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Sympathy welled up in him. This shouldn’t have happened to her. Pepper was the sweetest, kindest soul. She deserved only the best in life. It was probably the reason she’d dumped him as soon as he’d let down his guard with her. Beneath the stylish haircut and the expensive clothes, he was a damaged soul.
He gave himself a mental shake. This wasn’t the time to consider himself. Right now, Pepper needed all his attention.
As a tear trickled down her cheek, he gently swiped it away. “Shh... Just rest for tonight.”
“Tomorrow...” Her eyes closed.
Tomorrow would come too soon for both of them. Tomorrow she would have to relive the pain of loss all over again. And he would once again experience that helpless feeling. But that was then and this was now.
He retrieved another blanket from the closet and laid it over her. She was still fully dressed and that couldn’t be comfortable to sleep in, but he wasn’t going to disturb her. The fact she was sleeping was miracle enough. He hoped in her sleep she was able to escape the nasty reality of her life. He wished for her the sweetest dreams.
He stopped next to her. A strand of hair lay across her face. He reached out, moving it to the side. She didn’t stir.
It was then that he noticed the tear tracks on her pale cheeks. Sympathy welled up in his chest. He bent over and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. If only he knew how to make this better for her...
He reached for the switch on the bedside light. His hand paused in midair. If she were to suddenly wake up, she would most likely be disoriented. But the constant glare of the light might stir her from some much-needed rest. In the end, he turned it off, hoping she would sleep through the night. He walked softly to the doorway. He paused and glanced back. She hadn’t moved at all. She was out cold.
As he moved toward the master suite, he couldn’t help but recall their early morning chats. If he didn’t know better, he’d have sworn she’d taken him down memory lane just to torture him. But he knew she wasn’t a vengeful person. Tonight, she’d just needed the comfort she found in those memories.
When the sun rose and reality settled in for both of them, it would be quite apparent that too much had happened for them to go back in time and rekindle that friendship. She could stay until other reasonable arrangements could be made, which should be as soon as the insurance company released funds for temporary lodging.
Until that time, he would keep his distance. It was best for both of them.
But just in case Pepper awoke during the night and needed anything, he left his bedroom door ajar. After changing out of his clothes, he lay in the dark. He stared at the ceiling because he knew sleep would be illusive. Sure enough, his thoughts of Pepper kept him awake long into the night.
CHAPTER FIVE
HE WAS WORRIED.
Maybe they should have gone to the hospital last night.
The following morning, Simon was sitting in the living room at ten o’clock. He’d had his first, second and third cup of coffee. He’d skipped his routine of going to the gym because he wanted to be around in case Pepper needed anything. And she still hadn’t roused.
Should he go check on her? After all, he did say he was going to keep an eye on her. Wasn’t it his responsibility to make sure she was fine?
He folded the morning paper that he’d skimmed without really noticing anything on the page. He kept thinking of Pepper and remembering her look of utter devastation. He’d never
seen anyone look so distraught. He couldn’t blame her. He knew how much she cared about the bakery. She was handling the loss far better than he would have should he ever lose Ross Toys.
He moved silently along the hallway toward the guest room. He paused. There were no sounds coming from inside. Maybe she was still sleeping. He glanced at his wristwatch. He doubted it. She was an early riser just like him.
It’s one of the reasons they’d become friends over this past year. And since the paparazzi debacle, he had really missed their friendship. He hadn’t realized just how much he looked forward to their early morning chats over coffee and a pastry in the wee hours before the bakery filled with people.
Because he’d let his guard down—because he’d allowed himself to get caught up in the moment—he’d lost someone who treated him like a normal person instead of like a boss or a rich man or an eligible bachelor. To Pepper, he’d just been a friendly face. And maybe it was selfish of him, but he wanted that friendship back. Would she be willing to give him another chance?
He raised his knuckles to the door.
Tap. Tap.
He waited. No response.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
“Pepper?”
Still no response.
He was really starting to worry.
