The Widow and the Orphan (18 page)

Gabe loosened his bow tie, letting the ends dangle on either side of his neck. How in the bloody hell had something like this happened? He stood in the kitchen at the back of the Stafford Inn, hoping that any still-departing guests would not become privy to the impending drama. Pepper was perched on a kitchen stool, looking impish, albeit gorgeous, in her wedding gown splayed around her. She was nibbling on a cold crab cake. In spite of everything, Gabe’s heart was filled with love for the beautiful woman he had married a few hours ago. He could tell she was tense by the way the voluminous material surrounding her legs wafted as they bounced and her back remained long and straight.

Aiden leaned against one of the stainless steel industrial refrigerators, his face pale and looking like he was about to toss his cookies.

“Get ahold of yourself.” Gabe hooked his arm around the young man’s neck and pulled him close. “It’s not your fault.”

“Of course it’s my fault!” Aiden’s voice cracked and he pulled away to pace around. “I didn’t open the FedEx. I didn’t answer the calls.”

“You said it yourself, no message, no call back.” Pepper’s words were forgiving, but her tone was not. Gabe knew he would need to play peacemaker between the two of them. No matter how close they had become since meeting, he knew Pepper better. She would want to rail against someone, and Aiden would be next in line behind Gladys Mercer.

“It’ll all get sorted. Let’s not lose our heads or say anything we don’t mean.” Gabe tilted his chin down, pleading with Pepper with his eyes. “Aiden, why don’t you go check and see if all the guests have departed? If so, have Will and Vivienne join us.”

Aiden nodded and trotted out of the kitchen.

“Don’t be so harsh, love.” Gabe walked over to her and planted a kiss on her cheek. He stood behind her and rubbed her shoulders, trying to loosen the tight muscles.

“Fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck, Gabe. I mean, really?” Pepper tossed the food down onto a napkin. “I know he didn’t do this on purpose, but still. If he’d only opened that damn letter.”

“But he didn’t. What’s done is done.”

“Pffft, this coming from the guy who fires his assistant at least once a week for not getting the right ballpoint pens.” Pepper sighed and dropped her head into her palm. “Could it be true? Could this kid really be yours?”

Gabe rested his chin on the top of her head and hugged her from behind. “I don’t know, darling. I honestly don’t. What if he is? Will you still love me?”

Pepper snorted. “Oh, for cripe’s sake, of course. The look on your face when she said Gavin was yours was priceless. I could have knocked you over with a feather. If you were that surprised, you obviously didn’t know anything about a long lost kid.”

Gabe exhaled and fear seemed to leak right out of his body with the breath he had been holding in. If Pepper could accept a situation like this, then he knew everything would be all right.

* * * * *

Pepper watched as Will and Vivienne entered the kitchen, followed by the little boy named Gavin and his witchy grandmother, Gladys. What she wouldn’t give to smack that old hag in the mouth. Gabe watched as well, his eyes glued to the child.

Turning her focus on the boy, Pepper found herself suddenly amused. The tee-shirt he wore said ‘innocent bystander.’
Ain’t that the truth
? He looked kind of small in his baggy jeans, shirt, and beat up black and white converse high tops. He didn’t look any less fearful than he had back in the garden. Pepper got off the stool carefully, managing not to get hung up with the folds of her gown. Ignoring Gladys, who still had a firm grasp on his hand, Pepper bent down at the waist. “Hey kid. Are you hungry? You want something to eat?”

Gavin shrugged his shoulders a little bit. He looked at his grandmother, but she only glared at him.

“It’s okay. Come on.”

Pepper circled his shoulders with her arm, essentially body blocking Gladys, and led him over to one of the stools, inviting him to hop up. She pulled a plate toward him that had bits of the fried macaroni and cheese on it, along with some of the salmon from lunch. “You like fish?”

Gavin still wasn’t speaking, but reached for one of the fried squares. He popped it into his mouth and chewed, his face breaking out into a wide smile. “Thank you.”

Pepper ruffled his hair. “No problem. Eat up.”

Gabe appeared at her side with a fist full of napkins and a can of Sprite. He still had eyes only for Gavin. Pepper took the napkins and pop and set them down. “In case you get thirsty.” Taking her husband by the arm, they moved away from the table toward the kitchen’s doorway into the main house. She scanned the room for Aiden and motioned for him over with a crooked finger.

“Watch out for him for a while, would you? I don’t think this conversation is something he needs to hear.”

“You got it.” Aiden’s eyes were pleading with her to forgive him and Pepper melted. It was obvious by his pale face that he was as upset, if not more, than she was.

Pepper put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Thanks.” At the last second, she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered into his hear.
I’ll give him some shit later
.

“I’ll stay, too,” Will offered.

“Thank you, my friend.” Pepper gave him a smooch, as well. What would she do without this circle of support?
Probably be in the mental ward by now
. “Shall we?” She looked up at Gabe, willing him to focus on her instead of the boy.

“Uh, yes. Let’s go into the sitting room.” Gabe led everyone out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into the grand parlor near the front of the house.

“Ya coulda offered me somethin’ ta eat,” Gladys groused when they were all gathered.

“Should I–” Vivienne hooked a thumb backward toward the kitchen. Pepper nodded and watched her best friend scurry from the room.

“Gladys, I’m not sure I understand exactly what’s going on.” Gabe paced back and forth.

“Don’tcha remember Tanya?” The old lady’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“Yes, of course. We were together for ten years.” Gabe glanced at Pepper and she nodded. She had known he had a previous girlfriend and that didn’t bother her a bit. She didn’t even mind that this girlfriend might have gotten pregnant and had a kid without telling him.
I mean, what can you do about that
? What
did
bust her chops was the fact that all of this crap was happening on their wedding day.

“After Tanya left for America, I never heard from her again. Why wouldn’t she have contacted me before now?”

“I ain’t got the slightest notion. She didn’t come back to Kentucky when she got back to the States. She traveled around for another ten years ‘fore showin’ up on my doorstep. Only back a month ‘fore she got killed in that accident. We wasn’t on speakin’ terms until a few days before she died.” Gladys’s nonchalant tone was making Pepper’s head pound.

“Gee, I can’t imagine why,” Pepper muttered, then turned her back so she could escape Gabe’s disapproval.

Gladys sighed as if she was being inconvenienced and the sound grated on Pepper’s nerves. “Okay, fine, I know it’s your weddin’ day. I guess I oughta apologize for bustin’ in. But I can’t take care of the kid no more. It’s too much. It was bad enough when that whore of a daughter of mine showed back up draggin’ him along. Then she up and dies on me.”

Pepper focused on Gladys and noticed for the first time just exactly how exhausted the woman looked. The wrinkles around her eyes led to some serious bags beneath them and the corners of her mouth were creased downward. Her eyes were about as lifeless as they could be for someone who was still upright and breathing. None of it mattered. Pepper had zero sympathy for this broad. Maybe she could have, if she’d been polite about crashing her wedding.
She’s got no right to be here, doing this to us
.

“How did you even know where we were, or how to find us?” Gabe motioned for her to sit and finally she did.

“I know how to use a computer and the internet. I ain’t
stupid
.”

“No, you’re just a bitch!” Pepper spat.

“Pepper!” Gabe splayed his hands. “That’s enough.”

Vivienne rushed in with a plate of leftovers from the kitchen. She set it next to Gladys, nearly spilling the food, and went directly to Pepper’s side. “Sit down, come on.” Pepper allowed herself to be pushed down into a chair, but she wasn’t happy about it. She truly didn’t give a shit about herself. She was furious that Gabe’s day was ruined. It wasn’t supposed to happen. This was supposed to be the best day of his life.

“Gladys, how can you be certain that Gavin is my son?”

“You saw him. He looks just like you.”

Gabe pursed his lips in thought. “That doesn’t prove a thing.”

Gladys rolled her eyes and reclined like a lazy cat, picking up a piece of food with her fingers. “Yeah, I knew you’d say that. He’s got papers in his bag. His birth certificate and some other stuff his mother saved, before the kid was born. If that ain’t enough, go and get a blood test.”

Pepper snorted. “Oh, I think we’ll definitely do that. You can’t just leave him here with us, though. There are legal issues here.”

Gladys glared at her and then pointed a finger, speaking with a mouthful of food. “I don’t give a shit about any of your legalities. Your new husband is the father of that child. Keep him, give him away, I don’t care.”

Pepper’s eyes widened. She hadn’t heard someone be so callous about a kid since she left her own family more than twenty years ago. How could a grandmother not even care about her own grandson?

“I can see that nasty look on your face, honey,” Gladys spat, “and I don’t like you judgin’ me. My daughter was a tramp and a slut and she ran away when she was only sixteen. I didn’t hear nothin’ from her for damn near twenty
years
. And then she shows up with a kid, expectin’ me to act like nothin’ ever happened. Maybe in time we woulda come to some kinda understandin’, but she died. I’m old. I don’t see why I gotta be responsible for this situation.”

Pepper shook her head, suddenly feeling very tired.

Gabe sat down on the couch beside the old woman and clasped his hands before him. “I see your point, Gladys, but you can’t go anywhere until all of this is figured out. Why don’t you let us get you a room for a few days and then we can fly you home. We’ll even reimburse you for the train tickets.”

“Why are you offering to give this woman money?” Pepper shouted, coming out of the chair and advancing toward them.

Gladys sneered and thumped her fist on the arm of the couch. She hopped to her feet and pointed a finger at Pepper for the second time. Pepper wanted to lean over and bite it right off her hand. “I don’t need your charity. I got a big settlement from the accident that killed Tanya. I can pay my own way. I already told you. Keep the kid, put him in an orphanage, whatever you want. I’m goin’ home tonight.”

Without another word and before anyone could stop her, Gladys clutched her bedraggled purse to her chest and left, leaving the newlyweds completely shattered in her wake.

“Darling, I’m so sorry about all of this.”

Gabe paced back and forth in their honeymoon suite, his tuxedo jacket discarded and tie flapping loosely around his neck. Until the wedding got crashed, he had looked almost like his old self and Pepper had pushed her earlier concerns deep inside. Now, he looked exhausted and drawn, worry lines creasing his forehead. Her worry and fury at Gladys’s stunt warred in her brain, giving her the start of a pounding headache.
Put it away, Pep
.
Focus on Gabe, now
.

“Don’t apologize again,” she admonished. “I don’t blame you a bit. I can’t be mad at you for something you didn’t even know about.”

Gabe’s face was full of uncertainty. “That’s very gracious of you, but you’d have every right to be fighting mad.”

Pepper’s shoulders bobbed up and down with a shrug. She was still in her wedding gown, but had her legs curled up beneath her as she perched in one of the wingback chairs. “Oh, I’m pissed as hell, but at that old hag, not you. What good is that going to do? Right now, I’m confused. What the hell are we gonna do?”

Gabe settled in the chair beside hers and shook his head. “I haven’t the slightest idea. I suppose first thing in the morning we’ll need to call my lawyers.”

“There goes the honeymoon,” Pepper chuckled, but swallowed it when she saw Gabe’s shoulders slump in defeat. “Honey, it’s okay! I was just kidding. It’s not a big deal. Taking care of this kid is way more important.”

Gabe sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “What if he
is
my son, Pepper?”

Her bottom lip pooched out with sympathy. “If he is, he is. We deal with it.” She stood up and stepped in front of him, placing her hands lightly on his arms. “This is not the end of the world, Gabe. We’ve been handed shitty deals, but this is
not
one of them.”

“Do you suppose he’s all right with Aiden? Maybe I should have stayed with him.”

“We needed a minute to breathe, babe. Gavin is fine.”

Gabe pulled her down to sit on his lap and hugged her tightly. “I knew our wedding day would be memorable, love, but I never would have thought about something like this.”

“Oh, admit it. You planned the whole thing. You just wanted to be more of a drama king to trump my drama queen.” She chucked him under the chin and then placed a feathery kiss on his lips. “Try not to worry. Let’s just get through the rest of the day and take one minute at a time. All right?”

Gabe nodded, but didn’t let her go. After a few minutes, she eased herself off his lap and turned her back to him. “Unzip me?” He complied and Pepper gently stepped out of the gown, picking it up to lay it on the bed. The cool air in the room made her skin prickle while she stood there in her wedding lingerie. She was surprised and then disappointed when she saw a familiar passion flare in his eyes.
Damn
.
Now
?

“We should probably get changed and check on Gavin. I guess we’ll have to go home tonight, since we won’t be leaving in the morning.”

His shoulders dropped again, but the twinkle didn’t disappear. “Yes, that’s probably best.”

Pepper grinned at him and placed a finger to her chin. “I’ll just have to save all my wedding night surprises for another time.”

Growling, Gabe shot up out of the chair and had her in his arms in a hot second. He crushed her lips with his and let his hands roam along her back. Breaking the kiss, he whispered into her ear, “Who needs a wedding night? We’ve got a half hour.”

Pushing on his chest for only a second, Pepper melted against him. “Oh, what the hell?”

Grabbing his head between her hands, she sealed her mouth against his and twirled so that she fell back onto the bed, bringing Gabe down on top of her.

As his kisses grew more fervent and his hands ran along her sides, Pepper let the drama of the day melt away. All thought ceased and she lost herself in the passion that consumed them both.