And, based on the way he pulled her against him, she figured it was the right one.
* * *
Johnny liked sex. Was good at it. He knew how to please a woman and enjoyed doing so. And when it was done, he was fine to move on to sleep. Television. A nightcap. A shower.
He made love to Tabitha that night, and when it was done, he wanted more. Apparently so did she, because when he pushed back the covers to expose her breast and then leaned in to take her nipple into his mouth, she arched and asked for more. Eventually he had to take a break. Let her have a break, too. TV still didn’t beckon. Nor did sleep, a drink or a shower.
He wanted more of her. More than just her body. He wanted to give her something that would see her through however many months or years it took to get her son back in her life.
She wasn’t going to fail. Because she was never going to quit trying.
And, as it turned out, he hadn’t failed, either. He had a plan to help her, and others like her, in the future, with the added bonus of keeping her in his life.
Until her son was found, he’d continue to help. To pay Montgomery.
In the nearly ten years since her mother’s death, she’d been a loner. Hadn’t let anyone inside her life far enough to help her. She’d let him in.
Nope, he wasn’t going to fail her.
But...
“Why me?” With his head on his pillow, her head on his shoulder, he wasn’t even sure she was still awake until she looked at him.
“What?”
“Your whole adult life, since your mother was killed, it sounds like you’ve handled everything on your own.”
“Yeah.” She spoke as if it was a no big deal. “What choice did I have?”
“I’m sure there were people along the way who would’ve been glad to help.”
Her pause was significant. He wanted to know what she was thinking. Who she might be remembering. Wanted to know all her stories.
“I guess there were,” she finally said, slowly. “But they didn’t have to help.”
“That doesn’t mean they didn’t want to.”
“I know.”
“So?”
He felt her sigh. Settled her more securely against
him.
“When my mom died, that feeling...you know, of being all alone in the world...I had to handle it or die. I handled it.”
He frowned. “What are you saying? You plan to be alone for the rest of your life so you don’t get hurt again?”
“No.” She didn’t sound sure. “I just... Your parents, they have to love you, help you. At least, in the normal scheme of things. Losing that, not having any other family to step in...there’s no one who has to help me. So I help myself.”
“But what if they want to help you?”
He couldn’t be the only one who’d wanted that. She was too kind, too giving, to be overlooked by other people like her.
“I... It’s better for me to do it myself.”
“Why?”