21. 21
“You know they’re up to something, don’t you?”
Deacon turned and looked at Cowboy. He was leaning against the end of a picnic table watching Lisa and Ava dance in a circle holding hands while they sang a children’s rhyme. After a moment they purposely fell to the ground, still holding hands and giggling. He shot his oldest friend a look that said he wasn’t born yesterday.
“I know and I don’t care.” He turned back to where the girls sat in the tall grass, still giggling. If her own brother couldn’t see that Lisa needed this, especially after the day before, Deacon wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. If he could do something to make her this happy, he was going to do it.
She and Ava had gotten off the bikes every few miles and danced around, taken pictures with every statue and generally had a good time. In some ways they’d acted like kids, but who cared?
“Deke, come dance with me!” Lisa waved him toward her.
Deacon shook his head but went anyway.
“We don’t have any music to dance to, bumblebee.”
“I can fix that,” Ava said. She pulled out her phone and with just a few taps started a popular country music song playing. It wasn’t what Deacon normally would have listened to, but it worked well when he pulled Lisa into his arms and guided her into a slow sway.
He didn’t miss that Ava was taking pictures of them, but the way Lisa relaxed into him and the smile on her face made him not mind.
That’s what today was for anyway, wasn’t it? To make her happy? It seemed to be working.
They danced a while longer, then went back to the bikes and hit the road again.
It took them more than two hours to make the thirty something mile drive that was the Enchanted highway. They’d spent more time off the bikes than on them, but they’d all had a good time, and Lisa had laughed more today than he’d seen her laugh all week.
They arrived at the steakhouse. He backed his bike in next to the building, Cowboy doing the same with his bike right next to him, then they dismounted and went inside. Once they were seated and placed their orders, he turned to Lisa.
“So what did you win in your bet?”
“What bet?” She tried to look innocent, but he knew her too well to believe it.
He didn’t say anything, just looked at her with one lifted brow.
“There was a bet?” Cowboy looked from one to another, starting with Deacon, then each of the girls, then back to Deacon.
“What makes you think I won, assuming there was a bet at all?” Lisa asked.
Deacon still didn’t say anything, but watched her a moment longer then turned to Ava. Cowboy’s woman didn’t have the guile that Lisa did and broke right away.
“I’m in charge of food and cleaning up next weekend.”
“What’s going on next weekend?” Cowboy asked.
“I’m sure they’re planning something for us.” Deacon leaned over and kissed the tip of Lisa’s nose so she would know he wasn’t angry, but more amused by them.
“We’re not sure yet what we’re going to do, but why not get a little bit planned ahead?” Lisa said with a shrug. “Besides, conning you into that was fun.”
“What exactly was the bet?” Cowboy asked, still frowning.
“Who could talk their guy into goofing off and being silly with us first,” Ava’s cheeks turned pink as she confessed.
“And what made Lisa the winner?” Cowboy wanted to know.
“When Deke danced with me under the giant pheasant.” Lisa grinned at her brother.
“That wasn’t being silly.”
“But it was loosening up and having fun with us and that’s what mattered.” She turned to Deacon. “Did you know at the time?”
Deacon shook his head. “Not exactly. I knew you two were up to something, but you were having fun and I wanted you to keep having fun.”
“Thank you.” She dropped her head to rest on his shoulder.
Deacon couldn’t think of anywhere he’d rather be, or anything he’d rather be doing, other than here right now, with Lisa.
He remembered that thought he’d had, what had it been? A week before, definitely not two weeks yet, when he’d seen her walking across the club house toward him? That only an idiot would screw around with the president’s little sister? Guess he was the biggest idiot of them all. But damned if he wasn’t going to be a happy idiot.