I tipped my head back and breathed heavily through my nose. “And I’m such an asshole.”
“No, you’re not,” she chided gently. “You’re as much a victim as your mother. Don’t let this poison what you could build with her now.”
I didn’t want to think of all the times I’d thought my mother weak. What did I know, after all? I stuck my nose into the crook of AM’s neck and burrowed deep, taking comfort in her body and her scent, which was becoming so familiar and dear. “If you’re still worried about your mother, maybe you’d let me take care of her. I could take care of both our moms. We could move my mom to live next to your mom or vice versa.”
“Maybe they could both live in Chicago by Lake Michigan,” she added excitedly. “Wait, you have enough money for that?”
We’d never talked about the extent of my trust. I’d only told her that I wasn’t too concerned about what I was going to do after graduation, that maybe I’d work in the mailroom of the insurance empire she planned to build.
“Yeah. Why do you think it’s taken Bobby a lifetime to spend his money?” I chuffed. “It’s in a trust, too, so he wasn’t able to waste it all at once.”
“What do you think he spent it on?”
“Hookers and blow.”
She punched me lightly. “No really.”
“Really. At least the hooker part. Maybe alcohol instead of cocaine.”
“I don’t want you to waste your money.”
“It wouldn’t be a waste to take care of the moms.” I licked her neck to taste her sweetness. “Besides, you can take care of the money for us, right?” I stared up at her with my best puppy dog eyes but held my breath. I was a tiny bit scared that AM would tell me hell no, she wasn’t making plans for the future with me. But her next response was immediate, as if it was a foregone conclusion that we’d be living together, wherever we might be.
“If you want me to,” she said coyly, but I could tell by the excitement in her voice that she was thrilled I’d trust her with something like this. I’d have to take her over to the bank and introduce her before we left.
“Oh I do,” I said. “I want you to take care of all of me.” I pushed my hips against her slightly so she knew exactly what I was talking about.
“So your dad needs a loan from you? Is that why he was asking you about the trust?”
“Exactly. And he’ll get that over my dead body.”
“What if he sells the house or some of the land?” AM’s voice sounded drowsy, as if sex and the emotional roller coaster of the day had done her in.
“I guess I don’t care. It’s not like I’ve got good memories there. AM,” I said before she fell asleep. “I need to leave. I can’t hang around here for another minute. I know I still need to work things out with my mom, but I’m too raw right now. Will you come to San Diego with me, and we can hang out with some of my enlisted buddies until we have to get back to class?”
“You bet, Bo.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
AM
“YOU DON’T MIND THAT I spend the day with the boys?”
“For the forty-eight-thousandth time, no.” Bo had been asking me this question on and off since we left Texas.
“I just feel bad about dragging you here and then leaving you.” Bo nuzzled my neck as I was picking through our luggage for something to wear. It was slightly colder here than it had been in Texas.
“Go. I’ll be fine. I have a book I’ve been wanting to read. I’m going to call my mom. The shopping place you told me about sounds fun.”
“Do you want to come with us?”
“What will you be doing?” I was curious what Marines did on their day off. Go to the shooting range? Spend all day in the strip clubs?
“Fishing, maybe. Surfing.”
“No and no. I’m going to this mall. I’d like to buy my mom something.” Every time I’d talked to her, I felt guilty. I needed to buy a gift to make both of us feel better. Or maybe just me. It wasn’t like she was alone. Roger was there with her.
“Bought you a hire car for the day.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I don’t want you to be driving around by yourself in a strange city. This way you’ll have someone with you. And I can be sure I paid for it.” He looked smug.
I rolled my eyes. “God, it’s a good thing that you’ll have me around to manage you. You’d be bankrupt in a year.”
“I like you managing me,” Bo growled against my neck, kissing the sensitive space along my shoulder and raising shivers as he went. “I hope that later you’ll manage me right out of my clothes.”