Page 26 of Maverick

The heat of the day still lingered, so he turned the a/c up on high and drove to town.

After making a stop at the bakery, he drove through the diner parking lot, pulled to a stop beside the steps, opened the door, stepped out, and climbed the stairs. He knocked on the door and waited.

When she opened the door, he couldn’t help but smile. She was stunning.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi, come in out of the heat.”

Maverick removed his hat, wiped his feet on the mat, and entered the apartment.

“This is for you. I was going to get you flowers, but they were closed. I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t apologize. You don’t need to bring me flowers, or anything else, Maverick.” She took the bag he held out to her, opened it and peered inside, then looked at him. “Chocolate covered cherries?”

“Yes. I figured if you didn’t like them, I could eat them.” He grinned.

Parker laughed. “Well, you’re out of luck because I love them.”

“Damn. Okay, I’ll try something else the next time.”

“I haven’t been in the bakery yet, but anytime I’m near it, the smell alone makes me gain ten pounds.”

“Sloane is one hell of a baker. Are you ready?”

“I am. I’ll just put these in the fridge.”

She placed the candy in the fridge, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She wore a blue, sleeveless blouse with jeans, and on her feet were blue sneakers.

“You look nice.”

“Well, thank you, kind sir, and so do you.”

He shook his head. “Let’s go, sweetheart. I’m hungry.”

Parker picked up her purse, and reached for the doorknob, but he reached around her and opened it for her, then nodded for her to go. He took her key from her, locked the door, handed it back to her, and held her hand as they walked down the steps.

“Should we drive?”

Parker laughed. “I think we can make it through the parking lot.”

“I don’t know. I’ve had a long damn day.”

“Oh, well, you drive, and I’ll meet you there. I’ll probably get there before you.”

“No doubt.” He held her hand as they walked through the lot and then entered the diner.

They sat in a booth and Parker glanced around the diner. She smiled and nodded at people.

“I love this town,” she said.

“It’s a nice place.” Maverick nodded.

“So, how did you end up here?”

“After Kat died, I had to get away. Like you felt about Oklahoma. There were just too many memories that I had trouble dealing with. I was going to go to Canada but stopped here on my way. I decided to stay for a few days. I think I went through every shop in town. I was in the Feed Store and the bulletin board caught my eye. I thought that maybe I could stay here for a few months then move on.” He laughed. “Once I met Robert Coleman, I knew I’d stay a lot longer. He gave me a job on the spot. I don’t know if he was desperate for help or liked me, but I started out as a ranch hand. I enjoyed the work and trust me, it’s damn hard work. Don’t let anyone tell you different. But I needed to be pushed like that. I’d get up at four in the morning, work all day, and sometimes into the night, then go to bed, and get up and do it all over again. It kept my mind off Kat. I didn’t have time to think about her because I’d be so tired when I’d get home, I’d fall into bed and be asleep in seconds. The next thing I knew, I was made a foreman.” He grinned. “That’s how fast the time flew by. I was content working there. I still am. I can’t see working anywhere else. I’m glad I decided to stick around.”

“I’m glad you did too. So, no other relationships after Kat?”

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