Bare It All

WHILE ALICE WORKED a comb through her tangled hair, Pepper sat on the side of the tub, visiting. She wasn’t a chatty woman, Alice noted. Not intrusive either. She was just...there. Friendly but quiet. Interested but not nosey.

“This is hopeless.” Alice put the comb aside and smoothed her hair with her hands. It was neatly parted again, but continued to pull into wild waves. Making a face at herself in the mirror, she said, “It doesn’t really matter, anyway. We’re going to get soaked again when we leave.”

Pepper studied her. “You want some warm tea or something?” Then she looked struck. “That is, if Logan has tea.” She fingered a thick decorative towel over the towel bar. “I haven’t even looked at the whole house yet.”

“I’m sure you had other things on your mind by the time you got here from the hospital.”

Pepper nodded, swallowed hard, then closed her eyes. “I could have lost him.”

“But you didn’t.” Quickly, Alice sat beside Pepper. She’d done what she could to dry her dress, but it still stuck to her body in a very unattractive way. “I’m sorry he got injured, but I’m so thankful he showed up to help.” Imagining what might have happened otherwise was too painful.

“Me, too.” Pepper glanced at her, smiled and looked around. “You realize we’re sitting in a bathroom talking.”

Alice grinned. “I know. But I’m not in a big hurry to join the men.” Not while she still resembled a drowned rat.

“Me either.” Pepper tipped her head, watching Alice. “Thank God you keep weapons. Yesterday, Logan might not have been as successful otherwise.”

“Do you?”

She snorted. “Damn right. Rowdy’s always insisted. He even taught me how to shoot.” She eyed Alice in speculation. “Are you a good shot?”

“Good enough.” She could hit what she aimed at. “I go to target practice once a month.”

That pleased Pepper. “Really? Maybe we could go together some time.”

Just days ago, Alice would have avoided that much involvement with another person, but now...she liked the idea, and she liked Pepper Yates. “That’d be terrific.”

Pepper beamed at her. “Not to jump all over you or anything, but do you think you’d like to attend our wedding, too? You saved us yesterday, so it’d be appropriate.”

Saved them? “Oh, I didn’t—”

“You did,” Pepper insisted, “so don’t deny it. And besides, Reese will be there. He’s Logan’s best friend, you know.”

It sounded wonderful, and she badly wanted to accept, but she didn’t want to make assumptions about her new relationship with Reese.

Pepper misunderstood her long hesitation. “Am I being too grabby?” She wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t mean to pressure you.”

“It’s not that. I’d love to be there.” It surprised Alice to feel that way. “It’s just that I wouldn’t want Reese to misunderstand.” Or feel smothered.

“It’s not up to him. I can invite whoever I want.”

But if she accepted, and things didn’t work out with Reese, would he bring a different date? What if she had to stay through a ceremony, watching him with another woman?

Pepper bumped her with her shoulder. “I can almost read your thoughts.” She grinned. “But trust me, Reese wouldn’t dare. And besides, the only guests will be the ones Logan and I invite. And because I want to keep it small, we’re not inviting any ‘plus one’ guests.”

Alice bit her lip. Was she really that transparent? “In that case, thank you. I’d be honored.”

“Terrific! I’ll have to give you details when we get things figured out.” She bobbed her eyebrows. “We’ll wait for Logan to recoup so we can have a real wedding night.”

Alice laughed with her. It was so nice having another woman to talk to, a woman unlike Nikki and Pam.

That thought gave her pause; Pepper might be different, but she still wasn’t like Alice.

Again Pepper nudged her with her shoulder. “I can be really discreet, just so you know.”

Alice didn’t understand.

“If you want to talk about...stuff.” Letting out a breath, Pepper said, “I see the mask, because I used to wear one, too.”

Confused, Alice shook her head. “I don’t wear a mask.”

“Sure you do.” Lifting a twisting lock of Alice’s hair, Pepper smiled an apology. “The rain did you in.”

Her shoulders deflated. She prided herself on a nice appearance, but she’d never figured on getting caught in a storm. “I know.”

“No, I don’t think you do. You look great, Alice. Not that you looked bad yesterday, but now, with your hair a little wild and that dress showing off your figure...It’s a good look for you.”

Eyes widening, Alice said, “I look like a used mop.”

“Nope, not even.” Studying her, Pepper shrugged. “Truthfully, you look sort of sexy.”

Alice’s face went hot. She was both flattered and horrified. “Of course I don’t.” Hand splayed over her chest, she looked down at her dress. Her sturdy bra kept her mostly concealed, but the dress did outline her meager bust. “Do I?”

“You didn’t notice how the guys went all goofy when they saw you? They practically had their tongues hanging out. Reese was ready to beat his chest, he’s such a possessive ape.”

Still disbelieving, Alice shook her head. Sexy was not a word ever applied to her. Clean, neat, well-groomed, sure. Or as Rowdy had claimed, buttoned-up, and sadly, prim and proper.

But she was not—

“Anyway,” Pepper said, interrupting her private angst. “You are disguising yourself. I figured it was on purpose. See, until recently, I did my own type of hiding. That cretin who died in Reese’s apartment yesterday?”

Fascinated, Alice said, “Yes?”

“A few years ago, Rowdy and I worked for his club. Late one night, I saw him kill a city councilman. Cops were involved, so I couldn’t go to them. I tried talking to a reporter, and he got murdered, too.”

“Oh, my God.” How horrific. Rowdy had left out a few details when he’d mentioned why he and Pepper had lived the life they had. Empathy welled inside her like a giant balloon, crowding out all other thoughts and emotions. Maybe she and Pepper had more in common than she’d realized. “That’s why he was after you?”

“And my brother,” Pepper confirmed. “Rowdy doesn’t really run from anyone, but to protect me, he did.”

That gave her great insight into Rowdy, too. What would it be like to have someone that dedicated to your well-being? Her parents cared, of course. Her sister, too.

But this was different. Alice touched her hand in understanding. “I’ve met your brother, and I’m pretty sure he’d do anything for you.”

“True enough.” Pepper didn’t retreat from the touch. She looked down at her feet, but only for a moment. “We were in hiding for way too long. I had to look like a hag to ensure if anyone saw me, they wouldn’t recognize me.” Her mouth curled in distaste before she squeezed Alice’s hand and regained her grim humor. “It was such a drag, looking bad all the time.”

Seeing her now, Alice couldn’t imagine such a thing. “You’re so attractive I don’t know how you managed to not look good.”

That made Pepper laugh. “You should have seen Logan when I threw off the dregs and reverted back to me. It was a hoot. Well, sort of. At the moment I didn’t think so because I was worried about everything else.” She leaned close to whisper, “Logan was undercover, so I had no idea he was a cop when I slept with him.”