ask, though.”
“You’re…annoying,” she sat back on his desk, heels kicking the wood once. “But I love you…so I’ll adjust to it.”
Chase rubbed his hands over his neck before stepping to stand at her side.
“He’s not your father, Pepper.” He said the words quietly, meeting the confused, lost look in the eyes that blinked, her forehead wrinkled in her frown. “I’ve had someone digging into the past, into his life and yours.”
“I have the birth certificate, Chase.”
“You have a copy of one he created. Did you ever look for the original?”
“I…no…no…I didn’t know it wasn’t real…”
“It’s mostly real, Pepper,” he opened the folder on his desk and showed her the notarized copy. “He filled in the blanks. He married your mother when she was eight months pregnant. She never told anyone who the father was, but a DNA test would confirm it. I’ve got copies from both the hospital and the one they filed with city hall. Yes, she died of complications but EMT’s arrived in time to at least get you to a medical facility. That’s why things are on file.”
He watched her digest the information. Watched wide blue eyes swimming even as she held up her hands to keep him back.
“I’m…he’s not…” she swallowed, struggled to clear her throat and make her voice work. “I don’t have crazy blood inside me?” She whispered tremulously, gulping in little sups of breathe in between each word.
“He is not your birth father, Pepper,” Chase took firm hold of her shoulders. “Look at me. It’s real. It’s too long ago and I don’t think we can find who your real father is, but…”
“I don’t care. I really don’t…I just…he’s not…” Tears fell as she crumbled against him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and holding on for several long minutes until the sobbing stopped. She accepted the tissues he offered, murmuring a thank you before pushing for space and stumbling toward the door to the private bathroom.
Chase went to get a couple bottles of cold water from the fridge, his body coming to a stop when she opened the door and stepped back into the room.
“Pepper…”
“I’m okay…” She said quickly, taking the bottle he held out to her and draining half of it. “Thank you. For this…and for…he’s not my father…” she said the words out loud, her empty hand up and waving in front of eyes she forced wide. “Then why is he…why does he…”
“Stop…and breathe…look at me, Pepper,” Chase put his water on the desk and led her to the sofa. “Sit…and the answer is money. You had grandparents on both sides. Both are now deceased. Your mother’s parents left an inheritance for you, provided you married before you were thirty-five.”
“If I didn’t?
”
“Legally, he could have filed to receive it. There was no other option, which is odd and negligent of their attorney, but…” he shrugged.
“All my life…he’s lied to me all my life…are there…do I have any relatives? Would your investigator know that?” She asked anxiously.
“There aren’t any, I’m sorry. Your mother was an only child and your grandparents died the year you were fourteen,” Chase watched her accept what he said, her head nodding slowly.
“I have you,” she said after a small sigh. “A new family. Friends at the resort…they’re like family…so it’s okay…it’s okay,” she repeated, laying her head on his shoulder. “Does he know? That we’re married?”
“It was in the paper,” Chase said quietly. “I don’t know, honey…”
“It’ll make him angry, Chase,” Pepper straightened and stared at him. “He finds ways to hurt people I care about.”
“Then I guess we have to be careful.”
Always those famous last words.
Thank you for reading Pepper Ambrose. Please remember that this is one in a long series. A journey that involves many couples, lots of laughter and some tears. The next segment is Paige Andrews. I hope you enjoy the trip.
WindSwept Narrows: #17 Pepper Ambrose Page 11