Page 61 of Coming Home to Maverick

“Friends.” She frowned. “I thought we were family.”

Maverick turned to Bailey. “That’s right. We are.” Then he scooped her up in his arms and kissed the top of her head as they rounded the corner to the hoses.

“Do you want to bemydaddy, sometime?” The tentative manner in which she asked broke Bailey’s heart.

Gracie held her breath.

“I’ll be your daddy any time you want. Just call me Daddy, and we’re good to go. But no matter what you call me, I want you to know I’m here for you. I love you, Gracie Faith.”

She nodded and then wrapped her small arms around his neck. “I love you, too.” He squeezed her tight and led her back to the pig barn.

Once Nash the pig was washed and dried and back with his mother, they sent Gracie inside with Grandma.

Maverick came to join Bailey at the split-rail fence. He didn’t say anything, but Bailey found his presence comforting even though they were at odds. She pointed up to the ridge which formed the property line between their ranches. “You know I love this land?”

He faced her, but she didn’t turn. She gestured all around them. “I love all of it. It’s special.”

His boot dug around in the dirt at their feet. “You look good here.”

She nodded. “I feel good here. I think I would do anything for your papa, for the Dawson land.” She needed to talk to him about Daniel, especially after that beautiful talk he had with Gracie. If he was wanting to be in her life, be her daddy, then what was she doing letting Daniel come? Why did there even need to be a Daniel? Did she have any sort of obligation to Gracie’s biological father? She ached to tell Maverick, desperately needed his advice. But she didn’t want him to feel obligated or responsible for them.

He rested his head on his hands. “We’re in some trouble, financially.”

“What? What kind of trouble?” Her mind started spinning.

“The kind where we’re talking selling off pieces.” He looked up at the ridge but didn’t say anything about it being one of the pieces in question.

She followed his gaze and shook her head. “No. You can’t do that.”

“Bailey, we might not have a choice.”

“No, you always have a choice. You can’t sell off parts of the Dawson Ranch. There has to be another way. Have you guys talked about this?”

“A bit. We’re gonna have a meeting this week. I gotta make some tough decisions.”

“Well, I say no. No way. Think of your mama. Think of the town. Your brothers…”

“What about me, Bailey?”

She quieted. The only thing she loved more than the land were the people in her life. Maverick. Gracie. “What do you want?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you really want? When you say think about you, what does that mean?”

He looked away. “I don’t know.”

“The circuit? You still want to ride?”

“Yeah, well, no. I liked it. I told you. I want to ride if you’re there.”

She nodded. “I’ll be there. If that’s what you want.” A sick feeling rose inside. “Does that mean we have to give up the ranch?”

“No, just a piece or two, maybe. Whether I ride or not, we might have to do that.” He turned to her. “Mama says if I ride, the name recognition might help the ranch. People will buy our cattle. I could be my own sponsor.”

Bailey nodded, but a sad feeling filled her. “Then do it.”

“What? Just like that?”

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