Bubba reached to a bowl of ice.
“See you soon,” Jussy said softly.
Krys looked to her and nodded.
Deke moved Jussy out while Lauren moved to the side of the bed they vacated.
They nearly crashed into Jim-Billy who was running into the room as they left.
Deke took Jussy to Tate, left her with him, went out and bought a shit ton of donuts and coffees. He came back to Ty and Lexie there with their girls, Jim-Billy having been kicked out when the contractions kicked up, and Tate and Jussy on phone duty giving updates to Twyla and the crew at Bubba’s, Chace and Faye, and the great number of folk that loved Krys no matter how skilled she was at throwing attitude.
As they waited, Deke didn’t bother putting in the effort not to watch Justice goofing with Lella and Vivie. He also didn’t bury how it made him feel, seeing she was just as good with kids, maybe even better, than she was with adults.
And he didn’t bury the fact that she’d been in Carnal just over a month and she was one of the crew like she’d been there years.
Last, he didn’t hit her up about what that was with her and Krys and the Camaro.
Something else he’d learned, women had shit with their sisters and if they wanted to share it, they did. If they didn’t, you didn’t push it.
Two hours later, Bubba came out looking a lot fucking happier when he told them Breanne Lauren Briggs had made it into the world, breathing good, all ten fingers, all ten toes, and looking like her momma.
And Krys had done it. Unintentionally, but she’d still excelled at what she’d done.
On a day her friend needed her mind off what might be to come, she gave her a helluva something to keep her mind on.
An hour later, when they were let in in shifts to see Krys was all right and have their time with Breanne, Jussy returned the favor.
While she was holding Bubba and Krys’s tiny baby, smiling her big, happy, open smile, she dipped her face close, gently rocking Breanne like she’d given birth to a dozen baby girls, and in her sweet, low voice, quietly she sang Croce’s “Time in a Bottle.”
Deke couldn’t tear his eyes away. But as she sang, he saw Tate get close, his phone up, videoing Jussy’s gift to two new parents, something priceless, a baby’s first lullaby delivered by Justice Lonesome.
When she was done singing, not only was Breanne asleep.
So was Krys.
The song ended and Justice kept humming and rocking, her attention riveted on the little, scrunched-up face which was all you could see through cap and swaddling. And as she hummed, Deke noticed that his gypsy’s features were dominant.
Dark hair, brown eyes.
He had not lied, his ma would have loved Jussy.
Dark-haired, brown-eyed babies?
She’d have loved them a whole lot more.
He watched his gypsy humming to baby girl Breanne.
He did it with the realization he was sinking deep in all that was Justice Lonesome.
But for the life of him, he didn’t care he was getting caught in that mire.
* * * * *
“Uh, I’m not liking that,” Jussy proclaimed.
They were in his truck after leaving the hospital and they were on the way to the mall.
Deke had just told her their plans for that night and he knew her proclamation was not about the fact they were going to the electronics store to buy her a TV for her bedroom that they could watch while they ate pizza in her bed that night.
It was about the fact they were spending the night in that bed that night.
“It’s safe, Jussy,” he said gently. “And you gotta get back there.”
“Tonight?”
That came out as a squeak.
Deke grabbed her hand and for the first time she resisted.
This didn’t last long because he didn’t give up. When she did, he held her as he kept talking.
“Your security system is tight and Chace is sending a cruiser. Men with badges, guns, radios and presence to keep watch all night. And I’ll be there.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “You gotta get back home, baby.”
He felt more resistance at her hand. It surprised him, she’d never resisted. Not a single touch. But just as quick as she started it, she again gave in, letting her hand rest in his but she did all that without reply.
“He’s not gonna get to you,” he told her.
She didn’t say anything and he glanced at her to see her looking out the side window.
“Jussy?” he called.
“I know,” she said, her voice flat, something he’d gotten from her once, the morning they had their conversation after she performed at Bubba’s. “I’m good. Cal’s system. The cops. You. It’ll be okay.”
He didn’t like her voice like that.
“Not gonna let anything harm you,” he promised.
“Okay, Deke,” she replied immediately, a verbal giving in he didn’t like either.
She was unusually in her head and not giving him what was in it.
So he went for it.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked.
“Oh, nothing, except that guy promising to come back and the first night I’m back in the bed he strangled me on and beat me unconscious on is the night he promised to come back,” she answered, flat gone, sarcasm in its place.
“He slips by the cops, gets close to a single window, even the boarded one, babe, the whole forest lights up for ten yards and the cops’ll be all over him. He keeps goin’ and actually breaks in, that siren Callahan put in will be heard for a mile.”
She again switched tactics. “You’re right. All good. It’ll be fine.”
“Jussy—”