After the Hurt by Shana Gray Read Free Book Online Page A

possibility? Wait a minute—what was he thinking? There was no future for them. He’d decided that a long time ago. He was nuts for even letting that completely bizarre thought enter his head. He sighed, remembering he’d told Pepper she was nuts for distancing herself from everyone. Shortly after that she’d bolted.
    “Frankie, you be careful now.” Meg put a stop to his random thoughts.
    She was the only one he let call him by his given name or any form of it. On the odd occasion, Pepper had, but that didn’t count because it was usually during sex. He cleared his throat and pushed the titillating image out of his head.
    “We knew she’d come back. It was just a shock to actually see her.”
    “I’ll bet it was. So, how is she?” Her sharp gaze analyzed him. She reached for her coffee and sipped before continuing, “Make sure you let me know what’s going on. You never had me draw up those buyout papers, you know.”
    “I know; I should’ve done it as soon as she left. If I’d had a check ready she’d be on her way.”
    But was that what he really wanted? For Pepper to leave him again now that she was back? He took a sip of coffee and accepted that he was feeling more and more confused. He really didn’t know why she’d come back, either. She’d said she had no money, so all indications were she was back for her share of the business. Her lack of communication while she’d been gone had peeved him, and it was something he’d get to the bottom of. She’d all but dropped off the face of the planet and never looked back.
    He glanced at Meg and smiled. Her face softened. “Frankie, she had a horrible shock. She lost her mom so quickly, and she does blame herself, you know that. It’s amazing what people do when distraught.” Meg’s voice was tender. Was she feeling sorry for Pepper?
    His Meg, always the one to see both sides and not be afraid to point it out. But he wasn’t in any frame of mind to see both sides. He didn’t say anything, just stared into his cup, his thoughts racing. Tank regretted saying anything about Pepper at all now; he didn’t really want to talk about her over breakfast. “Her mom was like a mother to me too. I was sad about all that happened; Pepper knew that. There was no reason for her to shut me out.” Tank looked at Meg. He was here to spend time with his sister and not think or talk about Pepper. But it was damn hard. “Enough talk. Let’s order breakfast. Do you know what you want? Eggs Benedict?”

Chapter 4
    Pepper carefully folded the few clothes she had and packed them in her duffel bag. If she was lucky, her AWOL luggage would have turned up overnight. Her packing habits had totally changed on her trip. Gone was the two-hundred-odd pounds of luggage she’d haul for shoes, accessories, endless outfits of clothes, and makeup. She smiled, remembering how important she’d once thought all that crap had been. Not anymore. She’d learned to keep it simple and that it’s not the
stuff
you have in life that’s important. It’s the people and memories. Over the course of the last six months, she’d shed her baggage, both literally and figuratively.
    Bali was a dream realized, a destination she and her mom had had at the top of their to-visit list. So going there had made her feel closer to her mom, and she’d hoped it would help with her overwhelming feelings of guilt over her death. At first Pepper had stayed at high-end beach resorts, but as her credit card maxed out, she knew she had to make some changes. The day she’d found a gorgeous secluded beach had been her turning point. Clutching her mom’s ashes to her chest, Pepper had waded out until the water was up to her neck. Part of her wanted to keep going. Just her and her mom, forever together in the calming turquoise water. Pepper had sobbed, her tears mingling with the warm sea. To let the waters close over her head seemed the only answer, and she’d almost done it too. But when the sun shone down