Parker looked ready to say more, but Jack had had enough of the conversation, especially since he didn’t really know what he wanted to discuss. Not yet.
Was he planning on dealing with his revelation of Pepper as a woman? Fuck, yes. But he knew better than to count on anything with her before he actually talked to her. He was smarter than the average bear, especially after the lovely example he’d just witnessed. And while it wasn’t up to Parker who Pepper dated, Jack knew damn well he’d still have to offer his friend some fast reassurances regarding his usual love-them-and-leave-them habits.
But right now, he took the high road. “We have prep to do. And I noticed Didi had a list of paperwork for you to deal with.”
Parker hesitated then nodded. “This conversation isn’t over.”
They’d been friends for too long to not be able to read each other like open books. Jack nodded, his smile returning as Parker relaxed out of high alert. “It’s just a new adventure, really. We’ll get through this one same as always.”
Parker tossed the paperwork on his desk with a sigh. “Some days I wish for something easy, like blowing up shit or sneaking through booby-trapped ruins.”
“It can’t always be C-4 and lengths of trigger wire.” Jack patted his friend on the shoulder and headed out to grab some fresh air to clear his brain.
Chapter Four
Pepper stirred her margarita with her baby finger, pausing to lick off the sweet, salty flavor. The family welcome-home barbeque had grown beyond family to include most of the neighbors—she figured her parents were killing two birds with one stone by having all their friends over at the same time. There had to be a dozen men her dad’s age tooling around the place, discussing golf and the coming fishing season. And her mom had some kind of crafty thing with bonsai plants made out of papier-maché set up in the kitchen for the ladies to try that screamed Martha Stewart high on glue fumes.
In self defense, Pepper had made a couple of blenders full of margaritas, and then she and the girls had retreated off the deck where there were too many masculine bodies getting in the way. Instead they’d hauled their lawn chairs into a circle so they could eat appetizers, drink, and chat.
This was the second time she’d met Lynn. They’d already shared a coffee break midweek, and she couldn’t be more pleased for her jackass of a brother. He’d found an amazing partner who seemed to have that gentle patience Pepper definitely lacked. It meant Lynn could probably survive a relationship without wanting to kill the man. Didn’t mean she was spineless.
In fact, Lynn was just finishing up a mini-rant. Pepper had decided to take the job with DreamMakers, at least for now, but after hearing the details, Lynn agreed the hiring process hadn’t been the smartest move she’d ever heard of.
“Seriously. If Parker ever tries to pull another brainless trick like that, you let me know. I have no problem helping him learn his lesson.” She held her margarita glass in the air and Pepper leaned over, holding out her own glass to clink them together.
“I know he doesn’t do it maliciously,” Pepper grudgingly admitted.
The curvy blonde Lynn had introduced as her best friend, Suz, adjusted her miniskirt evenly over her long legs as she clicked her tongue. “Honey, guys rarely do things maliciously. Or at least the halfway decent ones don’t. But being fed stupid on a cracker sucks just as badly when it’s intended as when it’s accidental.”
She wiggled her fingers towards the guys.
Pepper, Lynn, and Kendra all turned toward the house. Parker, Jack, and the new hire, Colby, with his enormous arms and close-shaved black hair, were large and in charge beside Pepper’s dad, all of them seeming intensely interested in the barbecue. Except it was obvious they were all listening as hard as possible to see what else the girls said.
“Look at them, acting all innocent and everything.” Pepper made a face. “Life is a lot easier when we don’t have to deal with guys.”
“But they’re handy at so many things,” Kendra offered.
“A few,” Suz agreed, “but there’s a whole lot of things that a good set of batteries can deal with just as efficiently.”
Lynn laid a hand on her chest and looked shocked. “Do my ears deceive me, or did Miss ‘I love to love them’ make a disparaging comment about the male species?”
“I don’t want to stick them all in a box and mail them to the moon, but in the interest of educating our younger girlfriends here, I was pointing out we don’t have to put up with bullshit to get the good parts of the deal.”
Pepper had to agree with Suz. “I’m really getting tired of putting up with the bullshit.”
Kendra looked concerned. “Are you still getting harassed by a certain someone?”
Both Suz and Lynn shot to full alert. “Is there something we need to help you with?” Lynn asked. “I thought you were seeing that cop. Don’t tell me he’s giving you trouble.”