“Here!” He held out an envelope that looked suspiciously official.
“What’s this? I asked as I accepted and opened it up. It was the deed to the new penthouse with both our names on it and me as primary owner. When he said he got us the place for when I come home, I didn’t think he meant he got it for me.”
“Are you insane? This…” I looked back at the papers and almost fainted. The damn thing cost more than my inheritance was going to be, I’m sure. I felt close to tears as the thought that all the women in his life had used him for material gain pierced my heart.
“Why are you crying? I know those are not happy tears.”
He wiped my face, and I hugged him so tight I could’ve cracked a rib. “You don’t have to buy me expensive things, Jared; I love you just for you.” I ugly cried into his chest while he soothed me, running his hand over my hair and whispering words of assurance like you would a child.
“All better now?” He put me away from him but kept his hands on my shoulders. “I know you’re not with me for my money Samantha. You say everything out loud, even the things you don’t mean to, so I have a pretty good idea of how you really feel. You call out for me in your sleep and cling to me when all of your defenses are down. Of all the people I’ve ever known, both men and women, you’re the only one I’m a hundred percent sure of. So stop worrying about me, okay.”
I could only nod my head because I was too choked up to speak. “Now, let’s go start operation destroy the skank.” That one stopped me in my tracks because I don’t recall sharing that with him.
“How do you know about that?” He rolled his eyes, yes, rolled his damn eyes at me.
“You said it out loud when you were making a blueprint of your war strategy.” I have got to get a handle on that shit.
His goons were waiting for us in the hallway with a couple of oversized hand truck dollies laden down with gifts. “Jared, what the heck?”
“Those are for our nieces, and your mom and dad.” My mouth hit the ground.
“Whose toy store did you buy out? For crap sake, I only got them a dollhouse and some cute little outfits.” Because I know nothing about kids and shopping makes me itch.
“Well, now, you’ve got them more. Don’t sweat it, Samantha; I actually had fun picking out this stuff. Besides, I know how much you hate shopping.” I mumbled a few choice words as he herded me onto the elevator.
“I hope you don’t mind that I left some of your gifts here to open together; I just threw a few on there with the kids’ stuff.”
“There’s more? I thought the ring and the apartment were plenty.”
“Not for you, Samantha; there’ll never be enough for you.” He says the sweetest things.
Downstairs in the car, I started fussing with my blouse, trying to pull the neck in closer to hide the mauling that he’d left behind. “Samantha, your father, gave you to me; stop worrying.”
“What, like an old shoe he no longer wanted?”
“Your imagination scares me. No, like a favorite flower who outgrew one pot and needed transplanting to another.” What a nerd.
We got to the house, and his goons offloaded the gifts on the front porch before I actually watched them walk into the people next door’s house. “How long are they supposed to be there?”
“For as long as you’re here.”
“Oh crap, I didn’t tell Deidre that the girls were going to be here this late. She must be going insane.”
I knew she wouldn’t call or come to the house while my brother was here for fear of running into him. She’d told me stories about seeing his car here and turning back on days that she usually brought the girls to see mom. But she hadn’t called my cell either. “Call her now; she’ll understand.”
“Yeah, okay.”
She picked up on the second ring. “Hey, I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“That I didn’t call and tell you I would be late dropping the girls off.”
“No worries, dad already called and asked to let them stay a little longer. You sure you still want me there tomorrow?”
“Of course, but I think maybe we should do something with the girls today. I don’t like the idea of you being alone for the holidays while everyone else is getting in the spirit.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Let me think about it, and I’ll get back to you.” I hung up, feeling much better, and walked inside.
Mom and dad were up with the girls, but my brother and his living albatross were nowhere to be found. “Oh, You’re back. Did you two eat? What’s all this?” Mom said all that in one breath. No wonder I say everything out loud; I got it from her; motor mouth.