Page 58 of Theirs to Treasure

“You want another blowjob?” She knelt up on the bed, excited at the prospect.

“We’ve created a monster. No, I’m tired and I want nothing more than to crawl under the covers and cuddle with the woman I love.”

Josie felt her heart clench.

“Love?”

“Haven’t you been catching on? I’ve said it before but let me be really clear. I’ll love you past forever. When you came back into my life, it changed in ways I couldn’t possibly have imagined. You’ve painted my world with joy. I would be lost without you, and I believe with my whole heart that you, Sam, and I were destined to be together.”

Josie couldn’t stop the tears that trickled down her cheeks.

“I wish I was as good with words as you are, Chance. I’m not. I just know. I know. I’ve found a home in your arms.”

Chapter 22

Sam slept in the bed of his truck the night before. He always kept a duffel of camping gear in his truck. Too many years being a Marine, he figured. He liked being prepared. He’d gotten home an hour ago. When he’d gone through the house, he noted that the door to the master suite was closed, so he grabbed a six-pack and headed out to the lake. He sat out at the end of the dock.

He figured Chance would come down there to come kick his ass. He hadn’t expected the pleasant surprise of Josie’s soft hands in his hair.

“Can I have one?” she asked, indicating one of the four beers left from his six-pack.

“It’s not anything fancy,” Sam warned.

“Perfect, I’m not a fancy type of gal.” She flipped the top, took a long swallow, and sighed in satisfaction. Sam watched out of the corner of his eye as she leaned back on her elbows and looked out over the water. When she didn’t say anything, he relaxed and took a sip of his own beer. When he finished his beer, he offered her another one, and she took it, finally turning to face him.

“How’s your arm?”

“Careful, cowboy. If you get to ask caring questions about me, then I get to return the favor. Do you really want to go there?” Josie arched a black eyebrow at him.

Sam took a moment to think about that question. Looking into this woman’s dark-honey eyes made him think that he’d finally found someone who would understand what he still couldn’t make sense of himself.

“It’s going to be all right. If not now, it will eventually,” she said in her soft, sultry voice.

“Do you promise?” he asked in the desperate, questioning voice of a child.

Shit, had that really come out of his mouth?

“I promise. Eventually it will.” She put down her beer and wrapped her arms around him, her scent comforting him.

“But it isn’t all right for you. I hurt you and you’re still wearing a brace. You’re still in pain, Josie.”

“You know that’s not the real pain,” she said gently.

He moved her away from him so he could search her face. “Will you tell me your story? Will you tell me how it got to be all right for you?”

“Only if you hold me.”

He would give his life for the right to hold her forever, but he wasn’t worthy of that right. Yesterday morning had proved that. But he’d always hold her, if she needed it.

“Always, Baby. Come here.” He picked her up, settled her on his lap, and cuddled her in his arms so they could watch the sun’s slow descent. She started her story.

“I was eight when the courts decided that my mom had turned her life around and could regain custody of me. That’s when I left the Hutchins. It was good until I was ten. Then she married Barry and started using again. It was little stuff to begin with, but by the time, I was twelve she was into meth.”

“Barry?” he asked.

Josie understood the deeper meaning of his question. “He didn’t mess with me or anything. He wasn’t that way, he was just a junkie. He and Mom had problems keeping jobs, so we moved around a lot. Sometimes we lived in motels and shelters.” Josie’s voice was steady and distant, as if she were talking about someone else. Sam held her closer, because he knew the next part was only going to get worse.

“When I was thirteen, Mom got pregnant. So, she stayed clean, pretty much. Problem was, she was sick all the time. I think it was withdrawals, so only Barry was working. He got the bright idea to start selling meth. I didn’t understand why suddenly we were living in a rented house and getting more to eat. I was just happy that Mom was acting better and life seemed to improve, and I got to go to school on a more regular basis. I should have been more aware.”