Page 15 of Our Chance

“I know I’ve not always done the rightthing, and I don’t have the best track record with you guys, but Iwould like you to consider the fact that Adele never got hurt when she was with me.She always got home on curfew, and that was hard to do, because shealways wanted to break it. I have been in love with Freya foryears. I’ve wanted to ask her out, and in all honesty, I know I’mthe one getting the best bargain here. Freya can do so much betterthan me, but I love her. I’m devoted to her, and I will treat herright.”

Maverick didn’t have a speechprepared, or know whatto say to her parents. All he did was go with what hefelt.

“Oh, Elliot,” Tilly said.

He turned to look toward the woman, and hesaw tears in her eyes.

“You say the right words,” Elliot said. “Butwe’ll see in time if your actions match up to your words.”

He knew winning over Elliot was going totake time, and he didn’t mind that.

“Dad, you’re not giving Maverick a hardtime, are you?” Freya asked, stepping into the room.

Her father got to his feet, and she walkedtoward him and huggedhim tightly.

“If I am, it’s because the man deservesit.”

She gave a little giggle.“Don’t.”

Elliot kissed the top of her head.

She pulled away and moved back towardMaverick. She offered him a smile and he mouthed the words askingher if she was all right. He got a nod in response, but he wasworried. They had nottalked about the future, or having babies, or what being togetherwould mean.

“Well, that was fun,” Adele said. “And nowI’m famished. Hey, Dad, how does it feel having Maverick here andyou not wanting to shoot his ass?”

“Adele!” Freya yelled.

“What? I’m relieving the tension. Yeah,Maverick and I dated, and trust me, I’ve got no issues with the twoof you being together. Ijust want to clear the air. Too much family time has been messed upby us not getting everything out in the open. Like my sister’stotal dislike of Hank.” Adele laughed. “I should have totallylistened to you.”

“I’m going to go and check on dinner,” Tillysaid.

“Wait, honey,” Elliot said.“Adele’s right. We needto clear the air. We did have to divide our Sundays between our twodaughters to make it work, and I’m not willing to do that again. IfAdele’s happy with Maverick and Freya, then I am. I don’t want anymore nonsense to come between our families. We’ve already lostenough time.”

Freya smiled up at her dad, and then towardher sister.

“And you were right,” Tilly said. “Hank was not a good man, and Icannot believe that … person had me and your father fooled likethat. I honestly thought he was a good man. Hardworking, yes, but Ihad no idea he was such a callous … beast.”

Maverick watched as the family movedtogether and hugged. In that moment, he couldn’t help but thinkabout his own father, and the fact he never got to apologize.

“Son, come on,” Elliot said. “It looks like you’re going to bepart of this family now.”

“I can’t hold it,” Adele said.

“Adele, no!” This came from Freya.

“Freya’s pregnant. She needs to get a testto confirm, but we’re going to be grandparents and aunties, and Ithink she is kind of terrified about how Maverickwill handle this.”

Chapter Seven

Freya was going to kill her sister. It wasofficial. She wasn’t going to hold back, she was going to figureout a way to get away with murder. There were a lot of tools andchemicals at her disposal at the DIY store. It would be easy. Allshe’d have to figure out was how to do it withoutletting anyone know. The bestcourse of action would be to assume she’d left town.

“Are you still plotting to kill me?” Adeleasked, knocking at the door.

“Go away,” Freya said.

“Look, let’s face it, it would have takenyou weeks to even approach the subject with Maverick. I know you,Freya. You’d be panicking and worrying. You think way too much.”

“Trust me, when they’re looking for yourbody, they won’t be thinking that,” Freya said.

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