Page 39 of The Love Duet
More silence before she said, “Fine.I’m going to choose to trust your judgement, Mom.However, I want to meet this man when I come home, and I want Dad to meet him, too.”
“Of course,” I semi-lied.“And I promise to call you every day with updates on what’s going on.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you more, Leah.”
After hanging up, I glanced around the living room, the lights bright in an otherwise dark neighborhood.It was also almost midnight, and so I knew that I needed to get to bed soon, though sleep was probably a pipe dream at this point.Still, continuously checking all the windows and doors wasn’t going to help anybody.
Letting out a bracing sigh, I dialed Tullie, hoping for the best, and when he answered on the first ring, it was safe to assume that the news of the break-in had made the rounds already.Though Macon was a big enough town to need a Costco, it was still small enough that privacy was a privilege.
“I was five minutes away from heading over,” he said in lieu of a greeting.“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I promised.“How did you hear?”
“Joanie Hull decided to post it on social media, and well...Ryan Starr ended up calling me...”He trailed off, the details not important.“You should have called me first, Pepper.”
“Tullie, I’m fine,” I repeated.“I called Leah and Roxie already, and Leah agreed to stay with you when she comes home.At least, until we find out what happens with the guy.”
“Pepper, we’re not that divorced couple,” he said, his voice a bit rough, his version of a reprimand.“I care what happens to you, and that means that you are going to tell me everything that happened, and we’re getting you a security system first thing Monday.”
Grateful that my ex-husband was a decent human being, I told him everything, including how Josiah was still sleeping in my shed, and it wasn’t until two hours later that I was finally in bed, sleep not coming for another two.
Chapter 5
Pepper~
I wasn’t a huge coffee person, but I needed it this morning, and I was probably going to survive on it all day long.I hadn’t gotten any sleep last night, and it’d been about more than just my attack.Knowing that Josiah had been sleeping on the floor of my shed after having saved my life had been unsettling, and that’s why I was knocking on my own shed so early in the morning.
When the door swung open, I handed a rumbled Josiah Austin a mug of hot coffee.“I’m not sure if you’re a coffee person or not, but I thought you could use a cup.”
“Thank you,” he said as he took it from my hand, his voice a gruffy roughness.“I used to live off it when I was in the service.”
Jerking my head towards the house, I said, “Join me for breakfast.”
“Pepper-”
“Please,” I said, interrupting his protests.“I already cooked for two, and it’ll just go to waste if you don’t join me.”
“Well, aren’t you a gifted manipulator,” he quipped before taking a sip of his coffee.
“We all have our own talents,” I quipped back, grinning.
“Is it okay if I leave my stuff here?”
I nodded.“Absolutely.”
Once we got settled in the kitchen, I prepared his plate, making sure not to pile it on too high.Being homeless, my guess was that he didn’t eat much, and I didn’t want him to get sick.Plus, there was plenty more for seconds if the first plate wasn’t enough.
When I took my seat across from him at the table, I said, “I’m going to get very rude and very personal, but you can tell me to shut up at any time.”
Josiah smirked, and even through the dirty scruff, I could tell that the man was good-looking.“Considering that you didn’t have me arrested for trespassing, ask me anything that you want.”
“Why don’t you work?”
“I have PTSD from my last tour, and...well, once all the veteran support centers shut down in this town...I just...that online stuff doesn’t work for me,” he answered.“My retirement stipend isn’t enough to live off of, so...it’s amazing how one little thing can turn into a pit of quicksand before you even know it.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to move to another town for the support that you need than stay here?”I asked, very aware that I was sounding rude, but I was genuinely curious.
