Bounty(180)

But it wasn’t about keeping tidy. It was clear the place could look like a festival lineup of rock bands partied in it after everyone left and she’d just deal with it in the morning.

Like she felt he was looking at her, Jussy’s eyes came to him.

Seeing as Krystal, Sunny and Joss were in deep conversation and Cindy was giving Twyla longing looks at the same time patting Breanne’s diapered tush (with Jim-Billy just sitting there because he’d planted himself there when he’d arrived and hadn’t moved), Justice didn’t say anything when she pulled herself out of one of the armchairs.

She came to him, but as she did, her gaze drifted to her music room and a sweet smile started playing at her mouth.

He lifted his arm high when she got close and the men took this hint and shifted to accommodate a new member to their crew. She ducked under it, pressing herself to his side as he curled his arm around her shoulders.

“Chicken was the shit, Jus,” Ty decreed.

“Thanks,” Jussy replied.

“If Zara hasn’t asked for that recipe already, give it to me before we go,” Ham said.

Jussy looked up to him. “I should have printed out twenty of them.”

“There’s time,” Wood put in.

Jussy grinned at him. “I’ll get on that.”

Wood winked at her.

Her grin got bigger.

The men’s conversation resumed and Deke found himself surprised as time passed and she did nothing but rest deeper and deeper into his side, doing this not joining in.

He looked down at her and called low, “Gypsy.”

She tipped her head back and caught his eyes.

She looked content, but still distant.

“All good?” he asked.

“I wish Lace was here,” she answered, then gave him a small smile. “And even though you don’t wish the same and she’d have some ‘splainin’ to do, I wish Anca was here too. Without Tony, of course,” she hurried to say the last.

He knew she wanted this.

Rock star and stylist to the stars or not, Joss and Rod fit in with this group with ease.

Joss had made Jussy, and Rembrandt had been in her life for a good chunk of time, so this wasn’t totally a surprise.

It still was a surprise how down to earth they actually were, demonstrating this immediately when folks started showing. Putting people at ease. Making it clear this was a party, not a party with a famous rock star and his wife in attendance.

So Deke had no doubt her girl Lacey would be the same.

Bianca, he didn’t know and hoped it’d be a while before he found out.

What he did know was, for Jussy, it was about wanting her girls with her.

She still left something unsaid.

He dipped closer and noted quietly, “And your dad.”

She nodded. “Yeah, and Dad. Though if he was here, Dana would be here, him and Joss would get into a rip roarin’, Rod would get shitfaced and Dana would spend a lot of time in her room.”

“Right,” he said through a short chuckle.

Her eyes coasted to her mom. “Sucks, they got all their shit together after he was gone.”

He knew their conversation with her mom and stepdad earlier had been playing on her mind.

“Bottom line, they got their shit together,” he stated and she looked back to him. “You know, baby, it wouldn’t have happened any other way. But now you get to know these people where they always were but history wouldn’t let them go there. They have it in them to pull it together to keep somethin’ alive that meant somethin’ to your dad, they always had that but couldn’t go there when he was here. Now you have that. And that does not suck.”

She turned slightly to him and pressed closer, now with her front to his side, and the smile she had wasn’t bright, but it was better than the ones he’d been getting.

“You’re giving me a complex,” she told him.

His brows went up. “How’s that?”

“You’re too wise for my own good.”

“You wanna wallow?” he asked.

She shook her head, her smile brightening. “Nope.”

“Then I’m just wise enough,” he said.

“You’re wiser than that, honey,” she returned.

He loved it that she thought that.

To share that with her, Deke bent in and kissed her nose.

When he straightened, she slid an arm around his stomach and put her cheek to his chest as they turned back to the huddle.

He saw Tate’s eyes on Jussy, his look sober in a way Deke didn’t get and didn’t much like but he didn’t say anything about it because he heard another car on the lane.

He glanced around the space then down to Jussy. “Anyone else you ask to this shindig?”

She tipped her head back. “No. Why?”