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Pepper wrapped the cape around her and tried to focus on her work instead of the concerned pinch of her mother’s brows.
“Are we touching up the roots today or doing something more dramatic?”
“I’ve had enough drama in my life the last few days,” she answered. “Let’s just cover the grays it caused.”
“Okay,” Pepper said. “I’ll just run in the back and get your color mixed up. Do you need anything?” She started to pull away, but her mother’s hand shot out from under the cape and grasped her wrist.
“I need you to sit down for a second and talk to me.”
Pepper glanced nervously at Sarah. Her client had just left and she was on the phone. As if she sensed the tension, Sarah looked at her for a moment, then disappeared into the back room. Bless her. “Here?” she asked.
Kate nodded. “Please, Pepper. I heard about what happened between you and Logan the other day.”
“I don’t really want to talk about that, Mama.”
“Pepper—” she pleaded.
“No, there’s no point. Grant and I broke up, so there’s no need to worry any longer about your children fighting or of me falling into the wicked clutches of the Chamberlains. I’ve lost the best relationship I’ve ever had because of your choices, so I hope you’re happy.”
“Happy?” Kate looked at her with an expression of pure disappointment. “Why on earth do you think any of this has made me happy? My kids aren’t speaking to each other, or to me. My daughter is miserable and I worry my son is on the verge of challenging his biological father to a duel in the square. Do you think this is how I wanted things to turn out for my children?”
Pepper frowned. “No, probably not,” she admitted, slumping down into Sarah’s styling chair.
“Despite what you might think, I didn’t set out to ruin your life, Pepper. The minute I got pregnant, I was trapped in a no-win situation. Norman was out of the picture and I was left with a handful of unpleasant choices and no one I could turn to but your father. When he said he would marry me and we would raise the baby as his, it was like a last-minute pardon. I didn’t think about how it would play out thirty years later, and for that, I’m sorry. But I wasn’t worried about what Logan would think if he found out the truth years later. I was just trying to get through those next few weeks and months.
“If I could go stand in the square and announce my sins to the whole town to make you and Logan happy, I would. I’d gladly accept my punishment for being young and stupid. But I can’t. This isn’t my choice anymore. It’s Logan’s choice. You were right when you insisted he had to know
the truth. But now that he does, what happens is up to him. I will support whatever decision he makes. Just as I’ll support any decision you make.”
Pepper glanced at the doorway to the back room, but there was still no sign of Sarah. She knew her mother was right. It was easy to blame her, but in the end, she knew her mother had done the best she could with what she was given.
“That includes making the choice of dating a Chamberlain. I’m sorry I gave you so much grief about that. You’re a smart girl. You’re not going to make the same mistakes I did. I should’ve been more supportive.”
Pepper’s gaze searched her mother’s face for signs she was lying, but found only sincerity there. “Thank you for saying that, Mama.” That was a huge concession on her part.
“I’m sorry to have to say it too late. I hate that you and Grant split up. You seemed really happy with him, despite the toll it took on you because of your pigheaded family.”
Pepper shook her head, dismissing all the second thoughts she’d had since their fight ended. “That’s okay. It’s better this way,” she insisted.
Kate’s mouth drew tight with concern as she watched her daughter. “Do you really believe that, Pepper?”
Pepper looked at her mother with no answer coming immediately to mind. She supposed that meant she didn’t believe it. Her chest started to tighten uncomfortably at the thought and she was suddenly on the verge of tears. She didn’t want to cry at work. She’d depended on staying busy to get her through this.
Sarah walked back into the room just then. Taking this as her cue to end the conversation, Pepper stood up. “I’m going to get that color mixed up. I’ll be right back,” she said, disappearing into the back room before she completely lost it.
“Let’s go for a walk, big man.”
Grant latched the leash to the collar of his new dog, Chopper. After he and Pepper broke up, he’d gone the next Saturday to hunt down a more suitable companion. When Grant saw his name on the cage, he knew that was his dog. Only a guy who drove a Harley could appreciate a dog named Chopper. He was a mutt of the finest pedigree, adopted from the animal shelter in Pell City. He was part hound dog, part whatever got over the fence, with long floppy ears, rusty red fur, and sad brown eyes.
He reminded Grant a little of Pepper, actually, but he wouldn’t hold that against the dog. The best part was that he could take Chopper with him to the fire station. A few years back, they’d had a Dalmatian named Hydrant. Hydrant retired and now stayed at home with Paul’s kids. When Grant mentioned getting a dog to Mack, he’d worried about leaving him home during his long, twelve-hour shifts. Mack had told him that he was welcome to bring the dog along once he was cleared to come back to the station. Grant still had a few more days before he could return to work.
On the plus side, the bandages were gone and he didn’t have to take any more pain medication. The stitches were removed from his head and he was almost feeling back to normal. Well, except for the giant, aching hole in his chest that the antacids didn’t relieve, and that had nothing to do with the accident.
Grant and Chopper went down the stairs and started their evening stroll through downtown Rosewood. They started up Second Avenue toward the square and the park. It was slow going at first, as Chopper stopped to sniff and christen every tree, rock, tire, and post. They were stopped to investigate a tree across the street from Anthony’s Auto Shop when he noticed the lights were still on in the office. The shop had closed for the day a while ago. Perhaps Pepper’s mom was still working, although that was Vince’s truck, not Kate’s sedan parked in the back.
He must be feeling good enough to return to work. Good for him, Grant thought. He knew that Pepper worried a lot about her dad. About her family, in general. He still didn’t know what was going on between her and her brother, what she couldn’t talk to him about, but he figured it probably had something to do with a family affair. In retrospect, he should’ve realized that and respected it. As much as he pushed for honesty, he should know that not everyone wanted to air their dirty laundry. He certainly wasn’t about to stand on a street corner with a sign that read NORMAN IS AN ADULTERER.
Chopper started pulling on the leash, so Grant continued on down the street. It wasn’t until he saw Vince come out of the back of the garage and wave at him that he stopped again. He wasn’t exactly sure what he would say to Pepper’s father, but it would be rude to ignore him.
