The Maverick's Summer Love (Montana Mavericks: Rust Creek Cowboys)

by Christyne Butler

  Dean looked past Shelby to where his brother still stood in the doorway. “Thanks, bro. I think I’ve got this.”

  “I think your ass is in big trouble.”

  Yeah, Dean sort of figured that out already from the storm brewing in Shelby’s eyes. He motioned for his brother to leave them alone.

  “Shelby—”

  “I’d handled things in there, Dean.” Pointing back at the bar with one hand, Shelby advanced on him. “What happened tonight was nothing new. Ask any of the waitresses. When you work in a place that serves booze you have to be ready to deal with jerks who think alcohol magically transforms them into studs, or gives them courage or permission to say or do the stupidest things.”

  Dean sighed. He grabbed the water bottle from the ground, opened it and took a long swallow, bathing his dirt-coated throat. He hated to tell her this, but she had the right to know. “That guy, and the losers with him, kept trash-talking you after you left.”

  She dropped her arm, but then folded both over her chest. “Let me guess. It was about some sort of team sport?”

  He only nodded, refusing to repeat what they’d said about her.

  “I tried to tell you, this is what it’s like for me. This is what it’s going to be like if you are with me. As long as I live in this town, there will always be someone—man or woman—who will have no qualms about sharing their opinions of my past.”

  “That’s crap, Shelby.”

  “That’s the truth. You need to think long and hard if you want whatever—” she waved one hand between them “—this is that’s happening between us to go any further.”

  “Can we talk about this later? After you finish—”

  His heart stopped when Shelby shook her head.

  “No. I think you should go home after the sheriff is done with you. I’m sure once you tell him you were just trying to protect my honor, he’ll let you off with a warning. Well, here’s my warning. Stop fighting my battles for me. They are mine, not yours, and if you can’t accept me and all the baggage I come with, then we’re finished.”

  Chapter Ten

  Shelby peeked in on Caitlin after realizing she’d been napping solidly for the past two and a half hours. Of course, the tantrum she’d thrown earlier today had taken all the fight out of her.

  Apparently her little girl missed Dean, too.

  She’d asked when Dean was coming back to visit too many times to count today and wasn’t happy with the only answer Shelby could give.

  I don’t know.

  After making her little speech Wednesday night to him, she’d turned around and gone back inside the bar without giving Dean a chance to say anything in return. Nick had asked about his brother and then left, to join him she guessed, after she’d told him Dean was waiting to talk to the sheriff.

  She hadn’t seen or talked to Dean since.

  It’d taken all of Shelby’s strength not to join her daughter on the kitchen floor in a flurry of tears. Some days the only way to get rid of the uglies was to cry it out.

  Or sleep. Or clean.

  Opening the blinds behind the curtains to allow filtered sunshine to fill the room, Shelby left again after Caitlin stirred a bit and then settled back into her pillows. Because she tended to be a bit moody after her naps, it was best to allow her to wake slowly to curtail any return of the morning’s attitude.

  Walking back into the living room, Shelby looked around, glad she’d opted for tackling household chores instead of a nap.

  Dishes done, kitchen floor washed, living room dusted and two loads of laundry folded and put away. Hot and sweaty, she’d jumped into the shower, then pulled on a T-shirt and shorts before a scheduled telephone interview with a school district down near Helena that had gone pretty well.

  But now, she’d run out of things to do on this beautiful Friday afternoon, which meant she was inches away from giving in to the temptation to call Dean.

  Two days had gone by. Well, closer to thirty-three hours and yes, she was counting.

  She still couldn’t believe he’d come to her defense against those jerks Wednesday night in the bar. Then again, considering his good nature, scenes like that would probably happen over and over again.

  As for what she’d said to him in the parking lot...

  Shelby groaned and dropped into the leather recliner. She’d tried to re-create the conversation inside her head lying in her bed that night. All she could remember was the warning she’d given him that he better accept the things he heard people say about her.

  Goodness knows that might have been the first time he’d heard that crap, but it wouldn’t be the last if she stuck around in this town.

  But did she have to be such a witch?

  The vibrating of her cell phone from inside her pocket had her jumping to her feet. She dug it out, fumbling as she hurried to unlock the screen, whispering a silent prayer that it was him.

  It wasn’t.

  She thumbed the screen, connecting the call. “Hey, Rosey.”

  “Hey, honey.” Her boss’s voice carried over the din in the background that told Shelby she was at the bar. “How are you doing?”

  Leaving the inside door wide-open, she stepped out onto the front porch, her gaze immediately going to the spot near the stairs where Dean had kissed her for the first time.

  Was that just ten days ago?

  “I’m fine,” she said, heading for one of the pair of wicker chairs at the other end of the porch. “How are things at the Ace?”

  “Picking up, can’t you hear? We’re only a couple of hours from the end of the workday and the regulars are already claiming their barstools. I’m sure it’ll be another typical Friday night around here.”

  Did that mean Rosey wanted her to come in? Working tonight was the last thing she wanted. “If you need me, it’s going to have to wait until after seven. My mom is working late at the beauty shop.”

  “I’m not asking you to come in. I called to see how you’re holding up.”

  Shelby frowned. “I told you yesterday I’m—”

  “Fine.” Rosey cut her off. “Yeah, I heard you the first time. And the three times after that when you gave me that same answer during your shift last night. Now, how about telling me the truth?”

  Frustration curled deep inside her. “I miss him as much as you miss Sam, okay? Is that what you want to hear?” Shelby slapped a hand over her mouth, surprised at the snarkiness of her tone. “Oh, Rosey, I’m sorry. That was a lousy thing to say.”

  “Damn, girl, you’ve got it bad.” The background noise dropped considerably and Shelby guessed her boss had moved into her office. “At least Sammy isn’t here in town where I might run into him.”

  “Or not run into him.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I was doing errands before work yesterday and I didn’t see Dean’s truck anywhere.”

  “You told him to do some thinking about the two of you, right? So, let the man think.”

  Rosey was right. But deep inside, Shelby was afraid that the longer Dean stayed away, the more he was figuring out what it really meant to be with her.

  And that she wasn’t worth it.

  “What if he decides...being with me is just too much trouble?”

  Rosey snorted. “Then he’s dumber than he looks and I’m a poor judge of character. Neither of which is true.”

  “But people just won’t stop talking—”

  “Honey, people talk! And not just about the past. Do you really think no one in this pissant town knew you and Dean had been spending time together before Wednesday night?”

  Surprised at Rosey’s question, Shelby was at a loss for what to say.

  “I never said anything because I didn’t want to diminish that glow you’ve had going on for the last week,” Rosey continued. “Believe me, your current love life has been making the rounds, probably because he’s the first man you’ve dated in years.”

  “But how? We haven’t been out locally. I mean, other than going for ice cream and that was b
efore... I mean, we hadn’t even kissed yet...” A thought came to Shelby and she didn’t want to believe it, but she blurted it out anyway. “Do you think Dean’s been talking about me? About us?”

  “What? Of course not. You need to get rid of that fool notion right now. Don’t you think sharing an ice-cream sundae was enough to start lips flapping? Come on, Shelby, you know how this works. You should also know you aren’t the only game in town.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “It means, I’ve heard talk about a betting pool that’s going on as to how long it will be before Willa and Collin announce another Traub is on the way and if our sexy sheriff is ever going to find himself a girl.”

  Okay, so maybe her love life, both past and present, wasn’t the topic of every conversation. “You’ve made your point.”

  “Look, I’ve got two cooks glaring at me so I better run. You’re off the clock for the weekend, but I expect a full report when you get back here Monday. And just so you know, I won’t be allowing you to leave out any of the juicy details.”

  Shelby laughed, feeling much better. “How do you know there will be any details—juicy or otherwise?”

  “Because I saw the way that man fought for your honor.”

  Shelby’s good humor faded, heart jumping into her throat, but she managed to squeak out a goodbye and ended the call.

  Seeing Dean fight, knowing it was because of her, and the possibility of him being seriously hurt scared her in a way she’d never felt before.

  Maybe it would be better if things did end between them now.

  Her stomach clenched so hard it hurt at that thought, especially after all the great times they’d had over the past week.

  But it wasn’t just her.

  Caitlin loved having Dean around, too.

  She’d had a great time at mini golf, surprising both Shelby and Dean with her amazing skills, popping a hole in one more than once as they made their way through the course.

  When Dean had stopped by Monday and found her wrestling with the ever-present leak beneath their kitchen sink, he’d taken over the chore and put up with Caitlin squatting next to him, peppering him with questions as he worked.

  And she’d gotten him to read to her again when it came time for bed.

  Was she setting her daughter up for major disappointment when whatever this was between her and Dean ended?

  Even if he decided he wanted to be with her, it had to end when she got a job and left town. Or until Dean finished his part of the rebuilding and headed back to Thunder Canyon.

  Oh, she was so confused!

  One minute she was convinced that nothing good would come of their being more than just friends, and the next she was applying for a teaching position in a town located not too far away from Thunder Canyon.

  A cloud of dust and the crunch of tires told her someone was coming down the road. Before the wish could form deep inside her, she saw the vehicle was a vintage Jeep Wagoneer with a U.S. postal sticker on the driver’s-side door.

  Rising to her feet, she headed across the yard as Martin Grubbs slowed to a stop near their mailbox at the bottom of the hill.

  Martin still insisted on doing the daily mail run out to the rural customers despite celebrating fifty years with the U.S. Postal Service last year at the age of seventy-two. His son ran the office in town, and the senior Grubbs helped there as well, but it usually took him most of the day to make his rounds as he visited with every delivery.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Shelby.”

  “Hello, Mr. Grubbs.” She walked up to the driver’s side. “How are you doing?”

  “Finer than frog hair.” He handed her their mail through the window. “Hard to be anything else on such a beautiful day as this.”

  She smiled. “You are right about that.”

  “Heard there was a little excitement down at the Ace a few nights ago.” He peered at her from behind his gold wire-framed glasses. “Don’t be too hard on that young man of yours, you hear? Sometimes we men act first and think second.”

  Oh, small towns. Shelby nodded, then said, “Yes, sir.”

  “Tell Miss Caitlin I said hello.”

  She promised she would, then stepped away to allow Mr. Grubbs to turn his Jeep around and head back down the road.

  Flipping through the catalogs, bills and letters, she started back toward the house. Halfway across the yard, she heard a vehicle approaching again from behind. Turning back, she wondered if Martin had forgotten to give her something—

  Dean.

  His truck slowly made its way up the long driveway until he pulled in behind her car and stopped. He turned off the engine, got out and walked around the front end carrying something in his hand.

  Stopping in front of the passenger door of his truck, he paused there, looking downright sexy in his work-scarred jeans, white T-shirt and his ball cap pulled low on his forehead.

  She swallowed hard as his gaze traveled the length of her. Her skin grew hot and she wanted nothing more than to run and jump into his arms. Instead, she curled her bare toes into the grass, hoping the action would anchor her enough to keep her from making a fool of herself.

  At least until she knew why he was here.

  “Hey, there,” he finally said.

  “Hey.”

  “I didn’t see your car at the bar, so I was hoping I’d find you here.” He glanced back at his truck for a moment, then looked at her again. “I’ve been doing some thinking, like you asked, and the thing is, I’m not going anywhere.”

  The air rushed from Shelby’s lungs. “Oh, Dean, I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you Wednesday night—”

  “I’m the one who’s sorry.” He waved off her words. “You were right. That fight was stupid. I was lucky the sheriff let me off with just a warning, probably because I didn’t throw the first punch. Still, I should have walked away. I will next time, if there is a next time.”

  Unable to stand the physical distance between them for another second, she moved across the yard to where he still stood, not caring about the pebbles biting into the bottoms of her feet. “You can count on there being a next time.”

  “I don’t care about that, about what anyone says about you. I’m right where I want to be.” He held out a flat box. “My mama always said an apology was best said in person and that a gift never hurts. Seeing as how I already gave you flowers...”

  She took the gift, glancing down at fancy scrolled font across the box top before looking at him again. “You brought me chocolates?”

  He pushed up the brim on his cap and gave her a smile. “Look again.”

  She did, her eyes widening before she had to blink hard against the sting of unexpected tears. “You brought me a box of caramel-filled chocolates?”

  One step and he was right in front of her. Gently pressing a finger to her chin until she raised her head, he looked down at her. “No matter which one you pick, you’ll always get exactly what you want.”

  Right then, her heart took a step toward an unknown and scary chasm she’d never experience before.

  For the first time in her life, Shelby was falling in love.

  Dean lowered his head until his mouth was inches from hers, then he paused and asked, “Is Caitlin around?”

  “She’s taking a nap. In fact, she should be getting up any minute.”

  “Can I steal a quick kiss first?”

  “I really wish you would.”

  He grinned, his mouth inches from hers when he pulled back. “Damn it, I forgot. Ah, before she wakes up there’s something else I need to talk to you about.”

  “Okay.”

  “Well, I brought a gift for Caitlin, too.”

  Oh, that chasm just got another step closer. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  Dean shrugged and reached for the door to his truck. “Yeah, you might really feel that way once you see it.”

  Puzzled, Shelby watched as he opened the door. She spotted a cardboard box on the cab’s floor but couldn’t
see what was inside. Dean leaned in and scooped up something, cradling it to his chest before he turned back around.

  A tiny ball of black fluff with pointed ears and white whiskers rested in his large hand.

  “Oh, how sweet!”

  “We found six kittens holed up in one of the houses that has been uninhabitable since the flood last month. The mama cat was nowhere to be found for two days, so we took them to the vet to have them checked out.” Dean gently ran a finger across the kitten’s fur. The tiny creature purred and nuzzled deeper into his chest.

  Shelby totally understood the animal’s attraction and actually felt jealous.

  “We checked with the homeowner, but he said they didn’t have any pets. In fact, all the missing pets have been accounted for, so the vet figured they must be strays,” he continued. “He said the kittens looked to be about six weeks old. They’ve been given a clean bill of health and the other five were adopted by the guys on my crew, except for this little one. I thought she and Caitlin would be perfect together. No pun intended.”

  She laughed, but then sobered again as she studied the orphaned kitten. “It’s a very nice idea, but I don’t know...”

  “I got everything she needs right here.” He gestured back to his truck. “From a litter box to food, even a few toys. If you decide you can’t take her, I plan to keep her with me, but I figured she’d get more love and attention living here. You told me about the cats you had growing up and the one you lost not long after your dad died. Maybe you’re ready to have one in the family again?”

  Touched that he remembered her stories, Shelby stroked the kitten’s soft fur, noting the patch of white on its chest and two front paws. Oh, boy, she was losing the internal battle that told her this was the last thing she needed to add to her life right now.

  “Mama?” Caitlin’s sleepy voice called out from the direction of the front porch. “Oh, Dean. You’re here! I thought Mama said you didn’t know when you were coming back to see us.”

  Shelby looked up to Dean’s questioning gaze. She sighed, losing the battle. “Go on, give her the kitten. I’ll get the stuff from your truck.”

  Dean’s smile was wide as he gave her a quick wink and headed for the porch. Shelby grabbed the box and the bag of supplies and walked up to the house in time to watch Dean instruct her daughter how to sit so he could place the little fur ball in her lap.