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“Let me help with that.” He took the second pitcher and poured it in.
“Thanks. I was hoping you’d come over.”
As she smiled at him, he realized there was a new ease between them. He’d always been so racked with guilt that he’d never truly let himself go, not even with his sister. It was another thing for which he had Rosie to thank.
“I’m so happy for you and Rosie,” she said softly. “I’ve waited a long time to see you like this. You deserve happiness, Gideon. You deserve Rosie. You’re both the best thing for each other.”
He set his pitcher on the table beside the plastic glasses, then picked up his sister’s hand, squeezing it tight. “If you’d told me that a month ago, I would have said you were crazy.”
“Oh, Gideon.”
He shushed her with a gentle look. “But falling in love with Rosie and Jorge, and being here with you, I’ve learned something huge. I can finally accept that I did my best. No matter how much I might wish I’d done things differently, or that my best was better, there’s no do-overs. There’s just now and the future. I’m not going to waste another moment making wishes for things that can’t possibly come true. Those years with you that I missed, I can never have back, just as I can never get my team back. But what I can do is cherish every day with Rosie and Jorge, and you and Noah, and this big family you’ve brought me into, from this moment on.”
She gazed at him with shining eyes, a tear wobbling in the corners. “I love you, Gideon.”
“Ditto, kiddo.”
She hugged him fiercely. And he hugged her back with every bit of love in his heart.
When they pulled apart, she was wiping her eyes.
* * *
A few minutes later, when Rosie’s margarita was finally in her hand, the rest of the Mavericks blew out onto the deck. Francine accompanied Sebastian and Charlie. Jeremy raced to the boys because he’d brought a new dump truck he wanted to show them. Right on his heels was Duke. A puppy—and kid—melee ensued on the grass. Soon, Paige and Evan arrived, then Evan’s twin siblings sauntered in, along with their mother. They’d picked up Chi along the away.
There were hugs and backslaps all around. No one batted an eyelash at Gideon with his arm around Rosie. It was as if they’d known his feelings for her all along. Only Chi hugged Rosie longer than usual, saying something in her ear that made Rosie smile.
“Grandma, look at the cool dump truck Jeremy brought.” Noah held it up with pride, then grabbed Susan’s hand, while Jorge grabbed Bob’s. They dragged them off to Noah’s huge sandbox—vastly different from the sandbox from which Gideon had made it back—followed by puppies, and Jeremy gamboling along beside them like another big, happy puppy. Francine rambled after them with her walker, wanting to get in on the kid action too, probably because she was surrounded by old folks most of the time at the retirement home.
“Maybe you should go rescue your parents,” Ari said, to no Maverick in particular, as she filled margarita glasses and passed them out. Charlie was beaming because her fountain was getting use beyond the wedding.
“They’re fine,” Daniel said. “They love it. They’re waiting for more grandchildren.” Which he also said to no Maverick in particular. Or maybe to all of them.
But Gideon looked at Rosie. She smiled back. And he thought of all the fun they were having—and would continue to have—making hay on the baby front.
“In fact, since they’re busy,” Daniel rubbed his hands together like an evil mastermind, “this is a good time for us to plan.”
Everyone gathered closer. Lyssa sat on the edge of the deck to catch the sun, her arms wrapped around her legs, Kelsey and Chi beside her.
“What’s up?” Will asked.
“Dad told me the house next to theirs is up for sale,” Daniel said.
The Spencers lived in Chicago. When the Mavericks had all started making money, they’d moved Bob and Susan into a big house in a really great neighborhood.
“And since our family is growing all the time—” He tugged Tasha closer. “I thought we should look into buying it.”
Gideon noted that Tasha’s brother Drew hadn’t come today. He was a bit of an outcast, mostly of his own doing. But then Gideon had been an outcast, all his own doing, for a long time too. And he’d made it back into the fold, to the brotherhood, to family.
“No question,” Sebastian agreed. “We should buy it.”
“It’s perfectly situated,” Daniel told everyone once they’d all nodded their agreement, “with the two garages on opposite ends of the properties. I figure we can knock down the fence and build a sunroom connecting the two houses.”
“We could do the work ourselves,” Will said.
Bob Spencer had made sure his boys were handy with a tool belt, that was for sure. “I can help,” Gideon offered, knowing his way around a hammer and saw just as well as the rest of them.
“I’m in too, if you need some welding,” Charlie offered.
