A Rising Wind

 

Pepper’s Epiphany – age 12

 

“Someday you’ll thank me for all this wisdom, Penelope Elizabeth. Just mind what I tell you.” Miss Susannah Montrose sipped her mint julep and rocked back and forth. “You’re not a tomboy like your sister, Ryder. You’re a Southern belle through and through.”

Penelope McCoy, better known as Pepper to her family, sat on the wide gallery of Magnolia House soaking up every word the kindly, older lady could convey. While her four brothers and her sister spent their days riding horses through the swampy thicket or fishing on the bayou, she whiled away the hours with their closest neighbor. Pepper found Miss Susannah fascinating. She loved her grand old home and the beautiful gardens surrounding it. “I am very grateful for anything you want to teach me. When I grow up, I want to be just like you.”

Old Susannah waved her well-manicured hand dismissively. “Nonsense, I’m an old-maid, girl. One day, you’re going to marry a handsome gentleman and have a dozen babies.” Taking another sip of her drink, she pointed out into the garden. “Look, the azaleas are happy today. Can you hear them singing?”

Pepper cocked her head to listen. “Well, I can hear the wind in the leaves and I can hear the mockingbird fussing at your orange tomcat.” She was careful not to say that she didn’t believe the flowers were singing. Pepper never wanted to insult Miss Susannah or her beliefs.

“Alas, I wish you could.” Sighing, she leaned her head back against the rocker. “Most everything will talk to you, if you’ll only listen. Why the big hydrangea on the north side of the house, she said we’re going to have a big storm this year. She’s very nervous. What do you think of that?”

Pepper didn’t bat an eye. “Your hydrangea has been here for many years, I’m sure it knows and sees many things.”

Her answer seemed to pacify Susannah Montrose. “Now, tell me what you’ve learned from our talk today.”

Pepper soothed out her pink crinoline skirt. She always dressed up when she came to Magnolia House. “I learned that pearls go with everything and wearing perfume makes a day special.” To emphasize the thought, she fingered the dainty strand of pearls around her throat. “Also, I learned that we should never miss an opportunity to entertain, the more celebrations the better.”

“Good, very good.” Susannah held out a pitcher and refilled Pepper’s glass with sweet tea. “Drink up and tell me more.”

Pepper dutifully took a sip and repeated what she’d committed to memory. “Always use cloth napkins, never fail to write a thank-you note when appropriate, and always take a hostess gift when you pay a visit.”

Miss Susannah nodded. “Good. What else?”

Lifting her leg, Pepper touched the banister with her foot, noting she could see her reflection in the shiny, black patent surface of her shoe. “We should approach everything with a soft-spoken elegance, unless someone is attacking God, country, or the SEC.” Pepper smiled at this bit of advice. “Oh, and macaroni and cheese is an acceptable vegetable.”

“Yes!” Miss Montrose clapped her hands. “I do declare,” she beamed at Pepper, “the next time the clematis vine asks me how you’re doing, I’m going to tell her you’re a beautiful, smart child.”

“I’m pleased the flowers keep you company, ma’am.” Sometimes, Pepper felt sorry for the genteel woman. She’d outlived all her relatives and the way people gossiped about her was a shame. “I suppose I should be getting back to Belle Chasse, Mama is cooking up a big pot of chicken and dumplings for supper and I’m supposed to help with dessert.”

She rose and held out her hand for her elder’s glass. “May I take these back to the kitchen for you before I go?”

“No, dear, just leave them here.” She indicated the wrought iron café table between them. “I think I’ll sit out here until dusk falls. I do love to see the fireflies playing among the trees. Being outside is not nearly as lonely as being inside.”

Pepper did as she was told with the glass, then she gave Miss Susannah a kiss. “Thank you for a very enjoyable visit.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Come back to see me anytime.” She stood to watch Pepper leave, taking the garden path that led along the bayou back to Belle Chasse. “Say goodbye to the lemon tree. She’s putting on fruit and a kind word means so much.”

“Yes, ma’am.” As she passed the tree, Pepper touched a few leaves. “You’re beautiful, Miss Lemon. Yellow is my favorite color. Everyone appreciates your efforts and we look forward to the many pitchers of lemonade and the lemon meringue pies we’ll make with your fruit.”

She paused, waiting for the small voice to answer her that Miss Susannah Montrose claimed to perceive. Unfortunately, all she could hear was a faint rustle as the wind caressed the branches.

“Tell your mama hello for me!”

Pepper turned to wave goodbye to her kind hostess. “I will. Take care!”

 

* * *

“Mama, can Miss Montrose hear things that we can’t? She’s always telling me what her flowers say.”

Pepper stood on a stool next to her mother as they decorated sugar cookies for the evening meal.

“Why, that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.” Pepper’s older brother, Tennessee, spoke his mind as he quenched his thirst with a tall glass of water. “I hear tell that old lady is as crazy as a loon. She ought to be put away some place where she won’t hurt herself or others.”

Carolyn McCoy picked up her dishtowel and popped her son on the arm. “Don’t say that, Ten. We live in the South. We don’t hide our people away, they sit on the porch and drink tea with everyone else. Every family has someone who’s different. There’s no one with a more generous heart than Miss Susannah, she’s used her inherited wealth to support many community efforts and she maintains one of the most historically important estates in Louisiana with style and grace. Miss Montrose isn’t crazy, she’s eccentric.”

“She hears voices when there’s no one around, Mama,” Tennessee insisted. “That just ain’t right in nobody’s book.”

“There’s nothing wrong with Miss Montrose, she’s good to me.” Pepper was adamant. “She’s one of my best friends.”

Carolyn hugged her daughter, then grabbed her son to give him a hug. He tried to evade the embrace, but chuckled when he was unsuccessful. “Oh, Mama, don’t squeeze so hard.”

“Listen, you two, let me explain something to you. The older you get, you’ll realize this truth even more, but don’t condemn other people too quickly. Some will see the world differently than you do. That doesn’t make either one of you wrong. Until we’ve walked in someone else’s shoes, or seen the world through their eyes, we can’t judge how they divine it. The good Lord didn’t make us all the same, thank goodness. The world would be a boring place if He did.” She opened the oven door and slipped the cookies in to bake. “If you push everyone away who might be a little different than you, there’s no telling what blessings you might miss.”

Pepper thought about what her mother said and she vowed to always give others the benefit of the doubt. “Yes, Mama, I’ll remember.”

A few months later, Miss Susannah’s hydrangea bush was proven correct. Hurricane Katrina came and nothing was ever the same for the McCoys.

 

* * *

 

Judah’s Advent – age 17

 

“His fever ran high, but he’ll be fine, Tala. Judah is a strong young man.” Jonathan James held his beautiful wife close to his heart.

“If anything were to happen to him, I don’t think I could go on,” she sobbed into her husband’s shirt. “This is all my fault, I should have protected him better.”

“You did nothing wrong, he is a normal boy living a normal life.”

“Our son isn’t like everyone else, he is so talented. Someday the whole world will know his name and listen to his music.”

From inside his bedroom, Judah listened to his parent’s conversation. He made no move to comment, the truth was – he felt like shit. They called mononucleosis the kissing disease and if he’d really gotten this from Mary Ellen Sarver, he didn’t know if the kiss they’d shared had been worth it.

Pushing aside the covers, he raised up from his bed to take a sip of water. His mother was having a conniption fit since he’d taken ill. She was such a worry-wart. She’d not only dragged him to the doctor, Tala had fed him every concoction her shaman mother advised. He’d drank teas and wore poultices. There was even a Native American medicine bag hanging around his neck. “And whatever’s in it, stinks to high heavens,” he muttered in disgust as he lay back down.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Judah turned over, not surprised to see his best friend lounging in the sturdy branches of the oak just outside his second-story window. Glancing to his door, he could see his parents had moved on from their vigil in the hall. On weak legs, he rose to unfasten the latch and let Zion in. They’d long ago removed the screen and if his father had ever noticed, he’d said nothing. “Come in, Chastain. How’s it hanging?”

“Better than you, apparently.” Zion Chastain came to sit on the side of Judah’s bed. “Are you contagious?”

“Only if you kiss me.”

Zion grimaced. “Not a chance. So, how long are you going to be laid up?” He placed his worn backpack on the floor. “Do you want me to get your assignments for you?”

Judah groaned, “Don’t be so conscientious. If I’m going to be sick, at least let me have a good time doing it.”

“Whatever.” Pulling his baseball cap off, he swatted Judah on the shoulder. “Just get better soon, because I’ve just booked the band our first gig.”

This news was better than any dose of medicine he’d been given. Jerking to an upright position, Judah propped a pillow behind his back. “Hot damn! When? Where? How?”

Zion laughed at his friend’s miraculous recovery. “Two weeks from Saturday at the high school dance. I played Mr. Castleberry a clip of one of our sessions and he’s willing to give us a chance. And…” he paused for effect, “Rod Sanders’s dad is one of the chaperones.”

“Fuck, man,” Judah muttered with reverence. “I’ve been begging him to listen to our stuff for ages. The man’s a legend in the music industry. No one has more connections than him.” Thoughts began to whirl in his head. “We’ll do two sets, so we’ll need to perfect a couple more songs. I want to do as many original ones as we can.”

“Whoa, whoa. Settle down, kemo sabe. Take your time, get better first. We’ll go back to rehearsing as soon as you’re on your feet.”

“Hand me my notebook and my guitar.” Judah pointed to the floor next to the dresser. “I had a few crazy dreams during this bout of fever. No use wasting good inspiration.”

Zion did as he was asked, putting the notebook on the bed and the guitar in Judah’s hands. He loved music too, but not like Judah. His friend lived and breathed it. Everyone who listened to him play and sing knew Judah James was extraordinary. “Just take it easy, don’t push it.”

Judah stroked the strings of his guitar, caressing the instrument like it was a beautiful woman. “This is only the beginning, Zion. I have a feeling I’m going to look back on this day as the one that changed my life.”

 

* * *

Some years later…

The first time ever I saw your face.

 

“You go on in, Ryder. I think I’ll enjoy the sunshine.” Pepper swung her bag over her shoulder and gazed down the street. “The mountain laurels are beautiful this time of year.”

Ryder didn’t have time for flowers or sunshine. “I need a new dress for this party and I would appreciate your opinion.”

“Fine,” Pepper answered dreamily. “Just take a look around, when you see something you like, call me. I just want to stretch my legs for a bit.”

“Don’t go far, as soon as I finish here, we’ve got to head back to Highlands. I promised Heath we’d have supper on the table by six. Our brothers are going to be tired and hungry. This is the busiest time of year for them with all the new calves to be vaccinated and tagged.” Ryder shook her head in consternation and headed for the boutique. “You’d do well to come in and hunt a new outfit for yourself, something trendier. You’ll never catch the eye of a guy in those prim little sundresses you love to wear.”

Pepper didn’t answer, she gave her sister a casual wave and took off for a stroll in front of the shops.

… Meanwhile, a few blocks away…

“I’m fine, Zion. Let it go.” Judah pulled on his worn gray jacket, zipping it up halfway. Spring had arrived, but there was a distinct chill lingering in the air.

Shaking his head, Zion followed his friend out of the dorm. “Sorry, I just worry about you. You’ve been acting weird, even for you.”

Rolling his eyes, Judah jammed his fists into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’m a musician, weird comes with the territory.”

“After ten years of serving as your best friend and confidante, I think I’m qualified to judge when you’ve gone off the deep end.” Zion drew his backpack over one shoulder and fell into step beside him. “You haven’t been the same since you were sick our Senior year in high school. In fact, you’ve been getting worse.”

“I had mono, not cancer, it’s over and done with,” Judah muttered dryly with a shrug. “Come over tonight around eight and we’ll go over a new number.”

Letting out a frustrated breath, he abandoned his line of thought for now. “Can’t wait.” Zion Chastain lifted his chin to a pretty blonde who was giving them the eye. “When did you finish the song?”

“I haven’t, but I’ll complete it this morning.” Judah cast him a cocky grin. “Have a good time in class, if you can keep your eyes off Helena Mitchell.”

“Even the beautiful Helena can’t compete with my desire for a B in calculus. I need it to graduate.”

“Good luck.” Judah stopped to lean against the trunk of a huge spreading oak as Zion kept going toward the quad. He’d been there no more than a few seconds before it happened...

The whispers began.

Judah fought himself, battling two reactions. His feet shuffled with the urge to run from the aberrant event, trees weren’t supposed to speak, much less sing. A greater part of him, however - his visionary soul – wanted to hear what they had to say. He shut his eyes and cocked his head, listening carefully as the tree began to whisper a melody to him. He hummed along, committing the harmony to memory.

The days pass like a river flowing to the sea. Unstoppable. Unrelenting. Fighting to be free.

He didn’t really understand where the words and music were coming from. Maybe it was just his musician’s ego, but Judah couldn’t help but credit his own creativity with the compositions. Somehow, someway, songs were being fed to him from his imagination via strange sources. The trees. A mongrel dog. A satellite dish from atop a building.

And they were good songs.

In just a few weeks, the band was about to receive their first national break. After three years of playing locally, a talent scout from Ace Records had agreed to listen to them perform live at Fausto’s Bar on Sixth. If they received a contract, it would be because of these songs the universe was gifting to him.

Judah had a hard time admitting the truth, but Zion was right. Most of the time, he functioned just fine. He went to class, he made nice with his family, and he worked on his music. But something wasn’t right, his world was a fraction off kilter. Chimeras of his mind were manifesting themselves all around him. Did this happen to everyone and he just didn’t know it? God, he hoped so. He stood for a few more minutes while the oak tree finished the refrain.

I try to dam up the hours, stop the flood, but the current of time rolls on.

Smiling wistfully, Judah pushed away from the tree, keeping his eyes on the sidewalk in front of him. Today’s session with the therapist would be a waste of both their times. He only kept the appointment to appease his parents. None of his friends knew he went to a psychiatrist, and he didn’t want them to know. Turning off Guadalupe, otherwise known as The Drag, Judah strolled west on 26th for a few blocks.

“Hey, Jude! You look a little pale. You should try eating once in a while!”

Shocked, he raised his head and glanced toward the craftsman style house. The windows looked like open eyes and the door was a narrow mouth gaping at him.

“Did you hear me, James? You’re letting yourself go. Just because you’re crazy doesn’t mean you have to be unhealthy!”

Judah lowered his head and sped up. It was happening again. The loudmouth bungalow didn’t deserve a response.

“Hey, music-man, look over here!”

Before he could resist the impulse, Judah glanced over at the two-story Victorian vying for his attention. He refused to directly address the structures, no matter their conversational ability. If he ignored whatever inanimate object was trying to give him advice, eventually the voices would stop.

“Do you really think you’re going to get a record deal? Your talent wouldn’t fill a sewing thimble!”

His resolve vanished with his anger. “Shut-up!” Judah grated out a retort, cutting his gaze toward the arrogant white, clapboard house. “What do you know?”

A passerby gave him an odd look, but Judah didn’t apologize. He didn’t have anything to apologize for. It wasn’t his fault that the houses on this block were trying to provoke him. After he chastised the Victorian, the rest of the residences remained silent.

Passing a shaking hand over his eyes, he tried to quell the ache behind them. Maybe if he walked a different route, the change of scenery would eradicate the troubling phenomenon. Glancing up at the street sign, he hooked a right down a quiet, shady avenue. After a few dozen steps, he smiled. Yea, this was better.

Taking a deep breath, he sought to appreciate his surroundings, taking his mind off the strangeness he was experiencing. A few boutiques lined both sides of the avenue, offering everything from trendy clothing to eclectic art. Crepe myrtles framed the street, heavy with buds. Soon the trees would be awash in a mass of pink and purple blooms.

Chirp! Chirp!

A bird flew low in front of him, flapping her wings and squawking to the top of its lungs. “What’s wrong with you?”

Chirp! Chirp!

She lit on the ground, darting around, hopping up and down right in front of Judah. He moved to one side to give the bird room and almost stepped on a ball of fluff. “Oh, so this is what all the fuss is about.” Placing his backpack on the ground, he ignored the raucous of the mother bird and knelt to pick up the tiny chick. Holding it carefully, he looked around in the trees until he saw a nest. “You almost got stepped on, didn’t you?” Cradling the bird to his chest, he hoisted himself up and replaced the little creature in its sanctuary. “Next time, don’t be bailing out unless you’ve got a parachute.”

Several people passed by as he finished his task and climbed down to continue on his way. Judah paid them little mind. Normally, he was oblivious to people. Instead, he chose to concentrate on his music, his studies, and the ever-present voices that bombarded his brain. This might be the problem – his focus was too refined. He needed to relax, to activate some type of release valve for the stress he’d been under. As he moved along, a feeling came over him. A lightness. Today did seem different, there was an expectancy in the air. Where it stemmed from he didn’t know…

And then he saw her.

She was standing in front of one of the shops, gazing into the storefront window. Her hair flowed down her back in a waterfall of pale gold. He froze in his tracks, his heart skipping several beats. “Holy fuck,” he whispered. Undoubtedly, this was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes upon. As he neared where she was standing, she turned to meet his gaze and Judah almost went to his knees at the sight of her angelic face. Heaven blue eyes. A smile that made the sun rise and a body so femininely exquisite, he forgot how to breathe. If he’d been asked to design the perfect woman, it would be this one standing before him.

Across the street…Pepper inspected an antique quilt draped over a wooden sawhorse. While studying the design, she happened to glance at the reflection in the window and caught sight of a man moving down the sidewalk across the street. A very handsome man with long dark hair and a fallen angel face. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and moved with an easy grace. Her breathing quickened, she felt drawn to him. Following his progress in the glass, she saw him rescue a baby bird and a warm feeling of excitement cascaded over her. The connection she felt was right out of a romance novel, pulled from the pages of a fairy tale, or from the lyrics of a love song.

Pepper ate him up with her eyes, mesmerized by his countenance and the way it made her feel. And then…he turned his head and she could tell he’d taken note of her. To Pepper’s amazement, he seemed to react to her in a like manner. He stared and she was stunned by the intensity in the gorgeous man’s eyes. When his gaze met hers, he smiled and Pepper smiled back. This man could be the one…

“Oh, no! Watch out!” she called.

“Fuck!” Judah muttered as his forward momentum was brought to a sudden and painful halt by the lamppost that had the gall to jump up out of nowhere and straight into his path. The impact startled him as much as hurt, but he could scarce spare the attention to analyze the situation. His entire being was focused on the beautiful vision before him.

“Are you all right?” she asked, wheeling around to face the man who’d captured every iota of her attention. He stood on one side of the street and she on the opposite. For a moment, they just took one another in, neither saying a word, until she shyly ventured a hello. “Hi.”

“Hi,” he responded.

“Penelope Elizabeth!” Ryder’s voice broke the spell. “Where are you?”

“Here, I’m here.” She waved toward her sister who was leaning out of the entrance to the store, holding up a purple dress.

“Come see what I found!”

“I’ll be right there, just hold on.” When Pepper turned her attention back to the man, he was crossing the street and coming toward her.

“Penelope?” He held out his hand, his face breaking out into a beautiful smile. “I’m Judah, Judah James.”

“Yes, Pepper…uh, Penelope Elizabeth…McCoy.” She placed her left hand in his and a jolt of pure energy sparked between them. “Do you go to school at UT?”

“Yea, I’m a senior. Music major. You?”

“Senior, too. English Lit.” She swallowed, her heart was beating so fast she thought she might faint. “Are you okay?” Raising her right hand, she touched his forehead, brushing a strand of his long dark hair away from a red spot left by his head-on collision with the lamp post.

Judah gasped at her touch. “I’m perfect.” He felt his cock rise to the occasion. “Did you feel it?”

“Feel what?” Her breath hitched in her throat.

“Us. The energy passing between us.” Judah couldn’t take his eyes off her. “You’re amazing.” Still holding her hand, he ran his thumb over her ring finger. “You’re not taken.”

“No.” She licked her lips, her mouth was so dry. “I’m not.”

He raised her hand and placed a kiss on the palm, sending shivers through them both. “You are now.”

“Pepper! What are you doing?” Ryder cried, impatiently from the entrance to the shop.

Stunned. Flabbergasted. Entranced. Pepper tried to act like the world hadn’t just moved beneath her feet. “I gotta go. My sister is having a fashion emergency.”

“Give me your phone. Quick.”

She fished it out of her bag and he took it, pressing the numbers to enter his contact information. Next, he called himself. “Now, I can call you later. Is that okay with you?”

Pepper’s head was swimming, she felt like she’d stepped into a dream. “Yes, please.”

He held her phone out and she took it, her fingers grazing his. “Enjoy your shopping and I’ll call you before you go to bed.”

“Okay.”

He gave her a wink and turned to cross the street to the point where he’d been walking when they first caught sight of one another.

“Pepper!” Ryder called again, her voice filled with impatience.

Pepper watched him go, totally captivated. She’d always wondered what type of man would capture her heart and now she knew. Long dark hair, haunting dark eyes, a sexy scruff of beard and a body that made her nipples hard and her pussy wet. “I’m coming…I’m coming.”

She bet she’d be saying that all the time if she were with Judah.

“Wow…just wow.”

“Who were you talking to?” Ryder asked when she joined her in the boutique.

“My future husband, that’s who.”

 

* * *

“So, did you have any episodes this week?” Dr. Jergen eyed Judah over his spectacles.

Resenting the question, Judah started not to answer. After meeting Pepper today, the session with the shrink seemed sacrilegious. He didn’t want to think about his problems, he wanted to write a song in her honor. He wanted to lie on his bed and recall every beautiful feature of her face.

“Judah? Are you listening?”

“Yea, I had one on the way over. One of the big oaks on campus gave me an amazing song, but the houses on the way over berated me. I think they’re jealous of my obvious talents.”

He shared the information so casually that Dr. Jergen had a hard time determining if he was serious or not. “A tree gave you a song?”

Judah shrugged. “I’m a musician, inspiration can come from anywhere.”

“You’re making light of a serious situation, son. Your parents are worried about you. You’re exhibiting symptoms of a neurological disorder. We have to rule out certain things, for your safety.”

“There’s nothing wrong with me, I just have an overactive imagination.” Judah’s lie didn’t convince the psychiatrist any more than he convinced himself. “I’m one of those creative types. Right brain and all of that.”

“How long have you been having these symptoms?”

This wasn’t the first time he’d been asked and he didn’t like to think about the answer. How could he keep living in blissful self-denial if he had to seriously analyze the situation? “What symptoms? When I hear things that aren’t there?” Sometimes the doctor just pissed him off. Arrogant son-of-a-bitch.

“Yes. And your depression.”

Judah stared at a picture on the wall. Why would anyone paint a whole canvas with nothing but one tumbleweed as a subject? “What do you think the artist was trying to say? Was he afraid of being tied down? Longing to be free?”

“Judah, is that how you feel? Do you resent your boundaries?”

“I’m a free-spirited college student, a musician on the verge of being famous. I’m who most men dream of being. What do I have to be resentful of?”

“You tell me.” Dr. Jergen didn’t back down. “How long have you noticed the symptoms? When did things begin to change for you?”

Judah let out a long, cleansing breath. “All right. All right. Since I had mono, which doesn’t make a lick of sense, does it? How could a simple childhood disease screw up my head? Do you think they gave me bad drugs or something? Or is this just a weird coincidence?”

“Hmmmm.” The doctor scribbled on a pad of paper.

The action just infuriated Judah. “Look, I’ve never been better. The music is just flowing from me. I may have a record deal in the bag!”

“I want you to go for some testing. Brain imaging, a CT, an MRI, and an EEG. I want to rule out all possibilities before we make a final diagnosis.”

“Fuck,” Judah whispered under his breath at the doctor’s calm directive. He didn’t want to think about this now. He didn’t want to think about anything but a record deal and a beautiful woman.

Pepper McCoy.

 

* * *

“Oh, my God, Ryder. Oh, my God. Oh, my God!” Pepper squealed with elation. “He was just so…beautiful!”

Ryder smiled at her sister’s obvious excitement. “I saw him, he was pretty cute.”

“Pretty cute! He was like some Roman god or a prince. Did you see all that long dark hair? And his voice…” She fell over in a near swoon. “His voice sounds like warm, melted chocolate.”

“How does chocolate sound?”

“Hot. Sexy.” Pepper held her hands out. “I’m shaking, Ryder. I’ve never felt like this before.”

“So, what are you going to do about it?” Ryder asked as she headed her white, Lexus GT Sport north to Highlands Ranch. “Did he ask you out?”

“He promised to call me tonight.” She hugged herself, unable to wipe the huge smile off her face. “He said I was amazing. I guess that means he likes me.” 

“Well, I guess so.” Ryder laughed at her little sister. “What’s his name?”

“Judah James. Isn’t that the most perfect name you’ve ever heard?”

“Yep, pretty perfect.”

Pepper could tell Ryder was amused at how besotted she was with the man she just met. “I’m sorry, I just never knew I could feel this way.”

“Don’t be sorry. Just don’t get your cart ahead of the horse.” She placed a calming hand on her sister’s arm. “You haven’t spent more than five minutes with the guy.”

 “I know. I know,” Pepper sighed as she looked out the window, watching the Texas landscape go by. “I’ll be careful. I promise.” She did promise, but Pepper already knew she’d lost her heart. Love at first sight was no longer just a phrase to her, it was a fact.

And she couldn’t wait to talk to him again.

Later that night, Pepper lay on her bed staring at the phone, willing it to ring. She pressed the time button – it was three minutes later than the last time she checked. Would he call?

She held her breath and sent a little prayer heavenward. “Please, please, please.”

Buzz!

“Yay!” She didn’t give it time to ring again. “Hello?”

“Pepper?”

It was him!

“Judah.” She knew the relief was evident in her voice. “I was waiting.”

“I’m glad.” He lay back on his own bed, feeling like he could take a full breath of air for the first time in ages. “Running into you today seemed like fate. I took one look at you and I felt like I’d been hit by a lightning bolt.”

“Me too,” Pepper readily admitted. “When my eyes met yours in that storefront window, I felt like I knew you, like I’d been waiting for you all of my life.”

Judah sat up. “I want to know everything about you.”

“There’s not much to tell, I’m pretty boring.”

“Never,” Judah whispered, “you’ve got me completely captivated. When can I see you again?”

Pepper pulled a pillow into her arms and rolled onto her back, hugging it to her chest. “I don’t know, when do you want to?”

“Now.” He caressed the phone with his thumb, wishing he could touch her velvety skin.

“You’re taking my breath away, Judah James.”

He moaned, “I plan on stealing your breath with a kiss the next time I see you.”

Pepper couldn’t say more than, “Oh.”

“Look, I’m in a band and we’re playing at Fausto’s on Sixth Street Saturday night. This is a big deal for me. A scout from Ace Records is coming to hear us. Do you think you could come hear us perform?”

“I’ll be there,” she stated quickly and unequivocally.

“Great. We go on at eight. Hopefully I’ll meet with the scout after, but when we’re finished…maybe you and I could get a drink.”

“Sounds wonderful to me.” She was agreeable to anything he suggested, all she wanted to do was see Judah again, as soon as possible.

He asked where she lived and arranged to pick her up in plenty of time to get back for rehearsal. “Thank you for agreeing to see me, Pepper. You’ve made me very happy.”

“I look forward to Saturday very much, Judah. Goodnight.” Pepper closed her eyes and smiled. She’d never been happier, it wasn’t everyday a person’s dreams came true.