Chapter 27 Sugar Mama
Sugar Mama
Deacon
“I’d like to leave the door open,” I murmured softly, gauging her reaction. Was it even fair to ask?
We’d seen them in passing the day before but hadn’t talked about it. In truth, after Ansel’s revelation, and that farce of a dinner two weeks ago, I didn’t have much to say to them.
I feared if I opened my mouth, all the rage I’d kept bottled up would spew all over them both.
I feared, period.
Everything fell apart once already, and it had fallen apart so effortlessly.
Instead, I took Jenny to bed and worked through the heartache buried inside her, assuring myself she was here with me. And neither of us was going anywhere.
I cuddled her soft, curvy body against mine as the morning sun shone through the cracks in the blinds and warmed her fair skin.
With her back to my chest, I trailed the fingers of my free hand through the velvet strands of her hair.
“Of course.” She wiggled her ass into my groin.
It wasn’t an invitation, but a deep-seated need to get as close to me as possible.
I curled my arm around her waist and yanked her back, plastering her to my chest.
The past two weeks had been tough. If I never relived another night like the one when Jenny fell apart after the dinner at my parents, it would be too soon.
Perhaps it had been necessary.
She’d been holding onto hurt and anger for more than a decade, and it had to come out. Every day since, she’d opened to me a little bit more.
Winding a silky black strand around my finger, I marveled at the change in her.
Softer, more relaxed, eager to fall into bed with me, and she didn’t hesitate to tell me what she needed.
And right now, she needed Ansel.
I lost count how many times we ran out to St. Michael’s to visit him and my grandma. After the fiasco at my parents, she needed her family around her.
It pleased the fuck out of me that my grandma was part of that.
Thank God, the virus was long behind them. They were back on their feet, and Ansel was back to his usual self.
God knew she wasn’t close to her mom. Was that something she wanted? “What about your mom?”
“No.” She started shaking her head before the words left my mouth.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. It’s been a long time coming.” She inhaled deeply then seemed to hold her breath before releasing it all at once. “The last time I saw her, she was bitter and vile. I stood up to her, and she slapped me across the face.”
My hand stilled. “She what?”
“Yeah,” she answered.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” How was I supposed to protect her if I didn’t have all the necessary information? “You have to stop leaving me in the dark, baby.’
“I think I needed time to process. As much as she’s been a terrible mother, she wasn’t always. And she’s still my mother.”
“Can you process a little faster next time?” I asked drily.
“I shall do my utmost,” she teased.
“How attached are you to your apartment?”
“I love it,” she answered simply.
“Do you want to live there? Or here?”
Her brow furrowed. “Isn’t this a rental?”
I studied her. “It doesn’t have to be.”
“Oh, boy,” she muttered. After a moment, she continued, “This is my dream house, but the apartment is my safe space. My home. The place I healed and found my feet.” She lifted her shoulder in a shrug then looked at me over her shoulder. “It’s Ansel.”
“Does he own it?”
She nodded slowly. “He owns the whole building.”
My eyebrows flew up. “All three apartments and all three storefronts?”
She grinned. “He’s quite the businessman.”
“Would you move in here with me?”
She stilled then rolled over in my arms to face me and threaded her legs through mine. “Do you want to buy this house?”
She toyed with the silver raindrop she’d yet to take off.
I frowned. “Do you want to stay in Moose Lake?”
“I don’t know,” she mused. “I only stayed here for Ansel. And, of course, the bakery.”
“I’d like you to think about it. You have good friends here, but I know you also have bad memories. Would you like for us to raise our family here in Moose Lake?”
“Our family?” She smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Shouldn’t you put a ring on it before you try to knock me up?”
“You ready for that?” I asked softly.
She searched my eyes, a shadow passing through hers, before whispering, “Almost.”
I pressed my lips to her forehead. “Almost is good for now. I have news.”
“Yeah?” She drew back, rested her head on her hand, and demanded, “Tell me.”
“Sergeant Elliott offered me a place with him. I know that’s the most practical way forward, but I thought maybe I’d follow my heart this time.” I pinched her chin. “Seems to be working well this time around.”
She splayed her palm over my chest. “And what’s your heart telling you?”
I held my breath, then let her have it. “I want to open a flight school.”
Her eyes lit up, and she smiled broadly. “Really?”
What was I so worried about?
Of course, she was supportive. She didn’t know any other way.
“You said something about honouring Charlie. I’m not going to live my life for him,” I paused, “but I’m going to live like he did; from my heart.”
“Baby,” she breathed. “That’s beautiful.”
I cleared my throat. “There are hoops, lots of them, but there are also grants and specialized funding available. It’ll be tough going for a while, but I want it.”
She smiled. “It’s perfect for you.”
“Are you in this with me?”
“I’ll be your sugar mama,” she teased.
I laughed. “I don’t think it will be all that bad, but I appreciate the offer.”
She beamed at me.
I tilted my head to the side. “What about you? You didn’t have much freedom to choose when you were younger.”
She shook her head. “I love my bakery.” Her eyes flitted back and forth as she searched for the right words. “It’s Ansel. And safety. But even aside from that, I dreamed of having my own bakery about two days into working for Ansel.”
“What else do you want?”
Her guards fell away as her soft eyes met mine. She blinked and swallowed hard. “I’d love to have a baby.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Sugar mama and baby mama? You’re going to be busy!”
She laughed and smacked my shoulder.
I grinned at her. “So, are you moving in here? Or am I moving into the apartment?”
“I’ll move here. But don’t buy it yet! I need to think, hard, if I want to stay in Moose Lake.” She eyed me. “How do you feel about moving?”
I wrapped my arms around her. “So long as you’re with me, I’m home.”