Irreparable (Wounded Souls) (18 page)

I know she didn’t mean it that way, but she did. She has a point though. I volunteered to protect people like the ones that ruin sweet innocent people,  people who take advantage of others. Why don’t they send people like Sam’s rapists to war? People who want to hurt and kill? I signed up for it, but I would never intentionally kill someone, unless it was to defend myself.  Let me tell you, there were times when we had to defend ourselves.  Times like when a six year old boy would come up to you with a bomb attached to him.  You would have no choice but to put a bullet in his head. 

You’re taught it’s either your life or theirs, and I am not willing to lose my life so easily. I eat in silence and Sam just sits there chewing away on her waffles, oblivious to the turmoil I am fighting in my head.

“Jameson, did you hear me?” I snap my head in her direction and see her staring at me like I have gone mad.

“Huh?” I shake my thoughts and smile as I take the last bite of my waffle.

“I asked you what you had planned for the day.” She runs her fingers through her blonde hair and licks the last of the syrup off her lip.

“It’s a surprise, so go get ready. We need to be somewhere at twelve.”  I kiss the top of her head and then begin clearing the dishes.  I start to load the dishwasher when I feel Sam’s hand on my ass.

“I can’t get ready when you’re taunting me with this sexy thing.”  She bites her lip and that’s all it takes.  I grab her and she jumps up wrapping her legs around my waist.  Thank God I have good balance on these damn prosthetics. I kiss her lips as I make my way back to her bedroom.  Ever since I found out those men were let out, I have wanted to sink myself so deep inside of her.  It’s like I feel a need to mark her,  to let everyone know that she belongs to me.  I suppose it’s time to put that ring on her finger.

Walking into the bowling alley with Sam is something that reminds me of old times.  Before Mary-Beth and I got together, Sam, Luke and I would frequent this place a lot.  Galactic bowling was the best kind of thing for any fifteen year old.  It was like going to the club for teenagers. 

“What are we doing here Jameson?”  I just smile and keep pulling her hand behind me.  We walk over to the rest of the gang and I can’t help but laugh as Mason and Luke stare at me. 

“Dude, this is the first time I have seen those things in public.” Luke smirks and runs his hand through his hair. I look over and see that Skylar is sitting there staring at my legs and then trying to look away when I notice. The funny thing is I should feel embarrassed but I don’t. I am going to embrace it; it’s me and I can’t do a damn thing to change it. 

“Yeah, well this woman once told me I shouldn’t hide my flaws.” I smirk and look over at Sam as Luke pulls her into a hug.

“Smart woman she is.” He kisses her head and then pulls her over to Skylar. “Sam, this is my girlfriend Skylar. Skylar, this is my sister Sam.” He blushes a little as Skylar stands.

“Girlfriend?  Hell, I need to make it home for family dinners more often.” Sam smiles and pulls Skylar into a hug.  “It’s nice to meet you.  Let me know if he is anything less than a gentleman.  I’ll kick him in his balls for you.”  Skylar laughs and Sam smiles.  At least now she is in a good mood, her mind so far from those men that took a big piece of her.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you too. Luke adores you. I wish my sister and I were close like you two.” She lets out a sigh and Luke rubs her shoulder. I wonder what that’s about.

“Well, your sister is just a bitch. It’s not your fault, Sky. Things will work out for the best, I promise.”  He kisses the top of her head, much like he did with Sam a few minutes before.  Skylar keeps looking at me and then away and I know she wants to ask.

“You can ask. I see the questions in your eyes.” She blushes and then gives me a shy smile.

“Luke already told me.  I just, well you move so well on them.  My father had diabetes and lost one of his legs a few years ago.  You can tell he has a fake leg. With you, if you were wearing jeans, I would never know.”  She blushes and I hear Mase yelling as Karla gets a strike.

“Good job, Karla!” Sam yells and Karla does some little dance thing.  Yeah, still don’t see Karla and Mason together.

I walk over to the lane and start to change my shoes on my prosthetics and then go to find the perfect ball. I used to have my own ball but I think I left it at Mom’s and there is no telling where that thing is now. Jennifer is a hoarder; she hasn’t thrown away anything that I know of. I don’t know where that comes from and I don’t know how my father dealt with that being a Marine. Everything has to be spotless. Have you ever seen those hoarder shows? How can it be spotless when you don’t get rid of anything?

I watch Sam interacting with the girls and I realize she is the same girl from high school.  Sam always went out of her way to make people feel comfortable.  There is just some ray of light that shines around Sam.  She said a while back that she was a fallen angel and in this moment I can believe it. She is my angel, my saving grace, and I will make sure to be hers.

“So, how is she today?” Luke comes up beside me and asks me as he rests his hand on my shoulder. He watches Sam like at any moment she will break down again. It kind of rubs me wrong, because Sam is strong. I let it go, though because he’s her brother.  She is, after all, his baby sister.  I know if I had a sibling, I would be over protective too.

“She’s a lot better this morning.  I made peanut butter pancakes.” I smile and he rolls his eyes and clicks his tongue a few times. 

“She’s gonna turn into peanut butter if she keeps eating it so much.” He looks at me and smirks. Oh shit, he knows something. “So, Dad told me you came by the other day.” Damn it, I knew he knew. I take a big gulp, my Adam’s apple bobbing as I wait for him to continue. “I’m glad it’s you, Carter.  I always thought she would end up with you and I was right.  She has needed you, ever since we were little. You two gravitated to each other.” He smiles and pats my back again. “But Jameson, if you ever hurt her, I will cut you.”  I laugh.  Not even a small chuckle, but a full on belly laugh that makes me bend over and my sides hurt.  I know I shouldn’t laugh, but really? Cut me?

“Sorry, but dude cut me?  What the hell is that?” I say through fits of laughter.  Sam, Skylar, Mase and Karla are all staring at us like we have lost our minds, and maybe I have lost mine.  Really though it’s Luke because he said ‘cut you.’  I laugh harder and I actually have tears running down my face.

“Shut the hell up, Carter.” Luke punches me in my arm and goes to bowl. We play a few games each, the guys beating the girls.  After we get done, I smile and pull Sam to the car.

“Where are we going now?” Sam asks and I smile. I kiss her softly and then put her in the car and close the door behind her. I run over to the driver side and slide in. “I like that you wore your shorts today. I am proud of you and your scars.” She blushes and grabs my hand sliding her fingers between mine. If I am lucky, there will be a ring on that ring finger in about three hours.

“I thought we could go to the beach?”  I look over at her and her eyes light up.

“Biloxi?” she asks and I smile. Ever since we were kids, Sam and I loved the beach at Biloxi.  I don’t really know why because it’s not pretty blue like Destin, but it’s close to home and it’s a childhood memory that feels like home to us.

“Yes ma’am. I got us a room at the Beau for the evening and figured we could hit the beach tomorrow?” I smile and look over at her as she bounces up and down in her seat. 

“Let’s go home! I have to pack a bag!” She smiles and her eyes light up.  I think we can finally put the guys getting out behind us.  Please God, don’t let any more bad news come our way.

“It’s already in the trunk.” I smirk and I look at her. She is bouncing with excitement and I am excited that I can give her this. She reaches for the radio and I groan. Here we go again. This woman’s singing is so monotone that it is painful. . 

“What?” She glares at me.  “Oh, you are dreading two and half hours of me singing at the top of my lungs aren’t you?”  She raises an eyebrow and I copy her movement.  She stares and then gives me a very smug looking grin.  “Well, just for that groan, it is going to be very bad for you.”  She grabs her phone and plugs it into the adapter cord and holy shit is she really doing this to me. 
Genie in a Bottle
comes on by Christina Aguilera.

I can’t help but laugh at the carefree Sam sitting beside me. Twelve hours ago, she was breaking down into my shirt.  Today, she is laughing and having a good time.  This is what I needed her to be.  Even if that means horrible nineties pop the whole way to my proposal. 

“If it makes you happy Samantha, I will gladly do it.”  I grab her hand and kiss it and then laugh as she pulls away and does the genie in the bottle move that made Christina popular.  Well, before being dirty did anyway.  I didn’t care for innocent Christina, but damn when
Dirrty
came out, she was all over my wall.

“It does.” She sighs and looks out the window and then smiles at me. Today couldn’t get any worse for us I hope. It will only suck if she says no.

An hour later and a horrible playlist of music, we finally reach the Beau Rivage. We get out and before she can start to make her way into the casino, I grab her hand and pull her to the beach. 

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” I smile and grab her hand and look over to see the sun starting to set. I hope the guy at the hotel did what I asked. We walk up to the pier he told me would be set up and sure enough, there are candles every few feet and rose petals on the ground. Red, pink, and white petals line the pier and Sam stops me.

“Jameson, we can’t go here.  This is set up for someone.” She starts to pull me away and I laugh.  I just tug her hand and pull her to the pier not saying a word.  We get to the end of it and I smile as I see the dinner that’s been set up.  I pull out a chair for her and she gasps.  “You sneaky bastard!”  The grin on her face is enough for me to know that I’ve done this the right way. 

“I wanted to do something nice for you. You have had a rough week, babe.”  I smirk knowing this has been planned for a few weeks.   I know she’s the woman I want beside me for the rest of my life and I will fight for her.  I won’t let her walk away from me again.  I need her as much as the air that I’m breathing.

“Jameson, this is amazing.  I can’t believe you did this for me.  No one has ever done anything this nice.” She blushes and then looks at me. “Except you.  Remember that?” Her grayish blue eyes meet mine and I duck my head.  I could never forget that. 

“I do.  What was it a Ring Pop?” I laugh softly and smirk because I do indeed have a ring pop in my pocket. We were ten and I didn’t know at the time that a Ring Pop wasn’t proper etiquette to propose to a girl. Crazy that at ten, my heart knew Samantha Blalock would be the one I shared my future with; the woman I wanted to see round and pregnant with my children inside her. The woman who would heal me and return me to the man I was, instead of the bitter man I had become. 

“Mmhmm.” She smiles and picks up her wine glass and takes a sip. I get up and walk over to her, kneel down on one knee and pull out a watermelon Ring Pop and her eyes widen. “Carter, what are you doing?” She just stares at me. Well, here goes nothing.

“Samantha Lynn, you have made my life better. Hell, you have made me a better man.  You made me whole again.  I thought I would never be happy again, and I’ll be damned if you didn’t walk back into my life and change my thinking.  I can’t imagine a day without you now.  The days we were apart were hell for me and I never want to go through that again.”  She starts to choke up and her hands are shaking, but I can’t stop.  “When I was ten I asked you to marry me.  Back then, I didn’t know what that meant.  Now I do.  It means waking up to your beautiful bed head every day for the rest of my life.  It means getting to hold you before bed every night.  Please Sam, let me live that life.  It’s my fantasy.  Please.  Will you marry me?”  I hold my breath and wait for her answer and she squeals.

“Yes! YES! Jameson.” She gets down on the floor with me and kisses me.  I laugh and slide the pink Ring Pop on her finger.  “Um.”  She looks at me and I smirk.  I know she is referring to her real ring but I think I will let her sweat it out a little.  I kiss her softly and then she stands up.  I give her that crooked grin that always makes her jump me. 

“Sam.” I reach into my pocket and pull out the emerald cut diamond ring. It’s two and a half karats and has a band of diamonds around the setting.  I watch her as her eyes take in the sight of the ring and start to mist over with unshed tears.

“Jameson, it’s, it’s beautiful.” She smiles and then kisses me like it’s the last time she ever will.  She covers my face with little pecks and then ends up right back on my mouth again.  I pick her up and carry her to the hotel, which I may add is kind of hard in steel legs and sand.

We get to the room and I lay her on the bed and start to kiss her as I unbutton her pants and slide them down.  This is about the two of us.  We will take our time this time.  I work her pants down her legs and kiss her deeper as we both tear at each other’s clothing.