If she was surprised at finding us intertwined, she didn’t look nonplussed in the least. “All right, you two. There’ll be time enough for that later. I suggest you get a move on. Some of the Elders are feeling tetchy about the move you pulled, Rafe, and it’d be better if you got gone sooner rather than later.”
That had Rafe immediately jumping off the bed, his hand grasping mine firmly. “Time to go, babe.”
It was so dumb, but my insides totally lit up when he called me that. I grinned like a teenager as I hopped to my feet and helped him shove the rest of our stuff in our bags.
“Here are your phones back,” Mrs. H said. She handed us our phones. She winked at me and squeezed my fingers as she gave me mine. “You might want to take a minute to peek at your bank balance, lass. It’s already been processed.”
“Already?” My voice choked a little on the word.
She nodded, a gleam in her eye. She gave me a quick hug, then pulled back to do the same for Rafe before leaving.
Yes, I was happy for all the reconciliation between me and Rafe, plus finding out about my brother and finally getting all the answers I’d been seeking, but I was a practical girl. If my life was really going to change in the significant ways I’d always hoped for…
I clicked the bank app open, using my fingerprint to unlock it.
It was a good thing I had a good grip on the phone because—
Holy.
Shit.
I was rich.
I was a multi-millionaire.
I could comfortably buy my mom the house she’d always deserved, big square footage, backyard for days, garden, probably even a pool, and it would barely make a dent. I could buy her ten houses.
I started giggling. I couldn’t help it.
“Everything you’ve ever hoped for?” Rafe asked.
I tried to dim my smile but couldn’t. I didn’t care if it made me look like a gold digger. I’d always hated that term. And the thing was, now I could meet Rafe as an equal. I didn’t need his money or his charity or for him to marry me because he felt sorry for me.
It never would have been that way, that wasn’t who he was.
But maybe I couldn’t believe it until now. He could tell me how he felt until he was blue in the face, but until I believed it, it wouldn’t have mattered.
But now I was free. I was powerful.
Free and powerful to claim what I’d always wanted.
But Rafe looked sad. “So, this is it, I guess,” he said, looking down at the packed suitcases. “You’ll go your way and I’ll go another? Back to reality. Will you go back to Pasadena?”
I just laughed at that. I don’t think it was insecurity making him say it, just his attempt to not dictate to me like before when he’d offered to write me a check or asked me to marry him. He was trying, and it meant so much to me.
But I wasn’t afraid anymore. “No, I don’t think I’ll go back to California. Not just yet. I mean, maybe some of this art would be good for a show if I can contact some galleries and find one wishing to feature me.” I looked around the room at the paintings that were piled up, mostly by the door where Rafe had started gently stacking them.
I looked back into his eyes. “I just know that I want to be where you are. I’ve come home and I never want to leave again.” I reached out and took his hands so he would know that when I said “home,” I meant him.
A huge grin slowly split across his face. “Just you wait, babe. I’m gonna make you Mrs. Jackson sooner or later.”
I laughed out loud at that and threw my arms around his neck. Just so he knew exactly how I felt about it, I hopped up and threw my legs around his waist, too, so that he was forced to support me from underneath my backside. He massaged my buttocks as he kissed me.
Well, golly, that sure felt good.
We were just really getting hot and heavy, Rafe pressing me against the nearest wall, when another loud banging came at the door. Bang bang bang bang.
I pulled away from Rafe with a gasp. Oh God, had Rafe been right, and this had only been a short reprieve until the sadistic games commenced again?
But then came a low, rumbling voice, “Hey, what are you doing with my little sister in there?”
Rafe looked to me and I hopped down from him and eagerly waved my hand, motioning him to let Montgomery in the door. Montgomery’s face lit up the second he saw me.
“Holy shit, sis,” Montgomery said. “I can’t believe we didn’t see it before. Look, we have the same nose!”