Page 5 of Maverick

When his dad left him there, he turned around to find that Gracie had escaped again. Smiling to himself, he knew that she’d come here with Jade but she wasn’t going to be leaving with her, not if he could do something about it.

After having the roofing company going to check out the roof on the house, just to make sure that there were no leaks to speak of, he spoke to the other crew that was coming in to clean up the flooring in the dining room. Gracie had been right in that it only needed a good sanding. He’d not thought of the windows being too small but was happy that she’d pointed them out for him.

Most of the boxes and some of the furniture had been brought in by the time the crew was finished with the master bedroom area. Having them clean another bedroom on the upper floors was no problem for them. He was glad for the extra hands and he’d never been so happy to spend money as he was for this home. A home that he was enjoying more and more as he thought of Gracie living here with him. Then he went to find the family.

“Hello? Can I help you?” The hand that he put out was slapped away by one of the women in the group. There were three women and four men who were yelling at him at the same time. Putting up his hand to have them stop, it wasn’t until Jade came by and whistled that he was able to get their attention. “Good. Now, one at a time, tell me what it is you’re here about. I’m sure that the banker told you that the house was sold. He said that he’d send out the information tonight. Is that what this is about?”

“You had no right to purchase this house. And what do you mean by putting all the auction stuff back inside? That’s our stuff, too.” He told the woman, the one that had slapped at his hand, that the house and its contents were his to do with what he wanted. “I’ll say what you can and can’t do with my aunt’s home and her things. We’re going to sue you for buying it when we wanted it.”

“It was my understanding that you all don’t have a pot to piss in. Or did I get the wrong information?” Maverick decided that he didn’t have to be polite if they didn’t. Giving as good as he got, mentality saved him a great deal of frustration. The woman who seemed to be in charge of the little group told him that they were pooling their money. “The banker told me that I could have it for the back taxes. I think that he just wanted it off their books. And suing me won’t get you anywhere. I’ve bought it fair and square, and I’m going to live here too.”

Maverick watched Gracie move around the people and pick up more boxes. Jade had given her a wagon at some point, and it seemed to be helping her get more at a time than just carrying them in. Wanting to get back to flirting with Gracie, he asked the people if there was anything else that he could help them with, as he was sort of busy right now.

“You can help us by getting out of our house. I don’t care if you get your money back or not. In fact now that the taxes are paid off, we can afford to live here.” He simply stared at her, wondering at her logic. Or the lack of it. “What right did you have in even thinking that we’d allow someone like you—what the hell is going on now? You’d better not be tearing the house up, or I’m going to sue you for that, too.”

The police pulled in just as he was trying his best to keep from lashing out at the people any more than he had to. His nerves were shot by the time someone walked up behind him and took his hand. He didn’t even have to turn. He knew that it was Gracie as soon as their fingers linked.

A calmness went over him like summer rain did when he’d been a child. There were smells, too, that were associated with that memory that he’d not thought of in years. Giving her hand a tight, brief squeeze, he let out a long breath and felt calm enough to deal with the people. The police arriving when they did set up for him to press changes about them trespassing.

“Maverick? I heard that you’re having a bit of a problem out here. I just found out that you bought the Loren estate, too. Congratulations on that.” He asked him who had called him. “Gracie McKenna. She said that they were trespassing and causing some trouble. Thought that I’d come by and see if I could give you a hand.”

“Yes, please.” Squeezing her hand again, he pulled her around so that she was beside him. “In the event that you haven’t met Gracie, this is her. Gracie, I’d like for you to meet Joey Duggar. We played football together in high school.”

“Yeah, I know little Gracie here. She’s been around for a few months this time. I have her uncle in one of my cells right now.” While he didn’t know why, he was glad for that information. “Burnt her out. A lot of other people, too, but he told us when we got there that he’d been looking for his niece. Something about her owing him. Also arrested her boss from her last job. Didn’t want to pay her for working herself to death, that one. What is this world coming to when a person works and then doesn’t get paid for it. You got that check, didn’t you, honey?”

“Yes. Jade told me that someone had it made out to her so that no one would find me. I guess that’s a forgone conclusion now that he has.” Joey said that he was sorry for that. “I am as well. By the way, you played football with this idiot. Did he, by chance, hit his head a lot? I’m thinking that he did. He wants to date me when you and I both know that’s not a good idea.”

“No, I don’t see that. I think that he’d be a good man for you to hang yourself to. I know that I’d sleep a good deal better knowing that you’d be protected from that man who is looking for you.” Joey looked at her and smiled. “Looks to me like there is something going on now, what with the two of you having each other’s backs and all.”

“See, I told you that I was a good catch. Thanks, Joey.” Before she could argue with him, which he was sure she was, Joey’s men were rousting the other family away. When one of the men had to toss the speaker for the family up against his car, everyone there seemed to tense up. He did as well, pushing Gracie behind him as he took in the scene that was going on in front of him. Maverick didn’t like that she kept coming around him to step in front of him, but finally, he had to let her go. The stomp to his foot had him occupied with the pain now and not keeping his Gracie safe. “Dad?”

When he yelled for his dad, the others came, too. He wasn’t really hurt, but he wanted to make sure that Gracie was safe. As soon as a gun went off, he fell backwards onto Gracie again, hoping to Christ that he’d not hurt her, nor was he injured.

“Why are you forever falling on top of me?” He thought it was a good question and told her that. “That, in case you didn’t understand, didn’t answer my question. I’m fine. Get off me, you giant slug.”

“I didn’t want you to be hurt.” Then he leaned down, whispering in her ear so that no one else could hear him, “I thought that we fit well together, don’t you? I mean, I’d like to do all sorts of things to you, being on top of you.”

When he rolled off her, he could tell that he’d hurt her. Maverick remembered that she’d been injured recently and felt terrible for hurting her again. When Jade said that she’d check her out, he was also checked out to make sure that he’d not been hurt either. Since he was fine, he sat there next to Gracie while she answered questions put to her by Jade.

“I think you might have reinjured your ribs. Without an x-ray, it’s hard to tell.” Gracie glared at him, and all he wanted to do was laugh. He didn’t. He wasn’t that stupid. “I’d like for you to go in for one, but I know you well enough to know that you’re going to fight me tooth and nail over it. So why don’t we assume the worst and you go in the house and lie down. We can do the rest of the boxes inside.”

“It’s not that bad.” Jade simply pushed on her side and had Gracie screaming. He was about a second from smacking the other woman when she just stared at him with a cocked brow. “It hurts. Worse than before.”

It was determined that he’d take her to the emergency room to do what Jade wanted. Gracie didn’t complain anymore verbally, for which he was grateful but she did sob when he had to pick her up. Every part of his heart hurt for causing her so much pain, and he wanted to beg her forgiveness. Taking her to the truck that he’d come here in had him thinking that he needed a better vehicle, something else that he’d not spent a great deal of money on before too much longer. He wanted everything new, just for her, he realized.

When he pulled up in front of the doors to the hospital, they were apparently ready for them. A gurney was brought out as well as a nurse had a shot for her. As soon as she begged for something for pain, it was injected into her arm. She closed her eyes so quickly that he was sure that she’d been killed. If not for the fact that he was still holding her hand, he might have done some serious damage to the woman. When he was asked to wait, he decided right then and there that he wasn’t going to allow her out of his sight again. Not if he could help it.

“She’s my fiancée. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be with her. She’s…she’s all I have right now.” No one tried to block him again and he was taken to her room. Maverick had no idea what possessed him once again with this woman but he knew that he was right in staying with her. There was something about her that made his heart feel like it was full again. Like she was the reason that he’d gotten up today as well. He was going to figure that out, too, as soon as he could.

Chapter 3

Gracie didn’t like being in the hospital again, but she really had been in a great deal of pain and was glad that someone could get her here and mellowed out. She didn’t understand, and there was no talking to Maverick about it why he was still hanging around.

The nurses had been all overly helpful in making sure that she was comfortable and that she wasn’t in any pain. She’d been put into a private room when she’d returned from an x-ray. Of course, it could have been because Maverick—of course, him again—telling anyone who came into the room that he wasn’t leaving. And that he hoped that they didn’t mind if he spent the night with her. She might have objected to that, but the shithead winked at her, and she felt her entire body warm to the thought of what he’d been saying.

The man had a couple of screws left, that’s all. He’d get better when someone pointed out to him the error of his ways in hitting on her. He kissed her all the time, quick pecks on her mouth that had her craving for more but also not wanting more. The man—

“I have to go and sign some paperwork on the house. I wish you could go with me, but I’ll take care of everything for you.” She asked him what that meant. “You’ll see. Jenson is coming in to sit with you. All right?”

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