AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Pippa
Pippa’s eyes fluttered open. The fan on the ceiling came into focus. Her brows drew together. She didn’t own a fan. Where am I?
Lady’s collar tinkled as her head rose from the bed before she licked Pippa’s cheek. Pippa reached out to stroke her fur. “Where are we, girl?”
She sat slowly, every muscle aching and the pounding in her head increasing. Her eyes darted to the cup of water near the bed on a small table by the plain lamp lighting the dim room. She wasn’t in the habit of drinking from strange places. She pushed off the soft blanket as she slipped her feet onto the carpeted floor.
What’s the last thing I remember? The bookstore and the phone call with Troy, her new hire, who was starting next week. Then ordering some extra stock . . . and that was it. Blank.
Her gaze snagged on the grey sweatpants she wore. The word NAVY ran down the side of one leg. They were most definitely not hers.
Fear dug its claws into her chest. Who had dressed her? Or, more importantly, who had undressed her?
She stood on her trembling bare feet, her head swimming. Reaching out for the side table, she waited until the dizziness passed. Her stomach churned, nauseous. Must have been a big one this time.
Pippa reached out and twisted the doorknob, breathing a sigh of relief when it was unlocked. So I’m not being held prisoner. Lady snorted next to her as if she could read her thoughts. “Okay, maybe I’ve read a few too many dark romances.”
Lady followed beside her through the hallway towards the set of stairs. Carefully, she made her way down, discovering new aches and pains with every step.
A familiar face looked up from the bottom step, setting Pippa’s nerves at ease.
“Hey, I was just heading up to check on you,” Charli, the co-owner of The Shipwreck bar and one of her best customers, said.
“Where am I?” Pippa’s voice was scratchy and dry.
“My friend Mason and his daughter, Aspen’s house. They were with you when you had a seizure. You didn’t want to go to the hospital so he brought you home for you to rest.”
Pippa’s gaze darted around the open foyer where Charli waited. A door that she assumed led to the front of the house sat to her right. Built-in coat racks with large sweatshirts and bright smaller ones hung behind her.
“He didn’t want you to be afraid when you woke up, so he called me,” Charli offered.
That was . . . thoughtful.
“Did you change me?”
Charli nodded. “Yeah, your clothes are in the dryer.”
I must have wet myself. No matter how many times it happened, the embarrassment didn’t lessen.
“Come on, let’s get you something to drink and put Aspen’s mind at ease. They’ve been worried about you.”
They had been? Pippa nodded and followed Charli to a bright spacious kitchen where two people sat. A little girl she recognized from regular bookstore visits sat on a high stool at the pine-top counter next to a hulk of a man with his back to her.
“Sleeping Beauty is awake,” Charli announced before walking to the fridge and opening it.
Aspen turned around, her smile wide and beaming. “Pippa!” She slipped off her stool and ran up to her, the impact jarring Pippa’s body. She winced as Aspen wrapped her arms around Pippa’s waist.
“Aspen, what did I tell you?” The man’s voice was gruff.
Pippa’s gaze flashed to his. Blue eyes swirling with a mixture of emotions stared back at her. He seemed familiar somehow. His nose was a little crooked, like he’d broken it at some point. Half his face swirled with pink scars starting on one of his high cheekbones and disappearing into the dirty-blond neatly trimmed beard that made him look like a lumberjack.
Aspen recoiled, fear flashing in her eyes. “I’m sorry I forgot. Did I hurt you?”
Pippa’s attention focused back onto the little girl, and she offered her a smile. “I’m okay.”
Aspen grinned, seemingly relieved.
“Here you go. I’ll go check on your clothes.” Charli handed her a bottle of water.
