The Widow and the Orphan Read Online Free PDF Page B

answer.” Pepper socked him in the arm, making tea slosh over the sides of his cup.
    Instead of offering any kind of contrite apology, Gabe snickered, which earned him another punch in the arm. Pepper was not amused.
    “What the fuck, Gabe? Didn’t you think I’d freak out?”
    “Honestly, I did not. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. Would you like a cup of tea?”
    Remembering that, fewer than a couple of minutes ago, she was sound asleep, Pepper rubbed her eyes and yawned. “What time is it?”
    “A little after seven.”
    “No, thank you. I’ll make myself some coffee.”
    Pepper moved through the kitchen, still highly irritated. She whipped open the cupboard door to get the coffee filters and the toasted almond grounds she liked. She banged the door shut and then proceeded to make all sorts of annoying noises as she set the coffee maker to work.
    “Are you finished?” Gabe lounged against the island. He dunked his teabag in and out of the cup lazily, the sparkle of humor lighting up his eyes.
    “No. And I may not be for quite some time,” she responded, flipping him the bird. “In fact, I may just be pissy all day, if you aren’t careful.”
    Gabe’s laughter was hale and hearty. Pepper felt her anger surge for a second or two, and then pop like a soap bubble in the bath. She couldn’t really stay mad at him. Panicking just because he wasn’t in bed was no way to stay calm in an emergency situation. What if he had been passed out on the kitchen floor, or somewhere else in the house? Running around like a chicken with her head cut off and screaming certainly wouldn’t have accomplished anything.
    “All right, all right. I overreacted,” Pepper admitted as she sat across from him with her cup of coffee loaded with half and half.
    “Yes, you did. I told you, love, I was dehydrated and tired yesterday.”
    “That may well be.” She sipped a little before continuing. “But how long were you on the floor of the shower before I got home? And how much longer would you have been there if I hadn’t shown up?” These were points that hadn’t really occurred to her until just then. After crying in his arms for longer than she cared to admit, Pepper and Gabe laid down together in bed, fully intending to get back up and have dinner. They had fallen asleep and made it through the entire night instead.
    “I hadn’t been there but a minute.” Gabe avoided looking at her and pushed his cup around, swooshing and swirling the tea inside. “And you did come just then. Call it providence.”
    “I call it bullshit,” Pepper spat. “How long has it been since you’ve been to the doctor? Had a physical?”
    Gabe frowned and shook his head. “Totally unnecessary. I’m fine, I assure you.”
    “Pffft.” Pepper rolled her eyes and took another swallow of coffee. “I don’t deny it was probably an isolated incident. But don’t you think it’s better to be safe than sorry? I know if I passed out for no good reason, I’d be heading straight to the doctor.”
    “That’s the thing, there was a very good reason why it happened. I was dehydrated and tired. How many times must I say it?”
    Pepper shook her head. “I’d buy that if you knew for sure it was the exact reason why it happened. But you don’t know. Call your doctor, Gabe. Make an appointment.” She drained her cup and stood up. “Promise me.”
    “All right, love. I promise.”
     
     

Chapter 6
     
     
    “ Make him go.” Viv’s tone was sharp, driving another nail through Pepper’s already pounding head.
    “I can’t make him do anything.” She sighed and ran her fingers through her blonde hair. Pepper hadn’t been sleeping well in the week since the shower incident and she felt a tiredness in her bones she hadn’t experienced since the time she took care of Vivienne after her mother died. She hated feeling exhausted. She was always the peppy one, full of vim and vigor. To be anxious and tired was not her general state of being