She looks at me. “And I can do the remodeling?”
I nod. “It’s all yours, baby.”
She wraps her arms around me and kisses me hard. “I couldn’t picture it before, but now I can. I can visualize everything.”
We walk backward, lips locked, until we stop at my car. All I can visualize is being inside the woman I love. I lift her on the hood of the car, and she screams. “There is no one else around today,” I rasp out while unbuttoning her jeans. And I can’t think of a better place to fuck you.”
“On the car hood?” she asks incredulously.
“Better than lying on the grass to be bitten by inch ants or worse, a snake invading our space.”
“What the fuck, BJ?” she screams out and lifts her legs off the ground.
Right where I want them.
I lean in and kiss her hard. “The only snake you need to focus on is mine.”
44
BRANDON
For the past two weeks,I’ve watched Charlotte sit with my mom, take her for rides, and even sit outside and watch the ocean. While they talk for hours, I never ask about their chats. But I know I couldn’t survive here without her.
Some days, she comes with me to the winery, and for others, she chooses to stay with Mom. Dad has used all his leave to come to the US to watch me play and then to support Mom before and after her surgery.
Tonight, Charlotte cooked dinner for the second time, and no one contracted food poisoning. We finish up and head out onto the balcony to watch the sunset. Charlotte stays inside to finish the dishes so Mom, Dad, and I can have some time alone.
“Your girl is full of surprises.”
I look at Dad and smile. “Yeah. Don’t think she’s done a dish in her life until she came here.”
Mom laughs. “Don’t be ridiculous.” Mom has no idea about her life other than that she has money.
“It feels wrong, though, us out here while she does the work.”
“She wants to give us some alone time as a family. Besides, she said she wants to earn her keep.” I laugh as the words come out. “But yeah, she’s full of surprises.”
“You can say that again.” Mom smiles. “She told me to writeFuck Cancerten times on a piece of paper, then burn it.”
Dad chokes on his beer. “She said what?”
“Yeah.” I can’t hide a smile. “She does it often, and the universe will set you in the right direction.”
“Sounds like a lot of hogwash to me,” Dad grunts.
I have to agree with him.
“It’s not nonsense. She did it for you.” Mum looks at me. “Used to write your name over and over and then burn it.”
I scratch my head. “She wanted to end me?”
“By the sounds of it, love, yes. And after talking to her, you needed a shake-up. But the universe set you two right. And I’ll try anything right now to be healthy again.” Mom looks directly at me. “I want to live. But I don’t want you two to stop living while I fight this damn thing. You need to see your friends. Show Charlotte more than this house and your winery. Take the girl on a date.”
I smile at her. “You’re starting to sound better. Bossy again.”
“Ha. I never stopped. I just said more things inside my head, so you two never heard me. But I mean it. And maybe in a couple of weeks, the four of us can go out for dinner somewhere nice. I’ve even ordered a new wig,” she says and smiles. “I want to live.”
“And we want you to, Mum. I can’t imagine a world without you in it.”
