Pepper, the Highlander & the Dead Guy

“Am I going to have to battle it out with him for your heart?”

Though he chuckled when he said it, it almost sounded like he meant it.

“He gave his heart fifty years ago to another and it has never faltered. He’s seventy-five.”

“That’s a strong love to last fifty years. It’s the kind of love I intend to have. See you later, Pep.”

I stared at the phone. He seemed to have a way of leaving me speechless and wondering about possibilities.

Mo’s bark grabbed my attention. He was at the door ready to join me outside. I turned my phone to vibrate, not wanting to be disturbed, dropped it in my vest pocket and waved at Mo. “Come on, we’ve got pumpkins to carve.”

Mo stretched out on the back deck while I carved the pumpkins, the day turning far too beautiful to spend it indoors. I got two done and was about to start on the third but paused to grab an energy bar from my vest pocket when I felt the phone vibrate. It was from Strathmore Builders. I answered since I figured it was William needing more information in regard to my deck.

“Hey, Pepper, it’s Burke. I got some information about Willow Lake Lodge you might be interested in. Have lunch with me and I’ll share the info with you.”

Burke is a true salesman, fast talking, giving you no chance to respond, and the final delivery is always something with a punch that you can’t say no to.

“Is this a ploy to get me out on a date?” I asked but also wondered if it had to do with what his grandfather had told me, and Burke might have learned more.

He laughed. “You wound me, Pepper, if you think that lunch and info qualify as a date.”

“Can’t we forego the lunch, and you just tell me now?”

“And forego the foreplay?” He laughed again. “Come on, Pepper, it’s a beautiful autumn day. Meet me at Treetop in twenty minutes. You won’t be sorry you did.”

He knew he’d dangled a carrot in front of me that I couldn’t refuse. Still, I had to at least protest some. “How can I be ready in twenty minutes?”

He got hysterical and when he finally calmed down, he spoke, though between chuckles. “Come on, Pepper, you’re the only woman I know who doesn’t stress over the way she looks and looks beautiful all the time.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I heard your eyes rolling.” He laughed again.

“Of course, you did, because that’s all I ever did to you when you constantly harassed me about going out with you in high school.” I laughed this time.

“It’s a date then? Non-date. Non-date.” He hurried to correct himself.

“It’s a non-date. I’ll meet you at Treetop in thirty minutes.”

“See you there.”

He hung up before I could tell him this wouldn’t be a long lunch, but then I thought what the heck. It was a warm, beautiful autumn day and Treetop was a great place to spend a couple of hours and relax.

I put on clean jeans and a freshly laundered orange Henley. Burke was right, I didn’t give much thought to my clothes. I dressed to please myself, though there were those occasions Amy insisted on dressing me, and I let her for the sake of our friendship.

Treetop was named appropriately, since most of the restaurant looked as if it sat in the treetops. The second floor was actually a deck, half enclosed with glass and the other half open. Trees surrounded the whole place and this time of the year it was a spectacular sight to see. The leaves were in their fall glory, bursting with a kaleidoscope of autumn colors; fiery reds, brilliant oranges and yellowish golds that stunned the eye.

Burke was already seated at a table in the section that wasn’t enclosed.

He stood when I approached, an old-fashioned gesture to some, but one I knew impressed the women even if they didn’t want to admit it.

“How is it you always look so gorgeous?” he said with a wink.

“Non-date. Non-date,” I reminded with a chuckle.

“I’ll save it for the official date,” he said and pulled out a chair.

“These gallant gestures of yours work well on today’s woman?” I asked.

“More than you would think, though there are a few you can tell with one glance that it would be a wasted gesture,” he said as he took his seat.

“I bet you do it anyway,” I said with a grin.

“It’s who I am.” He smiled wide. “And I do like who I am.”

I had to laugh. Burke never hide his outrageous ego and that was one of the things that had made him so popular in high school.

“What news do you have for me?”

“Eat, talk, relax, info later,” he said and handed me a menu.

We both ordered burgers, since Treetop was known for them, and mango iced tea. We talked and laughed, reminiscing about our high school days, of course, finding some things even funnier now than they were back then.