Dream Keeper (Dream Team 4)

That was cute, and she had a spark in her eye that was both annoyed but also something else.

Still, he clenched his teeth.

Because this guy was an asshole and Auggie itched to land a fist in his throat.

“You’re lucky she got in the way, buddy. I’d fuck you up,” Corbin threatened.

It was then, Auggie relaxed.

Because the dipshit believed that, and only a fool made threats, and only an even bigger fool underestimated his opponent.

Surprisingly, he felt Pepper relax too.

She also said, “You really don’t want to go there.”

“You don’t think?” Corbin asked snidely.

“No, I don’t think,” she clipped out. “Because, first, if you got physical for whatever asinine reason you think is your right to get physical with a man I’m seeing, you will be reduced to nothing but the guy my daughter spends every other week with. And second, because he’s a former marine and a current commando, and you might have some weight on him, Corbin, but he’d wipe the floor with you.”

Alerted to Auggie’s possible skill set, the guy probably didn’t even know he was doing it, but his aggressive body language backed right off.

“Now, please, our daughter is sitting in your car. Go to her,” she finished.

Naturally, with a dude like that, he made to move.

But he did it getting in the last word.

“We’re not done with this, Pepper.”

And she knew enough to wait for him to almost have the door closed behind him before she called out, “We are for now.”

Corbin shut the door.

Auggie walked to it and bolted it.

He then walked to Pepper and stopped five feet from her.

“Not-so-breaking news, my ex wants a reconciliation,” she announced.

“I got that,” he said, though he already knew that. He just didn’t share.

“I do not want that,” she stated unequivocally.

“I got that too.”

“He heard you did career day for Juno. He got territorial. I thought that was all it was, I swear,” she went on.

“You don’t need to explain this, Pepper.”

“Auggie, I…” She looked away. Then she looked back at him. “He might be a problem.”

That was when he went to her.

Assessing her reaction as he did it, he carefully took her in his arms.

She came without hesitation, sliding her hands up his biceps and over his shoulders, loosely linking them behind his neck.

Nice.

“How do you foresee this problem manifesting itself?” he asked.

She laid it out.

“Scenario one, he intends to continue to be territorial and is right at this very moment revising his strategy to win me back, keeping in mind the new obstacle of you.”

“Mm-hmm.”

She started fiddling with the ends of his hair.

Very nice.

“Scenario two, he’s ticked someone moved in on his turf, turf he realized he cannot win back, and he’s going to act out.”

Auggie tensed. “Juno in that line of fire?”

She stretched out her lips in an I don’t know, could be, but I hope not gesture.

Shit.

“Is there a scenario three?” he prompted.

“He could have matured in the years since we were together, be mad now, but once he calms down, he’ll think it over and realize his best bet is to let it go and move on.”

“Categorize these scenarios from most likely to least,” he commanded.

“Is this the commando way to tackle a potential problem?” she queried.

“Yes,” he told her.

She grinned up at him.

He gave her a gentle shake to get her mouth moving.

“All right,” she said. “It’s a guess, but I’d say two is most likely, then one, and three is only vaguely possible in an alternate universe.”

Fucking shit.

“Juno’s pink sweater?” he asked.

She shook her head morosely. “Normally, if she forgot something, she’d do without or call me, and I’d take it to her school. Since the beginning, I don’t think they’ve ever just popped by.”

They’d be getting into the “since the beginning” part, just not now.

“But she has a key.” He stated that, but it was a question.

“Yeah.”

“And Corbin knows that. So this was an ambush in order for him to see you, or for him to engineer a situation where you’d all be spending time together.”

“Yeah,” she muttered.

He looked over her head, drew in a breath and then let it out.

“Auggie, I’m sorry,” she whispered, and he focused on her.

He also gathered her closer.

“Why are you sorry?” he asked.

“We’re just kind of, you know, at the starting line and I haven’t been the easiest person to get there. And we have my mom, and the church, and my brother to deal with, and I’m sure you have shit in your life—”

He interrupted her. “Pepper?”

“Yes?”

“You get that life is a game of dodgeball, right?”

“Wh-what?” she stammered, staring up at him with an alarm he didn’t like.

So he explained, “You keep sharp and pivot, adjust, run, duck, jump, whatever you need to do to dodge shit being hurled your way. But eventually, you’re gonna get hit by a ball and that stings.”

She said nothing.