Legend (Arizona Vengeance 3)

Legend calls my name. “Pepper. You there?”

I clear my throat and say, “Yeah…um…I’d be glad to do that.”

“You don’t sound so sure about that.” I can hear the concern in his tone. “Did I overstep my bounds?”

“God, no,” I exclaim, suddenly finding my words. “I’m just…touched that you’d ask me to. My work is very personal to me and the fact you like it enough to put on your daughter’s nursery walls is a bit…overwhelming.”

Legend chuckles. “I’m glad then. Listen, I need to get going. Interested in coming over for dinner with me and Charlie tonight?”

I smile, my mind starting to drift into the clouds again. “Tell you what…bring Charlie over here. I’ll cook for you.”

“Can’t wait,” he says, and then disconnects.

I sit and stare blankly at my drafting table, Penelope only half drawn. I think about Legend and how he wants my work to decorate Charlie’s nursery and how sexy his groan is when he comes, and that his parents are coming to dinner day after tomorrow and he wants me to meet him.

I’m actually in a relationship now.

More than anything, I’m happy.

I allow myself only a few minutes of this luxury—considering what this means and figuring out when I should ask Legend to meet my parents. When I stop short of wondering what it would be like living with him and Charlie, I shake my head and force myself to let go of those sorts of thoughts. Way, way too soon.

I pick up my pencil again. I move from the broad outline strokes to the finer shading.

I get immersed.

When my phone rings again, I look first to the clock on my wall and realize it’s been almost an hour since I hung up with Legend. I look down to my phone and see it’s Lucy calling.

She knows to call me if she needs help with something when Legend is at practice or at a game.

“What’s up?” I ask with a smile on my face, never once considering that something is really wrong.

But when I hear her voice, my hair stands on end. “Pepper…there’s a woman here claiming to be Charlie’s mom and demanding she see her.”

Something akin to the way I think a mama grizzly bear protecting her young wells up inside of me and all I say is, “I’m coming.”

I disconnect the call and dash to my front door. I turn hard right off my porch and get my first view of Legend’s house, his porch, and a woman standing on it.

The front door is closed and Lucy and Charlie are not there. Thank God she had the smarts to not let her in the house, and I bet Lucy has that door locked. I make a mental note to have Legend already give her a raise.

The woman doesn’t see me at first, so I have time to study her as I walk briskly across my yard, into Legend’s, and across his double driveway.

She’s stunning but then I wouldn’t expect anything different from one of Legend’s ex-girlfriends. Tall, statuesque, and killer curves. She’s got olive skin, long lustrous brown hair, and she doesn’t look like she just had a baby a month ago. She’s wearing skin-tight jeans, and an even tighter shirt, with big breasts spilling out and high heel shoes. Her makeup is flawless and I note her handbag is designer. She’s exactly the gorgeous type of woman I would expect Legend to be with, which is not a slap to myself at all. I’m confident in my body and the way I dress, but I’m not exactly puck bunny material.

Lida sees me from the corner of her eye and turns to face me just as I reach the sidewalk. Her smile is hesitant but open, because as far as she knows, I’m a neighbor come to borrow a cup of sugar.

That smile slides right off as I take the porch steps two at a time and ask her in a flat tone, “What do you want?”

Her eyebrows shoot up and anger flashes in her eyes. “Who the hell are you?” she demands. She has a very faint accent, second generation Cuban I’m guessing.

“I’m the person designated to tell you that you are not welcome on this property and you most certainly don’t have any right to see Charlie,” I tell her as I step in front of the door and cross my arms over my chest.

My message is subtle. She’ll have to go through me and while she has me on height, I’m a mean little scrapper.

Or at least I believe myself to be when it comes to protecting Charlie.

Lida draws herself up and looks down at me with a haughty expression. “So he named her Charlie?”

I don’t answer her. She doesn’t deserve to know anything and I regret letting her name slip out.