Page 45 of Coming Home to Maverick

And by then, she was living with him, and they were a full couple in every way. She was so ashamed, so sorry, and so caught up in his promises of the next big gig, the next opportunity, the next audition, that she kept on. Because if she were successful, then it might justify what she’d done. She’d have something to show for herself. Everyone back home would see she hadn’t been running away but chasing her dreams.

And she couldn’t face Maverick. The thought of seeing him again after what she did, after living with this other man, after not even telling him she was leaving. It terrified her.

Reliving that awful time of her life felt raw and scary. Some of her old insecurities returned. Daniel was dynamic and charming, and she’d always felt naïve and awkward when he was around.

And now he was calling her parents’ house. Of course, he could find the number, but a part of her had hoped he’d forgotten about her or that he wouldn’t know where she’d gone. She really hadn’t thought he’d ever try to contact her again.

The last night they were together, she had cooked him a really good meal, had dressed as carefully as she could, taking extra time with her hair and makeup. But he’d been distracted. He’d already been coming home smelling like someone else’s perfume, so she knew something was going on, but she thought maybe her news would change all that.

“I’m pregnant.”

His fork had stopped in midair, and it wasn’t out of joy. She remembered his final words before asking her to find somewhere else to live. “I say we terminate the pregnancy. If you want to go through with it, then you’re doing it without my help.”

And so she’d left.

In that moment, she thought he’d given up all rights to ever being a part of Gracie’s life. But what if he wanted to do right by her as a father?

She pulled her covers up to her chin, rolled over, and tried to block out all other memories, but they flooded through her anyway.

The day she moved out, he hadn’t come home from work. So she packed up everything by herself and loaded it into the waiting taxicab. She’d moved to a cheap motel. The first night, she’d curled up in a ball on her bed while the tears drenched her pillow, and she told herself to go home.

She decided she would leave in the morning. It was the only thought that comforted her enough to get her to sleep.

But then morning had come, and she found a new drive to make it on her own. She was gonna prove to Daniel that she didn’t need him. She was a talent. And she would find work without him.

Five years later, she found herself back on her parents’ front porch with Gracie at her side.

And it was the best decision she’d made since she left.

What did Daniel want? He always wanted something. She tossed and stressed and hated everything about that night, the night when she should have been reliving Maverick’s kiss.

Maverick.

She was done with worrying. She pulled out her phone and texted Daniel,What do you want?

You still up?

Yes.

I told you. I want to meet our little girl.

She stared at that message until her phone’s screen switched off. Then she pressed the button and stared at it again. For most of the night, she studied his response.I want to meet our little girl.

But she didn’t answer him. Instead she pulled her old Bible off the bookshelf, opened the word pages and started to read.

She didn’t tell anyone about Daniel. Not for two more days.

On the day she and Gracie went over to visit the new baby pigs, it was still heavy on her mind. Maverick answered the door almost before she knocked.

“Hey.” His smile was warm and genuine, and she fell in love with it all over again.

“Hey.”

He grabbed his coat.

“Now, wait a minute, Maverick. I want to see my girls too, you know.” His mama came around the corner, her happiness larger than her diminutive frame.

Gracie ran to her, and Bailey smiled to see her daughter enveloped in the warmth of a hug from Mama Dawson. “I’m gonna meet my new baby pig!”

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