Page 9 of Maverick

Parker smiled as she watched Maverick’s truck disappear down the alley. She felt a flutter of excitement in her chest at the thought of seeing him again. He was more than just handsome and sexy; he was kind and generous too. She couldn’t believe how he had willingly stayed to help her move into her new apartment, even though he didn’t have to, and they barely knew each other.

Walking into the shop on Monday morning, Parker took a moment to appreciate the quiet before the storm of customers arrived. The constant stream of tourists kept the shop bustling from open to close. She quickly dusted around the shelves and unlocked the door.

As she settled behind the counter, her mind drifted back to Maverick. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake him from her thoughts. It seemed like every time she closed her eyes, his face appeared in her mind. She was captivated by him.

The bell above the door jingled as Shay entered, waving at Parker before disappearing into the office. A few minutes later, she emerged with a cup of coffee in hand.

“How was your Sunday?” Shay asked.

“I moved into my new place,” Parker replied with a grin.

“I loved living there.”

“It’s adorable.”

“I wish you would have called me; I would have helped you.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to worry about that. Maverick helped me out,” Parker explained.

Shay’s eyes widened in surprise. “Maverick? My Maverick?”

Parker laughed at Shay’s possessive tone. “Your Maverick?”

“You know what I mean. He’s such a good man. Wes and Warren think highly of him.”

“I like him too. He even asked me out for coffee sometime.”

“I’m so happy for you.”

Parker shared with Shay the story of losing her husband and son not long after starting work at A Touch of Glass.

“I know Maverick will treat you right. When I first met him, I couldn’t stop thinking about how attractive he was. I even teased Wes about him.” Shay chuckled.

“I hope he calls.”

“If he said he would, then he will.”

“How many foremen does the ranch have?”

“Four,” Shay said.

Parker grinned. “Four foremen?”

Shay laughed. “Yep. Maverick, Steve, John, and Grady. Steve and John are both married, but Maverick and Grady are single. Oh, you should see Grady. He’s tall too, has a great body, coal black hair with a little gray in the scruff, and sideburns, and the greenest eyes. I think my mouth dropped open when I saw him the first time. He’s been there for years. I think Wes told me he started there a year after Maverick.”

“He sounds gorgeous.”

“I’m sure you’ll meet him sometime. He’s definitely a confirmed bachelor.”

“Is Maverick? I’d hate to start something that’s not going anywhere.”

“I don’t think so. He was in a relationship for a good while, but Grady never stays with one woman longer than a few weeks, maybe a month.”

Parker nodded just as the store started to fill with customers and they got busy helping them.

By the middle of the week, Parker was beginning to think that Maverick wasn’t going to call her. She couldn’t believe how disappointed she was. She thought they got along great. Biting her lip, she wondered what happened to make him change his mind.

When the door opened, she turned toward it and smiled as more customers came in.

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