So Josie was right.
Shit.
And they’d “yammered on” about me?
That felt great.
“Did you consider explaining that to me?” I asked hesitantly.
He threw both hands out in a gesture of frustration.
“Amy, I’ve been dealin’ with all this shit for you and the fact that once I tell my kids we’re loaded, Cill’s gonna want me to build him his own personal paintball arena. And hangin’ with your girl and you, suddenly my girl is into clothes and decorating. She’s linin’ up babysitting jobs to feed that need. She found some print online that she wants for her wall that she has to have in her room and that shit costs a hundred and fifty dollars. She knows I got cake, no tellin’ now what she’s gonna want.”
I found that funny and wonderful news. Mickey having a daughter who liked clothes and expensive pictures for her wall were much better problems than Mickey with a daughter who had to play mother to his son because her mother was a drunk at the same time she’s bullied at school.
I didn’t share that.
I asked, “So it was just that your mind was on other things?”
“Yeah,” he answered tersely. “All that and the conversation I’d have to have with my kids about leavin’ their home and the hit it would be about lettin’ that place go. Not to mention, me talkin’ you into lettin’ your kids hang with their dad so when I worked out my notice with Ralph and before my crew got started on their new jobs, I could give the kids to Rhiannon and take you to the Keys so I’d get a shot at you bein’ in a bikini when I asked you to marry me.”
I took a step back.
His scowl grew dark as it snapped to my feet.
It a flash, it snapped back to me.
“Now what?” he clipped.
“You’ve had a lot on your mind,” I noted.
“Uh…yeah,” he replied sarcastically.
“Why didn’t you share any of it with me?” I asked.
“Like you shared that with me?” He again threw out a hand to the paper from Hillingham.
“Mickey, as dire as it sounded, it didn’t mean anything.”
“Well, you’re fuckin’ tidy,” he shot back strangely. “Had shit to put away in your bathroom and so it wouldn’t crawl up your ass I fucked that up, I opened a drawer, saw that, figured you were hidin’ it from a variety of people, one of them me. And it bein’ worthy of hidin’, I couldn’t know it didn’t mean anything.”
“Well it doesn’t, but you could have shared you found it before you went off and took your inheritance,” I returned. “And in so doing, got stuck in your head about a lot of stuff that was clearly weighing on you that you didn’t share with me.”
“Fucks with the grand announcement I wanted to lay on you when I got it sorted and to a place I could tell you I could take care of you.”
That was sweet but I felt it necessary to reiterate, “You were already taking care of me.”
“In the way you’re used to, Amy,” he returned heatedly.
“Yes, to repeat, you’re already taking care of me in the way I’m used to, Mickey. The only way I need it to be.”
“Right, so that shit happens,” again with flipping his hand to the letter, “and you got a wild hair to buy a Rover and you gotta wait to save for it, if you can get it at all, rather than headin’ out and buyin’ it with cash, that’s not gonna bother you?”
God, why was he not getting this?
“Mickey, I love you!” I was now yelling.
“And I love you,” he ground out. “Since that’s the case, I want you to have it all.”
I threw up my hands. “I have all I need.”
“I want you to have,” he planted his hands on his hips and leaned toward me ominously, “it all.”
“Why?” I asked shrilly. “When I have everything I need.”
“Because you’re worth it.”
I snapped my mouth shut.
Do what I gotta do.
Oh my God.
Because you’re worth it.
Oh. My. God.
“No comeback?” he taunted.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“I know that,” he returned. “That all you got?”
“No,” I replied. “That’s it. Just I love you.”
Mickey shut his mouth.
I stared at him and it was a surprise when I felt the tear slide down my cheek.
“All my life,” I whispered, “I was the girl who everyone thought had everything or could get it. But the only thing I ever wanted was a man like you. You’re the best man I’ve ever met, Mickey Donovan.” I felt another tear and the words trembled when I finished, “And you’re mine.”
“Get the fuck over here, Amy.”
I didn’t hesitate an instant.
I ran into his arms.
I held him tight and burrowed in, pressing my cheek to his chest as I felt more tears trailing down my face.
He moved to cup a hand on the side of my head and whispered, “Baby, think I made it clear I want a kiss and not sure that’s gonna work with you tryin’ to fuse your face to my chest.”
Immediately, I tipped my head back, got up on my toes and moved my own hands so I could clamp them on either side of his head and pull him down to me.
Our mouths met and we kissed, at first hard and heated, but since it went on for a long time, it shifted to soft and sweet.
When Mickey finally broke the kiss, I slowly opened my eyes and looked into his beautiful ones, seeing at the surface, and all the way down deep, the love he had for me.
It went on forever.
“So now that you’re loaded, this means I get to go whole hog on birthdays too,” I declared.
I watched Mickey blink those beautiful eyes.
This was right before his arms convulsed around me and he burst out laughing.
He kept his arms tight and continued to laugh even as he said, “Now that stupid shit is done, if you can get over any concern you might have at the starving nations of the world needing tea, you can toss that crap, get your shit and get your ass over to my house. The kids miss you.”
Stupid shit?
Starving nations needing tea?
I swallowed the quick retort that was on the tip of my tongue.
Not because he didn’t deserve it.
But because he loved me. He wasn’t breaking up with me. He took his inheritance for me.
And his kids missed me.
So I rolled up on my toes again, touched my mouth to his and broke free of his arms so I could toss the tea and get my shit.