Chapter 19
“Don’t forget I’m going shopping with Lucas this morning,” I say.
“Since when?” Deacon replies.
“Since we talked about it last night.”
He laughs. “That was before you distracted me.”
“You weren’t that hard to distract.”
Deacon wraps his arm around me and pulls me close. “Come here then, you little temptress, distract me some more.”
I let out a sigh as if what he saying is unreasonable. The truth is, I love how much he loves me. He’s forever reaching out and touching me as if he’s scared I’ll disappear. But the reverse is true too because I’m scared that I’ll wake up one day and all of this will have been a dream.
“Kiss me like you’ll miss me.” I grin.
“Oh, I can do far more than that.”
He slides his hand into my panties, and I bark out a laugh. “Do we really have time for this?”
Deacon pouts. “We can make time. We’re on holiday.”
His long fingers stroke my clit, and my breath hitches. I love him touching me.
Oh, screw it. Lucas can wait.
With a giggle, I pull the covers over both of us and lose myself in Deacon’s love. This is my happiness.
It’s how I want to spend the rest of my life.
* * *
Lucas glowers at me an hour later when I finally emerge from the bedroom.
“I thought we were going early this morning. The traffic will be insane. It’s Christmas Eve.”
I pop a kiss on his cheek as I sit at the kitchen table beside him. “But then you get to spend even more time with your baby sister while we sit in that traffic.”
He fights it, but then he barks out a laugh. “Only you could come up with that.”
“I can skip breakfast and we’ll go now.”
Mum plants her hands on her hips. “Are you sure you want to do that?”
“We’ll grab something while we’re out.”
“Is Deacon okay with you coming with me?” Lucas asks.
I shift my gaze back to him. “He’s fine. You’re my brother. Let’s go.”
It’s not a long drive into the city centre, but Lucas was right. The traffic is crazy and there are people everywhere.
Lucas grumbles from the driver’s seat, but I ignore him in the excitement of being home.
It seems to take forever to find a park, and when we do, he grumbles again about it being so far from the shops we want to go to.
But I remind him that at least we’re spending time together again.
“I don’t need much. There are just a few small things I wanted to grab for tomorrow.” I undo my seatbelt. “To be honest, I also wanted to spend a little time with you. But it’s still hard, you know?”
Lucas nods. “I feel that Deacon’s being polite, but that’s about it. Not that I can blame him. I’d really like us to find a way back to being friends.”
I bite my bottom lip. “I can’t see that happening, Lucas. At least, not any time soon.”
“Well, I’m here if he wants to talk. There are some things that he probably needs to know.”
I frown. “Like what?”
“Things he needs to hear. I want to share with him first. No offence.”
Swallowing hard, I nod and open the car door. I always knew there was more than what Lucas had told us, but he closed down after the immediate fallout and refused to talk about it.
It’s not a topic I enjoy talking over with Deacon either.
We traipse from shop to shop and once I’ve found everything I need, I give Lucas the heads-up so we can go back to the car.
“Do you wanna grab some lunch?” he asks.
I pull out my phone and check the time. It’s just before midday, and we’ve already been out longer than I planned to. But I don’t get a lot of chances to spend time with my brother, and with things still awkward between him and Deacon, I’m not sure when the next opportunity will be. “That sounds great. Anywhere you feel like going?”
“There’s a cafe just up the road that I like.”
I wave my hand in the direction that he points to. “Lead on.”
It’s been a while since I’ve been home. Lucas went to uni and then came back to work for Dad’s construction business.
We come to a little cafe that definitely wasn’t here last time I was and go inside to order coffee and grab some food from the display.
“You and your ham and cheese croissants,” Lucas says. “Does Deacon know you’re addicted?”
I laugh. “I usually have one with my morning coffee, so yes.”
We make our way to a table outside in the sunshine. It’s a gorgeous day, and while I fully expect it’ll start raining at some point tomorrow—it’s almost a guarantee on Christmas day—it’s nice to make the most of it.
It takes a few minutes for our coffee to be delivered, and then Lucas and I kick back.
“Are you and Deacon really happy?”
I can’t hold back the grin that takes over my face. Lucas chuckles.
“I never expected this,” I say. “When I turned up at that the job interview and found I was working for him, I was sure he would be hostile. But he’s been wonderful from day one.”
Lucas shrugs. “It’s not like you ever did anything to him.”
“Yeah, but I wasn’t sure he saw it that way.”
His face falls as he looks past me. “Shit.”
“What?”
The chair beside me scrapes on the concrete as it’s pulled back, and I turn my head to see who’s joined us.
Deacon’s mother’s gaze is fixed on me.
Stay calm. She can’t hurt you.
“Little Pippa Chapman. I hear you’re in a relationship with my boy.”
Is this woman for real?
She looks good—she always did. Her hair and makeup are immaculate, and while she’s casually dressed in jeans and a pale pink T-shirt, she looks like she could have walked off a magazine cover.
Walking slightly behind her is a young man. It’s hard to estimate his age, but he’s easily younger than I am and my stomach quirks at the thought.
“We have nothing to say to you,” Lucas says.
She pulls out a chair and sits. “This won’t take long.”
I shake my head. “I’m not having this conversation with you. Deacon’s life is none of your business.”
“It’ll always be my business. He’s my boy.” She flicks a glance at Lucas, but she’s barely acknowledged his existence.
“Who’s made it clear he wants nothing to do with you.” I lean back in my seat. “Now, I’m having lunch with my brother and you weren’t invited.”
It takes her a moment before she nods and stands. “Please tell Deacon I miss him. I’d like to see him before you leave town.”
“Hell will probably freeze over first.”
I don’t drop my gaze, and after a beat she turns around and leaves.
Lucas grasps my forearm. “Who are you and what have you done with my sister?”
“I hate her.” When I lift my shaking hands, he frowns. “I’m not telling Deacon anything about this. She can go jump.”
“Hey.” Lucas pulls me into his arms and hugs me. “It’s okay. The wicked witch has gone.”
“She can stay gone.” I huff.
“Let’s finish our lunch and I’ll get you back to your man. Okay?”
I nod. I’m not about to let that woman darken my mood.