“Yeah, that kid is clearly an asshole.”
But then Pepper turns to me.
“Can I ask you about your relationships?”
I nod.
“Sure, although there isn’t that much to say. Since Felicia and I split, I’ve dated around, but none of the women have really captured my interest.” I pause, a rueful expression on my face. “Jesus, did I sound like the most arrogant asshole around, or what?”
Pepper giggles and I realize I like it when I make her laugh. It makes me feel like I’ve done something wonderful.
“Maybe just a little bit.” She squeezes my hand. “But I get what you mean. Wyoming can feel really barren for both sexes, I think.”
Soon, we pull up to my alma mater and the University of Wyoming is magnificent. There’s a gorgeous courtyard surrounded by lush green trees with a variety of yellow, red, purple, and orange flowers planted in front of each building. Jake, Mindy’s husband and my best friend, could probably tell me the name of each varietal. As it is, I’ll settle for referring to them by color.
This time I get out of the car in time to help Pepper from the vehicle. As she steps out, I touch her cheek, and she smiles up at me. She’s a head shorter than me and it feels so right. Our connection is electric, even doing something as humdrum as this.
But then Pepper snakes her arms around my neck, looking up into my eyes. “I missed you, you know.”
I close my eyes and press my face against her strawberry smelling hair. “It’s only been a couple of days since we were together,” I tease. She hits me gently in the arm, and I laugh. “But I missed you too.”
She stands on her tiptoes to kiss the underside of my chin. “Show me around, Rob.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I take her hand, and after a quick stop at the meter to pay for parking, lead her onto campus.
“Is this where you met Jake?” she asks curiously. She’s referring to my college friend cum son-in-law.
“That’s right. We lived on the same floor that first year.” I take a deep breath and look out at the campus. “That was more than twenty years ago. I can’t believe it’s been so long.”
She giggles.
“What was it like when you were a student?”
I shrug and grin at her.
“It was fun. I didn’t start taking classes seriously until my third or fourth year.”
“Really? You? Not taking school seriously? I thought you were Mr. Straight and Narrow from the way Mindy talks about you.”
I laugh. “Hardly. You’d be surprised at all the crazy stuff Jake and I got into. It was all parties and drinking and then cramming for midterms in panic mode.”
She giggles.
“Wow. I can’t even imagine you being so wild.”
I shoot her a look, just out of the corner of my eye. “Are you sure?” When she blushes, I know she’s remembering how roughly I made love to her. How I dominated her body, making her take me deep.
“Well, maybe you’re right.” She leans closer to me, her hip bumping against mine, and I kiss her temple.
We walk for a little while, enjoying each other’s company, until hunger pains strike. Then, Pep looks up a nearby pizza restaurant, and we start strolling over.
“I don’t regret my time here,” I say. “I started out a sociology major, but I switched it to biology when I realized I wanted to do something in medicine. That’s how I got interested in becoming an EMT.”
“Oh really? I think want to do something medical-related too,” she muses. I squeeze her hand.
“You thinking of becoming a surgeon, sweetheart? Or maybe an RN?”
She gives me a small smile and shakes her head. “No, no. I want to be an ultrasound tech. I love babies, and I think it’s really precious to see the babies while they’re still in the womb.”
“You’re following your dreams. That’s admirable, Pepper, and I agree. Babies are special.”
“Thanks. It’s just that my parents … well they…” she trails off, her forehead scrunching. “Hey, could we get our food to go and find somewhere on campus to eat? I want to tell you about something, but I want to do it kinda privately.”
“Sure,” my voice sounds calm, but my heartbeat has picked up again. Her parents, Marcy and Peter, are nice enough. I’ve met them because our daughters know each other, and from what I remember of the Whites, they adore Pepper. “Is everything okay?”
She nods. “I’m fine. When I tell you, I’m sure—or at least, I hope you’ll understand why I’m being weird about this.” I merely squeeze her hand and smile. I’m glad we’re getting close because I want Pepper comfortable around me, especially if the talk turns to family.
7
Pepper
* * *
We get our food and wander around campus a bit to find somewhere quiet to eat. The University of Wyoming is gorgeous and soon we find a bench that’s perfectly shaded beneath a tall tree. I’m hungry, so we eat for a little while in comfortable silence before I take a sip of my soda and clear my throat.