Read Online The Widow and the Orphan by J. Thomas-Like - Free Book Online Page B
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news, five thousand miles away, and there was nothing she could do. Except maybe go scoop cat shit.
Chapter 11
Standing at the end of the ramp, waiting for Gabe to come through customs, Pepper’s stomach churned over and over and she thought she was going to hurl right there. The seconds ticked by like they were hours and she couldn’t stand it. Bobbing up and down on her toes, she searched the sea of people coming through in waves. Once or twice, she thought she saw Aiden’s shock of blond hair, but she was wrong. Wrapping her arms around herself, she squeezed, trying to block the anxiety that was constricting her like a snake.
Finally, finally , she caught sight of Gabe’s face at the far end of the corridor and Pepper began jumping up and down like a lunatic, waving her arms and calling his name. She thought he might laugh at her antics, but he didn’t seem the least bit amused. His handsome face was stiff with irritation and his clothes were a disheveled mess. Pepper’s nerves were raw from worrying about what he would say when he finally got to her. There had been some strong words on the phone before he boarded his flight home. She had called him an idiot for not staying in the hospital. He had told her to mind her own business. She didn’t want to remember that now. Pepper wanted to throw her arms around him and hold on as tight as she could, but she found she couldn’t move now that he was there.
“Sweetheart,” he said and dropped his bags. He pulled her close and Pepper wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his neck, grateful that he made the first move.
“Oh my God,” she whispered into his ear. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” His jaw clenched and he spoke through gritted teeth. “I’m absolutely fine.”
Just then, Aiden walked up and stood behind them, setting his bags down too. He looked worse than Gabe, unshaven and rumpled. Pepper shook a fist at him and glared, but only for a second and then she wiggled her fingers at him. He hesitated, then shuffled closer so she could grab him and hug them both at the same time. Gabe stiffened, but allowed her to clutch them in each of her arms.
“You both look terrible.” She released them and then peered from one to the other. “Have either of you slept in the last two days?”
“No,” Aiden said softly.
“Some,” was Gabe’s response.
“Let’s get you home.”
There was no conversation while they maneuvered their way out of the airport and to the car. Pepper fished the keys from her pocket and fiddled with the button on the fob to pop the trunk. Aiden took it upon himself to heft all of the luggage, while Gabe went immediately to the passenger side and climbed into the front seat.
Pretending to help Aiden, Pepper took the opportunity to try and talk to him. “Is he going to tell me more about what happened?”
“I doubt it,” Aiden confessed. “He hasn’t spoken to me since he fired me.”
Pepper sighed. Gabe had jokingly fired Aiden on other occasions. Whenever anything happened that Gabe wasn’t happy with and Aiden stepped in to save the day, the boss would either fire him or agree when Aiden would say, “Am I fired? Can I go home now?”
“But is he okay ?”
“I have no idea, Pepper. He signed himself out of the hospital and I couldn’t communicate with the staff to find anything out. Plus, they wouldn’t have told me anything anyway because I don’t have any kind of authority. I’m only his assistant, not family.”
Pepper sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “Arg.”
“Yes, arg. My advice is to get him into the doctor for a physical ASAP. It might just be nothing. It could be that he was jet lagged and exhausted. But passing out is not something I’d take lightly.”
Pepper pulled Aiden in for a quick hug and thanked him. “I’m so glad you were there. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
Aiden managed a smile through his exhaustion. “Just get me
Chapter 11
Standing at the end of the ramp, waiting for Gabe to come through customs, Pepper’s stomach churned over and over and she thought she was going to hurl right there. The seconds ticked by like they were hours and she couldn’t stand it. Bobbing up and down on her toes, she searched the sea of people coming through in waves. Once or twice, she thought she saw Aiden’s shock of blond hair, but she was wrong. Wrapping her arms around herself, she squeezed, trying to block the anxiety that was constricting her like a snake.
Finally, finally , she caught sight of Gabe’s face at the far end of the corridor and Pepper began jumping up and down like a lunatic, waving her arms and calling his name. She thought he might laugh at her antics, but he didn’t seem the least bit amused. His handsome face was stiff with irritation and his clothes were a disheveled mess. Pepper’s nerves were raw from worrying about what he would say when he finally got to her. There had been some strong words on the phone before he boarded his flight home. She had called him an idiot for not staying in the hospital. He had told her to mind her own business. She didn’t want to remember that now. Pepper wanted to throw her arms around him and hold on as tight as she could, but she found she couldn’t move now that he was there.
“Sweetheart,” he said and dropped his bags. He pulled her close and Pepper wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his neck, grateful that he made the first move.
“Oh my God,” she whispered into his ear. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” His jaw clenched and he spoke through gritted teeth. “I’m absolutely fine.”
Just then, Aiden walked up and stood behind them, setting his bags down too. He looked worse than Gabe, unshaven and rumpled. Pepper shook a fist at him and glared, but only for a second and then she wiggled her fingers at him. He hesitated, then shuffled closer so she could grab him and hug them both at the same time. Gabe stiffened, but allowed her to clutch them in each of her arms.
“You both look terrible.” She released them and then peered from one to the other. “Have either of you slept in the last two days?”
“No,” Aiden said softly.
“Some,” was Gabe’s response.
“Let’s get you home.”
There was no conversation while they maneuvered their way out of the airport and to the car. Pepper fished the keys from her pocket and fiddled with the button on the fob to pop the trunk. Aiden took it upon himself to heft all of the luggage, while Gabe went immediately to the passenger side and climbed into the front seat.
Pretending to help Aiden, Pepper took the opportunity to try and talk to him. “Is he going to tell me more about what happened?”
“I doubt it,” Aiden confessed. “He hasn’t spoken to me since he fired me.”
Pepper sighed. Gabe had jokingly fired Aiden on other occasions. Whenever anything happened that Gabe wasn’t happy with and Aiden stepped in to save the day, the boss would either fire him or agree when Aiden would say, “Am I fired? Can I go home now?”
“But is he okay ?”
“I have no idea, Pepper. He signed himself out of the hospital and I couldn’t communicate with the staff to find anything out. Plus, they wouldn’t have told me anything anyway because I don’t have any kind of authority. I’m only his assistant, not family.”
Pepper sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “Arg.”
“Yes, arg. My advice is to get him into the doctor for a physical ASAP. It might just be nothing. It could be that he was jet lagged and exhausted. But passing out is not something I’d take lightly.”
Pepper pulled Aiden in for a quick hug and thanked him. “I’m so glad you were there. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
Aiden managed a smile through his exhaustion. “Just get me
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