He nodded. “You’re a part of my life, my family’s life, no matter what. Can we do friends?”
“I’d feel really lucky, actually.”
Judy brought their food. “Here you go, sweethearts. When Cook heard it was you, he added some extras.” She smiled and left them to themselves.
Bailey stole one of his fries.
“Hey!”
“Yours always taste better.” She dipped it in her strawberry shake. “Mmm. At last.” She closed her eyes. “These really are the best fries no matter where you go.”
“Glad to hear I’m not missing out on some secret, amazing fries in Nashville.”
“No way. Judy has something special here.”
They ate for a few minutes with Bailey loving every bite. Friends. She would love to be back in Maverick’s life. Seeing his mom, his brothers, made her realize all the more how much she was missing out on when she wasn’t a part of the Dawson clan.
“So tell me about your interview. Did they offer you the position?”
“They did! On the spot.”
“That’s awesome. They’re lucky to have you.”
“I hope so. I was super happy. It’s like something’s finally going right again.” She bit her tongue and looked away. Then she shrugged. “I’m trying not to be such a downer, but it’s been tough. And this is the first really good news I’ve had in a while.”
He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. “You deserve it, Bailey. I’m happy for you.”
She let his words wash over her and hoped they might at least be partly true. She didn’t feel like she deserved much of anything, but she knew Gracie did, and so she hoped things might keep looking up for the two of them.
Judy brought them a piece of chocolate cake without asking.
“Oh, and this. This is unmatched anywhere, too.” She took the first bite, aware that Maverick watched her lick the chocolate from her lips. And then a new, thrilling kind of jitter crept in. Their tradition when eating this cake: she always kissed the last bite from his lips.
But obviously that wouldn’t be happening now. Would it?
Maverick seemed nonplussed. He grabbed a spoon. “You better hurry, or I’m gonna eat the whole thing.”
“Oh no, you don’t.” She pretended to fight back his spoon and took the biggest bite she could manage. “Mmm. Really, this is so good.”
They ate a few more bites, but Maverick seemed distracted. “So, the Dawson Ranch sponsors a team of 4-H kids in the upcoming fair. I was watching Gracie with the pigs, and I wondered would she want to participate?”
Bailey’s eyes widened. “She would love that more than anything. Could she really?”
“Of course. We’ll add her to the team and get them started on their new piglets in a couple weeks. Good timing, really.”
“I can’t wait to tell her.”
One more bite waited on their plate. He scooped it up, and his knowing eyes peered into hers. “Some traditions are harder to let go than others.” He lifted his napkin to wipe the frosting from his lips, and a part of her wilted inside.
Maverick paid for their meal, and when they stood to leave, he hesitated. “Come over. You and Gracie and your parents. Mama’s been asking. We’ll do our Sunday dinner like we used to.”
“Okay. Tomorrow?”
“Yes. Let’s start tomorrow. All the guys are in town for the rodeo still. We can catch Nash before he takes off.”
“I’d like that. Thank you.” She watched his face, trying to get a read on him. “You ever gonna ride again?”
“I did, remember.”
“I know, and I saw your face. I know how much you loved it.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes we don’t get to pursue our dreams.”
She knew it was a pointed comment, and she deserved it. “But do you wish you could?”
He looked away. “I didn’t think I did.” He shook his head. “This feels nice, actually, to be able to talk to someone about all this.”
She waited for him to continue.
“As soon as I put the gear back on, I wanted back into that life more than almost anything.”
She placed a hand on his arm, stepping close. “Then you should, Maverick. You should.”
He shrugged. “I said almost anything. There is one thing I want more.”
“To take care of your father’s ranch.”
“Yes. No amount of rodeo fame would ever make up for letting the ranch fail.”
“I see that.” And she admired Maverick even more. “But I still think there’s room for both. Or there should be.”
“I won’t deny I’ve thought about it over and over, but now’s not the time.”
She didn’t know when he would ever feel like it was the time. But she hoped that someday he would. She knew it was a selfish desire. If he got to achieve his dreams, it would make up in a small part for her deserting them all, leaving him to be the responsible one while she pursued and failed at her dreams.
He led her out of the diner. They waved goodbye to Judy. “Now I want to take the truck up to the lake.”
“What?” Were they going to visit all their old haunts? “I’d love that. Is the rope swing still there?”
“Of course. We go up now and then to make sure of it.”
“Then let’s go!”
Maverick whooped, and they raced to his truck. She hopped in just like she always had, swinging up and landing on her backside. He shut the door after her, and she enjoyed the smile that lit his whole face while he made his way around to the driver’s side.
He peeled out of the parking lot like they were kids, and she rolled down the windows. The music came on, and she recognized their playlist. A love ballad from their favorite band started up.
“Hey, that’s not even fair.”
“Who said anything about playing fair?”
She shook her head. “Maverick Dawson, you have to know what I’m thinking about right now.”
“Prom.”
“Which one?”
“Let’s see. ‘Endearing charms?’ You’re thinking of our first prom.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “And maybe a few other firsts.”
“Of course, I am. How does this help our friend status?”
“Oh, I didn’t say we both felt like friends. It’s hard to backtrack those kinds of feelings.” He eyed her. “At least for me.” His expression said he was fishing. But she wasn’t ready to admit to anything. She was certain he’d never want her back, and she wasn’t sure she could handle being at his side again, knowing all that she’d done to hurt him and his family. But as she looked into his handsome goodness, she realized she might want just that, no matter the cost. But she wasn’t ready to admit such a thing out loud. If she did, she might jinx it.
“I think it’s pretty safe to assume I’ll always have feelings for you.”
His face clouded with disappointment.
She regretted a missed opportunity. “You have to know that leaving broke my heart. Not loving you was never the problem.”
He turned away, and his truck moved up a smaller dirt road toward the entrance to the lake path. “Here we go! Look, the road is overgrown; let’s close the windows.”
They drove through overhanging branches that brushed against the truck as they made their way up the mountain road.
“It’s all so beautiful. And it smells good!” She cracked her window. “I dreamed of this smell. I remember lying in my bed, pretending I didn’t have anything to worry about because you and I were driving up to the lake.”
His face filled with pain, and she regretted her words again. She wasn’t sure what exactly had hurt him, but she tried to mend things. “Are you gonna jump in?”
“You’re gonna go there?”
“Well, yeah…”
“You know the rules about swimming?”
“I do.”
His eyes twinkled with a wicked glint. “I don’t know if you can handle it.”
She dipped her head back and
laughed. Then she eyed him, slowly, deliciously, from his thigh to the top of his head. And he watched her do it. Then she said, “You might be right.”
He laughed. “I see that look. You know I can still see what you’re thinking sometimes.”
“Oh, can you?”
“Yes, I can. And I’ll just tell you now, it’s way too cold for swimming. But…if I can see that look on your face again, I’ll gladly come back up here this spring.” He reached for her hand. “If you’ll swim with me.”
She just swallowed, not trusting herself to speak. They continued on in a companionable silence. She still wanted to ask his advice, but she didn’t dare talk about her ex when things were so comfortable, or at least hopeful, between them.
Had he forgiven her? She couldn’t tell. She’d hurt him, but he was willing to be friends. And that was worth so much more to her than even she could have guessed. She opened her mouth, trying to force a conversation about Daniel, but one of their all-time favorite songs came up. She belted it out with Maverick at her side. They laughed all the way through the chorus and she thought maybe bringing back old times was even better than talking about new ones.
Chapter 10
Maverick turned his truck up the small path in the brush to get to the lake, happy to be heading up there with Bailey beside him.
“Talk to me about your dad,” Bailey prompted.
“You know Dad. He was the best.”
“I know, but…” She seemed troubled.
“What is it?”
“He was everything to you boys, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah. I spend a lot of time reminding myself I’m not as good as he was.”
“No, Maverick, you can’t do that. You’re awesome. You’re comparing yourself to the dad he became, not the dad he started out as.”
He didn’t say anything for a few minutes.
“I was there. At the funeral.”
“What!”
“Yeah. Gracie and I hid in the balcony choir seats. I was lucky she didn’t fuss.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You know what I wanted most in the world that day?” He saw her wince. “To see you. Hear you. Anything.”
She looked away. “I’m sorry.”
It didn’t help either of them to keep circling back to her apologizing. But it felt good for him to express his hurt, and she needed to know. “Why the questions about my dad?” Something was on her mind. He could see the wheels spinning. “You’ve done a remarkable job with Gracie on your own. She’s doing fine, and you’ve got your parents now.”
She nodded.
“But I feel empty without my dad. It’s different. The world lost a lodestone for me.”
The air was thick with expectation. Did he want to jump in and save her and Gracie, fill in as the dad she needed for her child? Of course. But he didn’t know if that was the right choice for him. Not yet, anyway. This conversation would blow his whole plan to be friends way out of the water.
“And you’ve got the Dawson family. Look at all the men in this child’s life. She’s not gonna stand a chance at finding someone to marry, not unless the guy is Dawson-quality.”
Bailey laughed. “And that’s about near impossible to find anywhere. Maybe Nash would wait around for her.”
Maverick tipped his head back and laughed in surprise. “You know, he just might. Mama says he has no interest in marrying anyone right now.”
They pulled up to the lake, and Maverick groaned. Tiff’s truck was parked in his spot.
“Is that—” Bailey’s tone let him know how much she wasn’t gonna like his answer.
“Tiff.”
“The devil herself.” She frowned, put her feet up on his dash, and crossed her arms.
“Hey, now. Come on. She’s been through a lot.”
“She’s not any nicer now than she was in high school. She’s still out to get me. You should have heard her at the rodeo.”
“She’s never had it as good as you have.”
“That’s not even fair. It might have been true when we were kids, but my life hasn’t been roses, Maverick. And I’ve learned a few things. One of them is that I don’t have to put up with any haters in my life.”
“Fair enough, but—”
A scream interrupted him, and he leapt out of the truck, taking off down the ravine path toward their swimming hole. Adrenaline raced through his body. A part of him registered the sound of Bailey coming behind him. That comforted him. If something was really wrong at the water, they’d need to work together to get help. And there weren’t too many people he’d rather have at his back than Bailey.
One time in high school, when they were out on the football field, one of the guys collapsed. Bailey had run out to him, beating the medical staff. She’d immediately run back to the stands, once they’d begun easing off his helmet, to tell his parents that he was conscious and breathing.
He rounded the corner, and the water came into view. His pace picked up, and his breathing hitched when he saw a splash of bright red on the rocks at the side of the water.
“Tiff!” he shouted.
“Maverick? Oh, Maverick! I’m here!” Her voice sounded strong.
He pushed through the last brush and almost ran into Tiff holding her head. Blood dripped down her face.
“Whoa there, Tiff.” He reached out to steady her, and she let herself collapse into his arms.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know what to do.”
“Are you alone?”
“No, but they’re no use.”
Her two friends were up here with her. She pointed to a trail of vodka bottles and her two girlfriends sitting back up against a rock in a daze.
“This is ridiculously dangerous.” He pulled off his shirt, and her eyes widened as she openly checked him out.
Bailey approached. “Oh no, you’ve got to put some pressure on that.”
He held up his shirt, and Bailey stretched it taut while he ripped off pieces. He handed the first to Tiff. “Put this up against your cut, right there.”
She held the ball of fabric up against the cut, her pout coming on strong. She scowled at Bailey. “What’s she doing here?”
“We’re hiking the rim.” He didn’t have time for whatever spat they had going between them. Bailey ripped a few more strips and tied them together without him asking. Then he wrapped it around Tiff’s head, holding the first wad of fabric in place to hopefully stop the bleeding. “What happened?”
“Oh, you know. We were just messing around. I jumped off the high rock, but I slipped.”
He shook his head. “We’ve got to get you three out of here. Do you think they can walk?”
She shrugged and then swayed.
“How much have you had?”
“I’m not drunk. Well, maybe legally I am, but I can walk.”
He looked her over. “Does anything else hurt?”
“Nah. I’m fine now that you’re here.” She leaned into him, giggling.
Maverick steadied her. “Let’s get you over there by your friends.”
When he leaned down to help her get situated, she pulled him forward. He was off-balance and tipped to the side so that he was lying in her lap. “Hey now.” He smiled. “That’s not the kind of outing I’m on.”
“You’ve never complained before.”
He gritted his teeth at her false insinuation.
Bailey huffed behind him. “Well, I can see you might be a while. I think I’ll take the trail myself.”
He lifted himself up off Tiff and saluted. “You ladies stay put now. We’ll be back to check on you.”
Bailey was already almost at the turn of the trail. He made his way toward her. She had no right to even care what he’d done while she was gone. But it made him grin. She cared. And that made him unreasonably happy.
“What are you grinning about back there?” She waited for him, one hand on her hip.
“What’s got you all bothered?” He chuckled when she tur
ned from him and kept marching up the ravine.
After a moment, he called, “You gonna let me catch up?”
She paused but didn’t say anything.
When at last he was walking at her side, she smiled. “Everything’s the same up here. Just look at how beautiful it all is.”
They walked a few more feet and stopped to touch their tree. It was a habit. They did it every time they reached this spot. It seemed unnatural not to. They’d carved their initials on the back side of the tree. He knew they were still there, but she didn’t move to look at them. Neither said a word. He reached for her hand, and she let him entwine their fingers.
“How’s your mama been?” she asked.
He smiled. “She’s one strong woman. It’s been hard on her, having Dad gone. Hard on us all. But she rules the family just as she always has, and I’m happy the guys respect her.”
“And you. They all look to you.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes I wonder if it might be good for them to have to stand on their own sometime.”
“Don’t they?”
“They do. But maybe not like they could. When everything fell to me, I learned some things. Like if I don’t do the finances, they don’t get done. If I don’t make sure the cows get purchased, or sold, or open the back pasture at the right time, or harvest the hay, we lose money. If I don’t call the family in for holidays or meetings or whenever Mama wants to talk to them…” He kicked a rock. “You learn some things when you’re the man in charge.”
“Like, what it feels like to never do that last rodeo circuit?”
He looked out over the widening view. “Like that.”
“Decker does the horses, right?”
“Yeah. But even that falls to me sometimes. ’Cause he takes off.”
“And he does his own circuit too, right?”
“Yep.”
She squeezed his hand. “You’re a good man, Maverick. I’m proud of what you’ve got going here.”
He nodded. But her questions and his complaining were making him doubt again his ability or determination to keep his father’s ranch alive. And that was a dangerous place for him. Riding that bull had felt too good. And seeing Bailey here had reignited old feelings, not just for her but for his days on the circuit with her in the stands. And suddenly, for the first time in a long time, he started wanting something for himself.
Coming Home to Maverick Page 8
