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“I’m not letting you be a marshmallow.”
I’d keptthat promise but failed him anyway. My throat closed as if I were back in the smoke. I held in the cough I wanted to let out. It was like I was in that house without my oxygen tank.
Spots dotted my vision. An arm linked through mine again but it wasn’t enough to help me breathe.
Just a few more minutes. A few more minutes.
I could make it through this. If I could get out of my own head, I’d have a better chance. But the rain started to fall and suddenly my perspective was eye level to the coffin. A white one with deep pink roses on top.
Mom.
An umbrella opened above my head. People stirred around us.
“Teague.” Beau’s soft voice dragged me back to reality. “It’s over.”
But I couldn’t move. I wanted to run. But I was stuck.
The crowd dispersed. In the distance, a welcomed sight in a raincoat and overalls leaned against the tree. And I could finally breathe air into my lungs.
I took a full breath.
She silently acknowledged me but remained in place.
Pepper.
Maybe I had three people I could count on no matter what.
“Ready to go?” Lincoln’s worried stare awaited me.
“Yeah.”
When I looked back for Pepper, she was gone.
Chapter Forty
Pepper
“Curtains installed tomorrow.”
I shrugged off my raincoat and hung it on the coatrack. Water dripped onto the floor.
I shook out my wet hair. “That’s great news. I’m not going to ask how you managed that so quickly.”
Miss Adeline pretended to buff her nails. “Magic.”
I surveyed the room. Muffy trotted over, and I bent to pet him. “It feels different in here.”
We’d had such a crazy busy day, I hadn’t stopped to notice . . . well, anything. The dogs from the New Jersey track hadn’t been with us long, but there was an emptiness without them here.
“Vivian called. Said everyone is fine.”
I appreciated her thoughtfulness to check in. Though we’d only dropped off the dogs a few hours ago, I was still apprehensive. Had we dumped too much responsibility on them?
“That’s good.” I shivered, the cold setting into my bones. “No visitors?”
That inspector might be back at any time. But I was thinking of closing the door separating the front and back area and hiding away out of sight until the curtains were up. Maybe that was the coward’s way, but I really didn’t want to see that man again.
“All quiet.” She leaned back in her chair and studied me. “You going to tell me where you went off to in such a hurry?”
