Bounty (Page 160)

She got him to sit down with her.

And Deke watched.

They started talking.

Deke watched.

The men and Twyla came in the front door, everyone started cleaning up.

And Deke watched.

Joss and Rod took care of dealing with everyone leaving.

And Deke watched.

Finally, Jussy and Maverick got up from the chair and moved to the door.

Deke got out of the way but he didn’t move far.

She came in, eyes to him.

“We’re gonna go out and get Mav’s bag, honey. He’s gonna break in one of the other guest rooms. You cool with that?”

He examined her face.

She wanted that.

She wanted her brother near.

“I’m cool with that,” he said.

“Can you turn off the pit?” she asked.

“Yeah, gypsy.”

“Dude, I was—” Maverick started, looking younger than his already young, the guilt heavy on his face, grief weighing there too.

“It’s done. Let it be done,” Deke stated.

Maverick stared at him a second before relief started to slide in and he nodded.

Jussy moved him into the house.

Deke watched them move through to the front door.

His body jerked in surprise when Joss sidled up the counter beside him.

He looked to her.

“Full approval,” she whispered, stared into his eyes, did it a long time.

Then she winked at him and glided away.

Deke watched her go.

Then he went out and turned off the fire pit.

* * * * *

“I think something’s happened with Roddy and Joss,” Jussy whispered into his throat late that night in the dark while they were lying in her bed, front to front, limbs tangled. “I’ve never seen them like they were tonight, dealing with Mav.”

She stroked the skin of his lower back and kept whispering.

“On the outside, he’s the quintessential rocker. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, the more of all of that, the better, in his case, drugs being booze. But he loves her. He loves her so much, honey. And he’s never even looked at another woman, as far as I could see. He’d never step out on her. I think she sees that. I think she sees how deep that feeling goes for him. I think she understands how precious it is. I think she finally gets it.”

“Yeah,” Deke murmured, drifting his fingers through her hair.

“It worries me,” she went on. “What she said, making it sound like she should have stood by Dad even though he shredded her trust. She’s not that woman. No woman should be that woman. She believes in herself enough to know she doesn’t have to take that.”

“Love is strong enough to find forgiveness, gypsy,” Deke told her. “Even in extreme circumstances like that. Bubba cheated on Krys repeatedly. Let her down so many times, hard to count. She got shot of him, he loved her enough to turn that around. Loved her enough to prove that to her. Pulled out all the stops. And she loved him enough to find it in her to forgive. Been years now, those two are as tight as Tate and Laurie. Lexie and Ty. They put it behind them and now they got that. Your mom, lookin’ back, maybe she’s seein’ what could have been if she was strong enough to forgive at the same time seein’ what she got out of that, realizin’ it’s far from a raw deal.”

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.”