A/N: This chapter is another transitional one, but don't forget about me with all the stress and excitement of the holidays because, next week, things will heat up again until the end. Also next week, Dean will be back, and there's even a tad of Bobby. Only three more chapters left after this one. Happy Holidays, everyone!
As always, thank you so very much to my betas Cartersdaughter, skzb, and Catsluver. Thanks also to those of you who reviewed as guests!
Chapter 31
Sam hid his surprise when he opened the front door to see Jeremy standing on the porch. Jeremy looked up, eyes growing wide with a holy-shit look on his face.
Sam, who was standing, balancing on his forearm crutches with his leg braces on, got a sense of satisfaction that he was several inches taller than Jeremy. He didn't say anything in greeting, just looked down at Jeremy, unimpressed.
Jeremy cleared his throat, like he was uncomfortable. "Sam?"
"Jeremy?" Sam replied flatly.
"Can I—do you mind if I come in?"
"TJ isn't here." Sam was glad. She and Fern had gone with Aunt Joyce to Lexington for a Christmas shopping weekend and "hen party," as Vern called it, meaning they would be doing women's stuff that neither he nor Sam would have any interest in. The girls had taken the twins with them and were staying with some of TJ's family who lived in Lexington.
TJ had hardly talked to Jeremy in the last few months, and it was obvious she was no longer carrying a torch for him; but the fewer times she interacted with Jeremy the better, as far as Sam was concerned. He didn't trust Jeremy and never would.
"Actually, I was hopin' to talk to you," said Jeremy.
Sam raised his brows. "Why?"
"Vern's not here either?"
Sam shook his head. "He took Fern's car to the car wash."
Jeremy gave a short nod. "Good. I'd like to talk to you alone. I got a proposition for you."
What was with the propositions? First Wyman yesterday and now Jeremy. Sam was getting more offers than a high-priced hooker in Vegas. He and TJ would apparently have a lot to discuss when she got back home tomorrow.
There was no love lost between Sam and Jeremy, but Sam was curious to know what Jeremy had to say. He maneuvered himself on his crutches to where he could back away from the door, leaving it open in an obvious, if sort of rude, invitation for Jeremy to come in.
Sam crutched over to the couch, swinging his legs quickly and efficiently with each step. He felt Jeremy's eyes on his back and wondered what Jeremy was thinking. The bastard better not be feeling sorry for him.
Sam hated that he didn't have a better way to sit down other than essentially falling back onto the couch, but there was really no other way to do it except to plunk down awkwardly because of his stiffly-braced legs. Once he was sitting, he laid his crutches across the section of the couch where no one was sitting and then released his braces into free mode so he could bend his knees.
There was no look of pity on Jeremy's face, which was good, because Sam just might've found some way to kick his ass if there had been. Jeremy was still standing just inside the door, which he'd shut behind him. Sam nodded toward Vern's recliner, and Jeremy sat down in it.
Sam waited, giving him a hard stare.
Jeremy was sitting forward in the recliner, elbows resting on his knees and gazing idly at the car keys he was fiddling with in his hand. A long silence stretched out, a game of chicken to see who would speak first. Sam was determined it wouldn't be him. He had nothing to say to Jeremy Suggs.
Finally, Jeremy's piercing gray eyes (they were kind of creepy, in Sam's opinion) rose to meet Sam's gaze. "I owe you an apology," Jeremy stated.
Sam gritted his teeth. He wasn't one to hold a grudge, but Jeremy had been a colossal dickweed. Sam wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to get past the fact that Jeremy tried to destroy his marriage and break apart his family. Jeremy had taken advantage of TJ when she was at her most vulnerable twice: once as a naïve teenager who'd been in love with him and then when she woke up with amnesia.
As if reading Sam's mind, Jeremy said, "I know 'sorry' isn't enough for everything I've done, but I just wanted you to hear it. I've been...lost these last few years. Life ain't turned out exactly like I thought it would—not even close."
Sam almost snorted with irony. He could identify with that, with life taking an unexpected left turn or two, but he kept his features coolly impassive. Jeremy was still a dick.
"I know it's no excuse," Jeremy went on, staring at his keys again, "but I've been tryin' to find myself for a long time, to figure out who the hell I am. I think I might be, finally, on the right path." He shook his head, self-loathing in his voice. "Those couple of months after TJ woke up from the coma—well, let's just say I'm ashamed of the person I saw lookin' back at me in the mirror.
"But it was like a piece of my old life had been restored to me. TJ was back, and she was the same. It was like she'd stepped out of the past like a gift. She loved me again. I realize now how warped my thinking was, how pathetic; but at the time, I saw her love for me as a second chance, not the misguided feelings of a girl with severe amnesia. I wanted to redeem myself with her for what I'd done in the past, for using her, and I couldn't see beyond that. For what it's worth," he lifted his eyes to Sam, expression earnest, "I never meant to hurt her. I really have always loved her, and I always will." Jeremy held up his hand. "And I don't mean that as a threat, and I'm not tryin' to be a jerk."
Sam nodded once. He understood.
"I was such an arrogant bastard. That day you showed up at my house, I said some things that were downright shitty, and I'm sorry." Jeremy's mouth curved downward in a self-deprecating manner. "I guess you showed me. You won." He stopped jiggling his keys and placed his hands on his knees. "Thanks for not filling my ass full of buckshot."
"I thought about it many times," Sam informed him honestly.
A nod and a rueful smile. "I bet you did. I bet that brother of yours did, too. I get the feeling you two ain't jokers to mess around with."
That put Sam on alert, and he studied Jeremy intently. Did Jeremy know something he shouldn't about Sam's past?
Jeremy glanced down, not seeming to notice Sam's scrutiny. His next words gave no indication he knew anything about Sam's history or the real story of what had happened with Liv. He met Sam's gaze. "You probably won't believe me, but I'm glad Nelly chose you. She'll be happy with you. You're the better man. I've got some work to do in that department, but I'm trying, starting right now."
Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"
Jeremy drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I wanna make things up to you and TJ—or at least try."
"How?"
Jeremy cleared his throat, looking a bit nervous. "How would you feel about livin' in my house?"
Sam gave him a what-the-hell look.
"I don't mean with me in it," Jeremy rushed on. "As you know, my mother is in a mental hospital in Lexington, probably for the rest of her life." He swallowed hard, his jaw clenching for a second. He glanced away from Sam and then back. "I just bought a place in Lexington, and I'm gonna try to pursue my interest in music—doing what, I'm not sure yet. Maybe put together a band, get more serious about the blog I write. Who knows? I put the bank up for sale. I'm cuttin' my ties to Moss Fork. Well, most of 'em, anyway."
Sam's brows went up at that news.
"If I have to, I'll put the farm up for sale too, but..." He trailed off, frowning. "It's been in my family for generations. It was special to my parents, especially my dad. It's where I grew up. TJ, too, in a way. We pretty much split our time between her farm and ours when we were little."
"You're not ready to let it go."
Jeremy shook his head. "No, I'm not ready to let it go. I want it to be in familiar hands. I want someone livin' there who might love it like I do."
Sam understood. TJ's childhood home was certainly not the richest in terms of monetary worth, but Sam had come to love it—maybe even more so than TJ did. It was the first real home Sam had ever had, and he would never take it for granted. It was priceless in his eyes, and he wanted Robby and Sami Joy to grow up, if not there, then a place like it. "So what exactly are you offering?" Sam asked.
"I need someone to manage the farm and keep the house in good repair, that sort of thing. I'm asking if you and TJ might want to live there and keep an eye on things, run things. If you don't want to fool with the tobacco, I understand. Tobacco farming's about dead, anyway, especially here in eastern Kentucky. You could experiment if you wanted. I know you and TJ are all into healthy stuff."
Sam arched an inquisitive brow, and Jeremy's mouth quirked dryly. "Get used to people knowing your business if you stay here in Moss Fork. Not much gets past the gossip mill."
"Right."
"Hell, you could try organic farming or some granola shit like that," Jeremy suggested. "I don't care."
"I may go back to law school. I got an offer yesterday I need to talk to TJ about. I won't have time to manage your farm."
"TJ could—"
"I want her to go back to school, too. I'm trying to talk her into it."
Jeremy's eyes widened. "She doesn't want to?"
"She's...reluctant."
Jeremy looked like he wanted Sam to go on and explain, but Sam didn't. He didn't want to discuss TJ with Jeremy. She wasn't any of his business.
Jeremy regarded Sam expectantly for a moment, then hung his head and nodded. He'd gotten the message. "Well, if y'all do go back to school, that wouldn't be a problem. I've got a good foreman who's worked for us for years. The farm pretty much runs itself, but I'd still feel better if someone was there to keep an eye on things. Empty houses seem to go to ruin, you know?"
Sam nodded and thought, Or become ideal homes for ghosts.
"Listen," said Jeremy, "just think about it. There's lots of pros. You'd still be close to Fern and Vern. It's a big house. There'd be plenty of room for you, TJ, and the twins."
"Thanks, but no."
Jeremy cast him a look. "Sam, I know you don't like me, but—"
"It's not that." Although it was. Kind of. Sam glanced at his forearm crutches pointedly. "The house would have to be modified for me to live there, to make it accessible. My chair won't fit through narrow doorways. They'd have to be widened. Plus, it's a two-story house. Stairs are a problem for me." Although not as much as they used to be, he thought with satisfaction.
That stopped Jeremy for a moment, and he appeared to be thinking. It had clearly not occurred to him that accommodations would have to be made for Sam's disability. Finally, he shrugged. "Well, do what you have to do, then. Hell, put in an elevator, ramps, whatever. I'll pay for anything that needs to be done."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Sam wasn't trying to sound like a dick and tried to keep his tone neutral, but there was no way he would ever accept Jeremy's charity.
"You think you should maybe talk about this with TJ before you turn me down flat?"
Sam was irritated by the question, and his shoulders tensed. "Is that a threat? You planning to go behind my back and make the same offer to her? You think I won't say no to her if she wants to live there?"
Jeremy appeared unfazed by Sam's hostility. The corner of his mouth went up into a knowing, crooked smirk, amusement in his pale eyes. "Would you say no to her?"
Sam rolled his neck, and some of the tension drained from his shoulders. He realized Jeremy wasn't being insolent, just the devil's advocate, and he thought about the question, then almost smiled. "Probably not."
Jeremy chuckled. "No, it wasn't a threat," he said, answering Sam's earlier question. He pointed to himself with both index fingers. "Reformed asshole here, remember? I won't go behind your back. I'll respect your decision—whether you ever talk to TJ about it not. I'm just asking you to give it some thought before you refuse."
Sam nodded. He would talk to TJ about it. Always.
XXXXXXXX
TJ padded over to the bed wearing her Ugg slippers. She had on red-flannel drawstring pajama pants with white reindeer printed on them and a matching flannel, long-sleeved tee that had a giant reindeer with a red nose on the front. Sam presumed it was supposed to be Rudolph.
Sam was lounging on TJ's bed—correction, their bed—doing some research on his laptop. He'd moved into her bedroom, since the bed was bigger than the one in the guest bedroom. His back was against some pillows, supported by the headboard, and he was wearing a hunter-green hoodie, his ever-trusty gray sweatpants, and white socks. His legs were underneath the thick blue comforter, but he was still cold.
Winter in the mountainous area of eastern Kentucky where Moss Fork was located was much colder than San Diego, and Sam found it hard to get warm. He would put on layer upon layer of clothing to get warm, only to find himself sweating and peeling it all off again. He had yet to figure out how to satisfactorily regulate his body temperature in this new climate.
The mild temps of San Diego were one of the few things he really missed about it, along with Dean. At least that would be remedied soon. Dean, Heather, and Bobby were all coming to Kentucky for Christmas. As for regulating his body temperature, Sam would get it right eventually. After all, he wasn't the only person with paraplegia who lived someplace cold. If others could do it, so could he.
TJ crawled onto the bed and sat on her knees next to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. "Hi."
He closed up his laptop and carefully tossed it to the seat of his chair, which was next to the bed, then turned his face to her and smiled. "Hi."
She kissed him on the lips, slow and tender, with just a flick of her tongue over his teeth to give him a hint of what might come later. Rubbing her nose against his Eskimo style, she said, "I really missed you."
She'd gotten back from the Christmas shopping expedition earlier that afternoon, but they hadn't had a chance to be alone between unloading all the shopping bags, tending to Sami Joy and Robby, getting through dinner, getting the twins to bed, and then, finally, getting themselves ready for bed. TJ smelled like her flower-and-mint shampoo and lotion, and her long, dark, auburn-chestnut hair was still damp from her shower.
Sam gave her another peck on the lips, looking into her beautiful dark eyes. "I missed you, too." He traced her jawline with his knuckles.
She grabbed his hand, kissing the back of it. "You're cold. Your hand feels like a Popsicle."
He shrugged, and she moved to where she was straddling his lap, arms around his neck again. "Maybe I should lick you," she said, smiling coyly.
He grinned. "Uh, can we talk first?"
She turned her head slightly sideways and gave him a suspicious look out of the corner of her eye. "What could be more important than me licking you like a Popsicle?"
He laughed. "Believe me. We'll get to that eventually."
She smiled and took both of his hands, pressing them together into a prayer pose, then rubbed the outside of them with her hands to warm him. It felt good. That and her body heat so close to him gave off more warmth than a cozy fire. "Okay," she said. "What do you wanna talk about?"
Suddenly, he wasn't sure where to begin. "How was the shopping trip?"
She gave him another suspicious look. "Sam, we told you and Daddy all about it at dinner."
"Yeah. But you kept having to get up and deal with the twins, so your account of the trip was kind of disjointed."
She huffed good-naturedly. It was difficult to have any kind of a conversation without getting interrupted by the twins for one reason or another. "The trip was fun. I got all my Christmas shopping done. You think Dean'll like the jacket I got him?"
She'd shown it to Sam earlier after they'd unloaded all the packages. It was a brown-leather jacket similar to the one Dean had inherited from their dad. Sam snorted. "Yeah, he'll like it. He's not hard to please. You could get him shaving cream and a skin mag, and he'd be thrilled."
She snickered. "What about Bobby? He's the only one I didn't buy anything for. I couldn't think what to get him. It's kind of hard, since I don't know him."
"Don't worry about it. I know just what to get him." Sam needed to make a trip to the liquor store for some Woodford Reserve. Bobby would be perfectly happy with a nice bourbon to add to his whiskey collection. "So, did you do anything else besides shop?"
"Yeah. My cousin Gloria—she's Aunt Joyce's oldest daughter—watched Robby and Sami Joy so that Mama, Aunt Joyce, and I could go get pedicures. Katrina went with us, too." TJ rolled her eyes in ecstasy. "It was heavenly. I think the last time I had a real pedicure that came with a massage and the whole shebang was when I was seventeen, right before my Senior Prom."
Sam didn't tell her that she and her bridesmaids had all gone together to get their nails done the day before she married him. He didn't want to bring her down. "How were the twins?" he asked instead.
She pursed her mouth and raised her brows. "They were pretty good. They got cranky a few times, but they were fascinated by all the lights and decorations in the mall." Her eyes widened. "Oh, my goodness. I can't believe I forgot."
"What?"
She wriggled off his lap, not answering, and disappeared from the room, coming back a minute later with what looked like a five-by-seven photograph. She handed it to him, and he laughed. It was a picture of Sami Joy and Robby on Santa Claus's lap, a twin on each knee. They were dressed in matching red-and-green-plaid Christmas outfits. Robby's was a romper and Sami Joy's was a frilly dress. Both babies had pensive, unimpressed looks on their faces. In fact, Robby looked on the verge of tears. "I guess seven-month-olds aren't that enamored with Santa yet," Sam mused.
TJ smirked indulgently. "Yeah. You could say that. They were like, 'Who the heck is this big hairy man?'"
Sam chuckled and set the photo on the nightstand. TJ curled up beside him, pulling the covers up over herself and nestling her head in its usual place on his shoulder. He put his arm around her.
"So what did you want to talk about?" she asked.
He cleared his throat. "Wyman Trammell made me an interesting offer on Friday."
"Oh? What kind of offer?"
"He said if I was interested in going to law school at UK, he could get me an interview with the Dean for Admissions, who happens to be his sister."
TJ raised her head up and looked at him. "Really?"
"Yeah."
Laying her head back down, she said, "Holy cow. Can he get you another scholarship?"
"Sort of. He wants to pay my way."
"Seriously?" She sat up all the way this time and frowned. "Why?"
"He'll basically own me for at least a few years after I graduate. He wants to groom me to be a partner of sorts."
She took his hand and laced her fingers through his, palm to palm. He loved the heat and softness of her skin. "Is that what you want?" she asked.
"Yeah, it is," he answered truthfully. "Wyman thinks he has to bribe me to stay, but, actually, I could learn a lot from him, and I like Moss Fork. I could stay here for a long time. I don't care if I live in a big city."
"But what about Berkeley?"
"What about it?"
"Do you think you could get back in there?"
"I don't know. Probably. I never officially dropped out, just took a leave of absence. But it's too far away."
"Well, if you wanted to go back there, the twins and I would go with you," she offered.
He smiled and gazed into her eyes, running a thumb gently over her freckles. "You think?" Like he'd ever even consider leaving them behind to go to California.
She laughed a little sheepishly.
"I know you would come with me," he said, "but what about Fern and Vern?"
"Yeah," she said softly, an expression of regret crossing her features. "They'd be crushed if we took the twins and moved away." She tilted her head, studying him. "You'd blow off Berkeley because of them, because of my parents?"
"Yes. They're kind of—" He stopped, feeling a surge of unexpected emotion, and swallowed. "They're kind of like my parents, too."
She had one of those "aawww" looks on her face girls get when they think something is cute or touching. He rolled his eyes, and she laughed. "They love you too, Sam."
"Not only that," he went on, leaving the chick-flick moment behind, "but do you really want to be on your own caring for the twins? It's kind of nice having enough adults around to outnumber Robby and Sami Joy. If we were on our own, it would be one on one, and I think the twins might have a slight advantage," he said dryly.
"Lord, you got that right," TJ drawled. "Still, we should probably move out eventually. Robby and Sami Joy can't sleep in the dining room forever."
Sam cleared his throat again, remembering Jeremy's offer. It was generous, and Sam didn't think Jeremy had any ulterior motives. Still, he wasn't exactly thrilled about it.
TJ narrowed her eyes like she was trying to read him. She was starting to get that sixth-sense thing again where Sam was concerned, that ability to sense something wasn't right with him. She'd gotten pretty good at it before she'd had the stroke. "What?" she prompted.
He sucked in a breath through his teeth and let it out slowly. "Jeremy came over yesterday afternoon."
She arched a brow. "Is he still alive? Did you use your demon mojo to turn him into a frog?"
He quirked his mouth wryly. "You're hilarious."
"Ribbit, ribbit."
"TJ," he chided, feigning annoyance.
She grinned impishly. "Inappropriate?"
He smiled. "You used to say that to me all the time." He leaned toward her and kissed her, nibbling and sucking on her lower lip.
"Mmm," she murmured in appreciation. When she drew back, her lips were a little bee-stung and pinker than usual. She ran her finger over the bottom one, and there was something guileless and really sexy about the gesture that turned Sam on. "So, what happened?" she asked curiously.
He was mesmerized by her lips, couldn't take his eyes off them, and was about to kiss her again.
"Ground Control to Sam," she said, breaking his trance. "What did Jeremy want? I'm dying to know. Were you civil to each other?"
"Yeah." He held in a smile and kept his features annoyingly bland, withholding the rest of the story to build suspense and get her back for the frog comment.
TJ made a noise of frustration and rolled her eyes, then shook his shoulders with mock exasperation. "Come on," she drawled impatiently. "What did y'all talk about? What did he say?"
"He offered us his house," Sam said, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. He was trying to hide the fact that living in Jeremy Suggs' house was the last thing he wanted.
She frowned, looking perplexed. "Huh?"
"He wants us to live there."
"Ha. Funny. Be serious."
"I am."
"Why would he want us to live with him?"
"He doesn't. He's moving to Lexington."
TJ zoned out for a moment, a faint tinge of sadness coloring her features. Her mouth curved into a wistful smile. "Maybe he's gonna follow his dreams after all."
Sam tried not to be jealous of her reaction. She would always think of Jeremy as family and would want him to be happy, and Sam respected that. "He's put the bank up for sale," Sam explained, "but he's not ready to get rid of the farm. He wants us to live in the house and sort of manage things, make sure the house stays in good repair, that sort of thing." Sam huffed faintly. "He said we could scrap the tobacco and try organic farming if we wanted to."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Really? What did you say?"
"I told him I couldn't, that the house would have to be modified so I could access everything."
"What did he say?"
"He said he'd pay to have it done. Even said he'd have an elevator installed."
She sat there for a moment looking sort of numb, staring idly down at her hands.
Sam took her hands in his. "What do you think?"
She raised her eyes to his face, her expression incredulous. "Are you even considering it?"
He shrugged. "I thought I would see what you thought. I wouldn't be able to do much managing if I go back to law school full time. I'll be commuting back and forth to Lexington and working part time for Wyman. Three hours of my day alone will be spent in the car. It'll be tough."
"I could do the managing," she ventured. "Jeremy's foreman practically runs that farm in his sleep, anyway."
"You think you could handle it, even with taking care of the twins? Plus, I was kind of, you know, hoping you'd go back to school, too. We could commute together. We'd have to find someone to watch the twins, though. That could be a problem. I'm still not comfortable with putting them in daycare, but maybe we could find a private babysitter that didn't cost a fortune."
Her eyes shifted away and she frowned.
"Look, I know how you feel about school, but if we could somehow work it out where we had similar schedules... I mean, I'd rather spend that time in the car commuting with you than by myself."
"The twins wouldn't be a problem," she said quietly.
"Why not? You gonna let Rocket watch them?"
She nudged his shoulder with her hand and poked her tongue in her cheek. "No, of course not. He'd eat all the pureed sweet potatoes himself, and there wouldn't be any left for the twins."
Sam chuckled and TJ smiled, but then she sighed, looking like she was about to make a confession. "Aunt Joyce offered to watch the babies if I wanted to go back to school. She's lonely since Uncle Joe Mack passed. She said she'd watch the twins for free. She loves kids—she had four of her own, you know."
"So, you talked about going back to school this weekend?" Sam couldn't keep the hope from his voice.
She shrugged. "Aunt Joyce and my mom got it all worked out. Funny how Wyman made you that offer. My mom and Aunt Joyce came up with almost the same scenario you have, only they had you getting another scholarship instead of Wyman paying your way. And they had us moving in with Aunt Joyce instead of moving into Jeremy's house. Like that would ever cross their minds," she added cynically. "Aunt Joyce has a big farmhouse with four bedrooms, and Colleyville is thirty minutes closer to Lexington than Moss Fork. It would take an hour off the commute each day."
Sam raised his brows. It sounded perfect—not to mention he wouldn't have to swallow his pride and take charity from Jeremy or live in a house that would remind TJ of her old love every day.
"They just left out one important detail," said TJ.
"What's that?"
"I'm not going back to school."
Sam let out a breath, disappointed. "TJ—"
She put a finger over his mouth to silence him, amusement in her eyes. "But don't worry, I'm not gonna make you live in Jeremy's house."
He tightened his lips into a thin line and glanced away, relieved she didn't want to live at Jeremy's but frustrated she wouldn't consider school.
"Thanks," she said.
He turned back to her. "For what?"
There was a sparkle in her eye. "You'd move into Jeremy's house if I asked you to, wouldn't you?"
"No," he said, but he was nodding yes.
She laughed. The way he'd nodded was similar to a scene at the end of the The Breakfast Club, one of her favorite movies. "I love you," she said, leaning in for a kiss.
He framed her face with his hands, stopping her. "TJ," he said, growing serious, "I want you to go back to school."
Her features clouded. "I'd have to start over, Sam."
"You don't know that. Maybe..."
She drew back, shaking her head, and he let his hands slide down to her shoulders. "We've been over this a thousand times," she said. "I don't need a career anymore. I'm content to be a mom."
"That was never all you wanted before," he reminded her. "What about your dreams, Teej?"
"Dreams change. I never had two little precious babies before. There's nothing wrong with being a stay-at-home mom. It's the hardest, most exhausting, most wonderful, most important job in the world. If there's one thing I've learned, soccer moms don't get the respect they deserve."
"That might be true, but what about your desire to get out of Moss Fork? I know living on the farm was never what you wanted."
With her finger, she traced the base of his neck where his collarbone began. "I don't care where I live, as long as it's where you and the twins are."
He gently took hold of her finger and lifted it to his lips.
"So, it's settled, then," she said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "You're going back to law school."
Sam felt a stab of dread. "Maybe."
Her brows went up. "Maybe? I thought you'd decided. Sounds like a deal you can't refuse."
"I don't know. I've had deals I couldn't refuse before, and they ended in disaster."
"What do you mean?" she asked, brows knitting together.
"I got a full ride to Stanford—Jessica got brutally murdered. I got a full ride to Berkeley—you stroked out and forgot I existed."
Guilt etched her features.
He intertwined his fingers with hers and squeezed. "Hey, it wasn't your fault, and we'll make new memories. But the point is: Full ride to UK? What's gonna happen this time?" He swallowed hard, sickened by the thought. "Something happens to the twins? Bobby? Dean? Your parents?"
TJ kissed him and then rested her forehead against his. "Nothing will happen, Sam." She sat back and looked him in the eye, her warm gaze adamant. "You're not cursed. Third time's a charm. You're gonna go to UK Law, graduate with honors because you're freakin' amazing, and be an awesome lawyer."
"I don't want anyone else I love to get hurt or worse, TJ. It's not worth the risk."
She exhaled, looking pensive. "I know you have every reason to be gun-shy, Sam, but please give it one more try. I think you've paid your dues. You deserve a break for once. Don't pass up Wyman's offer. It might be your last chance."
"Maybe I'm just not meant to go to law school. How many times am I gonna tempt fate before I get the message?"
"Three. Give it one more try, Sam," she urged stubbornly.
He gave her a measured look. "I will if you will."
She rolled her eyes. "Nice try, but I'm not goin' back to school."
Sam didn't comment, knowing there was nothing he could say that he hadn't already said before. He was trying to maintain his patience with her, but he was irritated she was being so obstinate.
"Look," she said, getting off the subject of her education as if she sensed his aggravation, "if you don't want to tempt fate, then let it decide for you."
He frowned. "What?"
"Don't you have to interview with Wyman's sister? Doesn't your admission to UK Law pretty much hinge on how that interview goes?"
"Yeah, I guess." He wondered where she was going with this.
"Okay. Then, there's your answer. If she likes you, you get in. It was meant to be. You become a lawyer and we all live happily ever after. End of story. You don't have to worry about pissing off any mystical supreme beings or your curse or whatever. If Wyman's sister totally hates you and you don't get in, then fine. Said powers that be have spoken, and you let the idea of law school go. We still live happily ever after, and you find a new dream."
He had to admit her rationale had merit. He grabbed her Rudolph pajama shirt and tugged, pulling her to him, her face close to his. "You're pretty wise for an eighteen-year-old."
"Thanks," she said with a smile. Her brown eyes darkened to glowing embers. "And you're pretty hot for a senile twenty-seven-year-old."
He kissed her.
"Does that mean you'll at least do the interview?" she said against his lips.
He hesitated, still unsure. But what could it hurt to do the interview and see what happened? "Yes," he answered, his voice coming out husky.
She curled her fingers in his hair and kissed him deeper, showing him how pleased she was by his answer.
TBC