Atramentum

by MJ Duncan

  “I’m glad you liked it,” Elizabeth said, pleased. She stood and took Joss and Maeve’s plates. “Now, scoot. We can talk more tomorrow.”

  Joss looked at George, who was snoring on the large round dog bed beside the table. “She probably shouldn’t do the stairs.”

  “We put a bed for her in the guest room,” Ben said as he gathered the remaining plates. “She can camp out with us, and I can take her out during the night if she needs it.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Maeve said, smiling at her father.

  Joss was in the middle of trying to hide a yawn when Maeve turned to her, and she smiled guiltily. “Sorry.”

  Maeve shook her head. “It’s been a long few days.” She held out her hand. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs.”

  “See you girls in the morning,” Elizabeth called after them.

  After placing the vacuum at the foot of the stairs so that George would not try to join them, they retreated to the master bedroom. Nighttime routines were completed quickly, and Joss sighed as she slipped beneath the covers of their bed.

  “Comfy?” Maeve teased as she walked around the bed and squeezed herself in on what was usually Joss’ side so that her good arm was in-between them.

  Joss nodded as she sat up to capture Maeve’s lips in a tender kiss as she scooted over to make more room. “Yes.”

  Maeve smiled as she pulled away and laid down, wiggling slightly to make herself comfortable on Joss’ pillow. “Hold me?”

  Like there’s a universe where I would ever say no. “Always.” Joss carefully stretched out beside Maeve and inched closer until she was pressed against her side. She let her right arm drape low over Maeve’s hips, holding her lightly. “Is this okay?”

  “It’s perfect,” Maeve confirmed through a yawn. “I love you, Joss Perrault.”

  “I love you, Maeve Dylan,” Joss whispered as she closed her eyes.

  Forty-Two

  “How’re they doing?”

  Joss looked up at Maeve’s dad and smiled. She was stretched out on the sofa facing the fireplace with her back pressed snugly into the cushions and Maeve cuddled up against her front, sleeping peacefully while George did the same on the dog bed she had pulled next to them. The Panthers were silently clashing with the Cowboys on the television that she had muted when Maeve had fallen asleep back in the first quarter, but she was not really paying attention to the game. It was just a distraction, something to pretend to focus on when in reality she was aware of very little beyond the woman snuggled up against her. “Good,” she whispered. “They both needed the rest, so…”

  “I meant the Cowboys,” Ben said as he sat down on the empty sofa and turned to face the television.

  Joss arched a brow in surprise. “I would’ve figured you for a Bears fan.”

  “I am,” Ben confirmed. “But I really hate the Cowboys.”

  “Well, in that case, you’ll be glad to know that they’re down going into the fourth.”

  “Excellent.” Ben folded his hands behind his head and stretched his legs out in front of himself, crossing his ankles and making himself comfortable. “Elizabeth says we’ve got like forty minutes until dinner.”

  “Are you sure I can’t help with anything?” Joss offered for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. Elizabeth and Ben had been in the kitchen all day, and while she appreciated the time to just relax with Maeve and George, she felt guilty that Maeve’s parents were doing so much work.

  “Like you could get up now even if I said yes.” Ben shook his head. “She’s ‘working her magic’”—he pulled his hands out from behind his head to emphasize the phrase with air quotes before returning them to their previous position and making himself comfortable once again—“and told me to get out of her kitchen.”

  Joss laughed softly and shook her head. “Still, I feel bad that I haven’t done anything to help…”

  “You’re taking care of our girl there.” Ben tipped his head at Maeve. “Believe me, you’re doing plenty.”

  Joss blushed and looked down at Maeve. “Yeah, well…”

  “Besides,” Ben continued, changing the subject, “watching the game is the best part of Thanksgiving anyway. Am I right?”

  “I guess so,” Joss agreed. “This is the first Thanksgiving in ages where I haven’t been working.”

  “At the bookstore?”

  “No. Atramentum is closed for the holiday, but we have very restricted hours anyway right now because it’s the off-season. I was a public accountant until May of this year.”

  “That’s right. I remember Maeve saying something about that. How’s running a bookstore compare to being an accountant?”

  “I still do quite a bit of accounting, but just for myself. The hours are pretty comparable during the busy seasons, but it’s nice having these handful of weeks every few months where I can just take a step back and relax.” She rubbed her thumb over Maeve’s hip. “And it gives me some quality time to spend with this one.”

  Ben’s phone rang, the sound shrill despite the fact that it was in his pocket, and Maeve startled awake, blinking as she tried to get her bearings. “What?”

  “You fell asleep,” Joss informed her with a smile.

  “Sorry about that, pumpkin,” Ben apologized as he pulled his phone from his pocket. “It’s your brother. Walker and them are all at Liam’s for the day, and we told them we could FaceTime whenever the kids were ready.”

  “Of course.” Maeve sat up and ran a hand through her hair. She looked down at Joss and whispered, “Do I need to go comb my hair or anything?”

  “No.” Joss shook her head as she angled herself to a sitting position beside Maeve. “You look beautiful.”

  “Good answer,” Ben quipped as he pressed his thumb to his screen. A few seconds later, he grinned. “Hey, Hunter! How’s it going, buddy?”

  “Hey, Grandpa!” a tiny voice replied enthusiastically. “The Cowboys are losing!”

  “I know!” Ben chortled. “Isn’t it great?”

  “So great,” Hunter replied. “How’s Auntie Maeve?”

  “She’s doing okay. You want to say hi?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Ben held the phone out toward Maeve. “Take this. I’ll go tell your mom that the kids are on the phone.”

  Joss smiled and took the phone. “I’ll hold it for you,” she told Maeve as she angled the camera at her. An adorable little boy with messy brown hair pointed in Joss’ direction.

  “Who’s that?”

  Maeve grinned and patted Joss’ leg. “Hunter, this is Joss.”

  A little girl with blond hair pulled back into braids pushed Hunter out of the way and peered at the screen. “Is she your girlfriend?”

  “Hello to you too, Sam. And yes, she is,” Maeve confirmed.

  Sam waved. “Hi Aunt Maeve. Hi Joss.”

  Joss leaned her head into the shot and smiled. “Hey, Sam. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I wanna talk to Auntie Maeve!” a young voice called out.

  Joss had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing when a little boy of about four popped in front of Sam and waved. “Hiii Auntie Maeve!”

  “Hi Bobby.” Maeve waved back. “You being a good boy?”

  Bobby nodded. “Sometimes.”

  Joss snorted a laugh. “Sorry,” she apologized.

  Maeve rolled her eyes.

  “You have a cast?” Bobby asked, looking at Maeve’s arm.

  “I do. You wanna see it?”

  “Yeah!” Bobby turned around and yelled, “GUYS! AUNTIE MAEVE IS GOING TO SHOW US HER CAST!”

  “Wow,” Joss muttered.

  “Oh, just wait until you get the full experience in person,” Maeve said, dropping a quick kiss to Joss’ cheek.

  “Is that your girlfriend?” a new little girl asked, poking her head into the screen. She looked older than the others, though her hair was in the same tight braids as the other little girl.

  “Yes. Heather, can you get everybody together and have one of y
our dads hold the phone so we can do this all at once?” Maeve suggested with a smile.

  “DAD, HOLD THE PHONE FOR US, PLEASE!” Heather bellowed as the rest of the kids began jockeying for position on the coffee table.

  The picture jostled as it changed hands, and Maeve laughed when a younger adult version of Ben turned the camera on himself and stuck out his tongue. “Hey, Sis. How you feeling?”

  “Good. Liam,” Maeve said, waving her good hand at Joss, “I’d like you to meet Joss.”

  “She’s Auntie Maeve’s girlfriend,” a helpful voice chimed in from somewhere behind Liam.

  Liam laughed. “I know. Hello, Joss. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Joss murmured.

  “Maeve!” another booming voice called out.

  Maeve rolled her eyes. “Hey, Walker.”

  “Has Dad scared Joss off yet?” he teased.

  “Nope. We figure we’ll keep her around for a while,” Ben said, winking at Joss as he and Elizabeth bent over the back of the couch so they could get in the shot too. “Now get your ugly mugs outta the way so we can see our grandkids.”

  Joss did her best to try and fade into the background as the Dylans caught up with each other. It did not take the kids long to get tired of talking on the phone after they had met her, seen Maeve’s cast, and got to see that George really was okay—a fact George proved for them by sitting up and wagging her tail as she tried to lick the screen—and before long it was just the adults crouched around the screen.

  “So, seriously, how’re you feeling?” Liam asked Maeve.

  “Like I have a broken elbow.” Maeve smirked. “It’s actually not that bad now. Just annoying.”

  “When are they going to take the pins out?”

  “In three weeks.”

  “Joss,” Walker butted in. Where Liam looked like their father, Walker was more like Maeve and took after their mother with his blond hair and fair complexion. The eldest of the three, he looked like he could have been Maeve’s twin, except he had brown eyes like his mom and brother. “Take a picture of those suckers before they pull them out? I wanna see what they look like.”

  “Sure thing.” Joss nodded. Honestly, she was a pretty curious too—especially since the surgeon said that it would be done in-office without any kind of anesthesia or anything. “I can do that.”

  “Awesome.”

  “DAD!” a chorus of distraught voices rang through the line.

  “Sounds like you two are up,” Ben chuckled. “Have fun with that. We’ll be relaxing here and enjoying your mother’s excellent cooking in peace and quiet.”

  “Way to rub it in, Dad. Thanks.”

  Ben smirked. “No problem.”

  “We’ll be home Saturday,” Elizabeth said as it looked like the boys were about to hang up. “Dinner at our house Sunday night?”

  “Sounds good, Mom,” Liam said with a grin. “Nice to meet you, Joss.”

  “You too,” Joss said.

  “Yeah. Take care of our sister for us,” Walker said.

  “Will do,” Joss promised.

  “And don’t forget those pictures!” Walked added just before the screen went black.

  “Wow,” Joss breathed.

  “Ben, come help me with this turkey,” Elizabeth said.

  “You got it,” Ben said as he followed her back into the kitchen.

  Maeve smiled and wrapped her good arm around Joss’ waist. “You officially survived your first foray into the Dylan Clan. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” Joss laughed and looked over at her. Maeve’s smile was so sweet that she had to taste it, and she hummed softly when Maeve’s tongue slipped past her lips to dance lightly with her own. The kiss was slow and deep and perfect, and she prayed that Ben and Elizabeth said in the kitchen a bit longer as she tenderly cupped Maeve’s face in her hands and poured every ounce of love she felt for her into her kiss.

  After a week of quick pecks and kisses that lingered not much longer than that, this kiss was pure heaven, and she let herself drift freely in the wonderful feelings it created. Warmth swept through her when Maeve’s fingers landed lightly on her cheek, the simple touch radiating love and affection, making her heart flutter and her stomach tighten.

  God, how I love this woman.

  “Dinner!” Ben’s voice boomed from the kitchen.

  Maeve giggled as she pulled away, her eyes dancing with happiness and simmering with ardor as she nuzzled Joss’ cheek. “At least he didn’t walk in on us.”

  “Oh, he did,” Ben called out, laughter ringing in his tone. “But he walked out and yelled instead of embarrassing you.”

  Joss’ eyes went wide as a furious blush erupted across her cheeks. “Oh my God.”

  Maeve laughed. “Welcome to the family, babe. It’s all downhill from here.”

  “You better not be making out again!” Ben hollered.

  “And if we are?” Maeve retorted, arching a brow at Joss, playfully asking if she were willing.

  Joss bit her lip and sucked in a deep breath, because goddamn it was tempting. She would do anything in her power to make Maeve look that happy for the rest of her life.

  “Then I get all the pie!”

  “Shit, he’s playing hardball.” Maeve groaned and stole one last quick kiss. “We better get in there.”

  “Okay.” Joss nodded as she pushed herself to her feet and held a hand out to help Maeve up. She threaded their fingers together and lifted Maeve’s hand to her lips, kissing it softly as a maelstrom of thoughts swirled in her mind, spinning faster and faster until they converged into a single life-altering decision that was simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying.

  Maeve smiled and tilted her head inquiringly. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” Joss nodded. “Yeah.” She cleared her throat softly. “Just…thinking about something.”

  “Good thoughts, I hope?”

  “Yeah.” Joss looked down at George, a plan already forming in her mind. “Good thoughts.” She smiled and pecked Maeve’s lips one last time. “Come on. Dinner.”

  “You’re not going to tell me?” Maeve asked sounding more amused than anything else.

  “I will,” Joss confessed. “Just not now.”

  “Soon?”

  Joss looked from Maeve to Elizabeth and Ben, who were standing beside the table waiting for them with kind, accepting smiles, and nodded. There was no way she was going to be able to wait too long. “Yeah. Soon.”

  The trick was going to be figuring out how to do it right.

  Forty-Three

  Joss stood at the window next to the modest eight-foot decorated tree in the living room overlooking the backyard, scratching George’s head as the two of them watched the snow fall through the faint reflection of colored lights. The flakes were fluffy and fat, perfect for making a snowman, and the sky was that strange, dull yellow hue that always accompanied a storm—the perfect backdrop to help little ones try to catch a peek of Santa flying overhead en route to deliver a stash of presents beneath their trees. A blazing fire crackled in the large fireplace behind her, the shadows of the flames flickering over the modest collection of presents beneath the tree, and the Christmas playlist Maeve had put together poured from the speakers mounted around the room, adding that perfect final dash of holiday ambiance.

  Joss bit her lip as she ran her hand over her front pocket to make sure that the most important present she had for Maeve had not suddenly disappeared, and her stomach fluttered as she traced the distinctive shape with her fingertips.

  As it turned out, gathering all the pieces needed to create the perfect a proposal was exceedingly difficult when one spent the majority of their time with the person they were planning on proposing to. The actual planning part was easy enough to manage—she had plenty of time to daydream about what she would like to do while they were laying about on the couch all day—but finding the time to go shopping for the perfect ring was a little more difficult. Thankfully, though, as Maeve healed en
ough to get back to work, typing away one-handed at her laptop in the office, Joss was able to sneak out under the guise of making sure Atramentum was ready for the winter season to look for one. Nothing that was already in the display cases was quite right, however she was able to collaborate with one jewelry designer to create the perfect ring.

  It took several sessions for them to come up with a design she loved, and then several weeks for the jeweler to craft the piece. She had gotten a call that it was finally finished the night before, and she had ducked out to pick up earlier that morning before the snow really started falling.

  Her plan had revolved around a Christmas morning proposal, but as she toyed with the loose ring in her pocket through fabric of her jeans, she was leaning toward revising her plan.

  She looked down at George and shook her head. “What do you think we should do?”

  “What does she think you should do about what?” Maeve asked, her tone light and amused as she wrapped her arm around Joss’ waist and leaned against her side. She still had another week to go until she was completely cast-free, but she had healed more than enough to reach over and tickle Joss’ stomach with her left hand.

  Joss laughed and grabbed Maeve’s hand, grasping her fingers lightly. Maeve looked like an angel in her thigh-length cream cashmere sweater and jeans, her hair still tousled from the time they spent in bed earlier that afternoon, and Joss sucked in a deep breath as she looked into soulful emerald eyes that sparkled with joy. Please let her say yes. “I was debating giving you one of your presents tonight. But since you’re being all nosy and eavesdropping on mine and George’s private conversation…”

  “Oh.” Maeve pressed a breathy, heart-stoppingly soft kiss to Joss’ ear, nuzzling her cheek as she whispered, “We can do a present tonight if you want.”

  Joss’ stomach erupted in butterflies as she nodded. “Okay. But I have to go get yours.”

  Maeve grinned. “Okay. I finished wrapping yours earlier this afternoon, so I’ll go get it and meet you back here?”

  Joss nodded again. “Sure.”

  Maeve chuckled and wrapped her fingers in the collar of Joss’ charcoal gray cable-knit sweater, using that hold to pull her into a deep, searing kiss. “I love you.”