He had Jussy’s love so he had nothing to prove.
Her mother still thought he did but there wasn’t shit he could do about that except giving it time.
He’d have that time.
And she’d see.
But straight up, he wouldn’t have it any other way. Not for Jussy. Just for her but also for all she was, all she had, the best of it being family that would show to look a man over who was becoming a part of her life, sleeping in her bed, all but living in her home.
He could easily be some jacktard player, getting in there for the sole purpose of all she could give, that being all he could take, none of this all she really had to give. All that was Jussy.
So yeah. Deke didn’t give a fuck. They felt he had something to prove, he’d take his time.
And he’d prove it.
“I’ll call Ricky and Thurston,” Rod muttered, leaning forward, pulling out his phone at the same time he pulled his ass out of the couch.
“I need a drink,” Joss declared.
“I’ll get it,” Jussy said and he felt her eyes on him so he gave his to her. “Beer, honey?”
“Yeah, babe.”
She grinned, a light in her eyes, excitement shining there.
Seeing that light, Deke had no choice.
He smiled back.
She got up.
He settled in and looked to her mother.
Not a surprise, she was watching.
“Want some chips with your bourbon?” he asked.
“You getting them?” she asked back.
“Wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t,” he told her.
“Then not chips, crackers and cheese,” she ordered like the diva she was that she covered up in jeans and a rock chick top.
“On it,” he murmured and pulled his own ass out of the couch.
“Deke?” Joss called when he was around the side of the couch.
He stopped and turned back to her.
“Pancakes were the shit, big man. Thanks for breakfast.”
A peace offering. Détente. She loved her daughter, that daughter threw down at the barest hint of attitude aimed her man’s way, she was good to settle in and give Deke that time to prove what she felt he needed to prove.
He made no reply, just lifted his chin, changed the direction of his body and went to the kitchen to get crackers and cheese for Jussy’s mother.
He did this not thinking about Joss or Rod or the crew of people showing in less than two hours.
He did it thinking that Jussy had just agreed to take a stage, a big one, for her dad.
And she was excited about it.
So he did it not smiling on the outside.
But he still had that smile for his gypsy.
It was down deep in his gut.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Deke Watched
Deke
Deke walked through the room, six open longnecks dangling from his fingers, scanning the space and realizing something he didn’t have to ask to know Jussy understood it before she put money down on the place.
It was perfect for a party.
There were a fuckload of people there and everyone fit, everyone was comfortable, everyone could see the others, drift from group to group, plant their ass in a seat, kick back, relax and enjoy.
He stopped at Ty, Tate, Ham, Decker and Wood, handed out the fresh beers and stood in their huddle, but he wasn’t paying attention to their conversation.
He looked out the windows to the back, saw the fire pit glowing, Shambles wearing his round sunglasses, the lenses red, a big grin on his face, his hands moving while he obviously told a story to Dominic, the guy who owned the salon in town, Nadine, a regular at Bubba’s, Faye, Bubba himself, and Decker’s wife, Emme.
Lauren was holding court at the kitchen island, surrounded by folks on stools, Max’s friends, Mindy and Jeff, Zara, Ham’s wife, their kid on her lap, Maggie, Wood’s wife, and Daniel, Dominic’s partner.
He turned his attention all the way across the space and caught Rod in Jussy’s music room, smiling and nodding his head at Tate’s boy, Jonas, who had Jussy’s guitar on his knee. It looked like Rod was giving Jonas a guitar lesson.
Deke then took in the corner seating area and saw Max and Chace had kids crawling all over them, this overseen by Nina and Lexie.
And in the center area, the fireplace blazing but set low, Justice sat with Sunny, Jim-Billy, Twyla, Twyla’s lover, Cindy, and Krystal. This with the addition of Joss, having commandeered Breanne, the baby was up against Joss’s chest, her little face in Joss’s neck, looking, even in the muted clamor of conversation with music playing in the background, like she was getting ready to fall asleep.