26. Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-six
Deacon
I’d gotten my one and only second chance with Phoebe, and I wasn’t going to waste it by keeping her locked up behind closed doors. We were doing this right this time—that meant facing down public opinions head-on.
No sense in delaying the inevitable.
Knowing Phoebe how I now did, she could withstand anything thrown her way. The trouble was, I didn’t want her to have to, not on my account or for any other reason. But she’d chosen me, and I had to trust she was going in with open eyes.
Joy caught sight of me the second I pushed through her door, and her eyes lit up how they always did when she saw me. Had been that way for as long as I could remember. But they brightened in a way I’d never seen when she locked on my hand, joined with Phoebe’s.
“Come with me to say hi to Joy?”
“Of course,” Phoebe replied. No hesitation.
I led her around a few tables, pausing so she could greet a couple people. I tried my best to put on a friendly face for her sake, but I wasn’t sure I was doing a great job. I’d have to ask her to give me lessons when we were alone—I was far better at avoiding polite conversation than engaging in it.
We sidled up to the bar together, and I pulled a stool out for Phoebe before parking myself on the one beside hers. Joy strolled over to us, her curious gaze bouncing back and forth between us.
“I wasn’t expecting you tonight. Are you feeling better?”
I nodded. “Yep. I’ve been back at work all week.”
Phoebe hissed. “You didn’t tell me you worked the whole week. You should’ve been resting. What if you’d hurt yourself? It’s too soon, Deke. Way too soon.”
“I’m doing fine,” I assured her. “Chris put me on light work this week, and today, I just finished up a project in the shed. I didn’t push too hard.”
She didn’t look convinced. “I can’t believe Chris let you come back to work at all. Then again, he didn’t see you at your worst. I bet you didn’t tell him exactly how sick you were. If I see him—”
I squeezed her hand. “I’m good. I’m gonna take it easy tomorrow. Swear it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Considering tomorrow’s my day off, I’ll make sure you do.”
“I won’t mind that at all.”
Joy had watched our entire interaction. When I finally turned my attention back to her, a wide grin split her face.
“I see,” she drawled. “I understand it all now.”
“Uh…what do you see?” I asked.
Joy braced her elbows on the bar opposite us, her grin turning into a smirk. “Why you’ve been in a good mood recently. You’ve been hiding things from your aunt, haven’t you?”
“Not hiding.” I lifted our joined hands. “Taking things slow and keeping it private until we were solid.”
Joy’s brows rose. “You’re solid now?”
I turned to Phoebe. She nodded, and I turned back to Joy, smiling. “Yeah. We’re solid.”
“Well”—Joy cleared her throat, and I swore I saw a flush rising up her cheeks—“I couldn’t think of two better people. Though, I can’t say I saw this coming when I rented you your apartment, Deke. Wish I could claim I had.”
Phoebe laughed softly. “If you want to, you can. I won’t contradict you.”
Joy reached across the bar to pat Phoebe’s cheek. “I’m not saying I will, but if you hear rumors about me being a matchmaker swirling around, you’ll know who it came from, sweetie. Now, what can I get you two to eat and drink?”
We placed our orders before moving to a table tucked in a corner. Phoebe had been the one to choose it, and she didn’t give me a chance to wonder why.
“It’s quieter over here.” She glanced over her shoulder at the screens above the bar. “I love coming to Joy’s, but she keeps the TVs too loud on game nights. Drives me nuts.”
“Not a sports fan?”
She huffed a laugh. “I can’t say I am. I love hitting one or two Rockies games during the summer, but I mostly like going to watch the sunset. Have you ever been to a game?”
“I haven’t, but I do like baseball.”
“We’ll have to go.” She paused, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “Are you allowed to leave the state? Denver’s so close, but it would mean crossing state lines. And…well, can you?”
“Hate you have to ask me that. Can’t even take my girl to a baseball game without the shitstorm of my past getting in the way.” I pressed on my stomach, which was a tangle of knots. “It hasn’t come up since I’ve been out, but if I check in with my parole officer first, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Good. Then we’ll look at the calendar for the season and plan ahead.” She kept right on going, swerving around my torn-up guts, so I had no choice but to pick them up and put myself back together. “Like I said, I can take or leave baseball in general, but there’s something about watching a game while the sun sets behind the Rocky Mountains.”
Took me a minute, but I did what I had to do. Swallowing down the jagged pill of my past, I became fully invested in planning this future with the girl sitting across from me.
“I like the sound of that. I’m all in.”
She leaned forward, dropping her voice. “I was worried I’d jumped the gun, making plans for the summer.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Phoebe. Pleases the hell out of me to think of you in your sundresses.”
That earned me a laugh. “You haven’t even seen my sundresses yet.”
“I haven’t, but I know reality’s gonna be ten times better than my imagination since I’m no women’s fashion expert.”
She giggled harder. “I don’t think I want to know what you’re dreaming up in your head.”
I grinned at her, all the heaviness I’d been carrying the past couple weeks set aside so I could share this light moment with her.
“There’s not a lot to it.” I tapped my temple. “Up here, it’s pretty damn skimpy, if I’m being honest.”
“Oh my muffins.” She cupped her forehead, still laughing. “I fear you’re going to be disappointed at the amount of fabric that makes up my sundresses.”
“You’re wrong about that. You wear a paper bag; I wouldn’t be disappointed.” I flicked my gaze over the soft-looking sweater hugging her curves just right. “I’ve seen how you dress on a daily basis. You’re always so pretty I have trouble believing you’re real.”
The laugh on her lips flowed into a whisper. “Deacon, god, you really know the right things to say. Are you sure there isn’t a horde of girlfriends in your past?”
“I really don’t. When I say you’re the only one, I mean it.” I scooted my chair closer so I could impart a fact about myself I’d thought she’d understood. Brushing her hair over her shoulder, I put my mouth next to her ear. “You’re my first date. The first woman I’ve held hands with. The first woman I’ve made come, and who’s made me come. And if I’m lucky and we get there, you’ll be the first woman I make love to.”
She pulled back, her brown eyes wide. “What? Surely not…”
“I know you didn’t get in this to be my teacher.” I cupped the side of her face, my fingers sliding into her silky hair. “As natural as we’ve been together, I’m thinking I’ll catch on pretty quick. That is, if we get there, and you want that with me.”
“Deacon…of course I want that with you.” She blinked a few times. “I’m trying to make this make sense. I know you were away, but before…you’re so…I’m just…well, I’m surprised.”
“Turned off?”
She didn’t immediately reply, but I was getting used to that with her. If she was asked a question, she made sure of her answer before she gave it.
Finally, she responded, giving me what I’d been hoping for. “No, I’m not turned off. Not at all.” She curled her fingers around my wrist, stroking my pulse with her thumb. “I’m curious why you’ve never been with anyone, though.”
“I spent a lot of my life just trying to make it through. Once I was done with school and had a job, I brought my little sister to live with me. Finding a girl was the last thing on my mind. After I got out, I don’t think I really started breathing easy until I moved into my apartment. I don’t know if it’s God smiling down on me or finally catching a break, but I happened to find the girl of my dreams is my neighbor, so…well, now I’m thinking about it.”
Her lips tipped. “A lot?”
“Oh yeah, sugar. I want all that with you.” I leaned close, my nose gliding along hers. “But we’re going to take our time getting there because I want everything else with you too.”
“Sorry to interrupt, lovebirds,” Joy announced, putting a halt to our conversation. She bent over the table, placing our plates and silverware down beside our beers. “I tried to wait you out, but the rate you two were going, your dinner was going to get cold.”
Phoebe’s laugh was melodic and sweet. Goddamn, had I missed hearing her laugh. And the way she looked at Joy, like she was genuinely happy to see her, made me fall even deeper for this woman.
“Thanks so much. This looks great,” she said.
Joy winked at her. “Just trying to keep up with all the deliciousness you come up with in your kitchen, darlin’. You two have a nice dinner.”
“Thank you, Joy.”
“Of course, Deke. Happy to have the two of you here together. Real, real happy.”
She caught my eyes. Hers twinkled, startling the hell out of me. My aunt had always cared for me and made no bones about showing it, but I couldn’t say I’d ever seen a twinkle in her eyes. Not even close.
The conversation we’d been having before Joy’s arrival was best left for private, so we ate our dinner, switching to lighter topics. I got to hear about the bread she’d been baking in her spare time and how her brother had forbidden her from adding it to her menu—something I agreed with once I’d learned his reasoning. I told her about the desk I’d finished today for a client and a potential new commission for custom cabinetry I was bidding on.
“Do you have a picture of the desk?”
“Sure I do.” I spun my phone in her direction, holding my breath as she scrolled through the pictures I’d taken. “I started documenting my process so when customers questioned my pricing, I could show them how much I put into my projects.”
She tapped the screen with her nail. “If anyone questions the cost of your work after seeing the finished product, they’re being purposely obtuse. You make incredible pieces, Deacon.”
She huffed but didn’t say anything else.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing really. I was thinking I wish you’d been around when I was opening Sugar Rush. I would have loved to hire you to build pieces for me. But then it occurred to me I wouldn’t have been able to afford you.”
“You think I’d let you pay me?”
“I think it would be a bad business model if you didn’t.” She grinned, then flicked the thought away. “Soon, you’ll be too busy. Even if I had the cash, you wouldn’t have the time for me.”
“Never. That’d never happen,” I stated firmly.
“I mean professionally,” she amended.
“Same answer.” I pushed back from the table and held my hand out to her. “We’re gonna pick a song on the jukebox and dance to it.”
She raised a brow. “We are?” Her hand slipped into mine like it’d always been there, and she rose to her feet before me, her lips curled in a happy little smile. “We are.”
Joy’s didn’t have much of a dance floor, but it was enough. I felt eyes on us as I twirled her the way she liked but decided not to care since it was obvious she didn’t give a single damn.
She proved that when a woman bumped into her as she passed.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” The woman was fortyish, dressed a little too sophisticated for her to be a local, and when her gaze landed on Phoebe, recognition lit her features. “Phoebe, darling, it’s you!”
Phoebe twisted in my arms to face her. “Margot, hey. How are you?”
“I’m great. Just grabbing a drink. You look like you’re having fun.” The woman’s eyes darted from Phoebe to me then back.
“We definitely are.” Phoebe’s hand slipped from my waist to find mine, grabbing hold. “Margot, this is my boyfriend, Deke. Deke, this is Margot. She runs the spa at the ranch.”
It took me a beat to recover from Phoebe calling me her boyfriend. I’d only just gotten her to give me a chance, and here she was, giving me more than I’d asked for. I liked the hell out of it.
I lifted my chin. “Nice to meet you, Margot.”
“You too, Deke.” Margot smiled, and not unkindly, then addressed Phoebe. “Your mother told me you’ve been seeing a tattooed cutie.”
Phoebe laughed. “Well, I’d say he’s more than cute, but since my mother has one type and it’s my father, it’s understandable she undersold Deke.”
“Those two. I’ve never met a pair more suited on the inside and opposite on the outside.” Margot shook her head. “Well, I’ll leave you to your night. Have fun.”
I pulled Phoebe back into my arms, splaying my hands over the upper curve of her backside.
“You called me your boyfriend.” I tipped my head toward Margot, now laughing with a cowboy by the pool table. “That’ll get back to your mother.”
Phoebe slid her palms up my chest and looped her arms behind my neck. “Are you more worried about me calling you my boyfriend or my mother finding out?”
“Not worried about either.”
“Then there’s no problem, is there?”
“No.” I tilted my head, brushing my lips over hers. “No problem at all, sugar.”
That was how the rest of our first real date in town had gone. Laughing, dancing, keeping my girl close. If anyone had something to say, they’d done it quietly enough I hadn’t heard.
After another beer, a game of darts, and saying good night to Joy, we ended our night, walking home hand in hand.
I’d started the week damn near certain Phoebe would never let me touch her again. Now, I had her pressed against her door, her mouth as hungry for mine as I was for hers.
One hand cradling the back of her head, the other cupping her sweet ass, I rolled my forehead against hers. If I’d been the crying sort, I might’ve let a tear slip for how right the last few hours had felt. I wasn’t much of an optimist—life had taught me better—but right then, I was feeling it.
She nipped at my lips. “You could come in.”
“I could.” I exhaled, already regretting what I had to say. “But I don’t think I should. Not tonight.” I smoothed my thumb along her jaw. “I want to take my time with this—make sure we get it right.”
“Okay.” She pressed her face to the crook of my neck. “I’m glad you showed up on my porch. Thank you for making things right, honey.”
“Always.” I held her tight, touching my lips to the side of her head. “ Always , angel girl.”
She sighed, slowly letting her head fall back against the door. “You remember calling me that?”
“A lot of those days are a blur, but that? Yeah.” I nodded toward her door. “Go inside. I’ll stay here until I hear the lock.”
One more lingering kiss, then she slipped inside, and I stayed right where I was until I heard the soft click of the dead bolt as it slid into place.
When I headed upstairs, my boots were lighter than they’d been in years.