Bittersweet (Redemption #3) - Jessica Prince Page 0,92
his physical therapy.”
I leaned in deep and pressed my lips to his chest right above his heart. “You’re a good man, Jensen,” I whispered.
“It was the right thing to do. What happened to him, that was on me. I wanted to make sure he had every chance at getting back to his normal life. I kept tabs a bit over the years. Last I checked, he was married with two kids, living in Kentucky.”
“But . . . you said you were never going to use that money, baby. You said it was tainted. Blood money.”
“You told me we weren’t going to let my parents affect our lives anymore. This is part of that. I want my son and my woman to have absolutely everything they could ever want, and with that money, I can make that happen. It’s only tainted if I let it be, and I’m done letting them sour my outlook on everything. Besides, anything you take out, I’ll just replace when I rake Whitman’s ass over the coals and take everything he has to pay back what he took.”
“Out of curiosity, just how much did Whitman take?”
“Well, I told you I put five hundred grand in when I opened it, then fifty grand a month for the past five years.”
My mouth fell open in shock as I tried doing the math in my head. I sucked in a startled gasp when I finally reached the number, using my hand on his chest to shove him backward and shoot up. “Three and a half million?” I shrieked. “You gave me and Brant three and a half million?”
“Technically, the old man stole three and a half million. But I’ll get it back, sunshine. And I’m gonna enjoy the hell out of it when I do. And like I told you, even with that gone, I’ve still got more than enough left.”
“Holy shit,” I breathed in wonder. “Holy. Shit. My man’s a millionaire.”
He grabbed my hips on a chuckle and pulled me over so I was straddling his waist. “I thought you didn’t care about shit like money. I thought you loved me for me.”
“Well of course, but I love you a whole hell of a lot more now that I know you’re loaded,” I said drolly.
At my joke, he dug his fingers into my ribs and began tickling me until I was thrashing around and out of breath from screaming and laughing. I gave in when he flipped me to my back and pinned me beneath him. “Okay, okay! I love you for you! You could be a penniless bum on the side of the road, and I’d still love you.”
“Good to know,” he said, looking down at me with a smile that warmed me from the inside out. With the moonlight filtering through the bedroom windows I was able to see his face melt into a tender expression and his eyes gleam with happiness that I felt down to my very soul. “God, sunshine. So fucking happy to have you back.”
“Me too, Jens,” I whispered, my voice jagged with emotion.
“Think it’s possible for you to get next weekend off so me and the boys can move you and Brant into your new home?”
If this had been a month ago, or hell, even a week ago, I would have balked at the idea of losing out on weekend tips, knowing I wouldn’t be able to make it without that money. But everything was different now. I wasn’t in this alone anymore. Jensen was back, but it wasn’t only that. It was everyone I had in my life. It was Caroline and Scooter, Stone, Farah and Cannon, Jase and Poppy, Wynn, and all the other people in this town who I loved and who loved me back. If I stumbled or fell, I had an entire support system at my back to help me up and dust me off.
“I think that can be arranged.
“All right, baby. Then it’s settled.”
With that done, we snuggled back together, and I fell asleep in the arms of the man I loved, exactly where I was supposed to be.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Shane
“Baby, you gotta relax,” Jensen said for the third time in the span of the short car ride from my house to Aunt Caro and Uncle Scooters. “Everything’s gonna be fine, you’ll see.”
I appreciated his positivity, but I wasn’t feeling it. I still had my doubts. I let out a noncommittal grunt, making him laugh as he reached across the bench seat of his old truck