“What?” I ask.
“We never liked Jack. He’s a pompous ass who always acted like he was better than everyone else. I get that he has money, but no one’s better than my little girl, and no one needs to make her anything she isn’t.” He flashes me a wink. “If you ask me, Sami girl, you’re perfect.” He turns to Marshal and offers him his hand to shake. “Marshal, son, whether you’re here as Sami’s cover or if there truly is something happening between the two of you, I don’t care. If it helped to get rid of Mr. Jackson Carmichael, well, son, the beers are on me.”
I look closely at my father’s expression. The wrinkles and age I’d been noticing seem to fade away. “Are you sure? What about the money?”
Dad shrugs. “We’ll figure it out. If we have to throw a celebration party to announce you’re a free woman, we’ll do it.”
Marshal squeezes my hand.
“Mom?” I ask.
“Paul, get me one of those beers.”
Marshal
After we each finish a beer and Paul makes sure that Missy is safe on the island for another week, I take Sami’s hand. “How about a walk around the old neighborhood?”
A grin and a nod are all she offers. Ever since her parents surprised her with their response, she’s been quieter than usual.
Outside, the sun has set, leaving the sky dark, the streetlights the only illumination. They project glowing circles lining the familiar street. “Look,” I say, “Mrs. Jefferson has a new dog.”
We both wave to her.
Mrs. Jefferson waves back, but when she squints, she shouts, “Marshal Michaels, is that you? And Samantha? What in the world?”
She pulls her puppy’s leash down the short driveway. He obviously hasn't gotten the hang of walking on a leash as he runs this way and that. She looks at our hands clasped together and straightens her neck. “Samantha Ann, I thought you were marrying the fancy lawyer guy?”
“Hello, Mrs. Jefferson,” Sami says. “The wedding is off.”
Mrs. Jefferson studies us for a moment, her gaze again going to our entwined hands. When she looks up at me, she purses her lips. “You could do worse, young man.”
I squeeze Sami’s hand, well aware that we’re still in the friend zone even if we’ve added benefits. But as Sami smiles up at me, for one of the first times, I wish she were up for a new agreement. “I’m well aware.”
“You two aren’t getting any younger,” Mrs. Jefferson says. “I remember when the pair of you were running around this neighborhood. I always knew you were up to no good.” She winks. “That may have been a bad thing when you were ten. But now I bet the two of you have some better ideas on how to cause trouble.” She smiles. “The good kind.” Her painted-on eyebrows wiggle.
Sami shakes her head, and I see a hint of pink fill her cheeks.
Letting go of my hand, she tries to change the subject. In a second, she’s down on her knees. My mind goes to a totally inappropriate place, imagining her on her knees, her sexy tits showing as she takes my dick between her lips. As I work to concentrate on the present, Sami offers her hand to the small brown puppy.
“What’s his name?” she asks.
“LS,” Mrs. Jefferson answers.
“LS?”
“Little shit,” Mrs. Jefferson replies matter-of-factly. “The little shit shits all over the kitchen floor.”
Sami grins as she stands. “He sure is cute.”
“That’s why he’s still here,” she says, eyeing me and then Sami. “Cute and dependable. I can count on him to leave me his gifts. Cute and dependable. Two very good qualities.”
“See you later, Mrs. Jefferson,” I say, reaching again for Sami’s hand and tugging her back toward the sidewalk.
Once we’re out of earshot, I affirm Mrs. Jefferson’s advice. “I like cute and dependable, but when you add gorgeous tits and a great lay, I’m even more intrigued.”
Sami’s tits rise and fall with my words. I can’t help but wonder if she would be willing to make a new agreement. But before I can find the right way to bring it up, she says, “It's a good thing neither of us shit on the kitchen floor. Now where are we going? Or are we just giving my parents some time to realize what happened?”
“I’m confident that your dad fully comprehends. Besides, by now he's lost inDawn of the Zombie Apocalypse. He watches those episodes on demand.”