Page 38 of The Maverick's Forever Home
She closed the door and faced her brother.“Okay, out with it.”She crossed her arms over her chest.“It sounds like you and Danny were keeping tabs on us this evening.”
“This is a surprise?”Mike leaned forward, his gaze narrowing a fraction of an inch.“I’m here to tell you that your wholefriends onlystory is a load of bull—”
“He might be able to hear you, you know.”She tugged him to the end of the car.“Honestly, I don’t care what you think about my story.He’s a nice guy, Mike.And he has the sweetest little girl.”She should stop while she was ahead.The more she went on about them, the more questions Mike would have.
“I imagine she’s great when she’s not throwing up on you.”Mike was still watching her.“I know you, you know that.”
She did know that.At times, being his twin was infuriating.Like now.
“Fine.”He sighed.“If you’re not ready to admit the truth, I can’t make you.”He opened his mouth, closed it, then said, “I guess I don’t understand why you two are wasting time.Anyone who saw you all together tonight would have thought they were looking at a family.And that was before the two of you were looking at each other like youwere going to go at it—right there in the bleachers.”His brows rose high.
“You’re overexaggerating, Mike.”She shook her head.“I love you dearly.But I’m tired and cold and I want to go home.”She hugged him.“How about you come to the house tomorrow and tell me how I really feel then, okay?”
“Smart-ass.”But he was chuckling when he hugged her back.“Fine.Go home.Get some sleep.But tomorrow—”
“All right, all right.”She waved him off and climbed into the SUV.“Sorry about tonight, Cody.”Nothing—no grunt of acknowledgment, not a peep.She turned to find him draped over the center armrest, snoring softly.
The drive home seemed longer than usual.Her brain ping-ponged back and forth between what was said the day of their hike and the looks that were exchanged tonight.It was hard to reconcile the two.By the time she unbuckled Cody and tugged him into her arms, she was more confused than ever.
“Good grief, you’ve gotten heavy,” she said, trying to lift him.“I don’t know if I can carry you anymore.”It was enough to have her struggling with tears all over again.Her baby wasn’t a baby anymore.“Cody, honey.We’re home.”She ran her fingers through his curls.
“We are?”He opened one eye.“Okay.”He slipped from the car.
For the first time in a long time, he didn’t resist taking her hand.He let her lead him to his room, tug off his boots and help him get ready for bed.He didn’t even protest when she tucked him in and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“Ma,” Cody murmured, his eyes barely open.“It was real cool how you took care of Delilah tonight.”
“It was real cool how you helped, too.”She smoothed his curls back.“Delilah’s only been living with Braden fora while now—that’s one of the reasons I want us to be their friends.”
Cody’s eyes opened wider.“Where’s her mom?”
“In heaven.”She swallowed.“You were a real helper to Braden tonight.”
Cody stared at her, then nodded.
“You get some sleep, okay?”She couldn’t leave.Even though she knew he’d resist, she leaned forward and gave him a quick hug.“I love you.”So much.
To her surprise, his arms slid around her neck and he hugged back.Tight.“You, too, Ma.”He let her go and closed his eyes.
“Sweet dreams, hon.”She hurried to turn off his bedside lamp and closed his bedroom door behind her.If she didn’t hurry, she’d be sobbing in the hallway—and that just wouldn’t do.Tonight had been a wonderful, awful, confusing night.She didn’t know how to feel, only that she was feeling everything all at once.Once she was in the safety of her room, she flopped onto her bed and tried to clear her head.
Better to focus on the known than flounder in the unknown.What she knew was this: Cody did love her, Delilah and Braden would be okay, and, right or wrong, she wanted Braden to be so much more than her friend.
* * *
Braden’s plan to get Delilah to bed, sit in front of his fireplace and enjoy some peace and quiet had gone out the window the minute his brothers started knocking on the door.
“What are y’all doing here at this time of the night?Is everything okay?”Braden couldn’t imagine them showing up this way if it wasn’t something serious.
“There was a guy.”Miles brushed past him and into the house.“They looked pretty close, too.”
“She went back to get her sweater and coat, and he walked her out to her car.”Hayes came inside, too, his brow furrowed.
“What?Is someone hurt?Everyone okay?”Braden stared out the front door, half expecting the rest of his family to traipse inside without his invitation.When it was clear it was just his brothers, he closed the door, quietly.“Why are you here?And what the hell are you two so worked up about?”
“Did you hear what we said?”Miles scowled at him.
He ran a hand over his face.“Not really.Something about a sweater.”Her sweater and coat.They were talking about Maggie.He should probably offer to get her sweater cleaned.Or burn it.If it was him, he’d burn it.But he’d always been squeamish around throw up.Anything else was no problem.“It’s been a long night, guys.”Even though Delilah seemed okay, he was worrying over her.Her being sick and him not being able to control it or stop it… He didn’t like it.
