“Oh, she absolutely expects something already. And be prepared for her to crow she knew something good had happened.”
I bite back a sad thought, but not before Todd spots whatever look I have on my face that gives it away.
“Tell me,” he gently says.
I force myself to blink back tears. “I wish my mom was here. Mom and I didn’t have trouble when it was just the two of us and Dad and my asshole brothers weren’t around. She laughed and smiled and we had fun.” I sniffle. “Did I tell you what she did the last time I was dragged back?”
He shakes his head.
“She made me grilled cheese sandwiches. My favorite. And had three bottles of Tullamore D.E.W. waiting for me. Also my favorite. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but it meant a lot to me because it meant she was bucking my dad the only way she could to take care of me without making him mad.
“And even though she knew it was a risk, she drove me back to go get my bike, because the fucker didn’t get it when he grabbed me.”
I sniffle again, because damn, I miss Mom. “She knew I was leaving even though I told her I was going ‘camping.’ I was afraid to tell her the truth. Not because I worried she’d rat me out, but because I wanted her to be able to tell the truth about what I said, just in case, you know? Then she handed me $5k in cash, and I wonder if it was from a secret stash of her own escape money.”
He reaches out and lays his hand on mine, gently squeezing. “I’ll talk to Jax, okay? Maybe once all this other stuff is dealt with, we can try to rescue your mom.”
“I think she’d be too scared to leave him. I just hope to hell he doesn’t win the fucking election.”
He squeezes again. “Well, again, depending on what happens, maybe her freedom won’t be because she leaves him. Maybe she’ll be burying him.”
I snort. “I am never that lucky.”
Todd
Yeah, but going by my life so far, I think I might have enough luck for both of us.
My first planned stop of the morning is a jewelry store run by a packmate, Thekla. Mal chokes when he sees some of the prices of the wedding bands I really like. I finally open my banking app on my phone, log in, and show him my current balance just in my “personal” account.
Because yes, I do pay myself. My business bank account balance is larger, mainly because I’m thrifty, but I don’t want to fry his brain any worse than it already is.
His eyes bug out and I think he’s going to choke again but I arch an eyebrow at him. “No more arguing, okay? I’m no Saudi prince, but buying us a good set of rings, the rings, the rings that we want, won’t hurt me in the least. We’ll get a pair of silicone rings for when we’re working.”
I turn him back to the display case and indicate the higher-end rings on display while Thekla smiles from behind the counter as she watches us together. “Now pick what you really want. I like most of these.” I indicate which ones. “I’m not really fond of those”—I point again—“but pick what you want, baby. If I don’t like it, we’ll negotiate. And stop worrying about the fricking price. We only get to shop for wedding bands the first time this one time. And we can afford it.”
“You can,” he mutters, and I know how he means it, but I sense another rule about to kick in.
I gently take him by the shoulders, turn him to face me, and wait until he looks me in the eyes. “I love you. You’re my mate, and I hope we have many, many long years together. What I have is now also yours. If I need to rein in your spending, I will. We’re not buying Ferraris or Bugattis. We’re not buying a private jet. You see how I live; I’m not a fancy guy. I do understand what you went through. Mom and I had nothing when we escaped after Dad was murdered. I want a solid roof over my head, good and plentiful food, comfortable clothes, and a truck that runs when I turn the key. I want a bug-free bed to sleep in.” I cup his face in my hands and kiss him. “And I want you. This is me—this is the real me, all of me.”
Mal takes a shaky breath and nods, offering me a nervous smile. “Love you,” he tells me silently.
I return his smile and lean in, my forehead pressed to his. “You just wait until the doc clears you to have fun again, baby.” I nuzzle him. “And just wait until you’re healed up after our baby’s born and you hit your next heat. I’ll get started on number two immediately.”
His audible gulp makes me giggle in sadistic glee, especially when he reaches out and grabs me because his knees nearly unhinge with need.
“That’s not fair to tease me like that,” he whines.
I laugh. “But it worked, didn’t it?” I say aloud, turning him—once again—to the display cases. “Now choose what you want.”
We don’t hit the grocery store immediately. First, we stop and I buy him a new smartphone on my account, a tablet, and a laptop, because I don’t want there to be any risk of him being tracked via his electronics no matter how careful he was.
On the ride home with the groceries, out of the corner of my eye, I catch him staring at the ring on his left hand, the match to mine, and I can’t help but smile. The way mine flashes in the light as I drive makes my heart squeeze in a good way each time.
I hope to hell I never take this feeling for granted, either.
I reach over with my right hand and squeeze his left. “I will be throwing you a wedding one day,” I swear. “Or we can have one now and just not file paperwork on it, you know.”
There’s a wistful smile on his face. “I kind of hope we can do it so Mom can attend. I know that probably won’t ever happen, but…” He shrugs. “You know?”
