Bounty (Page 164)

“He might have been angry at you, but you’re a Lonesome and he’ll take care of you until the day he dies.”

I watched Deke accept something, nod, move out of the door and close it, turning carrying a stunning spray of Christmas greenery. So wide it had to be four feet across, thick and downy in both depth and breadth, decorated in pinecones, rusted bells, with a big rustic star in the middle that had etched in it the word Believe.

As Deke moved to me, I could smell the scent coming off it, filling the big space with the aroma of Christmas.

When my eyes lifted to him, I saw him looking at me.

I drew up my brows in question.

He gave a one shoulder shrug, so I looked back down and caught sight of one of those plastic fork things with a little white envelope stuck in the piece, the opening of which Deke was obviously going to leave to me.

“I’ll take Gordon’s gig,” Maverick said in my ear, and when he did, I noticed he’d been silent. Thinking. His voice was softer when he finished, “But I’ll call Mr. T. Ask him if he thinks that’s the way to go.”

Maverick doing that, going so far, extending that olive branch, that made my decision for me.

“Right, good,” I said. “Think that’s smart, Mav. And just to repeat, this tour of Gordon’s starts in the New Year. I got a room open. Joss and Rod and Lacey will all be here. We’re having a big New Year’s Eve party. Would love to have you for Christmas and New Year’s.”

Deke’s face got soft because he knew I’d been struggling with this decision, and in starting this conversation again, knowing that Mav had earned the end of that struggle. He also knew what the way that decision had swung meant to me.

“That’d be cool, if Joss and Rod are down with that,” Mav said, his voice still soft. “But, Jussy, like I told you last time, got some gigs happening to keep me going, don’t think I can swing heading out that way.”

“Christmas present,” I shared. “Plane ticket and someone will be at the airport to pick you up. You’ll have to make do with Granddad’s truck, if I’m not using it, you wanna get around town.”

“Jussy, I can’t do presents and—” Mav started.

“Having you with me the first year we don’t have Dad, Mav, will be the only present I need. Hell, having you with me anytime is a present for me. Seriously.”

He was quiet.

Deke set the boughs aside, took the big cylindrical glass bowl filled with layers of limes, cranberries and oranges with their array of pine boughs coming out the top that I got in town at Holly’s Flower Shop to the hutch, came back and put the centerpiece where it should be.

In the center.

Through all this, Mav stayed quiet.

Then he said, “Let me think about it.”

He’d have to give up his mom on Christmas, this was a concern. They might not be speaking but I had people. As far as I knew, Luna didn’t have anybody. Mav would feel that.

And Maverick was beginning to understand how it felt to stand on your own two feet, so accepting a plane ticket from his sister when he’d have no problem doing that a year ago was a hit to the manhood he was seeking.

But he was figuring shit out.

So I suspected he’d understand what was important and end up sharing Christmas with his family.

“Right, brother, I gotta go. They’re having the annual Christmas party at our local and we gotta get to town,” I said.

“Okay, Jussy.”

“Call me and let me know what you decide…about everything,” I ordered.

“Will do and…um…well…” he trailed off. I waited. Then he finished it, “Say hey to Deke for me.”

“I will. Love you, Mav.”

“Back, Jussy.”

“Later.”

“Yeah. ’Bye.”

We hung up and I looked to Deke.

“That sounded like it went good,” he remarked.

I nodded, reaching beyond him to the envelope sticking out of the delivery. “He’s now got multiple offers to consider.” I pulled the card to me and grinned at my man. “Told you he was talented.”

“Not like I didn’t believe you, babe,” he muttered, his mouth twitching.

I bent my head, opened the little envelope and pulled out a florist card with a Christmas design on it.

The message read:

Jussy,

Love you. Miss you. You’re always in my heart. I hope I’m still in yours. We’ll talk in the New Year. Merry Christmas.

Bianca

“Who’s it from?” Deke asked.

I looked up to him and didn’t answer. I handed him the card.

He read it and even through his beard I saw his jaw get tight.

But the irritation disappeared when he looked back at me.

He got close, lifted a hand and cupped my jaw.

“I should tell her she’s in my heart,” I whispered, my voice gruff.

“Probably,” Deke murmured.

“I’ll find a way to do that at the same time sharing I need a little more time,” I told him.

“Good idea.”

My grin was shaky.

This was because I worried about her.

But I was glad she’d reached out. I was glad she seemed to have gotten it together. I didn’t know exactly how that was, but from what I did know, I wasn’t certain I agreed with the path she was taking.

That would never negate the fact that she was, indeed, in my heart.

And always would be.

“I’ll text her tomorrow. Let her know her delivery arrived,” I said to Deke. “But we should go now, honey.”