that skirt. A white blouse left her arms bare and gave her a fresh, cool appearance. She wore her dark hair up on her head, and no makeup that he could see—a planned strategy by most women, but in Pepper’s case, he was pretty certain he was looking at the genuine article.
He caught himself gazing at her maybe every other second when he was with her. With Toby and Josh in the backseat, he tried not to stare, but his eyes were prisoners to her allure.
His dad’s idea of making a family with Pepper kept buzzing around in Luke’s mind. They’d already made the family, he amended; now he needed to convince her that they could be lovers again. Only this time he wouldn’t be the green boy who couldn’t keep the condom adjusted, and she’d be all woman. The girl had been sweet, but the woman… The thought set him on high heat.
“We’re here, boys,” he said, stopping the truck. They scrambled out to look around with interest as his father stepped out on the porch. Children and grandfather stared at each other for a long time, sizing each other up. Luke thought about how brave these boys were being, and how many changes they were assimilating at such a fast pace. He was proud of them and couldn’t wait to get to know them better.
Without being prodded, they walked up on the porch, solemnly shaking their grandfather’s hand. Luke’s dad nodded, recognizing that hugs weren’t coming yet, but the smile on his face said he didn’t care. He’d dressed in his best clothes, as if he was going to church, and Luke could smell barbecue cooking at the back of the house.
“Hi, Dad,” he said, giving him a hug. “This is Toby and Josh. Boys, this is your grandfather.”
They looked at one another again, trying to decide what they all might mean to each other at this pointin their lives. “There are three-wheelers out back, if your dad says it’s okay,” the older man said, and the boys whooped, waiting long enough for Luke’s nod before tearing off to inspect them.
“You’ll have to ride with them,” his dad said to Luke and Pepper. “At first, to show them the safety rules.”
“Three-wheelers? Dad.” Luke grinned. “Did you rob a bank?”
“It was a small thing to do for ones grandkids.” He gave Pepper a kiss on the cheek. “’Bout time you showed up again. Some kind of doc you’re turning out to be.”
Pepper smiled at the teasing complaint. “I did bring my stethoscope and cuff, Mr. McGarrett.”
“I figured you would. By the way, my name’s Bill.”
“All right. Bill.” Pepper glanced at Luke, and he grinned.
“Guess he doesn’t mind your stethoscope anymore.”
Bill headed around to the back, with an energy in every step that hadn’t been there a week before. “Come on, you two. You have to see the three-wheelers. I’m taking pictures. I’ve decided to take up photography.”
Now that I’ve got a family to photograph, were the unspoken words.
Gratitude filled Luke; regret for the days when father and son might have been closer ebbed away. He was in the here and now—all he needed was to convince Pepper that the here and now was heaven.
From the stiffness in her posture as she watched her boys inspect the ATV’s, he knew it wouldn’t beeasy. He was going to have to go slow and gentle to win her. This time, he couldn’t count on luck.
P EPPER HAD GROWN UP on a ranch. She knew all about off-roading, and three-wheeling, and mud-dogging and even hot air balloons on special occasions. Kites, roller skating off the back end of a truck, campouts in the truck bed to stare up at the stars with friends and family—those were the benefits of living on a lot of land in the country.
But she wasn’t ready for her boys to be three-wheeling. As a doctor, she knew it was dangerous; as a mother, she was scared. But she sensed their world was changing, and that a man’s ways, thought processes and even his toys would be beneficial to her sons’ teen years—if she could unclench
He caught himself gazing at her maybe every other second when he was with her. With Toby and Josh in the backseat, he tried not to stare, but his eyes were prisoners to her allure.
His dad’s idea of making a family with Pepper kept buzzing around in Luke’s mind. They’d already made the family, he amended; now he needed to convince her that they could be lovers again. Only this time he wouldn’t be the green boy who couldn’t keep the condom adjusted, and she’d be all woman. The girl had been sweet, but the woman… The thought set him on high heat.
“We’re here, boys,” he said, stopping the truck. They scrambled out to look around with interest as his father stepped out on the porch. Children and grandfather stared at each other for a long time, sizing each other up. Luke thought about how brave these boys were being, and how many changes they were assimilating at such a fast pace. He was proud of them and couldn’t wait to get to know them better.
Without being prodded, they walked up on the porch, solemnly shaking their grandfather’s hand. Luke’s dad nodded, recognizing that hugs weren’t coming yet, but the smile on his face said he didn’t care. He’d dressed in his best clothes, as if he was going to church, and Luke could smell barbecue cooking at the back of the house.
“Hi, Dad,” he said, giving him a hug. “This is Toby and Josh. Boys, this is your grandfather.”
They looked at one another again, trying to decide what they all might mean to each other at this pointin their lives. “There are three-wheelers out back, if your dad says it’s okay,” the older man said, and the boys whooped, waiting long enough for Luke’s nod before tearing off to inspect them.
“You’ll have to ride with them,” his dad said to Luke and Pepper. “At first, to show them the safety rules.”
“Three-wheelers? Dad.” Luke grinned. “Did you rob a bank?”
“It was a small thing to do for ones grandkids.” He gave Pepper a kiss on the cheek. “’Bout time you showed up again. Some kind of doc you’re turning out to be.”
Pepper smiled at the teasing complaint. “I did bring my stethoscope and cuff, Mr. McGarrett.”
“I figured you would. By the way, my name’s Bill.”
“All right. Bill.” Pepper glanced at Luke, and he grinned.
“Guess he doesn’t mind your stethoscope anymore.”
Bill headed around to the back, with an energy in every step that hadn’t been there a week before. “Come on, you two. You have to see the three-wheelers. I’m taking pictures. I’ve decided to take up photography.”
Now that I’ve got a family to photograph, were the unspoken words.
Gratitude filled Luke; regret for the days when father and son might have been closer ebbed away. He was in the here and now—all he needed was to convince Pepper that the here and now was heaven.
From the stiffness in her posture as she watched her boys inspect the ATV’s, he knew it wouldn’t beeasy. He was going to have to go slow and gentle to win her. This time, he couldn’t count on luck.
P EPPER HAD GROWN UP on a ranch. She knew all about off-roading, and three-wheeling, and mud-dogging and even hot air balloons on special occasions. Kites, roller skating off the back end of a truck, campouts in the truck bed to stare up at the stars with friends and family—those were the benefits of living on a lot of land in the country.
But she wasn’t ready for her boys to be three-wheeling. As a doctor, she knew it was dangerous; as a mother, she was scared. But she sensed their world was changing, and that a man’s ways, thought processes and even his toys would be beneficial to her sons’ teen years—if she could unclench
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