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Since the night he’d presented her with the Baby Bonnie, they’d spent all their non-working time together. At first, she’d wondered if he was worried Tyrone might try to wreak more havoc and didn’t want to leave her alone just in case. About ten days ago, though, he’d mentioned he’d had a chat with his ex-friend and they’d sorted things out. She hadn’t asked what the chat involved, but as Cash appeared to believe any danger was past, she was prepared to believe it too.
Jamie took a seat on a stool and rolled up next to Penta. “Ready?”
Taking a deep breath, she laid her right forearm knuckles down on the rest jutting from the chair and nodded. As Jamie poised the machine over her skin, Penta turned her head away and groped for Cash’s hand. “Distract me.”
Since Cash’s arms were already covered in ink, he’d decided to get his tattoo on his right shoulder blade. He was facing the opposite direction from Penta, straddling a bench with his bare chest leaning against a hygienically paper-covered support. Propping his chin on the attached headrest, he took her hand in his left and smiled.
“Are you nervous about going back to school?”
She shot him a glare. “That’s your solution? Distract me with the one thing that I’m even more terrified about?” A bee sting near her inner wrist made Penta twitch and she hissed in a breath.
“You’re the bravest person I know. And I’m proud of you for taking this chance.”
The email had arrived the day before. She’d been certain it would be a rejection and had opened it with calm acceptance. It had taken multiple reads of the contents before she’d believed the news. She’d had to put her head between her knees to recover from the shock.
“Things are going to get crazy.” She kept her focus on Cash as the pricking transitioned to a scratching sensation. “I don’t know how I’m going to balance everything.”
“You’ll figure it out.”
His confidence eased the quivering in her gut. She squeezed his hand. “We’ll figure it out. You’re a part of this too.”
“The kids will step up and help.” His thumb rubbed the back of her hand. “You’ve raised them right. They’ll be fine taking on more responsibility.”
“I know.” It wasn’t just lip service. She did know. Her children were strong and resilient young men and women. It was time to show she trusted them by letting them make their own choices, their own mistakes.
While she kept a close eye on them, of course. She was still their mother, after all.
Cash shifted his feet without disturbing Roberta. “How do you think dinner with Hadiyyah went? I liked her.”
Delilah and Abra had returned from Mexico two days ago, and Penta had held a welcome home party last night. At her urging, Felix had brought Hadiyyah to meet everyone.
“Me too.” The short sharp scratches on her forearm were getting easier to ignore. “She’s a lovely girl. Felix seems very smitten. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.”
“While I, on the other hand, couldn’t take my eyes off you.” He winked and her skin rippled in response. “And you, on the other other hand, couldn’t take your eyes off the girls.”
“I know they were only gone a month, but they seemed so grown up. Especially Abra. She’s not a little girl anymore.”
“They’ll always be your girls.”
“I know, but it’s not the same. I’m glad they had a great time.” And was even more glad that both had run toward her and clung to her with tears and laughter the moment they’d seen her. Maybe absence did make the heart grow fonder, even between mothers and daughters.
PENTA’S EXPRESSION went soft and misty. Cash didn’t think he’d ever grow tired of watching her emotions play over her face. She rarely hid what she was feeling, unashamed to show her heart to the world.
He could feel Roberta tracing lines on his shoulder blade, the discomfort familiar. On the other side of Penta’s chair, Jamie made an adjustment to the machine and then returned to their work.
“What made you decide to get a tattoo?” It was a question he’d wanted to ask for several days, ever since Penta had told him her plan.
A blush swept up her neck and into her cheeks. “Well, I like yours.”
“You do?” She’d never mentioned that before. The buzzing behind him changed pitch and Roberta shifted to a new place on his shoulder.
“Yeah. They’re sexy.” She bit her lip and slid him a shy glance. “I thought you might think the same of one on me.”
“I do now.” At first, he’d been dismayed at the idea of Penta marking her soft silky skin. But when she’d explained her idea for the design, he’d known he had to get the same one too.
It was simple but personal and as it was just lines and a clean font didn’t take too long to complete. Still, his back was stiff by the time Roberta drew the final ink.
“There.” She tapped Cash’s elbow. “All done. Want a look?” She handed him a mirror and held another up at his back.
