“You shouldn’t have come,” Judah said, even as he gathered her close, “but I’m glad you did.”

“Of course, I came.” She pushed his hair from his face, which was damp from either perspiration or tears. “You’re my love.”

“Are you going to introduce us, Judah?”

The carefully modulated, female voice drew Pepper’s attention. She turned in Judah’s arms to see a tall, elegant woman standing a few feet away. Her regal features and long dark hair were the feminine version of Judah’s. At her side was a rugged looking man with a kind face and salt and pepper hair. She didn’t need to be told that these two people were Judah’s parents. “Oh, hello. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you standing there.”

“Mother, Father, this is Pepper McCoy. Pepper, this is Tala and Jonathan James.”

“How wonderful to meet you.” She stepped forward to greet them.

“We’ve heard many good things about you, Pepper,” Jonathan said as he gave her a small, yet courtly bow.

“I know he loves you two very much,” Pepper murmured, completely aware that his mother was sizing her up.

“Judah tells us you’re from a ranching family north of here?”

Pepper nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I am. Highlands Ranch.”

“And what do you do? Exactly?” Tala inquired, glancing down her perfectly straight, aquiline nose.

The question made Pepper uncomfortable. Do? What did she do? “I finished my degree in English Lit from UT. I help take care of my family, but I don’t have a job.” Suddenly she felt inadequate in a dozen different ways.

“I see.”

“Tala, we’re not here to interrogate Miss McCoy.” Jonathan took his wife by the arm. “Come sit down, let me get you some water.”

“Pepper’s family is involved in other business ventures. She is active in those, as well as volunteer work,” Judah answered what he thought was his mother’s impolite query. “I’ll get your water, Mother. Pepper, do you want to help me?”

Pepper blushed a little. She knew his parents realized their son didn’t need any help fetching a glass of water.

“I’m sorry, my mother is upset,” he said as he filled a glass from the tap.

“Don’t be, she’s just concerned about you.” Tala’s observation made Pepper think. “I’m sure I need to establish some goals. I’m just floating in limbo, happy to be with my family or you. I spend my days puttering around the house, helping tend to my nieces, or filling some void in my family’s ventures like a handy temp. Perhaps, I should get a teaching certificate.”

“I’m sure you can do anything you put your mind to.”

Judah stood there with the glass of water in his hand. Pepper took one look at his face and wished she could kick herself. “At the moment, what my future holds is immaterial. I’m worried about you.”

Shaking his head, Judah set the glass down. “After my parents recovered from the initial shock, they grew worried and followed me home. My mother’s health isn’t the best in the world. I’ve got to reassure her or she’ll have a setback.”

“Just tell her the truth, you have a condition that’s being managed. You’re a success, a role-model, and you’re the envy of ninety-nine percent of the men in the world.”

Judah enfolded her in his arms. “Your faith in me knows no bounds.”

“My faith in you is thoroughly justified.” She took him by the hand and picked up the glass of water. “Come on. Let’s go back to the living room. I hope you have something I can sleep in tonight. I didn’t bring my PJ’s.”

Her casual comment made him smile. When they rejoined his folks, it was to find his mother wiping her eyes with his father’s handkerchief.

“Why don’t you come stay with us, Judah? We can take care of you.”

Pepper gave Tala the water, stunned by his mother’s suggestion.

“I’m not an invalid. I’ve been dealing with this for some time,” Judah explained evenly.

Tala took a sip from the glass, seeming to fortify herself. “Maybe, but you don’t have to deal with it alone. We want to help you. You shouldn’t be trying to cope with all of this and a career too.”

Pepper could see the doubt and anguish his mother’s words were raining down on him. She couldn’t take it another second. “Judah’s not alone, he’s got me. He has Zion. He has a gazillion fans who love him. And even if he were alone, he’s not incapacitated. Judah is the most capable person I know.”

Tala’s expression changed from one of concern to guilt. “I know how driven and gifted he is. He’s my son.” She grasped her husband’s arm. “There must be some explanation.” Looking toward Judah, she stood. “Perhaps this thing you’re experiencing is related to the blood that flows in your veins. My mother is a shaman, she too receives visions and visitations from spirits.”

Judah exhaled loudly. “I’m not seeing ghosts, Mother.”

Jonathan interjected his thoughts. “It’s getting late, I should get your mother home. You seem to be doing fine, Judah. I’d like to discuss this with you, man to man, when you have the time.”

“Of course,” Judah assured him, his own emotions in turmoil.

“I’m not ready to leave. My son needs me,” Tala protested, even as she allowed her husband to help her to her feet.

Judah moved closer to his mother. “I’m fine, Mom. Look at me.” He placed a hand on Tala’s cheek. “I’m managing. This has been with me for a while. Maybe it’s my curse, but maybe it’s my blessing. We all have our own ways of relating to the universe, you and grandmother taught me that.”

Tala let out a long breath. “I am always available to you, Judah. Do not ever hesitate to come to me, I would move the sun out of its path for you, if you need it to be so.”

Pepper watched, fairly certain his mother could do as she said. At that moment, she missed her own mother. “I’ll be with him, Mrs. James. I, like you, stand by Judah’s side.”

She hung back while Judah walked them out. When he returned, he came to her and she held him. He was such a big, powerful man. Despite his size and strength, she knew he was vulnerable, a victim of circumstances beyond his control. Pepper held him tight, trying to convey as much reassurance and strength as she could. “You can get through this. I’ll help you. You’ll come out of this stronger, it will be a relief not to have to hide it.”

Judah knew there was truth in what she said. “I just don’t know how the fans will react, how this will affect my career. There could be a feeding frenzy, a firestorm of negative publicity.”

“I think you should get ahead of it, make some type of statement tomorrow. Reassure your fans that you’re the same Judah James today as you were yesterday.”

Her suggestion made him feel better. “Don’t think this is just about money, it’s not. A lot of people depend on me. I don’t want to let Zion down. Or the band.”

“I know, Judah. This is more than a job to you. Making music is your life.”

He knew she was right, or she used to be. “Music is ultra-important to me.” He kissed her gently. “Do you know what’s more important?”

Pepper felt the mood between them shift, and she gloried in the change. “What? What’s more important?”

“You. You’re my world.”

Pepper smiled. “I know the feeling.” She clasped his arm. “Come with me, let me take your mind off this for a while.”

Judah didn’t know if Pepper realized it or not, but he’d follow her anywhere.

When she led him to his room, he thought they were heading to bed. Instead, she guided him to the large en-suite bath.

“A shower to wash our troubles away?”

As he envisioned taking her against the shower wall, memories of the night he’d given her the fireworks at Mount Bonnell came flooding back. “I can get behind this plan.”

The huge walk-in shower had been on her agenda also, until she spotted the tub. “Actually, I’d love a good soak. Would you care to join me?”

To Judah’s amazement, Pepper turned on the water, added bath salts, then proceeded to completely distract him with a striptease. She wasn’t really trying to entice, but her natural beauty and inherent femininity made each move erotic. Every twist, every turn, every inch of creamy skin she unveiled made him harder.

When she was completely nude, Pepper turned her back to him and bent over to turn off the water and Judah almost went to his knees. He could see her, all of her, and she was wet, pink and glistening. “You want me.”

“Always.”

Facing him, Pepper held her breath as he stalked across the room toward her, shedding clothes as he came. He was the predator. She was the eager prey. His dominance and intensity excited her. Even better was the fact that he was completely focused on her and what they were about to do, not worrying about what had happened today or what tomorrow might bring.

He ran his finger over the top swell of her breasts and her nipples popped to attention, swollen and distended. “I love your tits.”

His somewhat crude language thrilled her, Pepper felt her desire running down her thigh. She didn’t move, but stood perfectly still while he paid homage to her breasts. She closed her eyes as he cupped her flesh, rubbing his thumbs across the turgid peaks. There was no question she enjoyed his touch, but she also reveled in the fact that she could take his mind off his problems and troubles.

Leaning down, he took one of her breasts in his hot mouth, Pepper almost swooned at the delicious sensations rushing through her body. His hand delved between her legs to find the center of her pleasure. A surge of pure bliss shot through her as he rubbed her slit, up and down the slick folds. When he slid two fingers up inside her sheathe, she stood on tiptoe to encourage him to continue. A moan of pure joy erupted from her lips as he finger-fucked her, his palm rubbing circles on her clit.

When his teeth grazed her nipple, she jumped and gasped, admitting to herself that she enjoyed a tiny bite of pain with her pleasure. “I love what you do to me, Judah.”

He scooped her up into his arms and placed her gently in the large tub. A dozen jets or more churned up the water. As his eyes ate her up, he realized she reminded him of Venus de Milo emerging from the sea. How she could appear so demure while looking sexy as hell was a mystery to Judah. He’d never seen anything so beautiful as her standing nude, with wisps of steam encircling her perfect body.

“Join me.” Excitement warmed her core as he stepped into the tub, turned her around, and they both sank in together amidst the millions of bubbles boiling from the water. The tub was huge, but Judah was tall, he still had to bend his legs a bit, and the tops of his knees emerged from the surface of the water. As she fit herself between his legs, lying with her back to his front, Pepper felt positively decadent.

Even though she knew what was on her mind, she decided to prolong the suspense. Seeing bath gel on a shelf by the window next to the tub, she took it and squeezed some into her hand. After rubbing it between her palms, she washed her legs, long gliding strokes, lifting one high and then the other. Knowing he was watching her every move, she made the show as sensual as she could. The only indication that he liked what he saw was the sound of his breathing becoming heavier in her ear. When she had finished with her own legs, she washed his, rubbing his calves, his feet, and his thighs. As she was about to squeeze more gel into her palm, he stopped her.

“Here, give me that, you’re making me crazier than I already am.” Taking the bottle, he reached over her head and put some in his own palm - - and that was when the magic began.

“I love it when you take control,” she whispered.

After lathering his hands, he massaged her back and arms, paying special attention to her fingers. He didn’t realize that her clit was tingling with every simple touch he bestowed on her body. When he pulled her back against him and cupped both her breasts, Pepper’s breath hitched in her throat. His hands made circles around them, coming closer and closer to her nipples. By the time he skimmed her puffy areolas, she was lifting her hips rhythmically up and down in the water in silent supplication. A whimper of delight bubbled forth from her lips when he splayed his fingers and caressed her nipples, allowing the stiffened peaks to pop up between each digit.

She was incredibly aroused. “I love your hands on my body.” Her voice was husky with anticipation of what he’d do next.

“I could play with you for hours.”

“Please do.” She smiled, leaning against him, more than thrilled to feel his erection thick and hard between them. For long, luxurious moments, she lay there while he worshiped her breasts – rubbing, kneading, lifting, weighing. He made himself happy, massaging their tender softness, then milking the nipples until she was squirming with desire.

“My turn,” she announced abruptly. Pepper wanted him as frantic for her as she was for him. Before he could stop her, she turned in the water to face him. He was a sight to behold. The steam had made his long, gorgeous mane slightly curly. Due to the hour, the scruff of his beard was heavier than usual. He looked primal, alpha, feral with need. Leaning forward, she kissed him, a fierce mating of lips and tongue that left them both breathless.

Kneeling before him, she lathered her hands once more and played with his chest, weaving her fingers through the mat of dark hair, tugging at his male nipples, before delving beneath the bubbling waters to find his swollen cock. The gel caused her hands to be slick and able to glide smoothly over his velvet covered steel.

He didn’t let her erotic advance go unanswered – as she stroked his cock, he massaged the secret place between her thighs. Their hungry tongues rasped together as they pleasured one another, sharing long, deep kisses that served to escalate their desire to new heights.

“I need to fuck you, baby.” Judah growled the words, his breath labored, his heart booming in his chest. “I’m desperate for you.”

Pepper’s whole body tingled at his bold, erotic words.

Rising from the water, his huge cock was just a fraction of an inch from her mouth. She couldn’t resist, she licked him from tip to root. He shuddered in her hand and clasped her head. “God, baby.” 

Pepper loved his taste – salty, musky, like a clean, sexy man. She took him in hand, cupping his balls and pulled him deep into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the head, sucking him off as he grunted, tensing his muscles, and curling his toes. Pepper licked and sucked, bobbing her head, taking him so deep that he spurted pre-cum on her tongue. She licked and sucked the little slit on top, knowing she tasted his life-essence, the very substance that she hoped would one day give her a child.

“Wait!” he told her, urgently. “I can’t take any more, I want to cum inside you.”

Pepper started to stand, but he stopped her. “Turn around on your hands and knees.”

“Okay.” Judah didn’t wait for her to obey, he held her by the waist and helped her into place. Kneeling behind her, he placed his knees on either side of her calves. Pepper could feel his cock probing at her entrance. She closed her eyes in breathless anticipation.

“Oh, God, yes,” she keened as he worked his way into her eager pussy, quivers of delight spreading her. Inch by glorious inch he filled her, stretching her until he was fully seated. Pepper moaned her satisfaction, this was more to her than an erotic encounter, this was two people joining as one.

“Pepper, my Pepper,” he groaned at how amazing it felt to be inside her.

“I love you, Judah. I love you so much.”

Judah gripped her hips and began to move. Slow, smooth strokes. She pushed back, grinding her pussy on him, glancing back over her shoulder to see how he looked while he took her. Giving her a satisfied grin, he popped her on the bottom.

Loving his playfulness, she giggled and pushed back, daring him to repeat the erotic smack. “Do it again.”

“Oh, you want more?”

She laughed and said, “Yes!” He paused for just a second before he popped her again. When he heard her sexy moan, the sound went right to his cock and Judah was compelled to increase his pace, to fuck her harder. As he pumped in, he made her cheeks pink with light pops of his palm on her ass. Deeper and deeper he plunged. His balls slapped her clit and he bent over her, grasping her breasts and tugging at the nipples.

Pepper closed her eyes and whimpered, “God, this feels so good!” Her fingernails clawed at the bottom of the tub, the water was splashing over the side with the force of their back and forth movements. Neither of them cared, their focus was on each other – his cock, her breasts, her pussy.

“Judah!” Pepper cried as her need for release began to rise higher and higher. He was now hammering into her so hard, she was holding on to either side of the tub in order to say upright. Slap. Thrust. Slap. Thrust. “Oh, fuck,” she whispered, so turned on she couldn’t see straight. “More, more, please more!” she screamed.

Judah covered her from behind, rutting into her with more desire and need than ever before. He palmed her tits, pulling at the nipples, then found her neck with his teeth and bit down.

“Judah!” Pepper’s whole body jerked as a huge tidal wave of pure ecstasy washed over her. Ripples of sheer bliss rose within her, making every cell warm and glowing with fulfilled passion. Stars exploded in her mind’s eye, as bright and spectacular as the fireworks they’d shared.

Judah held her tight as she shook, holding her up, lest she fall. He plowed so deep, he felt as if he touched her womb. This was more than fucking, this was the melding of souls, the mingling of spirits.

“Yes!” he shouted as he reached his own release, his body shaking, his cum shooting from his body and filling her up. “Oh, God, baby,” he whispered as he cradled her to him, raising up on his knees and bringing her with him. He kissed her neck, one hand caressing her breasts, the other going down to caress and rub the paradise between her legs. “You give me more pleasure than I ever knew possible.”

Pepper sighed with happiness and rested completely and securely in his arms.

Let whatever would come against them come. They were together – and that was all that mattered.

 

* * *

Judah was right – during the next week, the storm of the century hit and it all came crashing down on him.

Reporters haunted him, they and their cameras followed him everywhere. There was nowhere he could go that they didn’t follow.

The phone never stopped ringing.

Record sales and downloads of the album dropped severely.

Rumors swirled. Ugly rumors. Every time the story was told, the details became more embellished. Each time any of them turned on the television, Judah’s face and Ivana’s accusations were front and center.

At his side, Pepper and Zion stood steadfast. His parents would’ve been there too, but Judah had begged his father to take his mother away, somewhere without a television.

They were trying to continue with business as normal, but the constant barrage of attention from the press made it difficult.

“You need to get out there, man. Tell your story. Let them see that you haven’t changed. Don’t hide from your problem, be the face of it. Take control.”

Zion’s advice was no surprise to Judah. He and Pepper had talked about the same thing. “I know I need to, I’m just trying to get an idea of how I want to handle it all.”

Reese, Shiloh’s manager, had volunteered to set up several interviews on late night shows, the daytime talk venues, and the primetime celebrity news and entertainment segments. Judah knew it was all necessary, but he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. He’d even met with his therapist, getting his input on the best ways to handle this. What to say to his fans, those masses of average people who shelled out their hard-earned dollars on concert tickets, music, T-shirts, and whatever else his marketing team put before them. After several stabs at a speech, one that would serve as part confession, part appeal, part defense – he thought he was ready. Now, he was just waiting for the right opportunity to stand before his fans and lay it on the line.

Pepper wasn’t without her own issues. Her family called on the phone, they demanded she come back to the ranch. Heath and Ten even came to take her home, but she refused to leave Judah’s side. The only ones in her family who understood were Ryder and Philip. Since she was staying in Austin, Pepper and Judah paid a visit to her father. She knew Christian and Olivia didn’t watch much television, but she wanted to talk to them in person – just in case.

Her father surprised Pepper, he and Judah hit it off immediately and spent over an hour discussing the intricacies and genesis of jazz and blues. Olivia was totally sympathetic to Judah’s plight, she took Pepper aside and asked her a few questions. As a nurse who’d once worked in a mental treatment facility, she had special insight. “Tell me a bit about Judah’s experiences.”

Pepper sat facing her at their dining table, drinking a cup of coffee. “Well, I’ll try. I know he has hallucinations, but he usually can discern what’s real or what’s not. When inanimate objects speak to him, he’s not confused about the reality of the episode, he’s just concerned about the source of it. The things that get to him most is when he sees a person – like me, he has seen images of me that he thought were real, at first. When he sees other people, ones that he can’t recognize, he goes through a quick mental process to determine if he’s hallucinating or meeting someone new. The amazing thing is that he does this in public sometimes and no one ever knows the difference. I think it’s incredible how he deals with this.”

“I have seen him perform and watched him on television. I would never have guessed he suffered with schizophrenia. He is handling all of this admirably well. Does the doctor have any idea of the underlying cause?”

She shook her head. “The only thing I’ve ever heard was timing, he started experiencing symptoms after a bout with mononucleosis, which I’m sure means nothing. I’ve read that schizophrenia usually manifests itself in the late teens or early twenties and no one knows why.”

“Hmmm.” Olivia rose and went to a bookshelf, running her finger along the books until she found the title she was looking for. Pulling it from a shelf, she leafed through it. “Ah, just as I remembered, there could very well be a connection.” She came and sat down by Pepper. “For many years, doctors and scientists thought this disorder was a result of bad genes or bad parenting, but that might not be the case. Later research has shown there is some evidence that viruses like those that can cause mono may integrate with a patient’s DNA and interfere in the replication process, creating an enzyme that can cause disorders such as schizophrenia.”

“So, it’s not necessarily something that’s passed down from parent to child.” She said this out loud, not realizing until this moment that this was something she had even considered. Their relationship had not progressed to the point where commitment was on the table, but she knew if it ever came up, this factor would be a concern for Judah.

“No, it’s not. You also have to understand that this condition affects people in many different ways. Just saying someone has schizophrenia is like saying something is brown, you have to discern what shade of brown, and that term can describe any color from the palest shades of beige to a color that’s almost black.”

Pepper thanked Olivia for her insight, but when they left she didn’t get a chance to discuss what she’d learned with Judah – another crisis hit them right between the eyes.

Ace Records was accused in a pay to play racket and Judah was devastated.

“What does this mean? Was my record popular or not? Was it jammed down people’s throats and it caught on because that’s all they could hear on the radio?” Honestly, this wasn’t something he’d ever considered.

After this blow fell, any thought of Judah coming forward about his mental health was put on the back burner until Reese thought the time was right.

… “Let’s get away,” Pepper whispered in his ear as they lay side by side in his bed. “Just for a few days until all of this nonsense dies down.”

She had a point, there wasn’t anything he could do at this juncture. He was between tours, the label was in trouble, the media was so full of news on the pay-to-play scandal that his troubles fell off the radar. “I don’t know whether to be thankful or upset.” He faced her, staring into her beautiful blue eyes. “I hate all of this, the politics of the business, the way every move we make is scrutinized and rehashed. All I ever wanted to do was make music. Why should people care about my private life?”

“I know it’s not fair, Judah. In this age of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and 24-hour cable news, nothing is private – for anyone. Think of the politicians, the actors, the CEO’s, no one is excluded from the scrutiny of the public and the microscope of society.”

He pulled her on top of him and kissed her with near desperation. “You’re what I’m holding onto, Pepper.” A wry laugh escaped his lip. “I’d hate to imagine going through this alone.”

“You don’t have to imagine anything of the sort, I’m here for you.” She wove her fingers in his hair, enjoying the silky texture. “Look, Zion has taken a few days off to be with Loren, let’s do the same. Let’s get away. Please?” Pepper didn’t know why she was insisting so hard. Deep in her gut, she had this weird feeling that she had to do something to distance him from his current situation.

“Okay.” He smiled. “Where do you want to go?”

She brightened, then pretended to think. “We don’t have to go far. A friend of Ten’s, by the name of Tanner Barron, owns a guest ranch down near Bastrop, Lost Pines Ranch. It’s very isolated and Tanner told me we’d have the place to ourselves, the only other people that’ll be there will be him and his wife. They’re getting ready to expand and the place is shut down until the fall.”

“So…” Judah grinned at her, “you’ve already called and made arrangements?”

“Yea.” She blushed. “Tentatively. I just want to get you off somewhere by myself and hug you until you don’t hurt anymore.”

“Aw, baby,” he squeezed her tight, “what am I going to do with you?”

“Love me?”

“Oh, I do. I do.” Holding her gaze, he leaned forward to kiss her. Her lips were the softest thing he’d ever felt. He layered his mouth to hers and kissed her gently, but soon that wasn’t enough. Easing an arm around her, Judah pulled them flush together. As soon as her nipples grazed his chest, she sighed and he went instantly hard. His blood thrummed through his veins and the air between them became electric.

As they drank from one another’s lips, she ran her hand over his shoulders and down his side, causing him to shiver with need. When her hand closed around his cock, a bolt of lightning ripped through his body.

Pepper smiled, she loved how he reacted to her touch. Every time she stroked him, his manhood jerked in her hand.

“Put me in,” he directed her between kisses.

Face to face, she brought her hips as close as possible, lifting one leg over both of his, opening herself up to him. Pepper teased them both, bringing his cock to her entrance, then dragging the tip through her cream. “See how much I want you?”

“Amazes me each and every time,” he whispered. When she fit the tip of his cock into her passage, he bucked his hips and slid in slowly. “God, you feel good. So tight.” Little by little, he pushed in, groaning at the way her feminine walls enveloped him, the way they clamped down around him. He never failed to be awed by the joy of their lovemaking.

She clasped Judah to her, hungry for the way he made her feel. She craved the stretch, the burn, the way he filled up the aching emptiness that always signaled her rising need for him. “Just thinking about you makes me this way. I’ll hear your voice, picture your face, and I begin to hurt – a good hurt, a hungry hurt – where the only thing that can assuage my appetite is you.”

Judah groaned, “God, you slay me. You ought to be the one writing songs, that was the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.” Angling his hips, he bucked forward, sinking all the way in, burying himself as deep as he could in her softness.

Pepper could feel him trembling and she understood, their connection wasn’t commonplace. He was her first and only lover, but she couldn’t imagine anything being more perfect than this. Having him inside of her like this was Pepper’s dearest fantasy. He was so large, so hard, she shut her eyes and concentrated on the wonder of his possession. She brushed kisses on his chest, rubbed her hands up and down his back, and massaged the length of his cock by clenching and unclenching her feminine muscles. “I love this so much.”

Judah cradled her bottom with one hand, anchoring her to him as he increased his speed, pistoning into her velvet heat, moving faster and harder. With every pass he made, pleasure radiated from her core in waves. She moved against him restlessly, her nipples rasping against his chest hair with every thrust. Her breasts ached as exquisitely as her pussy. Her whole body was on fire for this man.

Deep within her, she felt a climax began to build, the promise of rapture coiled inside of her, tighter and tighter. All she could do was strain for it. “More, please! Faster!” she begged.

Banding his arms around her, Judah pummeled into her, latching his teeth to her neck and sucking on the tender skin as his cock hammered in and out. In and out. Over and over.

Pepper gasped and closed her eyes, unable to breathe as a tsunami of white hot pleasure washed over her. Her heart stuttered as she reached her peak. Her pussy clamped down on him, and she clawed at his back, a cry of ecstasy filling the air.

Judah felt his balls draw up and tighten as he neared his release. With one more mighty thrust, he buried himself deep, a powerful orgasm throwing him into a sea of pleasure unlike any he’d ever known. Roaring her name, the edges of his vision faded to black as he emptied himself deep within her.

Long minutes later, they curled up together, finding peace in one another’s arms.

 

* * *

 “You’ll love it at Lost Pines. We’ll have a cabin all to ourselves and we can go horseback riding or hiking, just enjoy the great outdoors and each other.” Pepper was more than excited to get him out of the city and out of the limelight. She’d hit the streets of downtown Austin as soon as the stores opened, buying what she’d need to survive for a few days until she could get back to Highlands and pack a bag.

“Tanner Barron, that name seems familiar,” Judah mused.

“Well, it should, you probably know his wife. She’s a musician too.”

“Who?” Judah asked as he turned off I35 and headed west on 71 toward Bastrop.

“Tanner’s married to Desiree Holt, the current Queen of country music.”

“Holy shit,” Judah muttered. “Are you sure we aren’t jumping from the frying pan to the fire? She’s sure to be surrounded by paparazzi and music industry folks.”

“No.” Pepper shook her head. “Desiree is extremely private. They keep Lost Pines separate from her public life.”

“I’ll have to ask for some pointers,” Judah mused. “I used to think if I ever made it big, I’d never want to be out of the public eye. Now, all I crave is privacy.”

As they drove from the hills of Austin to the piney woods near Bastrop, Judah saw what looked to be a hitchhiker. A woman walking along the side of the road. He noticed her because she wore this long, white flowing dress. She didn’t appear to be in distress, but he hated to see a woman walking along. To be on the safe side, he slowed down. “Did you see that woman hitchhiking?”

Pepper looked behind them. “No, I must have missed her. I was thinking about something else.”

Judah was about to put on his blinker to turn around when he noticed someone else on the side of the road. To his unease, he realized it was the same woman. This time when he passed her, she waved at him.

He didn’t wave back and he didn’t mention it to Pepper.

Between there and the turn-off to Lost Pines, he saw the woman twice more.

So, what the hell did that mean? Did his delusions have to mean something? What if he was seeing ghosts? Hell, he didn’t know if that would be better or worse.

“There’s the turn-off up ahead, Judah.” Pepper pointed to a small dirt road. There was no sign indicating they were approaching a guest ranch, this gave him some reassurance. As they headed down the narrow lane, he felt himself begin to relax. Maybe this was a wise thing after all.

The first house they passed was small. “I think that’s where the caretaker lives, a couple who look after the property when the Barron’s aren’t home.” As they ventured deeper into the forest, a beautiful home came into view. The log house fit in so naturally with the surroundings that it might have sprung forth from the ground rather than being built. “That’s Tanner and Desiree’s house. Just pull in there and we’ll let them know we’re here.”

Just as soon as they climbed from the vehicle, the front door opened so hard the screen door smashed against the side of the house. “Pepper! It’s good to see you! And what do we have here? A rock star!”

Judah realized the small tornado moving toward them was Desiree Holt. She was a legend in Austin, but he’d never met her in person. What hit him first was how much smaller she seemed to be in person and that she was younger than he’d imagined. He didn’t know her exact age, but he knew she’d been a force in the industry for a number of years.

“Desiree, it’s good to see you. Yes, this is Judah James. Judah, this is Desiree Holt and her husband, Tanner Barron.”

Judah shook hands with the mega-star and her husband, a big rugged cowboy with a mile-wide smile on his face. “I’m grateful you allowed us to come.”

Tanner gestured toward the house. “I’m glad you’re here. Desiree needed a distraction. She’s been writing songs non-stop for the past couple of days.”

Looking around, Judah could see why. “I can’t say I’m surprised, this place seems to be ideal. Peaceful. Inspirational.” He took in the impressive vista. Deep forests. A crystal blue lake. Wild deer grazing in the pasture. “I bet I can crank out a few myself.”

“Good, that’s what we like to hear. Desiree has her heart set on billing this place as a refuge for artists.”

“You folks come on in,” Desiree encouraged them. “I’ll put on a pot of coffee and cut you a piece of blackberry pie.”

Judah smiled and kissed Pepper on the nose. “You were right, this is exactly what I needed.” He put his arm around her and they followed Tanner and Desiree into their home.