Another week or two passes.

 

“Do you feel that others control what you think and feel?”

Judah contemplated his answer. He wanted to tell the tight-ass woman where to get off, but he needed her evaluation to allay his own fears. “No more so than anyone else, I suppose. I pay taxes that I think are too high and I’m sitting here when I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary.”

She gave him a tight smile and used her finger to mark something on a tablet. “Do you hear or see things that others do not hear or see?”

Judah leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other, pulling on the heel of his Uggs while he considered the merits of telling the truth over lying like a dog. “I can’t be sure,” he finally said. “I don’t have the ability to see through someone’s else’s eyes or hear through their ears. So, how can I be certain? Just like color blindness, who’s to know if any of us see the same hues and tones. Maybe my blue is your green.” Under the therapist’s steadfast, even gaze, as she waited for a serious response, Judah nodded his head. “Yea, I guess I do.” He shrugged. “I think creative people get their inspiration in different ways.” He chewed on his bottom lip, wishing he was still in Dallas with Pepper. Since his schedule was so tight, the doctor had arranged for him to undergo some of the testing by a lab here in San Francisco.

She said nothing, just gave him another long look, then made more notations on whatever log she was keeping. “Do you feel it is very difficult to express yourself in words that others can understand?”

Judah chuckled. Did this woman even know who he was? “I write songs that the whole world sings. I manipulate the emotions of women with my voice.” When she blushed, he grinned. “So, no, I have no difficulty expressing myself.”

“Do others believe you when you tell them the things you see and hear?”

He watched her brush a lock of hair behind her ear. This was the third time she’d made the same nervous gesture. “Other than my psychiatrist, I’ve only mentioned a couple of things to my best friend. He believed that I saw them, but like me, he doesn’t understand why.”

“I see.”

For some reason, her succinct answer angered him. She didn’t see. There was no way she could see. God, he needed Pepper. Just a few more days until the BBQ and he’d be with her again.

“True or false? I can't trust what I'm thinking because I don't know if it's real or not.”

Judah debated his answer. “I trust my thinking. There are times when I have to look twice or think about what I’m seeing, but I did exist before this all started, I know what’s real and what’s not.” Under his breath, he began to hum a song he’d penned the day before. He’d entitled it, Are You Real? To his confusion, since being with Pepper, he’d seen her almost every day. The doppelganger Pepper, not the real Pepper. There’d be moments, fractions of seconds when he questioned reality, but as convincing as the phantasm was, she was no substitute for the real woman. Closing his eyes, he tried to process his situation. Maybe, he should open up and talk to someone, tell them how these delusions he was suffering from…were beginning to make sense.

“Do you have magical powers that nobody else has or can explain?”

Judah couldn’t help it, this time he laughed. “Definitely, at least the women think so.” She glanced up at him sharply. “I take it you’re not a fan?”

She went on to the next question. “Are others plotting against you?”

“Just my drummer, he wants my car.”

“Please, Mr. James. Try to be serious.”

“Sorry.”

“Are you treated unfairly because others are jealous of your special abilities?”

“All the time.”

She cleared her throat and went on. “Do you talk to another person or persons inside your head that nobody else can hear?”

Bingo. “Yes, that’s why I’m here.”

 

* * *

 “I can’t believe you invited Cato Vincent to our BBQ!” Heath paced across the room, hands on hips, his cowboy hat pushed back on his head. “I knew I should’ve never gone to that wedding. Nothing good ever happens at a wedding.”

Pepper tried not to laugh, she knew his frustration stemmed from being left at the altar by his ex-fiancé. “We needed to go to the wedding, Heath. The Tebow McCoys are our family. This was our first chance to all be together.”

Ryder and Pepper shared a glance before Ryder stepped in front of her irate brother. “Isaac and Avery had a beautiful wedding and Libby went into labor and delivered two precious baby boys. Plus, you met a gorgeous woman who seems to like you very much. Other than Isaac and Avery pledging their love to one another, I’d say three very good things came out of the wedding.”

“The way you and Cato looked on that dance floor, I certainly thought you hit it off.” Jaxson smirked at Heath, leaning on the counter, his crutches against the wall.

“Don’t worry.” Ryder patted Heath on the shoulder, playing her reverse psychology card. “Pepper invited several single guys, I’m sure Cato will find someone else and forget all about you.”

Pepper’s eyes widened at her sister’s revelation. “I just invited Caesar Arness and Judah James.”

“Caesar Arness! You know Jimmy doesn’t get along with Arness!” Heath protested loudly, taking his hat off and slapping his leg with it.

“I don’t think Jimmy is the one who has it in for Arness,” Ryder muttered. “Didn’t you two have a falling out over a Beefmaster Bull?”

Pepper was just glad she’d been able to make her announcement about Judah’s impending arrival without it receiving much notice. Heath had picked up on the name of his archrival, Caesar Arness, and ignored her potential bombshell about Judah completely. She’d told no one in the family any details about her trip to Dallas and she didn’t intend to do so. There were too many other things going on in the family for them to be concerned with what they all considered to be a mild infatuation on her part.

As Heath told them how he’d found out about Cato’s invitation to the annual Highland BBQ, she slipped upstairs to do some thinking. She’d talked to Judah every night since they’d been together and she had no regrets about sleeping with him. Pepper was falling more in love with Judah James every single day. If everything went well this weekend, she planned on letting the whole clan in on the fact that they were dating. The family needed something to celebrate. Every time they turned around, something else seemed to go wrong. During the visit to Tebow to attend Isaac and Avery’s wedding, Tennessee had received some startling news, his short-time wife had called and informed him she was pregnant and that he was the father. What would come next, she couldn’t guess. So, she was determined to use this weekend as a time for everyone to get to know Judah a little better.

Once she was in her room, Pepper stood in front of her dresser, staring at herself in the mirror. She looked normal. Unless, there was a difference in her eyes, she leaned closer to look more carefully. A new wisdom shone in them, perhaps. As she studied her reflection, roses bloomed in her cheeks as she recalled what they’d done together in that hotel bedroom. Shivers of remembered delight raised frissons on her skin. Oh, how he’d pleasured her. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms about herself, wishing it was him who held her tight. Part of her wanted to tell Ryder, to share the knowledge that she now knew intimately, a secret known to women since the dawn of time – how it felt to be taken and possessed by the man they loved. But knowing Ryder’s circumstances, she was hesitant. Her sister was denying her own heart’s desire to protect her family.

Pepper felt a little guilty, for she had denied herself nothing.

And she would do it again, in a heartbeat.

She loved her family, but she loved Judah more.

 

* * *

 “Ivana Paul will be opening for us on tour?” Judah asked Reese Jerome as they boarded the bus to head to Oklahoma City. “Why am I just now hearing about this?”

Reese didn’t stop walking until he was in the kitchenette. Opening the small refrigerator, he took out a beer and handed Judah one.

“You know I don’t drink this time of day.” He rarely drank, if the truth be known. At parties, he’d sip on the same rum and coke for hours. Judah was doing everything in his power to curtail the irritating symptoms of whatever malady plagued him. The test results from the psychological profile had come back inconclusive.

Inconclusive.

What in the hell did that mean, anyway?

He was scheduled to go through additional testing. They even wanted him to keep a damn daily journal of his experiences, even writing down details of things that had happened in the past.

“So, what’s the scoop, Reese? I’m not so sure I approve of your choice.”

“It wasn’t my choice, it was Ace’s.” Reese found a bottle of water for Judah and tossed it to him.

They settled around the small table and Judah opened the bottle and took a long drink. “Ivana is some relation to Mickey Thomas, isn’t she?”

“A niece.”

“Ah, now I understand. She’s getting preferential treatment.”

Reese held the neck of the bottle of beer between two fingers and swung it back and forth like a pendulum. “Her voice is good, she has a decent fan base, and she’s hot. What more do you want?”

Judah shrugged. He just didn’t want to deal with her. She was pushy and aggressive. “No duets.”

Reese chuckled. “Has she asked for one already?”

“Yea, she approached me at a party about it. I don’t want to start anything like that with her. If she’s going to open, let’s have some clear-cut boundaries.” He took another drink of water. “And I don’t want her on the bus with us.”

Reese frowned. “You’re going to run into a wall there, I’m sure the label will insist.”

As the rest of the band boarded, Judah let it go. “We’ll talk about it later, Jerome.” He chunked the empty bottle into the garbage. “I’m gonna catch some shut-eye.”

He headed toward his private quarters at the back of the bus, stopping only to confer with Zion. “Did you know about Ivana?”

“Not until a few minutes ago. Is this going to be a problem? Do you want me to talk to Mickey?”

“She’s his niece and they want her on the bus.”

“Fuck.” Zion frowned, pulling his headphones from his jacket pocket. “We don’t really have separate accommodations for a female.”

“Agreed.” Judah rubbed his eyes. “And she sure as hell ain’t sharing mine.”

“How are you feeling? Any…episodes?”

Judah shook his head. “Not since the mic stand challenged me to a duel this afternoon.”

“Who won?”

Judah flipped the bird at his best friend. “I did.” He hadn’t told anyone, but the frequency of the visions seemed to be escalating. It wasn’t the talking houses or chatty sound equipment that bothered him, it was the visitations by people who he took to be flesh and blood when they weren’t – that was what unnerved him. And the worst part, was that these manifests were making sense to him. They didn’t talk nonsense, the people he hallucinated passed on reasonable, sometimes useful information. Judah didn’t know what the hell was going on. To his own shock, he found himself wanting to talk to a professional about it. The only comfort he could give himself was the old adage ‘if you think you’re crazy, you’re not’.

Well, if he wasn’t crazy, he was well on his way.

Even more disturbing was the fact that Pepper was his most frequent visitor. Judah struggled with what it all meant, why this was happening to him. He couldn’t help but wonder if her spectral twin would come to him if he had the real woman at his side. Somehow, he doubted it. Her haunting presence only made him long for Pepper more. The only redeeming factor was the music that came with her appearances, he’d never known greater inspiration. His creative juices were flowing, he’d written six new songs in two days.

As if reading his thoughts, Zion asked, “How’s Pepper?”

“She’s good. I’m about to go call her.” He held up his phone.

“Tell her hi for me.” Zion put his headphones on and slapped Judah’s arm. “It’ll all work out.”

“Yea, it’ll all work out,” Judah repeated.

Easier said than done.

 

* * *

 “What’s wrong, Judah?” Ivana Paul plopped down on the seat next to him. Her shoulder nudging his, her hand coming over to his thigh, fingernails raking along the inner seam.

He leaned to the left, crossing his leg to dislodge her touch. “Nothing you should be concerned about.”

If she detected the censure in his voice, Ivana ignored it. She’d joined the tour that morning and tonight would be their first performance on the same stage, then they’d have a three-day break before returning to the road. Judah had voiced his displeasure to no avail, his wishes had not prevailed.

“What do you think about a duet, me and you?”

“We’ve already discussed this and my answer is the same. No, thanks. I don’t think I could harmonize with a female voice.” Total bullshit, but he didn’t want to encourage her.

With a sultry giggle, she dragged a finger across his chest. “I wasn’t talking about singing, I was thinking of making music in the bedroom.”

Judah stood up. “I’m in a relationship.”

Without looking back, he went to his area and closed the door, locking it behind him. If this was the way it was going to be on the road with Ivana, he was in for a miserable time.

Lying back on the bed, he picked up the journal that he’d been writing in. It had only been a little over a week, but the sheer number of entries and memories floored him.

“What are you thinking about, Judah?”

He jerked around and saw Pepper standing there, wearing the same thing she’d worn the night he’d made love to her in Dallas. She looked incredible, beautiful, and as real as anyone else. But she wasn’t. “Why is this happening to me?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I just come when you need me. Can you tell me what’s bothering you?”

“I don’t need you, I need Pepper. You’re in my head. I need for you to go away and leave me alone.” Judah rolled over, giving the vision his back.

She didn’t fade away, for a few seconds later, she answered.

“I don’t know how. I come when you beckon me.”

Judah shut his eyes and willed his mind to be blank.

His visitor said no more.

 

* * *

“How do I look?” Pepper turned in a circle, awaiting her sister’s verdict.

“You look pretty, as always. I love that outfit.” Ryder assured her, admiring the blue linen pantsuit that matched Pepper’s eyes. “Where’s Cato?”

The girls had returned to the house to bring out the last couple of desserts they needed to transfer to the buffet tables. They were ecstatic that Cato Vincent was here for the BBQ. “She’s outside talking to Jimmy.”

“Did you see how Heath was watching her when he thought no one was looking?” Pepper asked, ever the romantic. “I think she’s amazing. She doesn’t let anything hold her back.” They’d both been surprised to learn Cato was deaf. “She reads lips so well, it’s hard to tell she can’t hear.”

“I think she’d be so good for our brother, I want him to be happy.” Ryder added the last dollop of icing to a homemade chocolate cake.

“We’ve got a record crowd, I think.” Walking to the window, Pepper gazed into the distance, watching their friends and neighbors arrive in everything from fancy cars to farm trucks. There were even a few limos in the parking lot and a helicopter or two in the back yard.

“Have you heard from Judah?”

“Yes, I have,” Pepper said, with obvious excitement in her voice. “He’s driving over from Houston. He should be here soon.” They’d talked the night before. The smile faded from her face. He’d seemed so tired. “I hope he can take a few days off. I think this tour is running him ragged.”

“So, you two have become closer, haven’t you?”

Ryder’s question didn’t take Pepper by surprise. She knew she couldn’t hide what was going on from her sister for very much longer. And she didn’t want to. After today, she’d tell her everything. Pressing her hand over her heart, Pepper tried to quell the rush of anticipation. She was so in love! “We’ve talked quite a bit, yes.” Her understatement made Pepper blush.

“So much has been going on with Philip and Ten, I haven’t paid enough attention to you.” Ryder continued her conversation as she placed the cake in a covered container. “What happened at the concert in Dallas? Did you get to go backstage and talk to him there?”

“Yes, I…was able to spend a little time with him. His star is rising fast, I’m surprised he was able to take time off to come to the BBQ.”

As Ryder walked to the door, she tugged on a strand of Pepper’s hair. “Don’t underestimate your appeal, Miss McCoy. I’m sure the man would walk over hot coals to get to you.”

“Well, I don’t know about that.” Pepper picked up the other cake and followed her sister out, anxious to see what the day would bring.

…About an hour away, Judah sat in the back of the rented SUV, thumbing through the journal he’d been writing in a few moments before. He couldn’t get the words of the doctor out of his mind.

By all indications, Mr. James, the testing shows you have some type of mental disorder. We need to do more testing to find out how best to help you.

Mental disorder.

Mental disorder.

MENTAL DISORDER!

He slammed his fist into the seat next to him.

“Are you all right, Sir?” the driver asked him.

Judah met the man’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “I’m fine.”

He wasn’t fine.

He was crazy.

Judah felt sick at his stomach. What was he doing? He had no business spending time with Pepper McCoy. Yet, he couldn’t not show up. He couldn’t do her that way.

Oh, God, what should he do?

More of the conversation with the doctor filtered back to him.

I’m hesitant to put a label on your condition, yet. Even in your present state, you are high functioning. There are medications we can give you that should ease many of your symptoms. There’s no reason you can’t live a fairly normal life.

Judah felt like such a fool. He’d grasped at any and every straw, trying to explain his condition and symptoms with any explanation he could find. Could his Native American heritage have given him some type of spiritual ability? Was he seeing spirits that tried to trick him? Was he psychic? Was all this some type of display of his creative abilities? Did every writer or musician experience a different manifestation of their muse?

Hell. Even he knew all that mumbo jumbo was utter nonsense. Judah grabbed his head, wishing he could just delve into his brain and fix what was broken.

“We’re almost there, Sir? Do you know where I should park?”

“Uh, this will probably be pretty organized. I’m sure they’ll be someone at the gate to point you in the right direction.” He put the journal into a pocket on the back of the front passenger seat. Most people would see him arriving in this big black SUV and think he was making a statement about his celebrity – when, in fact, he was becoming afraid to trust himself behind the wheel. What if his hallucinations extended to cars that weren’t really there or pedestrians who were figments of his imagination?

He bent double in the seat, gasping for breath. How was he going to handle this with Pepper? As they turned off the main road and headed to the ranch, Judah tried to come up with a plan. He was here, he intended to be gracious and friendly. But he needed to begin to distance himself from her. Until he found out the true cause of his problem and could get some help, he had no business involving another person in his spider web of insanity.

…Pepper wasn’t even trying to hide her excitement. She stood at the edge of the gathering, ignoring all the people who were milling around and sipping on drinks. All her focus was on the road, waiting for the arrival of one special person. She wasn’t sure what he was driving now, he might’ve acquired a new vehicle since making it big. Still, she kept on the lookout for his Challenger. When a black SUV pulled up, Pepper stood on tiptoe to get a better view. The driver climbed from the front seat and moved to open the rear door. As the passenger emerged, she let out a small cry. “He’s here!” she announced to no one and everyone.

Trying to maintain some sense of poise, Pepper went to greet him. She forced herself not to run, but her feet ignored the directions they were given and she took off, throwing decorum to the wind. “Judah! Judah! You’re here!”

Judah didn’t even have a chance to step away from the SUV before he was hit by a mini-tornado of excited woman. She threw herself into his arms and he had no choice but to hold her. For a few precious seconds, Judah cradled her close. The feel of her warm, delectable body against his was pure heaven.

“I’m so glad to see you. I’ve missed you so much.”

He allowed himself a brief kiss, pressing his lips to her hair. “I’m glad to see you too,” he whispered, almost too low for her to discern. “How’s the party going?” Gently, he eased her away from him.

“It’s going great, I was just waiting for you.” She pushed her hair back, glancing over her shoulder. “I guess we should be careful, I still haven’t told anyone…about us.”

“Probably for the best,” he muttered as he turned to give instructions to his driver.

“Come, join everyone.” Pepper moved a few steps to the side to give him room to get away from the open door. She’d ran right up to him, effectively trapping the poor man. “There’s plenty of food and things to do. Games. Music. Dancing. A campfire tonight. Tubing tomorrow. It should be fun.” He gave her a bright smile and Pepper’s heart flipped over.

“I’m sure everything will be great.” Looking into the distance, he saw several people he knew. “I think I’ll mingle a bit.”

“Oh, sure, sure.” She fell into step next to him. “You make yourself at home and we’ll spend some time together a little later.” A sinking feeling hit her in the middle of her stomach. He was acting differently, aloof. Pepper didn’t really know what she was expecting. After the passionate night they’d shared, she’d expected…she didn’t know what she’d expected.

More. That’s what she wanted. More.

A breeze was blowing off the lake, ruffling her hair. She picked the mass up off her neck and twisted it into a knot over one shoulder. “Did you have a good drive?” She felt like she was searching for something to say. The easy-going intimacy between them was gone. It was as if he’d erected some type of barrier between them.

“Very good.” He stopped and reached for her hand. “Thank you so much for the invitation. I’m sure I’ll have a wonderful time.” With a nod of his head, he indicated a group of people in the distance. “I see Jimmy, I think I’ll go say hello.”

Pepper knew she wasn’t imagining the tingles traveling up her arm at his touch. Didn’t he feel the same thing she did? What had changed in so short of a time? “Did I do something wrong, Judah?”

Judah felt like someone stuck a knife in his heart. “Of course not. We had a great time.” He passed off their time together as something casual.

Pepper froze.

Had. We had a great time.

Past tense.

“Yes, we did.”

Judah leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

As he moved away, leaving her standing alone, two or three dozen people moved toward him. He’d been recognized. Fans were flocking to him like seagulls to a scrap of bread.

Pepper stood and watched it all unfold, as if from a great distance. She hugged herself tightly, trying to become smaller. Less evident. What had just happened? She kept staring after him, willing Judah to turn and look at her. As if on cue, he glanced toward her and raised his hand, giving her a wave. That’s all it took, she grabbed onto that small gesture with her heart and both hands. Surely, she’d misread the situation.

Everything was fine.

She loved him so much, it had to be.

 

* * *

Over the course of the next few hours, Pepper played the good hostess. She saw to everyone’s needs, she put people at ease, and each time a well-meaning family member inquired as to why Judah was here or why they weren’t hanging out together, she played down their association.

“Oh, we’re just friends,” she told Cato at one point. “I think he’s wonderful and we’ve talked a few times. I wish there was more to it than that, but there’s not.”

Pepper was denying what happened between them so often and so hard – that she was beginning to believe it herself.

By all indications, Judah was having a good time. He was never alone, constantly surrounded by admirers. At one point, he performed a song, one that had climbed the charts quickly. Are You Real? Like everyone else, she gathered around, mesmerized by the beauty of the melody brought alive by his voice and the haunting lyrics that she didn’t really understand. As he sang, his eyes locked with hers and she could’ve sworn he was trying to tell her something. Their souls connected, she could almost touch an intangible thread binding them one to the other. It was as if the crowd melted away and only the two of them remained.

You come when I need you. You never let me down.

I tell you all my secrets, peace with you I’ve found.

Yet, as soon as I reach for you, you fade before my eyes.

Are you real? Are you mine? Or is my heart telling lies?

All too soon, the song was over and Pepper waited, sure he would come to her.

But he didn’t.

Judah allowed himself to be pulled in another direction, visiting with other people – while she remained alone.

…As with all Highland BBQ’s, many of the guests stayed the night. Some came to the house to sleep, but most camped out around a campfire. They enjoyed traditional cowboy entertainment – a hayride, dancing, and more steaks cooked on the grill. Pepper just knew that Judah would make the time to come find her, maybe go for a walk or a moonlight ride, but he didn’t. A couple times, she came near to him, waiting to see if he’d notice and join her. After his gaze passed over her without pause, she got the message, realizing she was standing around and pining like a lovesick teenager.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Pepper resolved to put some steel in her backbone. She didn’t have a clue as to what was going on with him, but she had a duty to her guests and some pride to maintain. When dusk fell, she found her sister. “I think I’ll spend the night at the house, several of the guests have gone on up and one of us needs to be close by.”

“All right.” Ryder caught her by the arm. “Is everything okay?”

Pepper brightened, putting on a too bright smile. “Of course, why wouldn’t it be?” Actually, she did have some news to share. “Zane and Presley arrived late, but they brought Philip some good news they learned in discovery. Dalton Smith’s bank accounts showed an influx of money a few weeks before he was murdered and Zane intends to trace the source of the funds in hope it will lead them to the real killer.”

“That’s great!” Ryder hugged Pepper. “I just know everything will turn out okay. It has to.”

Thankfully, her sister didn’t mention Judah, and Pepper was able to make her escape. As she hurried away, she didn’t notice that she was being watched with hungry, lonely eyes.

…After Pepper was gone, Judah let out a long breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. He felt like shit. He’d hurt her. If he could think of any way, any fair way, to be with her and protect her from whatever travesty had befallen him, he would. But he couldn’t. Not until he knew something one way or the other. “Damn, damn, damn.” He rose from where he’d been sitting in the shadows near the campfire and made his way out into the woods, using the moonlight to guide him. Judah knew he was being selfish, he wasn’t ending things with her, he was, in effect, dangling her in limbo. Keeping her at arm’s length and letting her wonder what went wrong.

…The next morning, Pepper was up at dawn. She’d slept fitfully through the night, tossing and turning, remembering what it felt like to be in Judah’s arms, and wishing she knew what went wrong. Maybe, this was just the way it was with rock stars. She knew Judah could have any woman he wanted. Well, he’d had her and moved on. The very thought caused her untold pain.

“Are you ready to head down to the pavilion?” Ryder asked from the hall.

“Be right down,” Pepper called out, wiping the moisture from her eyes.

Squaring her shoulders, she resolved to get through the day…and to corner Judah before it was over. He might not want to be with her anymore, but at least he owed her the graciousness of a goodbye.

Once she was downstairs, Pepper began to ready things for breakfast. She made up a huge bowl of pancake batter and filled a basket with several dozen eggs. There were other people to do the cooking, but she’d do her part in putting the components together.

As she worked, it became evident that she’d missed a few things in the midst of her self-imposed exile. Heath was whistling and if she wasn’t mistaken, Pepper thought she caught him in a smile. Tennessee, on the other hand, looked completely miserable. “What’s wrong? Have you heard from Molly?” She knew he was going through his own private hell. His short marriage had ended due to betrayal, and then his wife had shocked him with the news she was pregnant.

“I got the results of the paternity test. The baby is mine.”

“Oh, my goodness.” Pepper didn’t know what to say. “You’re going to be a daddy.” She knew the timing and the circumstances weren’t the best, but a new baby was going to be born in the family. “If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

Tennessee slammed his Stetson on his head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, to tell you the truth. I guess I need to talk to Molly.”

Pepper hugged her brother. “Yea, that’s probably a good idea. Communication is the only way you’ll work things out.” As she gathered the breakfast items to take to the pavilion, she realized she needed to abide by her own advice.

She needed to talk to Judah.

...Holding tight to the reins, Judah let the cutting horse do its job.

“Whoop!” Jimmy yelled, throwing his hand into the air and laughing as he headed off several calves from making their escape. “Drive them on in, James!”

“Hiyah!” Judah waved his hat, insuring the cattle made their way through the gate and not back out into the open pasture.

“Good job!” Jaxson yelled from the sidelines. He’d be off his crutches any day now, so it wouldn’t be long before he was back on a horse.

Pepper hung back, taking it all in. She was waiting for the right moment. Even with her feelings in a turmoil, she couldn’t deny how much pleasure watching Judah gave her. Touching her lips, she remembered his kiss. Chill bumps rose on her arms as she recalled his touch. Even her sex throbbed, wanting to experience his possession once more.

When he came close, leading his horse, she took a deep breath and approached him. “You looked good out there.”

“Thanks.” Judah slowed momentarily to allow her to catch up. “I’m going to be heading out soon. I have an appointment early in the morning.”

“You’re leaving? So soon?” A pang of regret shot through her heart. “Judah, I don’t understand.”

Not knowing what else to say and not wanting her to see how much he ached for her, he needed to make a quick exit. Stepping to her, he lifted her chin with one finger. “Thanks for everything. I had a wonderful time. I’ll talk to you soon.”

With that, he started off, guiding the horse back to the barn and leaving Pepper alone to watch him go.