Bounty(189)

And once he felt that, Deke followed her there.



* * * * *



“Stings a little,” Joss stated late the next afternoon, and Deke tore his eyes from Rembrandt and Jussy across the drive, their backs to Joss and Deke.

Rod had Jussy in an affectionate neck hold and they had their heads bent together.

Deke looked to Joss to see her looking at the house.

That was when Deke turned his attention to the house and he could see Maverick through the window, sitting at the couch in the corner, the TV on and slanted his way.

He’d given his somewhat stilted and totally awkward good-byes at the door. But he wasn’t an asshole. Didn’t wake up as one. Was quiet, watchful, but cool all day. There was definite affection between him and Justice that he was out of practice giving to his sister, but since she never was out of practice with that, he warmed up quickly.

With Joss and Rod, he was wary, but that started to go too as the day progressed because Joss and Rod guided it there. What was done was done, they were moving forward, and they communicated that to him.

Deke saw the routine playing out and he suspected that routine was not lost on Jussy, Rod or Joss. The kid emerging out from under the bullshit his mother piled on him, seeing the people around him for what they were. And it said a lot about Rod and Joss (Deke knew Jussy would give that to her brother) that they didn’t give up, thinking it wasn’t worth the effort since he’d go back to the woman who’d twisted his head and fucked up the entirety of his life, and he’d allow himself to get piled in it again.

Now it was up to him to go back and not allow himself to get piled in it again.

“Joss?” he called when she said her words and didn’t continue.

She started and looked up at him like she forgot he was there. Then she gave an apologetic smile.

“Sorry. Just that,” she tipped her head to the house, “he looks so like Johnny did at that age.”

Yeah, that kid looking like the man she loved deeply, gave him a beautiful baby girl, then lost him for decades. That would fucking sting.

She shot a sidelong glance at Rod and Jussy, who were still in their huddle, before she turned her back on them, got closer to Deke and dropped her voice.

“That kid, maybe he’s got good in him,” she began. “He’s got Johnny in him somewhere so that could be. But, Deke, get me, he plays this game a lot. Always has. I wanna hope for Jussy, and also for him, that this latest bullshit is gonna get his head out of his ass. But history has proved that could very well be an impossible task. Jussy’s gonna give it her all. You gotta—”

“Joss,” Deke interrupted, also saying her name low, but he didn’t go on.

She stared in his eyes before hers started shining.

“Right, you got this,” she murmured.

“Yeah,” he stated. “I got this.”

Her lips curled up in a smile that was natural, but it was uncomfortably too sexy considering the woman was his woman’s mother. But Deke figured it was the only way she could do it.

She lifted a hand to his shoulder, moved into him and slid her hand across, getting up on her toes.

She gave him a hug.

He gave her one back.

They separated but stayed close.

“Look after my girl?” she asked, knowing she didn’t have to ask it, and she was beautiful, young in a way she’d never get old, but she was still a mother. So she asked it.

“You got my promise,” he answered.

She grinned, gave his biceps a squeeze and turned, calling, “Rod, baby, we gotta get this show on the road.”

Not letting her out of his neck hold, Rod swung Jussy around.

“Right there, beautiful, two secs,” he replied, bending back to Jussy, taking two seconds, and then in their huddle, their faces still close, Rod started walking Deke’s gypsy back to her man.

They arrived and broke off after turning into each other and having a long hug.

Rembrandt stuck a hand out to Deke.

“Good pancakes. Good friends. Cool dude. Glad to know you, man,” he said.

Deke took his hand, both got firm before they let go and he said, “Same. Though you’re on pancake duty next time.”

“Deal,” Rod said. Claiming his wife and pulling her close, he invited, “You two should think of comin’ to Malibu for Christmas.”

“Beach at Christmas sounds good, but I work winters so I got good weather off,” Deke told him, doing that also claiming Jussy. “That happens, Jussy can go out. I’ll meet you there day before Christmas Eve, but I’ll have to get back day after Christmas.”

“Not to invite ourselves after a surprise visit, but I’m thinking Jussy’ll wanna be in her new pad at the holidays,” Joss put in, looking up at her husband. “And it’ll be a white one.”