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

by Christyne Butler

  “For me?” Caitlin’s eyes grew round. “Really?”

  “Yes, really, but you need to listen to your mama and your grandmother when it comes to taking care of her,” Dean said. “Can you do that?”

  Caitlin nodded, her bedhead-styled curls bouncing as she kept her gaze glued to the bundle. “What’s her name?”

  “We’ll have to think up something to call her,” Shelby said, setting the armload she had down on the porch just as some of the mail slipped free from her grasp. “Oh, shoot.”

  “Here, I’ll get it.” Dean grabbed the envelopes off the grass and handed them back, his gaze lingered on a long, thin envelope lying on top. “The Miles City Elementary School District. Wow, that’s quite a ways from here.”

  Shelby took a step back, keeping her voice low. “It’s a reply to a job I put in for, but I already got the email. Thanks, but no thanks.”

  Dean nodded but remained silent.

  “Hey, would you like to come back for dinner tonight? You can help us figure out a name for the kitten.”

  “Ah, I can’t.”

  Shelby tightened her grip on the mail. “You already have plans?”

  “Actually, Nick and I are heading to Butte to get a load of supplies. In fact, I’m late in picking him up, so I have to run.” Dean glanced at Caitlin for a moment, then took Shelby’s hand and drew her away a few steps.

  “It’ll be late by the time we get back and I’ve got a full day tomorrow, but I didn’t want to leave town without making sure we got things settled between us.” He’d leaned in close. “You know, I wish I’d kissed you when I had the chance.”

  “I wish you did, too.”

  “How about I make it up to you tomorrow night?”

  The parts of her that were reserved for just being a woman stood up and cheered at the heat in his gaze and the seductive caress of his words. “You’ve got a deal.”

  * * *

  “So, everything is better between you and Dean now.” Her mother’s voice cut into Shelby’s thoughts. “And he got Caitlin a kitten?”

  Shelby looked up from where she sat in the waiting area in Bee’s Beauty Parlor. She’d brought Caitlin in for her scheduled haircut an hour after Dean had left.

  Her daughter was chatting excitedly about her pet with anyone who would listen while showing off pictures taken with Shelby’s cell phone. It was better than bringing the kitten along with them.

  Thankfully, the still-unnamed newest member of the family had been asleep when they’d left, and they’d made sure the litter box, food and fresh water were all set up in the spare bedroom, even though Caitlin insisted the kitten was going to sleep in bed with her at night.

  One battle at a time.

  As for her and Dean, were things settled between them?

  She had no idea. Impossibly happy that he’d decided he wanted to spend time with her, Shelby had no idea what that really meant—for any of them.

  “Yes,” she answered her mother, “things between us are...good. And as you can tell, your granddaughter is thrilled with his gift.”

  “Well, I’ve got something to tell you that might make you just as happy.” Her mother gestured for Shelby to join her at her station located at the far end of the beauty parlor.

  Shelby spotted her daughter who, thanks to Beverly, the owner of the beauty parlor, was sitting contently at the main counter, sorting hair curlers by color and size. She stood and followed her mom. “What are you talking about?”

  Vivian waved her closer, her voice a hushed whisper. “Thelma McGee was in here earlier getting her hair done. We were chatting about all the progress the volunteers have made in the last month in the rebuilding. Of course, the fight that Dean and his brother were involved in at the bar came up—”

  “Mom, please.” Shelby cut her off. “You know how I feel about the Rust Creek Falls gossip chain. Thelma is a terrific lady who’s been through a lot, but I’m not interested—”

  “Not even if rumor has it that Dean is making plans to stick around Rust Creek Falls—” her mother grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze “—permanently?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Dean was planning to move to Rust Creek Falls?

  Stunned, Shelby was positive she hadn’t heard her mother correctly. “What are you talking about?”

  “Thelma said she was at the town hall when she overheard one of the owners of Cates Construction talking after the weekly rebuilding meeting.” Vivian’s words came out in a rush. “He said one of the volunteers from Thunder Canyon has been discussing the possibility of opening a satellite office of Cates Construction right here in town.”

  “Mama, do you have any idea how many volunteers are here from Thunder Canyon? He could’ve been talking about anyone.”

  “With talents in woodworking?”

  The tightening in her gut that began when her mother first started talking took a hard twist. “Woodworking?”

  Her mother nodded with excitement. “That’s what Thelma said. Matt Cates was very excited because this person is doing so great with the reconstruction, but he also specializes in custom woodworking.”

  Okay, so that could be Dean, or his brother Nick or...“There are still a lot of skilled people who are sharing their talents in refurbishing and rebuilding the homes and businesses.”

  Vivian’s bright smile diminished a few watts. “So, Dean hasn’t said anything to you? About moving here?”

  “Of course not.” Shelby crossed her arms over her chest. “I mean, yes, he’s mentioned how much he likes Rust Creek Falls and how it reminds him of what his town was like when he was a kid, before the gold, the ski resorts and the tourists...” Her gut squeezed even tighter.

  Everything Dean said during their picnic at the lower falls replayed inside her head. His degree in structural engineering and how he was enjoying putting his knowledge and skills into practice. The reasons he’d listed for liking the town—everyone taking an interest in the lives of the others, the degree to which they dug deep and stood side by side—were the same reasons driving her to start over somewhere else.

  Oh, my, could this rumor be more fact-based than the normal chitchat that circulated via the local gossip busybodies?

  “Shelby, are you okay, honey?”

  “Just because Dean likes the town doesn’t mean he’s going to uproot his entire life. He’s only been here six weeks. He barely knows anyone.”

  “He knows you.”

  “Mom, we just met the beginning of the month and it took me until last week to find the courage to tell him about...well, about everything.” Shelby glanced over her shoulder. Caitlin was still having fun with the curlers and everyone else was busy working and carrying on their own conversations. Still, she kept her voice low as she turned back. “He told me this afternoon he’s accepted that certain people will always talk about me, about my past, and there’s nothing he can do about it—”

  “What about you? Why don’t you do something about it?”

  “I am. As soon as I get a teaching position, I’m out of here.”

  Her mother’s smile disappeared completely. Shelby knew this topic upset her, which was why she didn’t talk about it anymore. “I know you don’t like the idea, but I want to teach. You know that.”

  “But those teachers told you why you were turned down by the school. Surely, once the town rebuilds—”

  “Mom, it could take months just to get the financing set up, never mind the actual reconstruction of the building. I owe it to myself and all those years of studying to put my education into practice now.”

  “What about what you owe your daughter?”

  Her mother’s question surprised her. “What does that mean?”

  “I understand you have to act a certain way when it comes to customers at the bar, especially when defusing situations that are, more times than not, alcohol-fueled. Believe me, I know. I waitressed when I was putting myself through beauty school, but when people like Wanda or Darlene or any of those j
erks you went to school with feel they can be nasty to you for no reason, why don’t you say something back?”

  “Like what? Please don’t be mean to me?”

  “For starters, yes. You have spent the last five years accepting ridicule and blame for a situation you handled with nothing but dignity and grace.”

  Her mother placed her hands on Shelby’s shoulders and turned her to face the center of the beauty parlor. “Look at what you got as a reward,” she continued, her words soft in Shelby’s ear. “That precious little girl is smart and loving because of you. You have every right to be proud of your life, of your accomplishments and it’s past time you stood up to those bullies, tell them that high school is long gone and for everyone to grow up already.”

  “Do you really think if I just say that...that everything will end?”

  “If you say it often enough and mean it every single time, yes.”

  The simple truth of her mother’s words stole the breath from Shelby’s lungs. The view in front of her became a blurry mess thanks to the tears welling in her eyes.

  She spun back around. “Why are you telling me this now?”

  “Because I realized very recently the three of us—you and me and Caitlin—have been living in a fog since your father died. You’ve been consumed with your studies and raising your daughter. I’ve been doing everything I could to support you while we all grieved.” Vivian gently wiped the wetness from her daughter’s cheeks. “It’s time for all of us to stop living in the past and move forward.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

  “By running away?”

  Shelby opened her mouth to protest, but the words wouldn’t come. Her mind whirled as she tried to put her bewildered thoughts into place.

  Grabbing tissues from a nearby box, Vivian handed them to Shelby while keeping one to dab at her own wet eyes. “Even if your teaching career ends up taking you away from Rust Creek Falls, this is always going to be your home. This is my home and I’m not going anywhere. Believe me, having my family come back and visit is something I am going to insist upon. You know that, right?”

  Wiping at her eyes, Shelby smiled and nodded.

  “Look, I need to get to work on my granddaughter’s hair. Why don’t you take a walk and just think about what I said.”

  “You mean about standing up for myself?”

  Her mother smiled and shook out a vinyl hairdresser’s cape decorated with cartoon characters. “Yes, that, too, of course, but maybe you can figure out a way to see if that rumor concerning a handy guy moving to town is about anyone you know.”

  * * *

  Fifteen minutes later, Shelby exited Crawford’s Store with a paper bag stuffed with all the necessary fixings to make her mama’s famous meat lasagna and two bottles of wine.

  She had a feeling she and her mother would be cracking open one of the bottles later tonight after Caitlin was asleep. The other bottle and the lasagna were for tomorrow night.

  With Dean.

  She didn’t have any idea what he might have planned for them, but the idea of surprising him with a home-cooked meal at his trailer had come to her while wandering around the store.

  Her mama was right.

  Instead of trying to ignore her past by running toward the future, she was determined to live in the here and now. And that meant facing head-on all things good—or not so good—in her life from now on. To stand up for herself and enjoy her life. To take a few chocolates out of that box knowing that every single one was going to be her favorite.

  All the crazy feelings Dean stirred to life in her had Shelby thinking of things she’d never allowed herself to think about before.

  Things like falling in love.

  Would sleeping with Dean send her completely over the edge? Was it too early for such a big step? Would he turn her down if she dared to try to take things further between them tomorrow night?

  And what would it mean to their still-fledgling relationship?

  Was she leaving... Was he staying?

  Who knew how long it would take for her to find a teaching position. Maybe she would get one right here in Rust Creek Falls if—no, scratch that— The school board and the teachers were determined the elementary school would be rebuilt, and Willa and Paige had told her she’d been at the top of the new-hires list. Maybe she should see if there were any openings in Kalispell, which was only thirty minutes away.

  Or maybe one of the other school districts would make her an offer.

  Then she would have to make a decision.

  But not now. Not tomorrow.

  Determined to take things one day at a time, Shelby pushed her worries about the future to the back of her mind as she neared the beauty parlor. Peeking into the front window, she saw her daughter still being fussed over by her grandmother.

  The heavenly smells coming from Wings to Go, the take-out place next door to Bee’s, were too hard to resist. A dinner of spicy buffalo wings for her and Mama, and chicken tenders for Caitlin, was exactly what they all needed tonight.

  She reached for the door handle, but it suddenly opened and a body walked right into her.

  Juggling to hold on to her bag from Crawford’s with one hand while grabbing for the door with the other, she didn’t see who was in such a hurry until she heard the breathy words, “My goodness! Please pardon me. I didn’t see— Oh, it’s you.”

  Shelby mentally cringed as the apology transformed into mocking contempt. Schooling her features into a bland expression, she looked Darlene Daughtry straight in the eye.

  Boy, when she decided her life needed to change, the gods must’ve decided there was no time like the present to test her.

  “Don’t worry, Darlene, no damage done.”

  The woman stilled for a moment, then shoved her dark sunglasses down onto her face, but not before Shelby got a look at her red-rimmed eyes.

  “You are the last thing I need to deal with today.” Darlene’s tone was rigid, but her words lacked their usual sharpness. Shelby wondered what was going on with the woman, but refused to let her nemesis walk all over her like she usually did.

  Time to put Mama’s advice to the test.

  “Now, that’s funny. I was thinking the same thing about you.”

  That got Darlene’s attention. The woman’s head jerked in shock. Her lips moved as if to respond, but nothing came out.

  Refusing to back down, both symbolically and physically, Shelby kept her feet planted right where she stood until the blonde bombshell finally snapped her mouth shut, stepped to one side and continued on her way.

  Enjoying the small victory, Shelby continued inside and placed her order at the counter. After paying, she sat at an empty table to wait, surprised when Darlene reappeared and dropped into the seat directly across from her.

  “Zach Shute is a real jerk.”

  Shelby looked quickly around the place, but it was empty except for the two of them and the young girl working behind the counter.

  “Yes, well, that was a long time ago.”

  Darlene shook her head, the dark glasses still in place. “No, I mean he’s a jerk now.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

  Darlene braced her elbows on the edge of the table and leaned forward. “I just got back from New York. Well, New Jersey, actually. I’d decided because you weren’t still pining for Zach, judging from that hunky carpenter you’ve been spending time with, then I was free to see if there were still some old sparks there.”

  Pining for Zach? After all this time? Was she crazy?

  Ignoring the reference to Dean and amazed that the two of them were having such a civilized conversation, Shelby only said, “You must have realized long before now that despite our history, I haven’t been interested in Zach Shute in over five years, Darlene.”

  She seemed to mull that over for a long moment. “Yes, well...I used my position at Daddy’s bank and being from Zach’s hometown to get in to see him at the Jets training facility. He remembe
red me, of course, and signed over a big fat check to the town’s rebuilding efforts.”

  Was she supposed to be angry about the money? “The town will appreciate his donation, I’m sure.”

  “He took me out for a fancy dinner in New York City and then back to his luxury condo. We talked about high school and relived some good times, very good times, if you catch my drift....”

  Darlene let her voice trail off, leaving Shelby even more confused by this whole conversation.

  Was Darlene hoping she’d be upset? Jealous even? Was she expecting Shelby to stomp her feet and make a scene?

  If so, why not wait until they were someplace where they would draw a crowd. Like the Ace or Crawford’s?

  “However, when I woke up this morning, he was gone,” Darlene continued, her voice much softer. “All I got was a lousy note thanking me for a good time and the number of a local cab to get me back to my hotel.”

  This was it. Darlene was handing her a moment on a silver platter and a number of nasty comebacks sprang to life in Shelby’s mind. But then she realized she wasn’t interested in sparring with her old nemesis despite the still-lingering sting from their encounter a few weeks ago.

  So much had changed in her life since that night.

  Thanks to her mama’s good advice and one very special guy.

  “I’m sorry you went through that.”

  Darlene tossed her head, sending her blond curls flying. “I bet you think I deserved every second of it. Karma and all that.”

  “Honestly? At one time I would have said yes without hesitation.” Shelby looked right at the woman even though she could only see her own reflection in the sunglasses. “But now, we should just let the past go. It’s time for everyone to get on with their lives, don’t you think?”

  The girl behind the counter gestured that her food was ready.

  “Ah, I need to get my order and head out.” Shelby eased from her seat, taking her bag with her. She didn’t have any idea what else to say, so she stood there and waited, letting Darlene know the ball was in her court with her silence.