Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 77936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I said the motto so often it might as well join my collection of tattoos on my arms. My own personal preferences were irrelevant. Maverick needed to put Hannah and Faith ahead of whatever we had going here, and that was simply a truth I’d have to swallow.
“You matter too.” He always was a stubborn one.
“I’m not a kid.” I focused all my attention on turning skewers as if I’d be graded on the results.
“No, you’re the man I love, and that counts for something.” Maverick stood beside me, shoulder to shoulder, not letting me ignore his presence. “I’m going to fight for us too.”
“Okay.” I truly didn’t want to argue. Sweat rolled down my back, and my neck was stiff and creaky from the effort of not looking at Maverick. He’d said love, and my heart had thrilled even as my stomach clenched. Love did count for something, but not nearly enough.
“Okay?” Maverick scoffed. “How about telling me you’ll fight for us too?”
Inhale. Exhale. Try to find words that might salvage the evening without bold-faced lying.
“You can’t do that.” Maverick didn’t wait for my reply. “You’ve already packed my bags for me. For all your talk about saving the ranch, you’d let me sell rather than put your own heart on the line.”
“Mav—” I couldn’t not look at him now, and his face was a mask of tight pain. I hated this for all of us. Most of all, I hated that I couldn’t seem to summon the belief he so desperately needed.
“Ask me to stay. Tell me you want me to stay and fight.”
God. Splitting my chest open and laying my heart on the picnic table might hurt less. I wanted with an intensity that stole my breath. I wanted him. I was always going to want him.
As we stood there staring at each other, emotional deadlock, our phones trilled at the exact same moment. Dread washed over me even before I answered Dolores’s call, a sticky, sick feeling that something terrible had happened. Maverick stalked to the other side of the patio with his phone in hand.
I listened to Dolores’s report while watching Maverick from across the patio. The color drained from his face. I quickly plated steaks that would undoubtedly go uneaten now. After Dolores finished, I lined up the vegetable skewers on another platter to keep my hands moving until Maverick returned to my side.
“Faith’s been in a car accident,” he said woodenly. “Guess you know that.”
“Yeah.” She’d been airlifted to Durango. She was alive, but it certainly wasn’t sounding good. Our deputies had responded to the scene, which was the reason for Dolores’s call. Sure, I was known to be friendly with the Lovelorn family, but I was Sheriff Jennings first. “Faith is gonna get charged with at least a DUI as well, Mav, and I can’t stop that from happening.”
“I’d never ask you to use your power to get her off the hook.” Skin gray and eyes haggard, Maverick looked like he’d aged ten years in five minutes. “I need to go to her. Alone. I don’t want Hannah there until I know what we’re dealing with. Can Hannah stay here with Willow?”
“Of course.” That was the least I could do. I couldn’t stop the shitstorm headed Maverick’s way, and I wasn’t at all certain our connection could survive the crossroads we seemed to be at. However, I would always care. That much was a given.
“We’re not done with this conversation.” Maverick’s stare bore into me, finding every doubt.
“Focus on Faith and Hannah.” I clapped him on the shoulder. I wanted to pull him into a full hug, but his rigid body language didn’t invite that. “I’ll wait.”
“You shouldn’t have to. That’s my whole point.” He raised his voice only to lower it again quickly, defeated. “But yes, I need to go.”
“I’ll be here.” And I would. Always. Perhaps not in the way Maverick wanted, but I would always be here, trying to do right by him. Trying to do right by everyone, even if it meant losing out on the man I loved.
Chapter 32
Maverick
After I received the call about Faith’s accident, time blurred. I phoned Adler to tell him what had happened while still at Colt’s house, and Adler had insisted on driving me to Durango. Probably smart since my whirling brain could barely piece together the words to tell Hannah, let alone drive to Durango. I stuck to the bare facts for Hannah. Faith had been in an accident, but we didn’t know how bad her injuries were yet. I was going to go be with her. We both teared up, and I promised to send updates via Colt.
However, for the longest time, there were no updates to send. When we got to the hospital, Faith was already in surgery. Her injuries included a possible head injury, a broken leg, and broken ribs, with likely internal injuries. The trauma surgical team was working to stabilize her, and we were directed to an ICU waiting area by hospital staff.