She used her chin to point to the living room. He slowly turned and his gut clenched as he recognized the silver-blue eyes and blonde hair of the woman who had once been in his bed. Jess asked, “This is Alicia?”
Jess’s empathetic gaze told him plenty, as did her posture. The woman was not getting near Carter. He confronted Alicia. “What are you doing here?”
She flicked her long blonde hair as she pouted at him like she was still a teen poster model. “I heard you got yourself a new girlfriend, and that some woman had influence over my son.”
“Who would tell you that? You never made friends with anyone I knew,” he retorted.
Her eyebrow rose. “Maybe not, but I stayed at the hotel the night of the cotillion and made friends with the staff.”
“You have no right to be here, Alicia. I’m not paying you for pictures of Jess and me dancing.”
Alicia embodied every reason to never marry or trust his heart to anyone. Not even Jess. Maverick stepped in front of Jess to block her from Alicia’s view. “Oh, I’ve already cashed the check for the press. I just wanted you and Jess here to be on notice for later that there will be stories about you in the news.”
He didn't care about small-time gossip.
Alicia dropped her shoulders and glanced down as she shook her head. “I wanted to say to you, Maverick, that I was wrong to leave you.”
The fact that she couldn’t cry on demand was why she wasn’t an actress. Her own words echoed as he saw her dry eyes. He pointed toward the door. “You told me life on a farm wasn’t your future, and with your lawyer present, you signed over all rights to my son. You cashed my many checks. As far as I’m concerned, it’s time for you to leave.”
She rose from the couch and came toward him, moving her hips back and forth, then pressed her hand on his chest like she had a right to touch him. “Maverick, can we talk alone?”
Not going to happen. He flinched and stepped away from her. Jess walked beside him and stood like they were a team.
He crossed his arms. “There is nothing you can say that can’t be said in front of Jess.”
Jess lowered her hands to her sides.
Alicia glared at her and then shook her head. “I don’t want Jess to hear me.”
This woman had lost all her rights. She'd signed them away, and he never expected to see her again. “I have every right to call the police and have you removed from our house.”
She raised her painted eyebrow at him. “If I’d known you would move on so fast, I wouldn't have signed those papers.”
Alicia had killed any emotion he might have regarding her the day he'd received her letter. “You mean, you’d try to leverage more money.”
Her lips curved into a smile like she wanted to emulate the bad girl in a movie. “Why not? The two of you clearly have it. Her Mercedes is brand new.”
All about the money. His mother had died because she hadn’t wanted to spend it. Alicia lived without a moral code to get her hands on whatever money she wanted.
Jess pointed to her own chest. “I bought it myself. That’s not from Maverick.”
“We both know you’re rich,” Alicia said. “Maverick said your name was Jess, right? Cause I’d have pegged you with another name.”
Jess’s face went white.
He didn’t understand why she had no comeback, not that it mattered. His gut twisted there was more though. He wasn’t sure what it was, but his entire body was tight as he glared down his nose. “What you think about Jess doesn’t matter. Security never should have let you in here.”
“I told him Carter was my son. You have new guards and they couldn’t get you on the line.” Alicia took a dramatic breath but he wasn't fooled. She was a terrible actress. “Can I see our son?”
His mind screamed that she had no rights. If he didn’t let her see Carter, then his lawyer might tell him he was doing the wrong thing. Every cell in his body shouted absolutely no. He’d keep Carter safe from her, but he twisted his neck as he stared at Jess and said through clenched teeth, “Jess, bring Carter.”
Jess nodded and tapped on his lower back like they were in this together as she nodded at him. “Be right back, Maverick.”
Jess was too good of a woman to ever be involved with this dramatic nightmare. He had to protect his son and himself from more drama, though right now he needed Jess; the right thing to do later was send her away from this mess.
Alicia waited with her hands behind her back as Jess disappeared. “You are clearly smitten with her.”
“That’s none of your business.”
Jess’s soft footsteps made him stand firm. If they were ever together, she would be a part of this, and that wasn't fair. He needed to protect her and Carter from Alicia.
Jess reluctantly handed Carter to Alicia, and his son's face turned bright red as he started to scream. Alicia took him, bounced him, and held him awkwardly. Her nose lifted as she said, “Ugh, he’s screaming.”
Her grip on his squirming body wobbled like she’d drop Carter. He reached out and took his son back.
Carter still screamed. Smart boy. He then handed him back to Jess who cooed and shushed him with a sweet face. “Jess, will you please take Carter out?”
“We’ll stay in the nursery.” She patted his son on the back and quieted him down.
Once he heard the door close with a click, he widened his stance--enough was enough. “Why are you here, Alicia?”
She walked over to the living room and swayed her hips like he might care, which he didn't, and said, “I just wanted to warn you, Maverick.”
“What?” An ulterior motive sounded more like Alicia's true nature.
Everything boiled down to money. Returning to where he remained by the front door, she pressed her hand against his shoulder. “I remember how much you hated Colt Collins after he almost ruined you, how you railed against the Morgans.”
Huh? Alicia stopped making sense. He shrugged. An outright no might cause her to have a temper tantrum. “That was a long time ago.”
She gazed up at him and batted her eyes like they were still friends. “I wanted to see how deep you were getting with your Jess.”
Maverick was not a stupid man, and this smelled like a trap. The way Alicia said Jess made him pause, but he stepped away from her and said, “I don’t know what you’re saying and it’s time for you to go now. Jess and I have to eat dinner and enjoy the rest of the evening.”
She pressed her lips together and then flung her pocketbook in the air and let it land on her hip like she needed to be noticed. “This house is where we created Carter. And it was your parents' homestead before they retired. I figure it has sentimental value to you and you wouldn't invite the enemy to stay with you for long.”
He wasn’t born yesterday. Alicia was bad news. He walked with her toward the door. “You’re not making any sense. Have fun with your windfall from the picture of Jess and me, but don’t come back here.”
“Fair enough. I wanted to see her,” she said as he opened the door. “I’ve always been a big of a fan.”
A fan? Alicia wasn’t a fan of anyone’s. He didn’t ask as he shook his head. "Now you have. Don't come back."
She strutted toward the silver Mercedes that beeped when she pressed her key button. She must have bought it with his money.
All fancy women apparently wanted that brand. He never should have spent time with the spoiled model, though being too self-reliant had been why his mother had died. And at least he had Carter out of the deal which was the only good thing from those two years of his life.
Two ends of the spectrum when what he needed in his life was someone in the middle, and he'd show his son the right kind of woman.
Unfortunately, that couldn't include Jess--even if his heart whispered that she was part of him now. Alicia drove off on his dirt road and dust flew in the air. Maverick turned toward the house.
The living area was now quiet but the room still seemed disturbed. He headed into the nursery and
knocked on the door as he opened it.
Jess rocked in the chair with his son in her arms. She seemed sweet and kind and the picture of love. His words caught in his throat and he coughed, then said, “Jess, she’s gone now. Good job protecting my boy until I got home.”
“She was only here for two minutes before you," Jess said. "She probably knew what time you finished for the day.”
“I don’t ever want to talk about Alicia after today,” he said. Maverick sat next to her as she rocked his sleeping baby. “How’s Carter?”
She continued to rock him and spoke in a calm voice, “I settled him down. What did she want?”
Something about the way Jess gazed at him and Alicia’s sudden interest in his love life smelled wrong and made his stomach turn. He wasn’t asking the right question though part of him hadn’t wanted to shake things up. The time with Jess was like he was transported to heaven and no longer needed the word. But something was about to pop his delusion. It was in how white Jess’s cheeks were. He stood, as she did, to put his son in his crib. He said, “To meet you.”
“Why?” She patted Carter to ensure he stayed asleep and avoided his gaze.
He pointed toward the door and they tiptoed out of the room as he whispered, “She doesn’t like being replaced, I guess.”
“That’s it?” Her face blushed as they closed the door. “Am I her replacement?”
His hair stood on end like there was more to come, but he brushed her arms that also had goosebumps. If they trusted each other entirely, he’d ask her to stay with him, forever. Maverick kissed her forehead. “You’re absolutely a trade up. It’s like comparing your Mercedes to a Toyota.”
Her lips pursed. “That’s not kind. Alicia is beautiful.”
On the outside. She looked like a dream girl, but honestly Jess’s overbite was sexier and more endearing. He swallowed and wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her toward his bedroom next door. “It’s the truth. Answer this. If you ended up pregnant, would you send a lawyer to negotiate a deal where I end up with our son--for a fee?”
He opened the door and she didn’t hesitate as she stepped inside with a sigh. “Absolutely not. Never. I know what it’s like to be ripped out of a family and tossed away, unwanted. I’d never wish that on my worst enemy. She grabbed the side of the headboard like she needed emotional support. “I hope whoever you do marry one day, treats Carter the way my adopted parents treated me.”
Or he’d never get married. Not if he didn’t trust the woman he was with enough--he wished he knew whatever this sense was warning him about was.
But if he asked, he could lose Jess. So he chose to figure things out for himself first. Maverick closed the door behind him. “I didn’t mean to trigger your past.”
She sat on the edge of his king-sized bed, letting go of the wooden headboard, and held out her hand for him to join her. “It’s okay, Maverick. Carter’s sleeping.”
If only it was possible to keep Jess around forever. He followed her signal and linked their fingers together as he said, “So now it’s time for us.”
He sat down beside her and she pressed her knee toward him as she asked, “Are we in for the night, or at least until Carter calls?”
Good question. His body was hard from her simple touch, but he couldn’t hurt Jess. He didn't have the words to explain himself, so he stood and gently tugged her arm to follow him out of the bedroom. “I want to dance with you on the patio again.”
His stomach rumbled despite how tight his muscles were from tension. She laughed and patted his abs. “And eat dinner. I hear your grumbling.”
“Was it that loud?”
“It’s okay.”
They went into the main living area and then headed right to the kitchen as she said, “Carter has his formula in bulk now and I got the burgers ready.”
“Two nights of burgers. I thought you never ate them.” He joined her in the kitchen. She'd already cut potatoes and put them in the air fryer so she flipped the machine on as she heated up the frying pan.
“Now that I had one again, I’m craving more.” Jess added the meat as the pan grew warmer and then turned toward him as she said, “Why don't you go pick the music and set the table while I finish up here.”
“Okay. You fit on my farm, Jess, and in my life.” He spoke without thinking, then pursed his lips.
Why had he said that?
She laughed again while she checked on the air fryer and winked at him. “Glad to hear it.”
He rubbed his chin, unsure what he’d say. Clearly he couldn’t trust himself without a plan of action. He brought the plates down from the cabinet and took the silverware from a drawer. “Just don’t think about going anywhere.”
Not until he figured out the truth because he wanted to believe in Jess.
She gave him a huge smile. “There is no place else I want to be.”
For now. Jess was perfect in the moment, but in the end, he needed to protect himself and Carter from heartache. Carter was too young to understand, so it was up to Maverick to protect both their hearts.
Jess’s pan-fried burger had somehow tasted better than anything he’d eaten, all week.
The ingredients were the same as what he’d been offered a couple days already, but Jess gave that simple burger a taste that left his mouth watering for more.
Maybe it wasn’t the food. Perhaps he just needed another taste of her.
Jess smiled at him and handed him the last dish as they stood over the sink. He wiped it with the dish rag as she turned off the water and tugged off her yellow plastic gloves. “The dishes are done.”
He put the dish in the drying rack as Jess patted him on the shoulder. Her touch made his body tremble. “I’ll get the wine and dessert. Will you change the station for the music?”
Easy enough. His heart beat faster but he nodded at her and his lips ached to kiss her.
His back pocket rang. He stepped toward the patio as he checked the screen. What could his foreman want at this time of night? “Bob is calling.”
His mother would have fussed at his father that there would be no business over dinner, and Alicia would have pouted that he wasn’t paying enough attention to her. His heart stopped as Jess asked, “Is it important?”
His collar was tight. Any woman in his life right now was a bad idea, though he nodded and said, “He’d never call otherwise. Give me one minute just in case it's about that contract I've been working on this week.”
She nodded at him and shrugged. “I’ll just put everything away. Meet you outside in a few minutes.”
He rushed to the patio and plugged in the airplay radio attached to his computer while he answered, “Bob, what’s going on?”
“Colt Collins,” Bob said fast.
His shoulders tensed. “What’s he up to?”
“He’s made a counter offer on your deal with David and Callie.”
His mind whirled--once again, he needed to maneuver around the banks of the Morgans and figure out a plan B so that he could add the peach orchards of Georgia to his well-rounded portfolio. Jess had warned him. He paced on his back patio. “How did he even know about it?”
“I have no idea,” Bob said.
David and Callie had whispered in his ears for years that the Morgans were his enemies. Yet David had joined ranks. His heart was like a jackhammer right now. So much for family loyalty. He picked up the pace and shook his head while he walked the square wooden deck. “I’ll contact our banks in the morning and see what we can do.”
Bob coughed. “Or you can talk to your new girlfriend.”
Had Bob figured out the secret? He stopped in his tracks. Bob would never mention her if she wasn’t connected to the business, would he? He widened his stance. “What does Jess have to do with this?”
Bob sighed heavily. “She’s Collins’s sister-in-law and a Morgan.”
“What?” He backed up, brushing against his own house.
The world was spinning. A Morgan? That was what Al
icia had been hinting about, why she'd sold those photos.
He’d been a prize fool and Alicia probably wanted to laugh at him behind his back instead of telling him the truth.
Bob asked, “Are you not watching the news, Maverick?”
Before Jess had entered his world, he'd checked the news online after dinner, but that was a boring, nothing-happening day. Today hadn’t been anything like that. Jess hummed inside the house. Maverick pushed off the wall he’d been leaning his foot on as if guilty. “No. I took a night off.”
Bob smacked his lips together. “Well, you and your farm are all over all the news. You and Catherine were seen at the cotillion together, and some are speculating that some sort of merger was about to happen.”
Maverick's body tightened with apprehension. He couldn't think of a single reason why. “Me?”
Bob said, “Someone took pictures of you both in the hotel--you wearing sweatpants, and her just a t-shirt.”
Alicia. Her finger prints were all over this and she’d come here to laugh in his face.
Or this was all some mistake. He pressed his hand to his chest. If his ex ever came on his farm, again, Maverick would ensure there was a road block. “You’re joking.”
He stormed inside, his vision making him see red as he stood in his living room.
“Go to a computer and see for yourself,” Bob said like he'd read Maverick’s thoughts.
Without another word he hung up his phone. His footsteps echoed across the bamboo floor to his office and computer that also held the musical selection he was to select for tonight’s dinner. He kept his gaze focused in that direction, but Jess called out from the kitchen, “What’s going on?”
She’d have a right to know if she’d been humiliated or lied about. If she wasn't Catherine Morgan. Maybe this was all some mistake. He waved for her as he switched on the computer and the internet. “Jess, come here, would you?”
Her soft steps hardly made a sound and the next thing he knew she'd pressed her small hand on his shoulder. “What are you looking up?”
He typed his name into the news search bar. “Bob saw the photos Alicia had snapped of us in the hotel room.”
Secret Cowboy Page 11
