The Widow and the Orphan Read Online Free PDF Page A

Viv’s finger never stopped waggling.
    Vivienne grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a shake, her own mouth forming a loving smile.
    “Are we clear? Do you get it? Don’t make me spell it out, too!”
    “Yes, Viv, I got it. No more presents.” Pepper nodded and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.
    “Good.” Vivienne winked, then turned to walk back to the kitchen.
    “For a while,” Pepper mumbled.
    “ I heard that! ”
     
     

Chapter 5
     
     
    Pepper drove home with a renewed sense of purpose. She was going to make sure she was there to help Vivienne in any way she could and to hell with Will butting in and telling her what to do. Why did I listen to him in the first place ? Without having any other family left, Pepper was it for Vivienne. She would be the surrogate sister, mom, Auntie, and best friend all rolled into one. It seemed like things were finally falling into place in a good way for both of them.
    Turning the corner onto her street, she enjoyed the trees that lined the block, giving her some relief from the beating sun. Their subdivision was higher end to be sure, but she was glad they didn’t live in some remote mansion along Mulholland Drive. Pepper always liked to be in the thick of things. The ultramodern, four bedroom home she and Gabe shared fit right in with all the other houses and gave her a sense of normalcy. The last thing she thought of herself as was the model girlfriend of a movie mogul.
    When she pulled into the driveway, Gabe’s car was already there. Pepper couldn’t wait to tell him about her afternoon. As she raced into the house, she called out for him. “Hey babe! Where are you?”
    She didn’t get any answer, so she took the stairs two at a time. It was just about dinner time and he couldn’t have been home long. As she reached the top of the stairs and headed for the bedroom, she could hear the water running in the shower.
    Slowing her pace, Pepper tossed her purse onto the bed and kicked off her shoes. Humming a little to herself, she reached around to unzip her black, pencil skirt. As she turned to walk into the bathroom, the movement of her hips made the material slide down and fall to the floor where she stepped out of it. Pulling at the buttons on her purple silk blouse, she peeked into the bathroom to make sure Gabe was in the shower and not otherwise occupied.
    He was crumpled in a heap on the shower floor, the water splashing his inert body.
    “Gabe!” she screamed, closing the gap in three long strides. She threw open the door and fell to her knees, grabbing his arm and flipping him onto his side. He moaned and twitched, proving that he was still alive. “Gabe! What’s wrong?!” Panic shot through her like zap of electricity, while the hot water soaked through her top and plastered her hair to her face.
    Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, small droplets of water splattering off his lashes. “Pepper?” His face was pasty white and stood out against the gray stone tile that made up the shower. She felt his cheeks and forehead, trying to see if he was hot or cold, but it was impossible to tell.
    “I’m right here. It’s okay. What happened?” She helped him to sit up and he continued to try and focus his eyes. Pepper wanted to run and call 9-1-1, but was too scared to leave him alone. She grasped for the faucet to turn off the water.
    “I’m not sure,” he whispered, leaning his back against the wet tile of the shower stall. “I was showering and then…”
    “I’m calling an ambulance,” Pepper announced as she tried to stand up without slipping and falling. Gabe’s hands didn’t have their usual strength, but she was surprised at the grip he managed to produce.
    “No, don’t.”
    “Are you kidding ?” She tugged, trying to get away, to get to her phone.
    “I’m all right now. I think I must have fainted.”
    Pepper glared at him, but it was out of sheer fright more than anything else. She stared at his face as he took slow, deep breaths.