Page 31 of Exposed

“Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Galloway. Thank you for dinner,” Pepper says quietly.

“Don’t mention it, dear, and it’s Madilyn and Henry,” my mom smiles and hugs Pepper. “We’ll see you all tomorrow.”

I hug my parents, then lock the door behind them. When I turn around, Pepper is sneaking to her room.

“Everything alright?” I ask.

She freezes but doesn’t turn around to face me. “No.”

“At least, you’re honest.”

“I’m going to bed,” she sniffs. Is she crying?

“Pepper, what’s wrong?” I ask, walking toward her.

She whirls around, her shoulders turned inward in a protective gesture.

“What did you tell your parents about me?” She asks.

Shit. What did they say? I put my hands out in a surrendering gesture. “Did they say or do something that made you uncomfortable? I told them you’re my friend. They know you’re going through a rough spot, and you’re crashing with me for a bit. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s a big freaking deal, Matt. They wereniceto me. Plus, they didn’t judge my piece of shit car sitting outside. And yes, your dad told me about his 1957 aqua blue Chevy, so I know he noticed my piece of junk.”

My dad loves that car. It was my grandpa’s, and my dad restored it.

“You’re mad that my parents were nice to you,” I gather.

“I’m not mad.”

“You seem angry.”

“Ugh.” She stomps her foot and balls her little hands into fists.

“You’re adorable when you’re angry,” I smirk.

“I’m not angry,” she says louder this time, then thinks better of it. “Sorry. I don’t want to wake Simon.”

“Did my parents upset you?” I ask.

“Your parents are perfect. Neither one of them grilled me with questions about my personal life. Your mom brought a homemade, fancy French chicken casserole.And…she sang to Simon.” Her voice breaks as if she’s about to cry, and I want to make her smile.

“Let me guess:Higher LoveandWake Me Up Before You Go-Go? She sang those to me as a kid.”

“Yep. Then, your dad told me all about the gyms he owns in the Miami area and how he is the only one to ever successfully run a gym on Aveline Island.”

I chuckle. “Yeah, he loves telling that story.”

“Your mom told me fun stories about being a personal stylist for wealthy clients. Your family is perfect,” she huffs, then flings her hand out toward me. “You’re perfect.”

Why does that frustrate her? Also, my chest puffs up with her compliment.

“You think I'm perfect?” I quirk an eyebrow and grin.

“Don’t act like you don’t know how awesome you are. You’re this good-looking, successful family man with a big heart, a cute baby and the perfect dog.”

“Where is Shani?” I look around. She always comes to greet me when I get home.

“She believes it’s her job to guard Simon. The second you left, she glued herself to Simon’s side. She’s sleeping next to his crib.”

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