Page 11 of The Cupcake Cottage

She took a swallow of her drink, trying to hide the way her face was burning at the thought of marrying Maverick. To have a man like him… all hers? Mind. Blown.

“Why not?” he asked, leaning closer in the growing twilight. “I have money, looks…”

She simply raised her brows.

He laughed with a casual shrug. “Myles gave us the all-clear.”

For a second, right before he laughed again, she thought she detected a hint of seriousness.

** *

Maverick was half serious about marrying Daisy-Mae. She was the kind of woman who might understand his insane schedule and not shy away from the occasional bit of fame and recognition that came with his career. Plus, he really enjoyed hanging out with her.

Daisy-Mae’s expression darkened, and she gestured subtly to something behind him. About eight feet away was Henry Wylder. Myles’s great-uncle and the grumpiest, unhappiest man in the town’s long history.

And he was talking to Maverick’s mom.

“At least he’s not after us,” Daisy-Mae said. “But maybe we should save her somehow? He has a way of making you feel like the smallest, least significant, and stupidest person in the world.”

“Henry still hasn’t forgiven me for warping his great-nephews. He likes to remind her of that.”

“Oh, the hockey thing?” Daisy-Mae frowned. “Really?”

Myles and his brothers had gotten into hockey alongside Maverick as teens, hitching rides to the city to skate on the only ice for miles. Henry had felt they were shirking their responsibilities on the ranch and that Maverick was tempting the boys into believing in a dream that would never come true for them. It probably irked him most that Maverick had made it, and not one of his kin.

But had that short-lived passion for hockey caused the Wylder brothers any long-lasting damage? No. Had it been amazing for all of them? Yes.

“My Lafayettescandalhasn’t exactly helped his opinion of me, especially now that I’m ‘tainting’ the town with my presence. It’s enough that my mom has to read about the lies, but having someone like Henry rail at her about it is too much.”

Daisy-Mae was chewing on the inside of her cheek, a sure sign something was bothering her. “You should rescue her.”

Maverick gave her elbow a squeeze. He moved a few steps away but hesitated as Daisy-Mae’s mother hustled over, all tight clothes and high heels despite the lawn party.

“Daisy-Mae! Daisy-Mae! I got the name of that surgeon I saw on that show last week.” She waved a slip of paper, tipping every so often as one of her heels sunk into the dry, packed dirt. “He’s expensive, but he’ll be worth it.”

What on earth was she up to now? She was in what Daisy-Mae had once called pageant mode, which was characterized by a slightly crazed shine in her eyes. He’d seen a few moms like that in hockey over the years, but they were nothing compared to Mrs. Ray.

“Hello, ma’am,” Maverick said as the woman approached.

Daisy-Mae waved him away, clearly embarrassed. “Go save your mom.”

Not a chance. He had to know what this was about. His mom could handle herself. So could Daisy-Mae, but he was infinitely more interested in what Mrs. Ray thought Daisy-Mae needed than what Henry might rant about.

“You look as lovely as ever,” Maverick said to Mrs. Ray.

“Don’t sweet talk me, hon,” she replied, brushing him off. “It won’t work.”

Daisy-Mae refused to take the piece of paper thrust at her. “Mom, I told you no.”

“Everything okay?” Maverick asked.

“Henry’s turning red,” Daisy-Mae replied, not looking away from her mom.

Indeed, Henry was in full rant. His poor mom’s smile had hardened like concrete, her cheeks pink with anger. The man’s gray and white hair waved in the breeze as he shook a finger, and Maverick had a feeling his mom was finally going to deliver a well-deserved verbal smackdown. He just hoped the man didn’t have a heart attack and ruin her big moment.

“You’re on TV now,” Daisy-Mae’s mom was saying. “You need to freshen things up a bit.” She reached out like she was going to pat the underside of Daisy-Mae’s chin, but Daisy-Mae deflected her. “Otherwise, how are youevergoing to find a man? You’re not getting any younger, you know.”

“Mom, enough,” Daisy-Mae warned.

---