Page 31 of Small Town Beast 2: Saverin’s Duet (Sins of the South)

FIFTEEN

TANYA

She was having a dream. A very nice dream. Driving up a great, tall mountain. Ooo, in a Cadillac. A white Cadillac. Her hair in the wind, yes God. Something was at the top of the mountain— something amazing.

Tanya woke up to see Saverin’s face leaning over her, and in his hands was a hamburger on a plate. With fries . He set the whole combo down on the small clawfoot table next to the bed. All traces of exhaustion left her body.

Food! FOOD!

“Thank you,” Tanya whispered to her man with the most heartfelt gratitude she was capable of. “ THANK. YOU .”

“Gwen brought it,” he grinned.

“Tanya!” A small face popped up over Saverin’s shoulder. “Hi, Tanya!”

“Absalom said they could come up here,” said Saverin dryly. “You know, with Rory being his cousin and Gwen being a pain in the ass.”

“Hey!” Gwen yelped. She was wearing a pair of rabbit ears, with sequins next to her eyes and blue eyeshadow smeared over the lids. Rory was dressed normally, though very drunk.

“We brought you some cracklins too, Tanya,” he contributed, holding up a greasy paper bag. “And some cupcakes— but they got crushed. You want some?”

“Um— hold on, y’all.” Tanya slowly blinked, her eyes adjusting to the strange light of the room. “Saverin, where the hell am I?”

“Roman’s bedroom. We’re still at that cursed fuckin’ party, but we’re leaving soon. Crash is coming back to drop something off and then we’ll head back to my place.” His eyes danced.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us about this party, Tanya.

We could see the fireworks from the trailer park!

It was incredible.” Gwen loudly sipped her icy drink.

“Saverin says it’s about ten thousand dollars’ worth.

Imagine a million dollars’ worth, that would be crazy.

Guess what, Tanya, honey? We didn’t tell anybody about the money.

We kept it secret all day long. And guess what else?

Rory proposed! Look at my ring! We’re gonna get a real diamond, of course, or maybe an aquamarine, to match my eyes—”

“I’m very happy for you, Gwen,” said Tanya wearily.

“Love you, babe! I’m so excited! We’re gonna be millionaires!”

“Do y’all mind giving me and Tanya a minute?” asked Saverin, looking at the ceiling as if praying for patience.

Wasting no more time, Tanya snatched up a fry and dredged it through the ketchup. “Oh my God,” she groaned as Saverin took a seat next to her and Gwen and Rory stumbled from the room.

“Good?” Saverin asked, smiling.

“It’s amazing .”

“I’m real sorry about earlier.” His smile faded. “It shouldn’t have gone down like that.”

“I don’t even remember what happened,” Tanya confessed. “I had a really good dream, and before that I had a real fucked-up nightmare. Did I hit my head? I know I passed out.”

“I caught you just in time.”

“Aw, so romantic.”

“Yep, that’s me.” Saverin pushed a curl off her forehead. “Hey, Tanya.”

“What?”

He whispered, “Look under the plate.”

Tanya lifted up the plate… And screamed. She leapt out of bed and ran around the room before collapsing dizzily back in the bed. Saverin leaned over her and tickled her sides, making her kick her legs and shriek.

“My ticket! Saverin!”

“Congratulations, Miss Megamillions. Now you better put your John Hancock on that line so I don’t have to beat up nobody else for it.”

“Hiram— what did you do to him?”

“We worked it out like gentlemen.”

“In other words, you beat his ass?”

Saverin tapped her nose, but there was a cloud behind his eyes. “Not this time.”

“Well, you should have! Fuck that motherfucker. Oh my God. I don’t believe it.” Tanya wiped her eyes with the bedsheet.

“Finish up that hamburger, babe. I’m real sorry you had to starve but I guess my theory was halfway right.”

“What theory?”

“Nevermind. I’ll tell you everything, later.”His phone rang. “Ah— that must be Crash.” He looked at Tanya, hard. “Crash is coming.”

“Okay, honey. You told me that.”

“Mm.”

“Know what, Saverin? In my dream? I was talking to my mother. And I told her I forgave her. And then I whupped her ass.” She put aside the food. “I just lost my appetite. Is there a bathroom?”

Saverin pointed.

In the bathroom Tanya washed her face and swished water in her mouth. She came out to see Saverin texting into his phone.

“So why are we in somebody’s bedroom?” she asked, sitting in his lap and putting her arms around his neck.

The dream… had it been a dream? She pulled out Saverin’s hair tie and ran her fingers through his thick dark curls, comforting herself with her lover’s own comfort.

Saverin liked when she touched his scalp like that.

He groaned and tipped his head back, exposing his powerful neck muscles, which she gently kissed.

“Ah-hem? Any answers for me?” she teased.

“Well, it’s a very nice bedroom,” Saverin said, pretending to think. “Nice down pillows. What do you think of that oil painting there?”

The painting was of a stag in a snowdrift, its six-point antlers raised proudly as it faced the hunter. “It’s beautiful,” said Tanya. She looked at Saverin and saw his evil smile. “Don’t tell me you painted that?”

“No, that would be bragging.”

“Saverin, that’s so good. Can you paint people, too?”

“Sure.”

“Can you paint me? Us? I always wanted to get a painting of me and Amari— I guess I can get you and me, first. Since…” She swallowed hard. Amari…Mama…What the hell am I missing?

Saverin stared at her. “Crash is coming up to bring you something.”

“I don’t even know who this ‘Crash’ person is.” The thought nipped at her, then darted away like a fish. “Is he really tall with brown eyes?” She asked slowly.

“I never really checked the color of his eyes, being a straight male, and him being related to me. But he is tall, yes. I’m taller.”

“What was that about bragging?”

“Come here, gorgeous.”

She lay back in the bed and Saverin joined her, holding her close. She took comfort from his body, his love warm and enveloping. Saverin, her love and her protector. Always.

“Tanya,” he murmured. “When I ask for your hand…I want to know if there’s a chance you’ll give it.”

“Of course I will.”

“One year from today,” he said. “We’ll get a prenup. Everything legal so your money stays safe, untouchable. You can leave everything for your kids if you want to; I got enough for all of us.”

“My kids,” Tanya whispered, feeling a deep stab of sadness through the warmth of happiness that surrounded her on all sides.

I won’t stop until I find you, my baby. Amari…

Saverin tipped her head up, kissed her deeply and soundly, then drew her close against him.

She could hear his heart slamming against his ribs.

He shouldn’t be nervous. Saverin should know that her love for him was real and she would belong to him always.

They would belong to each other. Nothing would drag them apart ever again.

There was a knock on the door.

Saverin got up out of bed so fast Tanya’s head hit the frame.

“What the hell?”

“Tanya— oh God, Tanya,” he said.

Years later Tanya would remember the moment.

From the prow of a yacht, from the view of a plane, from the highest mountain in the world.

No peak in the rest of her long life could surmount the moment Saverin opened that door, and a small brown boy came tumbling through it, and launched himself onto the bed and into her arms, screaming, “Mommy!”