Bounty(25)
I gave it some time before I set my phone aside, got up and wandered down the stairs and around the house only to stop and stare.
Except for some minimal decking around the edges, the railing and the finishing touches at the top of the fire pit, the deck was done.
And it looked amazing.
It was huge and it was perfect and I loved it.
I also wished I’d seen it before Deke had left so I could tell him that.
I hadn’t so I’d have to tell him tomorrow.
Right then, it was time to send an email to Dana’s designer.
That deck needed furniture.
I’d also have to talk to Max. I’d be willing to wait another day to be able to do laundry to have that deck done and available to me.
Totally.
* * * * *
Deke
Deke sat in his chair outside, watching the lake turn orange, his mind not on the lake but on the fact that he wouldn’t have to dip too low to find the bottom of Jus’s short, lace dress and slide it up over her ass.
These thoughts shifted uncomfortably to her saying, He’d die another death, a more painful one this time, knowing his boy was acting this way to the two women in his life that he loved the most.
She had trouble with her brother, some that sounded really not good.
And her dad was dead.
Jus didn’t look to be much older than thirty. Either the man had babies late or he’d died young.
Deke’s mind barely wrapped around that fact when he heard her voice say, I’m here. Always here for you, my beautiful sister.
Something was going down with a sister as well.
Neither of those calls sounded good.
Still, she made them then looked at him, pulled it together and offered to bring him back a pizza.
He thought for certain the way she opened the door to him she was what he thought she was, a fake gypsy princess slumming in the Colorado mountains on millions of dollars’ worth of land.
Her offering him a sandwich, wearing that cute-as-fuck dress and stomping around in those ridiculous boots that she looked comfortable in, not like she was missing her high heels, he was wondering if he was right.
“Christ,” he bit out, pushed up, went into his trailer and made a bologna and cheese sandwich.
He ate it and went right back out to head to Bubba’s.
He did this hoping Jus wasn’t there.
At the same time denying he hoped she was.
* * * * *
Justice
I was in the garage the next morning, staring impatiently at Mr. Coffee as it dribbled brown elixir, when I heard the muted banging.
Deke was there.
I moved into the house, through it and to the front door.
No PJs that morning. I was barely dressed and had had no shower. But I was dressed, awake, and determined not to be a bitch.
I opened the door and looked up.
“Hey,” I greeted.
“Hey,” he greeted back.
“I’m making coffee,” I stated, shifting out of the door to let him in, and he came in while I was still talking. “I’ll bring you a mug when it’s done. Then I’ll hit the shower and get out of here while you get on with things. You want me to come back around noon with food or something?”
He’d stopped inside and was studying me as I spoke.
It took him a couple of beats before he said, “Thanks. No.”
“Sure?” I asked.
“I’m good,” he answered.
“Okeydoke,” I replied, turned and moved back through the house, asking, “How do you take your coffee?”
When he didn’t reply by the time I hit the frame of the door to go into the hall, I stopped and turned back.
He hadn’t moved except to shift in a way that he was facing me.
“Deke,” I prompted.
“Milk, not much, one spoon of sugar.”
I grinned at him, said, “Right,” and took off.
I brought him his coffee while he was hauling some things in from outside.
As I was setting it down on a blanketed cabinet, he spoke.
“Get as much done as I can, Jus.”
My gaze shot to him when he used my name.
“Do my best to get it all,” he continued. “Shouldn’t be a problem, though can’t get the rafters without another man here. Even so, means at night you can fire up the furnace. I tested it earlier. You’re not home by the time I take off, I’ll set it before I go.”
“That would be…that’d be…” Why couldn’t I handle him being a decent human being? “That’d be great, Deke. Thanks,” I finally got out.
“You got one, leave me a key and your number,” he ordered. “I’ll lock up before I go, you’re not back. Call you if there’s anything needs reporting.”
I nodded.
He watched me nod then walked right back out the door, presumably to get more stuff.
I smiled to myself as I went to my bedroom, got one of the extra keys Joni had given me on closing, wrote my number on a Post-it and took them back out to set them by his coffee.