Something Different/Pepper's Way (39 page)

“Marry me, beloved. Stay with me… forever.”

She swallowed again. “You’re not worried about—about hostages anymore?”

Thor bent his head to kiss her very gently. “I’ll always
worry,” he murmured. “But the difference is that now I know how empty my life was without them.”

“I love you,” she whispered, “and I want to be your wife more than anything in the world!”

He held her fiercely “I hope that means yes,” he said unsteadily.

Pepper slid her arms up around his neck, pulling his head down and telling him in the best way she knew that it did indeed mean yes….

It was some hours later and they were lying close together in the big four-poster bed when the conversation became rational again.

“Beloved?”

“Mmm, I just love that,” she murmured, moved oddly by his rough-edged endearment; neither of them tossed around endearments lightly. “What is it, darling?”

He drew her a bit nearer. “Would you have left me?”

“I’m glad we didn’t have to find out,” she said softly.

He chuckled suddenly. “You were gambling, weren’t you?”

“Well…”

“Oh, Lord. What have I let myself in for?”

Pepper snuggled closer, smiling contentedly. “The biggest poker game of them all, darling.”

“With a cardsharp yet!”

“But aren’t you glad I’ve got the winning hand?”

“In this game, beloved, I think we’ve both won.”

“I know we have.”

“And all the cards are wild.”

“Only one-eyed jacks and deuces, darling.”

“And the queen of hearts.”

“True. She cheats, you know—the queen of hearts.”

“Not a lady at all.”

“S’terrible. Just terrible.”

“Aces up her sleeves …”

“And love in her heart….”

Pepper gave the concoction in the pan a last stir and tasted it critically. “There’s
still
something missing,” she said to her canine audience, then made a hasty lunge at the large Siamese tom who’d leaped onto the counter. “Not while I’m cooking, Tut!” she said, putting him firmly back onto the floor. “Blasted cat—why’d you have to eat the recipe card, for Pete’s sake? Now I’ll never know what’s missing!”

King Tut cuffed an inquisitive Brutus without malice and then calmly sat down to wash a seal-brown paw.

“Some wedding present you turned out to be,” Pepper told him darkly. “Cody and his bright ideas! Fifi, stop trying to wash his ears; you know he doesn’t like it.” The Doberman retired to a corner with an injured expression after being soundly cuffed by the disdainful cat, and Pepper sighed.

“I live in a nuthouse.”

She glanced up at the kitchen clock and felt the warmth of Thor’s imminent arrival filling her. Just another few minutes now; he’d called as soon as the jet touched down. One more dangerous assignment completed successfully, she thought, and let her mind wander back over the past year.

Once having taken the plunge, Thor had opened up wonderfully He’d been concerned at first, she knew, watching her for any signs of the worry and dread both remembered from their respective mothers. But Pepper had been determined not to live in fear, and she hadn’t.

And they had discovered that although the leave-takings were never fun, the homecomings had been wonderful. Pepper had worked to turn the house into a home, filling time while Thor’s work claimed him and never letting herself brood.

There was nothing impersonal about their home now, nothing detached. Houseplants, knitted afghans, photos taken during the last year, and the items collected over Pepper’s years of travel now filled the house. The home.

Leaning back against the counter, Pepper absently watched Tut playfully attack Brutus’s tail. Thor had been immediately adopted by her friends during the past months, and Pepper had had the pleasure of watching him and Cody become closer.

Cody. Pepper giggled suddenly. She’d have to do something about Cody soon; he’d been footloose and fancy-free too long. He needed a wife to curb his mischievous ways. She thought of the peculiar sculpture that had been his gift on his last visit; he always brought something. The sculpture was a marvelous conversation-starter at parties, since no one seemed to be able to figure out what it was. It now graced the coffee table in their den, and Tut seemed strangely fascinated by it.

Still, Cody needed a home of his own. Pepper thought for a moment of the few unattached friends she had. Then she began to smile. Brooke, of course, and why hadn’t she thought of her sooner? Perfect. Just perfect. Now… how to get them together?

She pushed the problem to the back of her mind, confident that she’d think of something eventually. A larger problem loomed in her thoughts, prodded by the slight ache in her lower back. Damn, the doctor’d told her to rest every afternoon, but with Thor coming home she’d forgotten.

Uneasily she wondered if Thor was quite prepared for yet another hostage to fortune, this one a scrap of humanity with his own blood flowing through its tiny veins. It was the final, most irrevocable commitment of all, and one they hadn’t talked about. Unplanned, of course, and the doctor seemed a bit concerned about Pepper’s tiny pelvis, but Pepper herself was deliriously happy with the news.

Knowing her husband, she felt certain that Thor would be, too, once he got over the shock. She decided not to tell him that the doctor had predicted a cesarean delivery after hearing of her large husband. She’d break that to him later. For now… Pepper took a deep breath and patted her only slightly rounded stomach.

“There’s no going back now, sweetie,” she said, and giggled.

She heard the roar of the Corvette then, smiling as all three pets took off for the front door. She turned down the burner under her Irish stew—authentic, Jean would say—and waited in the kitchen to meet her husband.

Thor came in a few moments later, casual in jeans and a sweater. Tut was riding in his accustomed manner on one shoulder, Brutus was tucked beneath an arm, and Fifi frisked happily at his side. The cat was nattering in his loud Siamese voice, Brutus yapping excitedly, and Fifi whining.

Laughing gray eyes met hers from the doorway. “One man’s family,” Thor said wryly.

“Is it my turn yet?” Pepper asked meekly.

“Are you kidding?” He set the cat and dog on the floor, patted Fifi with an automatically soothing murmur, and reached for his wife.

Emerging from the embrace with very little breath to spare for speech, Pepper managed to say happily, “I just love homecomings!”

“Mmm. Me too.” Thor nuzzled her neck, breathing in the soft scent that was peculiarly hers. “You look very fetching today, beloved. I don’t often see you in a skirt.”

“I thought it’d be a nice change,” she murmured, not telling him that only the realization that all her jeans were too tight had sent her scurrying to a doctor.

“Very nice.” When the oven timer went off, he released her
with an obvious reluctance that delighted her. He sat down on a stool at the breakfast bar, watching her remove a pie from the oven.

“That smells good. So does whatever you’ve got in that pot.”

“Irish stew.”

“I’ll gain ten pounds.”

“If you haven’t by now, you never will.” Pepper turned off the oven. “Was it a rough one? It took less time than usual.” They’d learned to talk about Thor’s work, however briefly. It helped Pepper to know exactly what was involved in his work, and it seemed to help Thor as well.

“No, it was fairly simple. There was some high wind, but once it died down, we didn’t have any trouble.”

“Good.”

Abruptly Thor asked, “Have you seen Cody lately?”

Pepper set the pie aside to cool and looked at him in surprise. “Yesterday as a matter of fact. I ran into him in Bangor and we had lunch. Why?”

Thor grinned slightly. “If I were a jealous man…”

“You know better than that.”

“Thankfully yes, I do. Nevertheless, we’ll have to do something about Cody. I’d think your matchmaking instincts would be revolted by his continued bachelorhood.”

“They are, and I’m working on it.”

Looking interested, Thor asked simply, “Who?”

“Her name’s Brooke Kennedy, and you don’t know her; I’ll tell you about her later. Why’d you ask about Cody?”

Thor frowned. “Well, he left a package for me at the airport; I thought you might know something about it.”

“What kind of package?”

Wordlessly Thor rose and left the kitchen, returning a moment later with the package. It was a white box tied with a
bright red ribbon. He slid the ribbon off, removed the top, and propped the package up on the bar, revealing the contents.

Looking out of the box with bright button eyes was an average, ordinary, run-of-the-mill Teddy bear. Around its neck were two ribbons tied in bows, one blue and one pink.

Pepper stared at it, knowing that her mouth was open. Damn the man! How’d he guessed? She hadn’t told him a thing! Then Pepper realized that she must have been dreamy-eyed and vague after hearing the doctor’s news. Trust Cody to put two and two together, she thought wryly.

Thor was sitting on the stool again, gazing at the package with a frown. “I know Cody likes to add to the menagerie apparently, but why a stuffed bear, for God’s sake?”

Turning off the burner under the stew, Pepper crossed to stand between Thor’s knees, linking her arms around his neck with a smile. “Cody was just trying to steal my thunder, darling, and I’ll strangle him the next time I see him.”

“Steal your thunder?” Thor slid his arms around her, drawing her close. “What’re you talking about?”

“Well, he couldn’t have known for sure, since I didn’t say a word to him, but he must have guessed. And you say I have a poker face!”

“Pepper.”

“Well, I didn’t want to tell you like this, dammit. I’d planned a cozy dinner with candlelight and wine and soft music—”

“Pepper…” Thor was beginning to look nervous. “Just what are you trying very hard not to come right out and say?”

“I’m pregnant,” she said baldly.

“You’re … ?” Thor’s nervous expression acquired a dazed tilt. “You’re…”

“Pregnant.” She spelled it. “And I hope you don’t mind, darling, because I kind of like the idea. I mean, what’s one
more hostage? That front bedroom will make a marvelous nursery, don’t you think?”

“Nursery,” he murmured blankly. Bemused gray eyes stared into hers for a moment, then cleared suddenly. “Are you all right?” he demanded worriedly. “Why’ve you been cooking? Where’s Jean? She should be doing this!”

“Jean’s at her sister’s house; the poor woman fell and broke her leg a couple of days ago, and Jean’s helping out. And I’m fine, darling. You really don’t mind about the baby?”

“Mind? I—” Thor cleared his throat strongly. “No, I don’t— It’s just that I’ve never thought about being a father.”

“You have about six months to get used to the idea.”

“Six months?” He swallowed. “That’s not very much time.”

“You won’t need very much time.” Pepper smiled at him lovingly. “Daddy’s little man or Daddy’s little princess—either way, you’ll be a wonderful father, darling.”

Thor hugged her suddenly, burying his face in the curve of her neck. “Damn you and your chasing,” he said thickly. “Just look what you’ve gotten me into!”

“I think it’s the other way around!”

He lifted his head, eyes suspiciously bright, and smiled at her. “I love you, you know. More and more every day. And I can’t wait to meet Daddy’s little whatever.”

“Daddy’s little hostage.” Pepper kissed him tenderly. “I love you, Thor. I’ll always love you.”

Suddenly teasing, Thor murmured, “Even if I warn Cody you’re after his scalp?”

“Even if you warn Cody. You know I play fair, darling. I’ll warn him myself.”

Thor lifted an eyebrow. “That sure of yourself ? Just who is this Brooke Kennedy, anyway?”

Pepper told him, at length and in great detail, and her husband was looking a bit startled by the end of the recitation.

“She doesn’t sound like Cody’s type at all.”

“She’s perfect for him.”

“The matchmaker’s final word, eh?”

“I got you, didn’t I?”

“You certainly did. Poor Cody.”

“Save your sympathy. Cody’ll be too busy to feel sorry for himself.”

“Too busy?”

“Chasing Brooke.”

“Oh, she’ll run, will she?”

“In a wonderfully confusing circle. It ought to be interesting.”

“Uh. Beloved?”

“Yes, darling?”

“You’re dangerous.”

“However—?”

“However, I have this curious love of danger….”