Pepper
Unlike most modern towns, Macon was old enough that each house in most of the neighborhoods sat on a pretty sizeable lot, so you could probably fit two driveways between each fence, which went a long way in the name of privacy.
However, it also left a lot of dark spaces in between, so I always made sure to lock all my doors and windows at night.
Though crime was relatively low in Macon, I still refused to take any chances with my safety, or Leah’s when she was visiting.
It was also past my bedtime, though I had tomorrow off.
Now, while most flower shops were open during the weekend, I was closed.
Not only did the schedule fit better for Leah’s visits home, but it was exactly the kind of schedule that Laurie and Wilmar needed for their households, which meant more to me than the extra revenue that I’d get from being open during the weekends.
Besides, love and appreciation were an everyday thing, so we got plenty of business Monday through Friday.
At any rate, my house was a two-story cottage-style home with a landscaped front yard and a back porch that faced the expansive yard. I also had a small shed that sat right behind the back wall of my garage, though I only kept yard equipment in it, not much more.
Now, while the front of the house was lit up plenty from the porch lights and the streetlights, the backyard was fairly dark once you got past the halfway mark of the lawn. It could look a bit creepy if you stared out into the darkness too long, but it was quite lovely during the day.
Peeking my head out to take one last reassuring look around, I wasn’t prepared when a large body sprang from out of nowhere, slamming me into the doorframe, making my heart leap into my throat.
A scream erupted from deep in my chest, but it was quickly silenced when a slap across the face had me flying back into the house, my shoulder taking the brunt of my fall.
I let out a shrilled cry as fear gripped my heart, and it really did take everything in me to keep my wits about me.
Praying that my phone hadn’t broken with my fall, I scrambled to pull it out of my jeans, but before I could get my hands on it, my attacker was reaching for my legs, then dragging me back towards the backdoor, and that’s when I began fighting with all my might.
However, as my fists did their best to protect me, the man was suddenly yanked backwards, and I could only stare in horror as the newcomer threw my attacker across the back porch, his body tumbling down the stairs.
My heart started beating wildly against my chest, and when the newcomer stopped to look back at me, it was clear to see that he was homeless as he yelled, “Call the police!”
He followed my attacker off the porch as I pulled my phone from my pocket to call for help, my fingers a trembling mess. As soon as the operator answered, I began rambling like a fool. “I need the police. Someone broke into my house and attacked me, but...but now they’re fighting in my yard.”
“Ma’am, what is the address?”
“1498 Crimson Street,” I rushed out. “It’s the white and blue house...oh, God, please hurry. They’re fighting.”
“Ma’am, I need you to calm down,” the dispatcher instructed, but everyone knew that ordering someone to calm down never worked. “Now, tell me who is fighting?”
“I don’t know,” I cried out. “When I was being attacked, another man appeared, and he...he saved me, and now they’re fighting.”
As I explained hysterically, my account of what was happening wasn’t exactly accurate.
They weren’t fighting so much as the newcomer was beating my attacker rather brutally, and I knew that I needed to step in and stop him.
The last thing that I wanted was for him to get arrested for saving me, and that was very possible with how violently he was beating the other man.
“Hurry up and get here!” I yelled before hanging up, letting my phone drop to the floor.
Then, against my better judgement, I raced out into the backyard, then reached for the stranger, praying that I didn’t get walloped for my efforts.
“You sonofabitch,” the stranger growled as his fists rained down on the other man’s face, and it really was a sight to behold.
“Stop!” I yelled. “Please...you’re going to kill him! Stop!”
As soon as I touched the stranger’s arm, everything stopped, the man freezing instantly, and I didn’t know what to make of it.
All I knew was that he had to stop before he killed the other man, something that he’d surely get convicted of.
No matter that he was a hero in my eyes, the law wouldn’t see it that way.
“Please...please stop,” I begged. “Please...help is on the way.”
Lowering his fists, the stranger straightened as he stepped back from the limp body on the ground, and I was certain that both of us could hear how hard my heart was beating. Even though it was his chest that was heaving with exertion, I was the one on the verge of a heart attack.
“Are you okay?” he asked, and his voice took me by surprise. Now, while I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting, it hadn’t been for him to sound like a smooth sip of whiskey.
I nodded, a rush of emotion hitting me like a ton of bricks. “Are...are you?”
“Did you call the police?” he asked, his voice raspy, his breathing a heavy tempo of adrenaline.
I nodded again. “Yes, they’re on their way.”
Ignoring the incapacitated man on the ground, he turned to look at me fully, and that’s when I noticed just how big he really was.
He had to be standing at around six-foot-two, and even though the lighting from the back porch wasn’t bright, I could see that he had dark brown hair, matching dark brown eyes, and even through the scruff of his beard, I could see the sharpness in his cheekbones and jaw.
He also looked to be around my age, mid-to-late forties, and it was also obvious that he was homeless with the way that he was dressed, and so that could only mean one thing.
For him to have shown up like this, he’d had to be sleeping in my backyard or shed, because there was no way that he’d heard me from the street as he’d been randomly walking by.
Just then, the sounds of police sirens echoed through the night, and while it shouldn’t matter, it was going to suck when all the neighbors came outside to see what was going on.
Because society really was a judgmental bastard, I could see them caring more about a homeless man in the neighborhood than the fact that I’d been attacked in my own home.
This was not going to be fun.
I was also going to have to call Leah, Roxie, and Tullie as soon as possible before my personal business was live-streamed on the internet for the whole world to see.
~
Josiah~
Even though I knew that I was probably going to get arrested for trespassing, I was okay with that.
Hearing a woman scream in terror was something that no one should ever have to listen to, and there was just no way that my conscience would have allowed me to just ignore it.
Especially, when you considered how I’d been using her property without permission.
A few days ago, I’d been walking down the street, dusk already settling, when I noticed a shed in the small gap of this woman’s fencing.
Now, my first thought had been how she should get that fixed for safety reasons, but then I’d immediately and selfishly begun to wonder if the shed was unlocked.
So, even though it’d been wrong, my need to shelter myself from the scorching heat had outweighed my sense of morals, and so I had snuck into her backyard through the gap, thanking God that the shed had been unlocked.
I had also found it to be virtually empty, only housing a lawnmower, a weed whacker, and a few other gadgets, so there’d been plenty of room to hide my stuff and carve out a space to sleep at night.
Honestly, the plan had been to only take advantage every now and again, but I’d gotten comfortable with having a regular place to sleep at night, and though wrong, it’d been the right choice for tonight.
At any rate, I’d been just about to lay down to sleep when I’d heard a loud thumping sound coming from nearby, but needing to be unseen, I hadn’t immediately gone to inspect the sound.
Because it could have been anything, I had listened for more, and when I’d heard a woman’s screams, that had been enough to risk going to jail for.
Racing out into the yard, the second that I’d seen the attack, everything in me had gone into protect-mode, and the soldier that’d been lying doormat for so long had come out in full force.
Honestly, had her voice not gotten through the rush of adrenaline in my ears, I might have killed the piece of shit that was currently being seen to by the paramedics.
“Well, he will certainly be detained after his injuries are seen to,” Officer Morton stated evenly, not even caring that his victim was still shaking a bit. “And are you certain that you don’t want to go to the hospital to get checked out?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” Pepper Milo answered, her voice soft but firm. “I just...I just really need to know that you’re arresting him and that he’ll be in jail tonight.”
“Of course, ma’am,” he replied, his tone still even and easy.
During the initial questioning, I had discovered that the property owner was named Pepper Milo, she owned The Flower Shoppe in town, she lived alone, and she had a daughter in college.
I had also learned that she was forty-seven, and with just her socks on, she had to be about only five-foot-three.
She also had light blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and without a stitch of makeup on, she was beautiful as fuck.
She was also a petite little thing, though she looked sturdy enough.
As the neighbors were all gathered in their yards to see the drama unfolding, I watched as another officer walked over to whisper something in Officer Morton’s ear, and I knew enough to know that all of my history had just been shared with the questioning officer.
Looking over at me, Officer Morton asked, “Mr. Austin, are you aware that trespassing is against the law?”
Pepper’s entire body froze with his question, and it killed me that I might be frightening her all over again. “Excuse me? What are you talking about?”
“Have you forgotten that he’s admitted to sleeping in your shed, Ms. Milo?” he asked her condescendingly, and I had to grit my teeth not to make things worse. “While Mr. Austin may be retired military, it’s obvious that he stopped being a productive member of society a long time ago.”
Pepper stepped forward, almost putting herself between me and Officer Morton, and her entire body was locked for battle.
“Are you crazy?” she spat insultingly. “This man just saved my life. Do you honestly think I give a shit about him sleeping in my shed? Are you seriously threatening him with trespassing when all you should be doing is thanking him for helping take a criminal off the street?”
“Ms. Milo-”
“No,” she snapped, cutting him off. “You do not get to stand on my property and threaten someone who just saved my life. If you want to be a dickhead, then do it elsewhere.”
“Okay,” I said, finally chiming in, not wanting the spitfire to get arrested. “I think...Officer, I understand, and I will be sure to...to move along.”
“What? Wait-”
“Ms. Milo, I suggest you calm down and take the time to understand the gravity of your situation,” Officer Morton told her, and I almost winced. The man had no people skills whatsoever. “A derelict trespassing on your property is a dangerous thing for a single woman.”
Pepper Milo looked like she was going to pop a vein. “You dare to call a veteran a derelict? Are you kidding me?”
“It’s okay-”
“No, it’s not,” she bit out, turning her fire my way.
“You don’t get to call a serviceman a derelict when your job is to patrol the quiet streets of Macon.
” I almost laughed at how Ms. Pepper Milo was not giving a fuck right now.
“He might be an officer of the law, but it’s not like he’s patrolling the streets of New York or L.A. ”
“Ms. Milo-”
“Do you need anything else from us?” Pepper practically growled as she turned back to face Officer Morton. “Because if you don’t, then you can kindly leave.”
“Ms. Milo, it’s probably not a good idea to piss off the people that want to help you,” Officer Morton chided, and Pepper wasn’t the only one who didn’t appreciate his bullshit.
“Are you threatening not to do your job, Officer?” I asked, ready to get arrested for the greater good.
His back immediately straightened. “I am doing no such thing, I assure you.”
“Then perhaps you go do your job, and if you need to question me any further, you can come back tomorrow,” Pepper told him. “I’m tired and just want to go to bed.”
“Very well,” Officer Morton replied through clenched teeth. “We have your information if we need anything else.” Then looking at me, he added, “Do not make me arrest you, Mr. Austin. Please, find other resources to accommodate your needs.”
“Of course,” I replied evenly, not wanting to create any added drama.
As the officer turned to tend to his arrest, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration for Ms. Pepper Milo. It was easy to feel intimidated by law enforcement, but Pepper was proving to be rather spunky for her size.
“Do you want something to drink?” she asked out of the blue. “Because I definitely need something to drink.”
She was inviting me into her home, and she really did need a lecture on safety.