“Sorry.” I pull her in close until she’s settled in my lap. “I really liked your mom. She was better than mine, by a long shot.”
“How’s she doing, anyway?”
“She’s okay. She’s got her new and improved family—Daniel’s five, Jenny is turning three.” Neva calls them the replacements.
“What about that guy she married? He still around?” Reese threads our fingers together and brings my hand up to her lips for a quick kiss.
“Victor.” I break his name in two equal parts when I say it. “Yup. He’s still hobbling about. He broke his foot, and it never healed right, so he’s on disability. My mom’s been asking about my dad more and more. A part of me wonders if she wants her old life back, but she’s got little kids and an injured husband, not much I could do to help her. She’s working at the bank to make ends meet.”
“Wow.” Reese settles into my chest. “Who would have thought? It sort of caught me off guard when she left like that, but, then, not too long after I was given the boot by Neva, so I never did find out the real story.” She spins into me and wraps her arms around my waist. “I’m glad you came out unscathed.”
I’m not so sure about that, but I hold back. No point in dragging us any further into the dysfunctional Waterman dungeon tonight. I’d rather put the focus right back where it belongs, on her.
“So tell me how you’re doing, you know, after losing your mom. How you’ve been dealing with it.”
Reese locks her eyes over mine, and the air around us grows stale with silence. Shit. I never should’ve ventured there. I knew it was iffy. I hope to God I can bring her back out of the pit.
“Thank you.” She lowers her gaze a moment.
“For?” Obviously for ruining her night.
“You’re the only person who’s ever asked me that in all these years.”
Shit. “Really?”
“Yeah, really.” She lays her cheek against my chest and starts spinning her finger over my shoulder in a circle. “It seemed like my dad started dating Beverly right after, and soon my mother was reduced to a picture on the wall. And after he and Bev married, Mom was the picture in the drawer. Anyway”—she gives a hard sniff—“she did this really cool thing those last few weeks she was alive. She wrote me a letter to gift me on each of my birthdays. That way, I’ll always have a little piece of her with me.”
Now it’s my turn to give a hard sniff.
Reese looks up, and her mouth opens. “Oh my, gosh,” she whispers, wiping away my tears.
Great.
“You really do care about me,” she marvels.
“Of course, I care about you.” I wipe my face down with the back of my arm and start massaging her shoulders so she won’t have to look at me weep like a pussy. “I think what your mom did was incredible. And if you ever need anyone to hold your hand or sit with you while you read those letters, I’d be glad to do it.”
“You would?” She glances up at me. “Thank you. I might take you up on that. And, by the way, your fingers are magic.” She taps her shoulder for me to continue.
“So I’ve been told.” Crap. Not cool to mention other girls when you’re with the only girl you care about.
“I’m sure you have. Maybe I should talk to some of them and get some references before we venture further into the bedroom.” She tickles my ribs when she says it.
“References, huh?” I’m only slightly amused.
“What do you think they’d say?” She spins to take me in fully.
“They’d say give him back.”
“Am I keeping you from someone?” Her brow rises as she offers a sexy-as-hell smile.
“Nope. I’m all yours, Reese.” Forever if she’ll have me.
“Good.” She sinks her arms further around my waist. “And, I think you artfully changed the subject. What would all those girls that Ace Waterman slept with have to say?”
My chest rumbles with a laugh. “They’d say he has magic fingers”—I lean in and whisper directly into her ear—“and a magic tongue.”
“That I’d have to agree with.” Reese blushes ten shades of red.
