Bounty(188)

She pressed her face deeper into his throat, muttering, “Yeah.”

She fell silent and he fell into it with her, running his fingers through her hair, the curls, like always, wrapping around like they had minds of their own and didn’t want him to let go.

“I’m not giving him any money.”

These words were so quiet, Deke automatically dipped his chin in an effort to hear them all.

“Maverick?” he asked.

She nodded against his throat. “I decided. I’m not giving him any money.”

“You share that with him during your talk?”

She nodded again, saying, “He’s good at a sound board, Deke. Like, really good. I was all about the music, playing guitar with Dad, Granddad, Aunt Tammy, Uncle Jimmy. Maverick, when he was on the road with us, he was always with Gordon, Dad’s sound guy. Always up in the booth or wherever the board was set up. I think he needs direction. He definitely needs to grow up. And he needs money. I think he’ll feel good, being in the business, his family’s business, doing something he’s talented at doing.”

“Think you’re right, Jussy,” Deke agreed.

“Yeah,” she replied. “So I told him I’d call Gordon. Mr. T. Make a few other calls to people I know. See if I can get him some gigs. Paying work. Get him started. He can launch from there and I told him I wanted him to do that, to find his way, but I’d be there for him. Sound folk, good ones, they don’t make millions, but they do all right. He won’t be able to keep his mom the way she’s used Dad through Mav all his life to keep her. Not if he wants a good life himself. He needs to cut himself loose. And I think he’s seeing that and that’s good too.”

“That’s definitely good,” Deke confirmed.

“So, I’m not gonna give him any money. I’m gonna help him find his way. Help him grow up. And then, if he pulls his shit together, maybe,” he felt her shake her head, “I won’t ask Dana to do it but maybe I’ll give him his part of my share of Dad’s money.”

Deke didn’t say anything to that.

She tipped her head back and asked, “Do you think that’s right?”

He looked down at her. “I think it’s your money, gypsy, your brother. So I think whatever you decide is right.”

“Okay,” she returned, giving him a light squeeze of her arms. “But if it was you. Your dad. Your brother. Your money. Do you think it’s right?”

“Yes, Justice, I think it’s right.”

He saw the flash of white of her smile in the dark.

“I knew it. Totally. I sat out there with him, listening to him, getting the gist that he was realizing his mom was playing him, maybe not all these years, but definitely with this latest fiasco. And I got a definite hint that he knew after those three attorneys advised against it that shit was not going to go right, but she kept pushing it and it was just habit for him to let her. Now he’s lost so much, not just the money, but being with people who loved Dad while we were all grieving so that could help him, he could help them, that ‘them’ being me, he’s beginning to see. And it’s cutting deep. But I knew I couldn’t give in. I shouldn’t prop him up. I had to guide his way. And I knew this because the whole time we talked, I thought, if my man was in this situation, what would Deke do?”

Deke let out a low bark of laughter and pulled her deeper in his arms, twisting her hair in his fist.

“You’re so full of it,” he muttered.

“No. Totally. I’m getting a bracelet with W.W.D.D. embroidered on it,” she stated, a smile in her voice. “I’m gonna look at it every time I’m in a situation, which seems to happen a lot in my life, even though I try to keep my head low.”

“Shut it.” He was still muttering, but doing it grinning.

“I am. I’m special ordering it tomorrow.”

He smiled down at her even as he used his fist at the back of her head to gently shove her face again in his throat, repeating, “Shut it, gypsy.”

He felt her kiss the bristles of his beard there.

They had a quiet moment before, her voice sounding drowsy, she said, “Downer end to a good party.”

“We’ll have another one.”

She snuggled closer. “Yeah. We will.”

He bent his neck and said into the top of her hair, “Go to sleep, baby.”

“I will if you will,” she replied.

“I will,” he promised.

“Okay, Deke. Love you, honey.”

“Love you too, gypsy.”

She kissed his throat again and settled in.

Not long later, he felt her body relax into sleep.