I squinted.
Something moved outside.
I blinked, uncertain if I was just seeing what I wanted to see.
The barking faded to the background. I touched the window.
The shadow drew closer.
It looked to be the right height.
When it almost reached the door, I threw it open.
“Pepper.”
She rushed inside, but I caught her fearful look over her shoulder before the door closed. What had happened to her?
Sadie barreled toward her, almost knocking her down. The dog whimpered and squealed in a way I’d never heard from her before.
Pepper knelt. Sadie attacked her with kisses. And then she was surrounded by the other dogs, who all wagged their tails and swiped at her face with their big tongues.
Pepper laughed and petted whatever wiggling greyhound body she could reach.
I tried to see if she was hurt. By all appearances she seemed okay.
Miss Adeline stood and ambled to the giant pile.
Pepper stood and threw her arms around the old woman. They hugged for a long time with eyes closed.
When they finally broke apart, Miss Adeline held her at arm’s length.
“I’m okay,” Pepper whispered. “Looks like they are too.” She pointed at the dogs with her chin.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again.” Miss Adeline shook Pepper.
“I don’t plan to.”
Beau glided over, apparently giving them all the time together she could stand. She yanked Pepper in for a hug. “What happened?”
“Who did this?” Lincoln asked.
She’d yet to look at me.
I wanted to take her in my arms. Feel that she was safe and here despite that I could see she was.
There seemed to be a chasm between us. One that was palpable. One that I wanted to erase.
“Are you hurt?” I asked hoarsely.
She shook her head, but still she refused to look in my direction.
“What happened?” Beau asked again, this time more gently and less urgent.
Pepper squeezed Miss Adeline’s hands. “How did you find them?”
Naturally, her first concern was the dogs. It always was. That was one of the reasons I admired her so much.
“They showed up back here. Without you.” Miss Adeline spoke quietly. There was almost a silent question at the end of her statement. The one Beau had already asked twice.
“They tried—” Pepper’s voice caught, like she didn’t want to think about what had led us to this point.
“Should we call the authorities?” Lincoln asked, phone in hand at the ready.
“No,” she answered quickly. She stooped once more to pet Sadie. Her comfort crutch. “I appreciate all of you being here, but I’m exhausted.”
“Of course, you are,” Miss Adeline said before any of us could protest.
Part of me wanted Pepper to get the rest and recovery she needed. The other part was desperate for answers.
I glanced at Lincoln, who shook his head. Don’t push it. He didn’t have to say it. I understood completely.
“Can I make you some tea?” Beau asked. She didn’t get the message to let Pepper be.
“No. Thank you, though. All of you.” Her slight smile was tired but genuine.
“I’ll walk you up.”
Finally, her eyes met mine. “I’m good.”
I didn’t want to let her out of my sight. “I’m not.”
She released a long breath of acceptance and moved toward the stairs.
“Rest well. We’ll be here when you need us,” Beau called.
Pepper turned and nodded.
We were quiet as we trudged up the steps. Sadie, Muffy, and Ash were right with us, their nails clicking on the hardwood.
I followed her wordlessly through the apartment. She shrugged off her coat and laid it over a kitchen chair. Her overalls had a dirt streak down the leg. Not one caused by a dog paw. Her hair was a mess with strands of it loose from what was left of her ponytail.
She looked the same if not a little worse for the wear. But she looked different. All the things I adored about her were in place, yet I felt the invisible barrier between us.
“They can be . . . a lot,” I said when we reached her room.
She sat on the edge of the bed and tugged off her boots. They landed with a thud a few feet away. Sadie jumped up and made herself at home on the pillows. Her watchful gaze was glued to Pepper.
Ash stayed beside me, and Muffy stood next to the bed close to Pepper.
“You all shouldn’t have worried. I’m fine,” she brushed off, back to looking anywhere but at me.
“Miss Adeline called me. I’ve never heard her like that.”
Pepper swallowed hard. “I didn’t mean to scare her.” She lifted her gaze to mine. “You were right.”
Bitterness laced her words.
“About what?” I didn’t give a damn about being right or wrong as long as she was here and safe.
“Walking the dogs late at night. It’s dangerous.” Her tone was robotic.
My stomach knotted. “Tell me what happened,” I whispered. Where have you been? Did someone take you? How did you get here? These were the questions I was yelling on the inside. She didn’t look harmed physically. A little dirty, but no bruises or cuts. But she’d been gone all night. She’d looked frightened. And yet didn’t want the police involved. Why? Something had happened.
“What would you choose? In a perfect world.”
I blinked at her, confused by the question. “I don’t—”
“If you could pick any life, what would yours look like?”
I stared, completely caught off guard by the question. She waited expectantly, tugging on the straps of her overalls.
The truth was—I liked my life. Yeah, I’d love it if my mom were here and if I had a better relationship with my father. And I wished Beau lived closer . . . preferably the same continent. But I loved my job—my old job.
In all the chaos, I’d temporarily forgotten I’d been fired.
What did I have left besides my brother and sister . . . and Pepper?
Because it was starting to get difficult picturing my life without her. When I got that call from Miss Adeline, I’d never felt panic like that. While we waited, I’d never been more helpless.
I leaned on the dresser. Ash sat on my feet.
“I’m not sure. Other than a few things, I’m happy.” I sounded uncertain, like I needed more time to think things through.
“I am sure.” She reached for Sadie with one hand and Muffy with the other. “I have the life I want.”
“Pepper . . .” What she said made no sense. I understood the words and what they meant, just not how they fit into the context of the moment.
“I have a decision to make. And I’d like to sleep on it. Unfortunately, this one”—she pointed at Sadie—“is going to start barking in oh, about half an hour.”
And then I saw it. How tired and weary she was.
I was sick of the distance between us.
I pulled her into my arms. She dropped her forehead to my chest and didn’t resist me.
For the first time in hours, I took a full breath.
“Don’t worry about the dogs. You rest.”
“I don’t have that luxury,” she mumbled. “And I’m guessing you’ve been up all night too.”