hours as a nurse, that must have made for an unpredictable childhood.” Hence his need for rules and order.
“Yeah.” Nothing more, just a single syllable agreement.
It was hard, but she decided to wait him out. Maybe he’d say more. Eventually she was rewarded.
“He started roping me into his schemes when I was six. By fourteen, I’d realized what a waste they were. By fifteen, I’d gotten my first job.”
“To help pay the bills.”
“Yeah.”
Okay, so she was starting to hate his father. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry’s a useless word. Dad used it a lot when he wanted something. Sorry I forgot to pick you up, I had this idea. Sorry I spent all our grocery money on metal tubing, but I had this idea.”
“Ouch.”
“Dad started asking me for loans when I was sixteen. And when I refused, he got mad.”
They were walking side by side, but at those words, she had to touch him. She extended her hand and used her fingers to stroke his. Would he pull away? She felt like she’d won the lottery when he extended his fingers and linked them with hers. A few steps later and they were hand in hand.
“How mad?” she asked. That was the teacher in her. She had to know how deep the abuse went.
“I was as big as he was by then. He hit me once, but I put him in a headlock. He never got physical with me again.”
That was a relief, but that didn’t stop the emotional abuse. “So what happened?”
“I met the Air Force recruiter. I know a bunch of them are just pushing paper, but this guy really talked to me. He showed me how I could make money faster there than at home. And he helped me set things up so that the money went straight to my mom. The grocery bill was covered by the time I was done with basic.”
Damn. What a freaking amazing thing for a son to do. “Careful, John. You’re going to make me see you as more than a sex toy.”
He flashed her a smile. It was brief but it warmed her down to her toes. “So that’s why I went into the military.”
To help his mom. And now that she thought about it, she’d bet he paid for his sister’s college degree, too. Damn, that was impressive. “But now your dad’s gone. Your mother’s taken care of.”
“Have you seen her car?”
“Does she have debts?”
He glanced at her, and she knew that her guess was correct.
“You’ve paid them off. And with your dad gone, there won’t be any new ones coming in.”
“There are always expenses.”
“Not like your dad must have incurred.”
“No. Nothing like that.”
“So she’s okay. Or will be within a month or two because you’re the kind of guy who takes care of his mother.”
He shot her a look. “You calling me a mama’s boy?”
“You really can’t stand to get a compliment, can you?”
He stopped walking, turning her to look directly at him. Then he touched her chin. “You’re really annoying.”
“It’s one of my best qualities.” Then when he didn’t answer, she pressed him because annoying wasn’t always good. “What about me bothers you?”
“You poke at me.”
She smiled. “Well, it’s only fair. You poked me. Multiple times, if I remember correctly.” Then when he didn’t answer, she grew serious. “It’s called getting to know each other. Feel free to ask me anything.”
“I don’t want to ask.”
“Really? That’s kinda disappointing. I mean, I know I’m an open book about most things, but—”
He kissed her. A sudden swoop and then he pulled back, a question in his eyes.
“Oh. Well,” she said with a smile. “We can move on to the other types of poking for now if you like.”
“I like.”
“Then take me home, sailor.”
He growled. “Tech sergeant. In the Air Force.”
“High school teacher. Really horny.”
He froze for a moment, then he laughed. A real honest-to-goodness laugh such as she hadn’t heard from him ever. And at that moment, she tumbled headlong into love.
Chapter Eleven
God, she made him feel light. Just holding her hand
“Yeah.” Nothing more, just a single syllable agreement.
It was hard, but she decided to wait him out. Maybe he’d say more. Eventually she was rewarded.
“He started roping me into his schemes when I was six. By fourteen, I’d realized what a waste they were. By fifteen, I’d gotten my first job.”
“To help pay the bills.”
“Yeah.”
Okay, so she was starting to hate his father. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry’s a useless word. Dad used it a lot when he wanted something. Sorry I forgot to pick you up, I had this idea. Sorry I spent all our grocery money on metal tubing, but I had this idea.”
“Ouch.”
“Dad started asking me for loans when I was sixteen. And when I refused, he got mad.”
They were walking side by side, but at those words, she had to touch him. She extended her hand and used her fingers to stroke his. Would he pull away? She felt like she’d won the lottery when he extended his fingers and linked them with hers. A few steps later and they were hand in hand.
“How mad?” she asked. That was the teacher in her. She had to know how deep the abuse went.
“I was as big as he was by then. He hit me once, but I put him in a headlock. He never got physical with me again.”
That was a relief, but that didn’t stop the emotional abuse. “So what happened?”
“I met the Air Force recruiter. I know a bunch of them are just pushing paper, but this guy really talked to me. He showed me how I could make money faster there than at home. And he helped me set things up so that the money went straight to my mom. The grocery bill was covered by the time I was done with basic.”
Damn. What a freaking amazing thing for a son to do. “Careful, John. You’re going to make me see you as more than a sex toy.”
He flashed her a smile. It was brief but it warmed her down to her toes. “So that’s why I went into the military.”
To help his mom. And now that she thought about it, she’d bet he paid for his sister’s college degree, too. Damn, that was impressive. “But now your dad’s gone. Your mother’s taken care of.”
“Have you seen her car?”
“Does she have debts?”
He glanced at her, and she knew that her guess was correct.
“You’ve paid them off. And with your dad gone, there won’t be any new ones coming in.”
“There are always expenses.”
“Not like your dad must have incurred.”
“No. Nothing like that.”
“So she’s okay. Or will be within a month or two because you’re the kind of guy who takes care of his mother.”
He shot her a look. “You calling me a mama’s boy?”
“You really can’t stand to get a compliment, can you?”
He stopped walking, turning her to look directly at him. Then he touched her chin. “You’re really annoying.”
“It’s one of my best qualities.” Then when he didn’t answer, she pressed him because annoying wasn’t always good. “What about me bothers you?”
“You poke at me.”
She smiled. “Well, it’s only fair. You poked me. Multiple times, if I remember correctly.” Then when he didn’t answer, she grew serious. “It’s called getting to know each other. Feel free to ask me anything.”
“I don’t want to ask.”
“Really? That’s kinda disappointing. I mean, I know I’m an open book about most things, but—”
He kissed her. A sudden swoop and then he pulled back, a question in his eyes.
“Oh. Well,” she said with a smile. “We can move on to the other types of poking for now if you like.”
“I like.”
“Then take me home, sailor.”
He growled. “Tech sergeant. In the Air Force.”
“High school teacher. Really horny.”
He froze for a moment, then he laughed. A real honest-to-goodness laugh such as she hadn’t heard from him ever. And at that moment, she tumbled headlong into love.
Chapter Eleven
God, she made him feel light. Just holding her hand
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