Page 68 of Coming Home to Maverick

“I just didn’t think there was anything to say. I left, and she was mad. She never tried to call me, and so I figured she was making her own happy way with Daniel and didn’t need me in her life.” There, he’d given his most convincing excuse, but it sounded weak even to his own ears.

“And do you wonder where Daniel is now?”

“A little.” Maverick hated that he wanted to know.

“Not here.” Mama smiled. “And that’s all that matters. She threw him out. He pressured her to let him represent Gracie as a talent, and finally she just had to say no. He was unhappy, said some things, and she threw him out of her life.”

Maverick nodded. “Good for her.”

“But she could have used a friend, a support, the man she loves.”

“That would have been helpful to know.”

Nash snorted. “You would have known if you were in her life at all.”

“I don’t expect you to understand.”

Nash shook his head. “From what I see, I understand much more than you at this point.”

Maverick sat back and crossed his arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Then he stood up. “And you know what? If I can’t sit at the fire with my family at the state fair and have an enjoyable conversation, I guess I’ll just hit the sack too.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow, dear.” Mama reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He’d been dismissed.

“Well, all right. Good night.” He made his way over to his trailer. As he walked by Thunder, he clucked. “Easy, boy. Let’s have a good sleep, shall we?”

Then he opened up the door to his own sleeping quarters, fell in his bed, and lay awake for hours.

Chapter 20

Bailey had known Maverick was coming. She knew he would arrive any minute. All day, she’d been watching the stream of trucks pulling into the fairgrounds, preparing herself for the moment he would hop out of his truck and his blue eyes would capture hers. But nothing had prepared her for the jolt of familiarity, the desire, or the irrational urge to throw her arms around him and kiss away whatever was keeping them apart.

She had been frozen to the spot when he finally arrived. And then she’d been filled with such a poignant longing and desperate worry that she didn’t trust herself to speak. So she ran and hid. And now she lay in bed in her trailer, Gracie’s soft breathing giving her a measure of comfort, agonizing over Maverick.

Not a single phone call, no texts, nothing from him these past two weeks to give her any clue how he was feeling. Was he done putting up with her mess? Had she pushed him too far? She couldn’t lie in bed any longer. She crept out, tied a robe around herself, slipped on her flip-flops, and opened her trailer door.

The warm air cocooned her, and the night insects hummed a lullaby, but nothing could calm her brain’s frantic attempt to make sense of her relationship with Maverick.

Perhaps she should have called to let him know about Daniel. But what would she have said beyond what he already knew? She was just trying to do what was right for Gracie. She’d never dealt with any of this before and had no idea about the ethics or moral responsibility she had toward the man who’d fathered her daughter. Even though he hadn’t wanted Gracie, did that mean he didn’t deserve to see his daughter? It was complicated. She knew that.

When she realized his incredibly selfish motives, he’d left easily enough. As soon as Bailey had told him he needed to leave and that she wanted nothing more to do with him, he’d been down their driveway before she could even feel guilty.

She had a knot in her gut that told her she wasn’t quite through with Daniel yet. But that would be something she worried about when the time came.

So, what to do about Maverick. After the fair, he would be gone for many months still. And that would be fine if they were speaking. But she couldn’t stand this silent distance between them. She at least needed to be on good terms with the man she loved most in all the world. Even if he didn’t want to pursue anything more than friendship after all, she couldn’t bear if he hated her.

She leaned back in her camping chair, scooting down so she could rest her head on the back of the chair. Tomorrow. She would summon her courage and talk to him tomorrow, at first light, when he said he’d come get her for their practice.

With that thought, she drifted off.

In the haze of sleep, the weight of a soft blanket warmed her chilled skin. Then the feel of lips on her forehead. “Good morning, babe.”

She smiled. Maverick. Mmm. But morning fog cleared, and she sat up with a jolt.Not Maverick.Her blurry vision made out Daniel sitting next to her in another camp chair.

She leaned back into her chair, pulling the blanket up closer around herself. “What are you doing here, Daniel?” What time was it?

“I heard you were opening for the Honky Tonk, and I came to hear you sing.”

Her eyes narrowed. But he seemed relaxed and open. Perhaps he was making a gesture. She closed her eyes.

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