Page 45 of Maverick

“Can we talk?”

“Talk?” She was nervous because no conversation ever started out well with those words.

“Yes. Is it alright if I come in?”

“Oh! Yes, I’m sorry.” She opened the door wider for him to enter. Her stomach was in knots, but after she closed the door, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulled her to him, and kissed her. She sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He slowly raised his lips.

“I needed that,” he whispered.

“What’s wrong?”

Maverick removed his hat, hung it on the hatrack, took her hand, led her to the sofa, and motioned for her to sit, then he sat beside her. He held her hand as he looked at her.

“I have to round up some cattle, along with their calves, and I’m leaving Thursday morning.”

“I see.” She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

Maverick smirked. “They’re in the north pasture and have to be moved to the west pasture so we can keep an eye on them with their calves.”

Parker shook her head. “Maverick, you’re losing me here. What does this have to do with me?”

“I’m not explaining this very well. It takes a while to do this.”

“How long is a while?”

He huffed. “It could be weeks, or longer. They’re in a fenced area of five thousand acres. We have to round them up, and that takes who knows how long because that much land is a lot to cover.”

“Weeks?” She had to go weeks without seeing him?

“Yes. I’m taking ten men with me but that’s still a lot of ground.”

“Why are you moving them?”

“Mostly to keep the calves from being attacked by wolves. The cows are bred so they deliver at certain times of the year. The section in the west pasture is fenced specifically to keep them safe. The fence is electrified.”

“But why aren’t they kept there in the first place?”

“It’s just the way the Triple C does it. I don’t question it. I do my job.”

“But what does this mean for us?”

“We won’t be seeing each other until I get back.”

“For weeks?”

“Or longer.”

She stared at him and couldn’t imagine not seeing him for that long. She shook her head.

“I don’t like it.”

“Do you think I do? I don’t, but it’s my job. I’m a foreman, I have no choice.”

Parker sat back against the sofa and stared at him, then nodded.

“Alright.”

“Alright?” Maverick frowned.

---