“Blackmail? Ivana is blackmailing you?” Pepper couldn’t believe it. “How? What with?” There wasn’t a moment when she suspected Judah of anything underhanded. If there was fault, she never doubted it would be laid at the other woman’s feet.

Judah ran his hand up through his hair. The enormity of his confession weighed heavily on his spirit. “This isn’t the place.”

Seeing the misery on his face, Pepper clasped her hands together. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“I know what I have to do, I can’t wait another moment.”

“What?”

Judah’s eyes roved over her face. “This.” Crushing her to him, he thrust both hands into her long hair and cradled her head against his chest and his pounding heart. “Not a moment of any day has gone by that I didn’t think of you.”

“Judah…”

“Shhh.” He tilted her head back and covered her mouth with his.

Pepper could feel the storm raging in his body. She closed her eyes and the storm clouds lifted, melting into a bright, shimmering glow that warmed her blood and brought her back to life. She returned his kiss with hunger, standing on tiptoe to press her body as close to his as possible. One arm held her securely, while the other hand cradled her cheek, his thumb caressing her face as if she were precious treasure. Pepper reveled in his taste, the familiarity of it, the sense of homecoming she felt at being in his arms.

“Pepper, my dreamweaver, mine,” he whispered as he returned to her lips for another kiss.

She clung to him, his mouth was the sun and she was the earth seeking its life-giving warmth. A strong, desperate need flared to life deep within her, causing Pepper to shiver. Attuned to her smallest move, he pulled her closer, offering her his warmth, his protection.

Pepper melted against him as he drew the very heart out of her with his kiss. Filled with desire, she lifted her hands to delve beneath his hair and caress the back of his neck.

Judah groaned, tightening his embrace, his tongue twining with hers. Licking. Tasting. Eating at her mouth as if he were starving for what only she could give. A mounting hunger rose in him – a hunger that could not be appeased here and now. If ever. “Pepper,” he groaned, tearing his mouth from hers. “Let’s get out of here. We need to talk.”

“Wait. I can’t leave without letting someone know.”

He stood patiently while she took out her phone and tried to type. Her hands were shaking so, she almost dropped the phone.

I’m leaving with Judah.

There was a delay. Pepper glanced up, half expecting Ryder to come rushing through the door to save her from herself.

Go. I’ll cover for you.

Thank you. I love you.

Be safe. Be wise. I love you too.

“Okay, I’m ready to go,” she told Judah, her pulse still pounding from the perfection of their kiss, “but I want to know everything.”

“Everything,” he repeated. Judah felt like he was standing on the edge of a precipice. He was about to jump into the unknown, and he didn’t know what awaited him.

 

* * *

On the way out of the villa, Judah did some texting of his own. He hated to saddle Zion with Ivana, but this was extraordinary times. At the moment, he didn’t know what this meant. Atonement. Redemption. It couldn’t be a second chance, he didn’t deserve one and she deserved better. Maybe, this was just a cleansing of past wrongs without hope of righting them. Nevertheless, he needed this time with Pepper and she deserved to know why he’d pulled away when he did.

After speaking to the valet, he placed an arm around Pepper’s shoulder. “I told him to call us a cab. Your car will be left in Jimmy’s private garage and I’ll leave my SUV for Zion.”

“Okay.” She really wasn’t concerned about her car, it would be safe with Jimmy. “Where are we going?”

“To my place. I’ve been wanting you to see it for a long time.”

The distance from the villa on Lake Travis to downtown Austin didn’t take long. At this early hour on New Year’s morning, the traffic was very light. They didn’t talk much on the way, only a few comments on highway construction and the price of gasoline. As the cab exited off Mopac and neared the newly renovated area where Judah’s loft was located, Pepper finally broke the silence. “This is awkward, isn’t it?”

Judah stroked her hair. She had no idea how much he’d missed the privilege of touching her. “It doesn’t have to be, I take full responsibility for what’s happened. I know I hurt you, but I was trying to protect you.”

His incomplete explanation only made Pepper more anxious. The cab’s arrival at the front of his building, prevented her from responding. She waited while he paid the fee, then escorted her up to the entrance. A doorman greeted them. “Happy New Year, Mr. James.”

“Same to you, Fredrick.”

They moved to the elevator and with every step, Pepper’s nervousness increased. “I don’t know what I’m doing here,” she confessed. “So much has happened.”

“I know.” Judah wasn’t wearing blinders. He knew he didn’t deserve her consideration, much less her forgiveness. “Just hear me out. I don’t know if you’ll forgive me or not, I don’t know where we can go from here.” He stepped up to her, framing her face. “All I know is that I can’t live with you hating me.”

“I don’t hate you, Judah.” She could say that with complete truthfulness. “I never did.”

Pepper held his gaze until the elevator stopped, then they stepped apart and he held the door for her to disembark. “After you.”

“Thank you.” The elevator had opened inside his loft and she was momentarily taken aback by the sight. Everything was ultra-modern, stone and stainless steel. The far wall was complete glass, looking down on the portion of the Colorado River called Lake Austin. “How beautiful.” She glanced at Judah, seeing the well-deserved pride in his face. “You’ve really arrived, haven’t you?”

He took her wrap. “My success, without you, has been bittersweet.”

Pepper shook her head, trying to dispel her confusion. He kept saying these strange things.

“Excuse me a moment,” Judah said. “Please have a seat, I’ll be right back.” He hurried away, heading for the bathroom. He wanted to take his meds. If there was a time when he needed a clear-head, it was now.

Pepper waited for him, staring out into the night, a million thoughts running through her head. She really had no idea what was about to happen, what he would tell her. The news that he’d been blackmailed seemed so shocking, she couldn’t imagine the circumstances that would lead up to something so extreme.

“Pepper.”

She rose at the sound of his voice.

“Do you want something to drink?”

“Water?” Her mouth was dry and her heart beat was fluttering so much that she felt lightheaded.

“Water, sure. Hold on.” He went to the kitchen and filled a glass, glad to do anything he could for her. “Thanks for coming, you don’t know how many times I wanted to call you. To talk to you.” As he filled the glass, he spilled some. “Damn, look at me, Pepper.” He set the glass down and faced her. “I’m shaking like a leaf.”

Pepper couldn’t stay away from him. “I don’t know what’s going on, but whatever it is, you don’t have to be afraid to tell me. I’m your biggest fan, remember? And I’m not talking about Judah James, the musician. I’m talking about Judah James, the man.”

Judah brought her the water, holding her gaze as his fingertips grazed hers when she accepted the glass. “You humble me, Pepper.” While she took a sip of water, he stood not more than six inches from her. His body reacted to her nearness, his cock growing hard and thick with the memory of how it felt to be enveloped in her warmth. “I haven’t been with anyone since you.” The confession tumbled from his lips unbidden.

Pepper felt a flush rise on her neck. “Me either.” Her admission would be no surprise, he was her first. She’d slept with him, not just because she desired him, but because she loved him.

The tension between them was electric. Judah raised a hand to cup her neck. “God, I want you. I want you so much.”

She moved nearer to him. “I’m here.”

He closed his eyes. “You’ll never know how tempted I am to sweep you up in my arms and take you to bed. Bury myself as deep into you as I can get. Lose myself in your beauty.”

His words captivated her. Hypnotized her. She lifted her head, offering him her lips.

“Temptress.” Judah soothed her bee-stung lower lip with his thumb.

Her lips tingled, they still felt tender and bruised from the passion of their earlier embrace. If she licked them, she could still taste him. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t eat. Her mouth was good for nothing but kissing him again.

“I feel like the pearl of great price is slipping through my fingers.” He smiled at her unsure, searching gaze. “After I tell you my great shame, you won’t want my kisses.”

“Impossible. I can’t fathom anything so dire.”

Judah let his hand drop to his side and bowed his head.

“Tell me why Ivana thinks she can threaten you.”

He held her gaze with darkly, burning eyes, then turned from her and walked toward the window. Pepper followed. Just being close to him was a pleasure. She needed his touch, she needed the heat and strength of his hands on her body, she needed to feel him touching her once more. Pepper didn’t claim to understand the laws of attraction, the laws of chemistry that could explain why she felt that he was part of her, that he belonged to her. All she knew was that from the moment she saw Judah, she’d recognized him, their bond surpassed any familial ties she’d ever known.

“Talk to me, Judah. I’m here.” Her body thrummed for him, she ached to take him in her arms, to give him anything he needed that she possessed. Remembering his past words, she gave him the comfort he always seemed to seek. “I’m real.”

With those two simple words, he whirled around, throwing open the gates of secrecy that had kept him imprisoned for so long. “Ivana found out something I’ve been hiding. As you could see, she has a secret of her own that she doesn’t want exposed. She was using me to cover up her lifestyle choice. In exchange for my protection and a contract establishing an arrangement between us, she agreed not to reveal a secret of mine that she stumbled upon.”

Tears sprang to Pepper’s eyes, she couldn’t imagine the pain he’d been going through to make himself vulnerable to a woman who treated him with such selfish contempt. “Go on.”

“A few years ago, I changed.” He took a deep, bracing breath. “This was before I met you.” The memory brought a tender light to his dark eyes.

“How did you change?” She searched his face for an answer. “I don’t know how you were before, but I sure liked the guy I first saw in the reflection.”

Reflection. His whole life seemed like a warped reflection of something that should be normal and natural. “I got sick.” He guessed that was a proper assessment.

“Sick?” As she watched his face, the light went out of his countenance as clearly as if she’d snuffed out a candle. “What do you mean, sick?” All she could think was the big C word. Cancer. Oh, God, please don’t let it be cancer. Or MS. Or…

Judah’s throat felt so constricted, he didn’t think he could go on. Swallowing, he shook his head. “I started seeing things. Hearing things. Experiencing things that weren’t real.”

Pepper felt an instant of relief. That didn’t sound so bad. It wasn’t life threatening. “I’m not sure what you’re saying.” Her legs and arms trembled and her diaphragm seemed paralyzed. She was afraid to let go of the air in her lungs, afraid she wouldn’t be able to draw more in.

Judah dry-scrubbed his face, his chest became so tight, he thought he might have a heart attack. There was no doubt about it, he was surely out of his mind – both for experiencing these head trips and for thinking it was a good idea to tell the woman he longed to build his world around the truth – the horrible truth. Biting the bullet, he said it – he just said it. “I have a mental disorder.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She shook her head, clearly rejecting what he had to say. “You’re perfect. If you have a disorder, the rest of us should be so lucky.”

An unseen hand gripped his heart and twisted it. Pepper stood up to him, defending him from himself. She was such a fierce kitten. “I have problems. I constantly fight to know if what I’m seeing or hearing is actually there. At times, it’s obvious...”

Seeing him struggle to tell her about his trouble called forth every protective instinct she possessed. “Now, I understand the song, Are You Real? You’ve said that to me before.”

He nodded. “Yes, I have.” Judah took her by the hand. “Let’s sit.” He stopped to look at her inquiringly. “That is, if you want to stay. If I’ve totally disgusted you or scared you witless, I’ll understand if you want to leave.”

“You’d have to throw me out to make me leave.” She let him lead her to a large white sectional sofa.

Judah sat down beside her, trying to decide what to say and what not to say. “Without warning, inanimate objects start up a conversation with me.” He saw her eyes widen slightly. “Isn’t that crazy? Water coolers. Fire extinguishers. Why, the day I first saw you on the street, three houses that I passed had a pissing contest on who could insult me the worst. Trees sing me songs. Some of my biggest hits were passed along to me by the big oaks on campus.”

Immediately, Pepper was transported back in time to Magnolia House, where she sat on the wide verandah with Miss Susannah Montrose and heard her relate how the flowers were singing to her. She felt her heart dip in her chest. At that moment, if she could’ve taken Judah in her arms and taken away his pain, she gladly would have. Now Pepper understood how Cady felt, when she received a call to heal someone with her powers as an empath.

Healing Judah was her new goal in life.

When Pepper didn’t say anything for the longest, he thought he’d lost her. “You’re appalled. I understand. I’m appalled and I’m the one it’s happening to.”

Pepper’s world was spinning, but she couldn’t allow him to believe that she was put off by his confession. Shocked, yes. “Appalled, no.” She eased closer to him, giving him a clear signal to put his arm around her shoulders.

He took the hint.

“Tell me more.”

As if he were receiving leeway to unburden his soul, Judah began to talk, telling her of the things he’d suffered. “The really disturbing thing is when the visions look real. Not chairs or coffee pots talking to me, but people. Recognizable people.”

Big reveal. Rising from the couch, he put distance between them. “I know this is going to sound craziest of all, but you have been my most frequent visitor.”

This did shock her. “I wonder why?”

“Probably because I needed you the most.”

He stood across the room, as solid and stalwart as one of those oaks who gifted him with song. To Pepper, he was all in the world that she wanted to cling to. With a cry of total surrender and yearning, she ran to him, throwing herself in his arms.

Amazed, Judah caught her to him as she wrapped herself around him, burrowing her face into his chest. “I’m so glad I could bring you comfort.” She gazed up at him and he was enchanted when her eyes caught the moonlight from the night sky as the full golden orb hung heavy in the heavens. “Just don’t let the memory of me become dearer to you than…” She took her hand and placed it over her heart. “…than this me, the real me.”

“Pepper, I’m telling you that I see hallucinations. I get visited by doppelgangers of people I know, images of folks I’ve never met before. I’ve been diagnosed with schizophrenia.”

“I understand what you’re telling me. I don’t know very much about schizophrenia.” But, she could learn. Her mother’s words came back to her. 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. If you push everyone away who might be a little different than you, there’s no telling what blessings you might miss. “Does what they tell you help you?”

Judah thought about his answer. “Sometimes. Sometimes their words are harsh, but it’s something I need to hear. Sometimes, they tell me things I know, but haven’t considered in a while. And sometimes, they bring me new information that proves to be right and useful.” He frowned. “And sometimes, they’re just mean.”

Pepper melded herself to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, as if she had no intention of being apart from him again. “Please don’t push me away again and don’t be afraid to tell me anything. I want to know it all.”

A warm happiness flowed through him at her admission. He’d be a fool to push her away. Pepper trusted him. Even in his broken condition, she trusted him. “I want you to read my journal, I want you to know everything.”

“I will.” She intended to find out all she could, do research. “If you don’t want to answer questions I ask, don’t.”

“Ask me anything.” Judah had never felt freer.

“When the doctor diagnosed you, did he prescribe anything for you to take?”

“Yes, I have gone through several medications, trying to find the best combination. As there are downsides to the illness, there are downsides to the cure.” He cleared his throat. “Well, not a cure. There is no cure. This is something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.” Something anyone who cares about him would have to live with for the rest of his life.

She understood. “Chemo and radiation are almost as bad as the cancer…but, sometimes they allow you to live.”

Judah tugged her to him, holding her as tight as he could without hurting her. “You’ll never know what a relief it is to tell you this. I wanted to, but I dreaded it. I imagined all sorts of ways that you might react.” He kissed her on her cheek. “This is not what I expected.”

“You should have. There are millions of people out there who think they know you. You don’t know them, but they follow every scrap of news about you there is available. They have an opinion about your personality and your character. They like you. If they were to hear that you had a…condition, I don’t think their opinion of you would be changed, I think their opinion of the condition would be altered.”

Judah chuckled. “Who are you, Pepper McCoy? To have so much insight. So much compassion.” For the first time, he found himself considering going public with his diagnosis. He knew everyone wouldn’t react the way Pepper had, she was amazing, but more people might be sympathetic or empathetic than he’d ever dreamed. Yes, some would be judgmental assholes. His thought made him smile. But…Pepper gave him hope.

“I’ll tell you who I am.” She placed a small, soft hand on his face. “I’m the woman who thinks you’re the grandest thing in the world.”

Judah couldn’t ignore the heat he saw in her eyes, not without reaching for her. He couldn’t witness those beautiful lips championing his case without wanting to kiss them. “Come here, angel. Will you let me make love to you?”

“Yes, please. Let’s put all our misunderstandings behind us and start the new year right. My mother used to say that whatever you do on the first day of the year, you’ll do all year.”

“I love that idea.” Catching her up in his arms, Judah marched through the loft and down the hall to his bedroom. When he went to place Pepper on his bed, she clung to him so fiercely that he had no option but to sink down with her. It pleased him no end that she refused to turn him loose.

“I’ve dreamed of this,” she told him. “I’ve ached for you.” Thrusting her fingers into his hair, Pepper lifted her face to layer her mouth to his. Her kiss was urgent, urging him closer, tearing at his clothes in a desperate bid to touch him all over.

Judah helped her, removing his clothes and helping her strip off her own. “We don’t want to tear this pretty dress.”

“Don’t care,” she muttered, rolling to one side so he could undo her bra. “Help me.”

Her frustrated little cry made him smile, Judah couldn’t have resisted her for the world. “Hold still.” He skimmed off her panties as she lifted her hips. Once they were unclothed, he took a moment to reacquaint himself with her beautiful body. Without a doubt, Penelope McCoy had the most magnificent body he had ever seen. “I want to look at you forever.” Long, perfectly sculpted, golden legs curved up to a sweetly rounded bottom that angled perfectly to a waist he could span with his hands. Her back was smooth, the ridge of her spine clearly defined. Her breasts were full, high, and firm, tipped with succulent cherry nipples. “God Almighty, you are fine.” Gently he traced the curve of her hip to her waist, then to her shoulder, his fingertips dancing delicately on her skin. Folding her close, he covered her face, eyelids, and temples with kisses.

Pepper felt the heat rise inside her, her pulse beating so hard, it echoed in her ears. “Kiss me, Judah, I’ve missed you so.”

“I’m so glad you’re here with me,” he whispered as he stroked her trembling body, his lips joining hers in a searing kiss. His tongue laved her, exploring her mouth, while his hands moved over her back, soothing her, warming her, kneading her muscles and caressing her skin. His erection throbbed between them, thick and hot against her hip.

Their kisses grew wild and passionate, Judah’s blood ran hot, his head dizzy, his pulse off the charts. Pepper molded her body to his, fitting her petite, soft shape against his big, hard one. He knew in his heart that she’d been perfectly created just for him.

His hands slid up from her waist to cup her breasts, teasing the swollen nipples until she whimpered her arousal. She loved this, she’d missed this wild, restless wanting. Moaning and writhing, she arched to him, relieved when his mouth closed over one nipple and he began to suck, swirling his tongue across the hard nubbin until it swelled hard and throbbing. “Oh, my God, Judah.” She twisted her fingers into his long hair. “I want you so much,” she told him as he worshiped her breasts.

The trust she manifested as she allowed him access to her body made him weak with relief. His hand slid between her legs and cupped her, as his lips refused to leave the full, lush banquet of her tits. He ravished the mounds with slow, sensuous strokes of his tongue and every doubt and fear he’d harbored faded away.

She moaned her need as he rubbed her softness, her hips arching, pressing up against the strength of his hand. She melted into him, tracing her fingertips in wonder along the strong cord of his neck.

Everywhere she touched him, her fingers trailed fire. Judah was the one shivering now. His hands knew exactly what they wanted as his fingers traced lacy patterns along the inside of her thighs.

“You’re burning me alive,” she whispered.

“Give me time, baby,” he smiled against her breast, “give me time.”

Rising above her, Judah blanketed her body, reclaiming her mouth, then he sat back just to look at her. Shameless and unafraid, she lay there supine, moonlight pouring over her skin and starlight in her hair. Her eyes were bright with promise and her smile assured him that there was nowhere she’d rather be than with him. Need for her slammed into him like a runaway freight train. She lifted her hand to touch his face. “I think you’re wonderful, Judah.” She encircled his wrist, her fingers not quite reaching around it, tugging him down until she could embrace him fully, her small palms moving softly up his back and over the strength of his shoulders. She kissed him along the line of his jaw, then down the side of his throat.

He returned the favor by trailing his lips from the silky line of her neck, down the valley of her breasts until he came to the heat of her pussy.

“Judah!”

Judah cupped her ass and held her still while he explored her pink center with his lips and tongue. She was so turned on, it didn’t take long before her world shattered and Pepper shuddered as wave after wave of ecstasy rocked through her body. She bucked, thrashed, kenning mindlessly as Judah pleasured her, stroking and teasing until she was begging him to take her. “Please, please, I can’t wait.”

“You don’t have to.” He moved up her quivering body, blazing a path with his kisses, gathering drops of dewy passion from her skin with his tongue. “God, I love you,” he whispered the magical words as he covered her lips and kissed her anew.

A thrill of unsurpassed joy swept over Pepper. “I love you too, so much.”

Judah folded her into his arms and lifted her, going to his back and bringing her on top of him to lie along his body. For a few breathless moments, his hands moved over her, his palm luxuriating across the silk of her back, caressing her small, rounded hips. With hands and mouth he paid homage to her breasts, then he eased her to a sitting position, slipping a hand between her thighs to caress her clit. “Take me inside you.”

“Okay.” Going to her knees, she eased back until she could see the proud, jutting length of his manhood. To Judah’s deep shock, she bent and kissed the tip, stroking him with her small hand from root to tip. He trembled in her grasp, bucking his hips up for more. She angled over him, spreading her thighs, and guided the head of his cock into her welcoming heat.

“Fuck, yea,” he growled at the miraculous pleasure of feeling her velvet softness close around him. She whimpered deep in her throat, digging her nails into his pecs as she worked herself down on his thick shaft. “Make yourself feel good, baby,” he encouraged as she lifted and fell, sinking down on him until he was buried to the hilt within her tight channel.

Pepper bent forward to kiss the hollow of his neck, feathering kisses up to his lips. She would have raised up, but he collared her neck, wanting to keep his mouth on hers and her hands on him for eternity. “Now move,” he whispered against her mouth.

With a smile of feminine mystique, she began to undulate over him. Up. Down. Around. Back and forth. Pepper made love to him. Shivers and sparks of desire danced all over his body. She was incredibly sexy as she moved over him and he showed his eternal appreciation by suckling at her breasts, trailing kisses between them all the way up to her sweet, plump lips. He reveled in her beauty as she rode him, her movements becoming more frantic and passionate with every rise and fall of her body. He cupped her tits, covering them with his palms and gloried in the pleasure he saw on her face. Moaning, he thrashed his head from side to side as she rocked over him. His hips lifted, his hands at her waist, thrusting up into her wet sheathe.

Pepper closed her eyes and relished every second until she felt the earth shift and with a cry of ecstasy, she flew into the night sky and soared among the bursting stars. Judah shouted her name, his shoulders jerked beneath her palms, and she felt him jet liquid heat deep inside her. Her head dropped to his chest and he held her until their breathing eased to normal.

“Are you okay, baby?” Judah asked as he soothed her hair across her shoulder.

Pepper rubbed her face against the furring on his chest and sighed with contentment. “I’m with you. I’m perfect.”

He tightened his hold on her and closed his eyes. “Me too.” He kissed her head. “Don’t leave me, okay?”

“Never,” she whispered. “Never.”

They drifted off to sleep.

When Pepper awoke, it was to Judah’s kisses. He was cuddly and playful. “You’re just a big Teddy bear, aren’t you?”

“I’m happy,” he said simply. “Happier than I’ve been since last I held you.” His teasing kisses escalated quickly to passionate ones. Their caresses heated and without being asked, Pepper widened her thighs and made a place for him. Desire rose between them, so strong it couldn’t be denied. “Mine, you’re mine, Pepper. Nobody else’s.” He ravished her mouth and joined himself to her with a whisper of relief as she accommodated him in the soft, hot haven of her body. The joy of their union swept over them and he plunged deep, touching her soul. She wrapped herself around him with abandon and Judah became intoxicated with love. He claimed her, possessed her, pleasured her, bringing them both close enough to the sun to touch the face of rapture.

Sated, they lay together until the enticing smell of fried bacon caused them to lift their heads. “Is someone here?”

“No.” Judah chuckled. “On days that I’m scheduled to be here, I have someone deliver breakfast from the hotel down the street. “Come on, a feast awaits.”

They rose from the bed and readied themselves for the day. As they ate together, their mood was light and joyful. “I can’t believe we’re together again,” Pepper said with contentment. “I never dared hope. I thought you were forever out of my reach.”

He gave her a dazzling smile, which quickly faded. “Do you think you can handle this? My problem?”

“What I can’t handle is being without you.” She raised his hand to her lips and kissed it. “Let’s take this one day at a time, shall we?”

“Sounds good to me.” He wove his fingers with hers, unwilling to not be touching her. “Are we together now? As in public?” Judah waited for her answer.

“Yes, if that’s what you want.” Pepper quivered with anticipation, she felt as if she was hovering on the brink of something inexplicably wonderful. “How about Ivana?”

Judah frowned. “Let me handle her. How about your family? Are you going to tell them?”

A vibrating buzz from her purse caused Pepper to draw it from her bag. When she saw the notifications, she groaned, “Sooner rather than later. Heath’s calling and I have thirty-two messages.”

Needing to put her big brother out of his misery, she answered. “Good morning.”

Immediately, she held the phone about two feet from her ear. Judah laughed as he saw her face and overheard Heath McCoy ranting on the other end of the line.

With a reassuring wink, she brought the phone near and began to ease her brother’s mind. “I’m perfectly fine, Heath. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I’m with Judah.” As she spoke, she kept her eyes on the man she loved. “No, he’s not married.” Pause. “Or getting a divorce.” Another pause. “I’ll explain when I see you. Yes, I’ll be home soon. I love you. Everything’s perfect.”

Once she hung up, Judah gazed into her eyes. “Was that tough?”

She exhaled loudly. “Very. They’ll get used to the idea, it might take a little while. I’m the baby of the family, after all.”

“You’re my baby.” He kissed her again, more content than he’d ever been. “I have rehearsal today and a meeting with some suits from the NFL.”

“The NFL?”

“Yea, I might be headlining the Super Bowl if I play my cards right.”

Her eyes lit up. “Wow.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “When we’re together, I forget how big you are.”

Judah palmed his crotch. “I don’t see how you could forget something like this.”

She swatted his thigh playfully. “Stop, you know what I mean.”

“I do and that’s what I adore about you. You see me. You care about me. Not some image or persona or bank account.”

Pepper slid off the stool and into his arms. “I’m so proud of you.” She cradled him close. He seemed perfect to her. She wanted to ask him how he felt, but she didn’t want to treat him any differently than she would’ve before. When she went home, Pepper planned on learning all she could about what he was going through. The more she knew, the better she’d know how to help him – if help was necessary. “I know you have a lot to do. If you’ll take me back to Jimmy’s to get my car, I’ll go home and pour oil on the waters. I don’t know what your schedule looks like tonight, but if you can make it, you’re invited to supper. The quicker my family comes to know you, the quicker they’ll love you as I do.”

“All right, I like those plans. Let me get through my day and when it’s over, I’ll come to you.” Judah enfolded her in his arms and closed his eyes, a prayer of thanksgiving lifting heavenward from his heart.