But he wasn’t sure it was time to lay any heavy on her.
“Or something else?” she pressed when he didn’t reply.
“My parents drag me into things,” he admitted.
She sat back and he watched her mouth get tight.
“It’s okay,” he assured. “It is what it is. I’d probably flip out if it stopped happening.” This time he bumped his knee to hers. “What I mean is, I’m used to it.”
“But it makes you want to throw your phone in the trash a dozen times a week,” she pointed out.
“Half dozen, tops,” he joked.
“Aug—” she started.
But she didn’t get more out because the front door opened and Juno shouted, “Mom! I forgot my pink sweater!”
Auggie stood up, not knowing exactly why he did, but the apprehensive look on Pepper’s face told him he needed to be prepared to do anything she asked.
Juno had definitely been angling for him to be right where he was.
But, even if he and Pepper hadn’t talked about it, he knew by the expression on her face that Pepper hadn’t told her daughter she was going there with him. And he could see why Pepper wouldn’t want her to know he was there.
At least, not yet.
They heard Juno’s feet hitting the stairs and it was then Pepper snapped out of it and gave the cue as to how she was going to handle this.
She did it by shouting, “You don’t even come…”
Auggie sensed something, tensed then stepped to the side of the island.
“…and hug your mother?” she finished yelling.
But the last word sounded strangled.
Because the reason Auggie tensed and stepped to the side of the island came into view for her.
Aug had caught him walking down the hall.
And he had caught sight of Auggie while he was walking down the hall.
Dark haired. Seriously built. Good-looking.
The man had thirty, maybe forty pounds on Auggie and it appeared to be all muscle.
Even so, Auggie would obliterate him.
He stopped in the kitchen, tore his irate gaze off Aug and looked to Pepper.
“What’s going on, Pepper?” he asked.
Aug did not like the tone of his words.
Hell, he didn’t even like the words.
This had to be Juno’s dad.
And seriously…
Who the fuck did he think he was, walking into Pepper’s home and asking shit like that?
Auggie shifted, he felt Pepper’s attention on him and heard her say, “Auggie, it’s okay.”
He looked over his shoulder at her.
She was also standing.
Further, she was pale and openly freaked.
“Is it?” he asked.
“Who’s this fucking guy?” the ex demanded to know.
“Auggie, this is Corbin Patrick. Corbin, this is Augustus Hero,” she introduced.
Game to make a go of it for Pepper, Auggie took a step forward and offered his hand.
Corbin stared down at it like it was a snake he was about to land a boot on.
He dropped his hand.
“Corbin—” she tried.
The man seared Pepper with a look. “You fucking lied to me.”
“Corbin—” she tried again.
“Careful there, friend,” Auggie warned.
Corbin turned to him. “Fuck you.”
“Corbin!” Pepper snapped.
“Remember where you are,” Corbin advised Auggie.
“I know where I am, man, do you remember where you are?” Aug asked.
Pepper was on the move, about to round him.
He stepped in front of her, looked over his shoulder and said with a shake of his head, “Unh-unh.”
“Honey,” she whispered, though her face had gotten soft and her eyes had lit in a fuck-me-now way that was phenomenal but straight-up in that moment not helping shit at all.
He knew the first time she called him that, if he ever managed to make her his, she’d get away with a lot if she used that word on him.
But not this.
“This is my daughter’s kitchen,” Corbin sniped, regaining Auggie’s attention.
“It is. It’s also her mother’s and her mother pays the mortgage,” Auggie stated.
Pepper came up close to his back, but was smart enough not to try to get in front of him, and she said, “Corbin, you need to—”
“Auggie!” Juno shrieked.
Aug looked beyond Corbin to see Juno had rounded the stairs and was sailing down the hall in his direction, the pink sweater in her hand flapping as she went, her expression open and happy.
He braced but still bumped into her mother behind him when Juno hit him full-bore and he had to fall back on a foot.
He wrapped a hand around the back of her head. “Hey, sweetheart.”
She kept hugging his middle and looked up at him.
She had what he now knew was her father’s hair, but her mother’s build, also her mother’s eyes.
It was striking.
But her face was all little girl, and she was cute as fuck.
“What’re you doing here?” she asked.
He felt Pepper’s hand press in the middle of his back and that was it.
Great.
No help there.
“Having dinner with your mom,” he answered.
“Cool!” she cried, let him go, bopped away and then attacked her mom. “Hey, Mom!”
“Finally. She remembers I exist,” Pepper teased.
Juno didn’t let her mom go as she arched back and gave Pepper a little-kid shut up look.