“Thank you.” Stone turned to her mother next, but she was having none of that. Only a hug would do for Lila Mack. She embraced him, then pulled back to get a good look. “You’re just as handsome as your photo but so much taller than I thought you’d be. And bigger.”
“I’ve heard that before, ma’am,” Stone said. “Mrs. Mack, you and Pepper look so much alike, only like sisters, not mother and daughter.”
Mom slapped Stone playfully on the arm. “Well, aren’t you sweet? And please, call me Lila. Mrs. Mack makes me feel like an old lady.”
Her mother looked lovely, as always. She wore her wavy dark hair in a similar cut to Pepper’s, only slightly shorter. If there were any grays in that glossy head, her colorist made sure they were well hidden under expensive color treatments. When Pepper was a child, her mother had always seemed younger and prettier than all the others. To Pepper, then and now, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. “Mom, you’re gorgeous and way too young to ever be called old.”
“I was just telling her that when she was fussing in the mirror this morning,” Dack said as he handed his coat to Stone.
“I’m fifty. Things are starting to slip. Mostly downward.” Mom shrugged out of her long coat and set it in Stone’s outstretched hand. “It’s horrifying.”
“As you can tell, Pepper gets her beauty and her vanity from her mother,” Dack said with a twinkle in his brown eyes.
Pepper shared a smile with her mother as she reached for the coats. “Dack, stop teasing us in front of Stone.” She hung the coats in the closet. When she turned around, both her parents were staring at her.
“Pepper Griffin hanging up coats instead of tossing them onto the couch?” her mom asked. “What’s happened to my daughter?”
“Stone’s trying to reform me,” Pepper said. “Apparently, I’m messy.”
Both her parents laughed a little too loudly. “Good luck, Stone,” Dack said. “We’ve been working on her a long time.”
“She came out of the womb that way,” Mom said.
“Stone loves me anyway, even though I’m a tad untidy.” Pepper tossed her curls and flashed Stone a smile. He gave her a slight one in return. His hands fidgeted at his sides in a very non-Stone way. He was nervous. How sweet. She’d never seen him nervous about anything, including navigating through a snowstorm with near-zero visibility.
“Please sit. Would you like coffee?” Stone pointed at the table in front of the fireplace, set with pastries and a canister of coffee.
“We had a big breakfast at the lodge,” Mom said. “But coffee sounds good.” She shivered. “The fog has me chilled.”
Her parents sat together on the couch. Pepper poured them each a cup of coffee before sitting in the chair opposite Stone’s. When everyone had fixed their coffee how they wanted, Pepper caught Stone’s eye. He gave a slight nod. Having saved their big news until they could tell her parents in person, they’d planned on telling them about the engagement this morning. Keeping it from them the last few weeks had been nearly impossible. However, she wanted to see their faces when she told them. A girl only got engaged once.
Across from her, Stone swallowed and set his coffee cup on the table, clearly too nervous to hold it without spilling.
“Mom, Dack, we have exciting news. We’re getting married.” Remember this moment.
Her mother’s eyes widened, then turned upward as her face transformed from shock to joy. “You’re getting married?”
“And before you say anything, we fell in love before we knew about Frederick’s money. Stone loved me way before that.”
“I did. I’ve loved her since the first moment I ever set eyes on her,” Stone said. “I even loved her when she hated me.”
“It’s true.” Pepper laughed. “I was awful to him, and he still loved me. He saw from the beginning how we belong together.” She fetched her ring out of her pocket and slipped it on before holding out her hand for them to see the princess-cut diamond surrounded by a dozen small ones arranged in a circle. “We even have a ring.”
“It’s beautiful,” Mom said before turning to Stone. “And for the record, it would never have entered my mind that you’d marry my daughter for her money.”
“Why?” Stone asked.
“Because my wife’s the least suspicious person in the world.” Dack rose to his feet, which prompted the rest of them to do the same.
“Me? What about you? He’s a complete romantic,” Mom said. “Do you know he said he fell in love with me at first sight?”
“How could I not?” Dack asked. “I mean, look at her.” He took Pepper’s hand. “Let me see that ring.”
“I picked it out, because you know, it’s me and I had to have my way,” Pepper said.
“Your mother picked hers out, too.” Dack looked over at Stone. “It’s best to know your place when it comes to these two.”
“Yes, sir.” Stone’s tense expression had dissipated some, but a muscle in his cheek still flexed.
Dack shook Stone’s hand again before grabbing him into a half hug. “Congratulations. We’re very happy.”
Mom drew her close and stroked her hair. “My little feisty Pepper’s finally been tamed.”
“I love him so much, Mom,” she whispered.
Mom let her go and turned to Stone. She lifted her hands to his face. “You’ll be good to my baby. I know you will. You’ve got an earnest face and honest eyes.”
“I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe.”
Dack turned to Pepper and pulled her close. “You’ve always been full of surprises, Pepper girl.”
Pepper felt the tears coming and didn’t even try to keep them back. “I know, Dack, but you’ve loved me anyway.”
“More than you’ll ever know.” Dack’s eyes grew shiny. “You and your mother are my whole life. I’m so proud of you.”
“I guess this means you’re staying in California?” Mom asked as she wiped her eyes.
“Yes, but we’ll be out to visit tons,” Pepper said. “Or you guys can come here.”
“We’re going to build a house on the property next to my brother,” Stone said. “When we go out later, we’ll take you by to see it.”
“A big one so we can have a million children,” Pepper said.
Mom’s mouth dropped open, and her hand flew to her heart. “Children? Again, Stone, what have you done with my daughter?”
“Mom, as it turns out, once I found the right man, everything changed.”
Mom looked over at Dack. “Shall we tell them our news?”
“Seems like an appropriate time,” Dack said.
“Your father’s retiring at the end of the year. Which means we’ll have a lot more time to visit,” Mom said. “Or maybe have a second home.”
“Really?” Pepper bounced on her toes.
“I’ll be able to help you with all those children you’re having,” Mom said. “Whenever that is. It’s not imminent, is it?”
“Mom, no.” Pepper flushed. “I have a movie to film in the spring. I need a few more years to get my career going.”
“Don’t wait too long,” Mom said. “I’m not getting any younger.”
Dack gave an indulgent shake of his head. “Maybe we should look for real estate this weekend.”
“Dad, really?” Pepper asked.
“We want to be where you are,” Dack said. “And now I’ll have a son to add to my good fortune.”
Pepper looked over at Stone, knowing that Dack’s words would mean a lot to him, but even she was surprised when his eyes filled. He needed and wanted a father figure in his life. And Dack was just the man for the job.
She might explode with happiness.
Chapter 24
Stone
Stone ushered his soon-to-be father-in-law onto a stool at The Oar. They’d left the ladies at the apartment to prepare a sweet potato dish to take to Kyle and Violet’s later. He’d asked Dack to come out for a beer for an important reason, one that had been eating at h
im for weeks. He had to apologize for not asking for his permission to marry his daughter.
Sophie was behind the bar, looking like sunshine with her blond hair and big smile. The gloomy and foggy weather was no match for her. Stone introduced Dack to her. They shook hands across the bar.
“Pepper’s dad. I’m so glad to meet you,” Sophie said. “She talks about you all the time.”
Dack smiled as he settled onto the stool. “It’s great to be here. We’ve heard so much about all of you and Cliffside Bay that we feel like we know you already.”
“What’re you boys drinking?” she asked.
They both ordered one of Zane’s local IPAs. In seconds, with swift and efficient movements, Sophie had them poured and in front of them. “Enjoy.” She left to take care of another customer.
“Sir, I brought you here to apologize,” Stone said.
Dack’s eyebrows raised. He wiped a spot of foam from the side of his mouth with a cocktail napkin. “Apologize?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you for permission to marry Pepper.”
Dack barked out a laugh. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but she’s not one to answer to anyone. She’s not named Pepper for nothing. Seems to me she’s pretty clear about who she wants. My permission isn’t necessary.”
“I need you to know the truth, sir. I’m not from your world. I grew up in a trailer on the edge of a pig farm. My company’s just starting out, so I’m basically cash poor. The property where I’m going to build our house is owned by my brother. All that aside, I love your daughter with everything I am. I’d do anything for her. I’ll support her dreams and take care of her heart. But I wanted you to understand who and what I am.”
Dack put his hand on Stone’s shoulder. “I don’t know how much Pepper told you about me, but I didn’t come from the world I live in now, either. Single mom. Trailer park. Earned a scholarship to college and fought my way into medical school. I don’t care where you came from, only where you’re going.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well then, let’s have a beer and get to know each other.”
Stone found himself telling Dack about his childhood and his mother’s return. He left out the murder, figuring his future father-in-law didn’t need the burden of that knowledge. Dack was a good listener, asking a question now and then, but mostly listening.
“So, my brother’s going to help her get on her feet. Possibly move her here. The whole thing’s been hard, but she’s family. We’re a strange family, but family just the same.” He kept the gritty details of the extortionist to himself. All had worked out in the end. Kyle had been right. She’d backed down the minute they said they were going to the police. They’d all breathed a sigh of relief.
“Most of the time our families don’t come in neat little packages you can put on a Christmas card. I commend you and your siblings for giving her a second chance. She’s paid for her mistakes. There’s no reason to make her suffer more by keeping those grandkids away from her.”
“I agree, sir. Thank you.” Was this what it was like to have a father figure? If so, he was all in.
They finished their beers as Stone gave Dack the rundown on the crew he’d meet tonight at Violet and Kyle’s. “You know Maggie and Lisa, obviously. But you’ll meet Jackson and Rafael’s mother and their friend, Ria. My sister, Autumn, will be there. And my brother and his wife, Violet, and their four children.”
“Four?”
“All under six years old.”
“She’s a busy lady,” Dack said.
“An amazing lady. The rest of the Wolves will be there too.”
“Wolves?”
“My business partners. That’s what we call ourselves. Long story.”
“I can’t wait to hear it.”
“And my mom.” He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My mom, who hasn’t been at a Thanksgiving dinner since I was six years old.”
“It’ll be just fine, son. We’ll be right there with you the whole time.”
Son. Stone sighed with contentment. Life was coming up rainbows and unicorns.
As the sky darkened into evening, Stone, Pepper, and her parents arrived at Kyle and Violet’s. He rang the doorbell while balancing the dish of sweet potato casserole in one arm. Violet greeted them with smiles and hugged Lila and Dack as if she’d known them all her life. She ushered them inside and helped them with coats, which she tossed onto the already-steep pile on the foyer bench. The sounds of laughter, children’s footsteps, and various voices in conversation mingled with country music. Thanksgiving was such a good day. Especially this one, because Pepper and her parents were by his side.
Violet flashed her wide, gentle smile as she wrapped her arm around Pepper’s waist. “My soon-to-be sister-in-law. I love the way that rolls off my tongue.”
“Me too.” Under the soft lights, Pepper’s eyes were closer to a smoky blue than gray today and matched her dress. She had never looked prettier to him than right now.
To Dack and Lila, Violet said, “Your daughter makes everything a little more interesting.”
“That she does,” Dack said with a loving glance at Pepper.
Violet winked at Stone. “My husband’s also one who livens and brightens the world. You and I will have to be happy as the quiet, steady ones.”
“Someone has to do it,” Stone said.
Violet linked her arm through Pepper’s. “Come on in. You’re almost the last to arrive. We’ve already started in on the wine.”
Stone wanted to skip with joy as he followed behind the ladies and Dack and Lila down the hall toward the kitchen. Every person he loved in the world waited at the end of this hallway. His life might be simple, but it was exactly the one he’d wished for all the years of his childhood and then his time in the service. Soon, he and Pepper would be married and have a home like this one. They might host Thanksgiving next year in their new house. The thought of it made him dizzy with glee.
When they reached the door to the kitchen, Stone detected the scent of sage and sausage. Violet had made her famous stuffing. He couldn’t smell turkey, however. “I don’t smell a turkey. We haven’t gone vegetarian, have we?” His brother’s wife was always trying to get them to eat healthier. “Please tell me you didn’t make good on your threat to make a tofu turkey.”
Violet laughed as they entered the kitchen. “No, it’s the exact opposite. Kyle got a wild hair and decided he needed to deep-fry the turkey. Which, for the record, I highly disapprove of. He’s out on the patio with Jackson and David—supervising the fryer and drinking scotch. The three of them will be half-lit before dinner.” Despite her words, Violet didn’t seem in the least bothered by her husband’s antics. She loved him, wild hairs and all.
The kitchen was a bustle of activity. Lisa and Maggie were at the counter cutting vegetables. The twins and Maggie’s baby, Lily, were in highchairs in one corner of the kitchen, having their dinner. Steam fogged up the windows. Various casseroles occupied both ovens. The counters were full of all the usual side dishes: cranberries, mashed potatoes, stuffing, a salad. God bless this holiday. It was the best day of the year.
He added their sweet potato casserole to the mix as Maggie and Lisa swarmed Dack and Lila.
After hugs and exclamations of delight and declarations of how good everyone looked, and it had been too long, and it’s so good to see you, Maggie and Lisa returned to their task. Violet poured Lila and Pepper glasses of wine; if the two empty bottles were any indication, the other ladies had a good start on them. Stone grabbed beers out of the beverage cooler for Dack and himself.
“These are my niece and nephew,” Stone said to Lila and Dack. “Hope and Chance.”
“I love their names,” Lila said.
“They were quite the surprise,” Violet said. “Thus, the names. We already had two when I found out I was pregnant. I can’t remember a thing since.”
“They’re adorable,” Dack said. “And in my professional opinion, look very hea
lthy.”
Stone plopped a kiss on each of the babies’ heads. Hope reached out to him with fingers smeared with mashed potatoes and let out a screech of delight.
“And this beautiful girl belongs to Maggie.” Pepper twirled a red curl around her index fingers as Lily grinned up at her. “Peppa,” Lily said.
“Oh, Maggie, I would have known her anywhere,” Lila said. “She looks just like you.”
“She has my husband’s eyes,” Maggie said. “But yes. Her coloring is all mine.”
Stone turned to Dack. “We better get out of here before they put us to work. Come on, let’s go see what my brother’s done to this poor turkey.”
“Wait? I’m supposed to help in the kitchen?” Pepper asked. “That doesn’t seem like me.”
Lisa smacked her on the behind with a towel. “You can just sit there and look pretty.”
“Oh, good. I was worried for a moment.” Pepper plopped onto a barstool at the island and took a deep sip from her wine.
Before they left the women, he asked Violet if his mother had shown up yet. He hadn’t seen her car in the driveway.
“Not yet. She said she was coming,” Violet said.
But maybe she’d bail at the last moment. Whatever. He wasn’t letting her ruin his evening. He gave Pepper a quick kiss on the cheek and left with Dack to find the men.
He spotted Kyle, Jackson, and David outside on the patio with drinks, keeping a close eye on the flightless bird. Trey, Nico, and Autumn were on the couch huddled over a laptop computer. Laine and Mollie played with dolls in the corner of the living room.
Stone greeted them. “Hey, gang. Meet my future father-in-law.”
Nico set the laptop on the coffee table when they all three stood to shake hands with Dack.
“Welcome to town,” Autumn said. “We’re so pleased about the engagement. We love her very much.”
“Everyone loves Pepper,” Trey said. “It’s impossible not to.”
“Thank you,” Dack said.
The three settled back on the couch while Stone and Dack each sat in one of the chairs.
Healed: Stone and Pepper (Cliffside Bay Book 7) Page 26