3
Maverick
“Wow, you…fuck, Clara, you look really damn pretty.” I blurted the words before I could stop myself as she approached my truck.
Her cheeks turned pink. “You’re such a wordsmith, its amazing you haven’t written a book yet.”
I grinned. “Just wait. I’ll write the next great American novel one day and you’ll be eating your words.”
Holding open the door for her, I helped her into the passenger seat before making sure she was safely inside and then heading for my side.
As we drove together toward Whiskey Ranch, she stared at me, her gaze making me nervous. “What? Did I cut myself shaving or something?”
“No. You clean up real nice. I was wondering if you really do want to write a novel.”
I flicked my gaze to her. “Nah. I’m more of a book reader than writer. Besides, between Texas, Sunrise, and now Seattle, I’m not sure I have time for anything else.”
“Seattle?”
Why was my collar suddenly tight and uncomfortable. “Yeah. My dad, even after he died he figured out a way to control us. I was just told I now have ownership of an NHL team up in Seattle. So I have to figure that shit out.”
“Hockey?”
“Yup.”
“Like with sticks and pucks and ice?”
My laughter filled the cab. “Yes. Sticks, pucks, ice.”
“Do you like hockey?”
“It’s fine. I kind of like the idea of owning a sports team, honestly. It’s cool. As long as I can manage it without living there, I’ll probably keep it.”
She was quiet for a long time. Clara was pensive often, but today she seemed to have a lot on her mind.
“How is your granddad’s place doing?” she finally asked, breaking the silence just when I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I think we’re getting it handled. I’ll have to make a choice though. I can’t keep going back and forth all the time. It look like maybe I’ll go back and stay there. Visit Sunrise every six months or so.”
Sadness crept into her expression as we stopped for an errant heifer who’d decided crossing the goddamned road was a good idea. “Someone should call the Rykers and let them know they’ve got some broken fence.”
“Already on it,” she said, phone to her ear. “Hey, Trent. Aw, I’m doing great, how are you?” The way she toyed with the ends of her hair as she talked to him had a strange curl of jealousy unfurling in my gut. “Heading to Hunter and Greta’s wedding. Oh, you’re coming? Of course I’ll save you a dance.” No she would not. She was my date. “No. Well, that’s why I’m calling actually. Mav and I just saw a Ryker Ranch heifer wander across the road. About a mile past marker fifteen. No problem.” She let out a soft laugh and I swear to fucking God, I nearly pulled over and hung up the phone for her. What the fuck was wrong with me?
“All good?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“Yep. They’ve already got ranch hands fixing the fence and rounding up the cows. It’s always something.”
“It sure as shit is.” I gripped the steering wheel hard and focused on the road in front of us. “So, you and Trent, huh?”
“What?” The shock in her voice eased something in me. “No. Definitely not. Why would you even think that?”
“The way you smiled when you talked to him.”
“No. I’m not interested in him. No way. He’s a nice guy, but dating isn’t really part of my plan right now.”
“What if you met the right guy?”
She sighed. “I don’t think that’s real. The right one is usually a choice. A lie we tell ourselves.”
“That’s pessimistic.”
“It’s true. I’ve seen it. So have you.”
Well if that wasn’t the most true thing she’d ever said. “Yeah. My dad was a real fuck-up when it came to lots of things. Relationships especially.”
“Exactly. I don’t want that.”
“What happens when you decide you want more from your life? Are you going to be happy just being with yourself? You don’t want kids or anything?”
“Oh, I do. I want a family.”
I laughed. “That’s kind of hard to do without the guy.”
“I have my ways. I can’t count on other people to make my dreams come true. So, I don’t look for my prince charming. He doesn’t exist.”
“You really believe that, don’t you?”
“Yep. Makes things a lot simpler. I don’t get hurt because I don’t expect anything other than the occasional night between the sheets.”
Why did I hate that so much?
“You do that a lot?”
“What?”
“Spend the night with someone who doesn’t mean anything to you?”
A blush crept up her neck. “No. I’ve done it a handful of times since college.”
“Have you ever had a real relationship?”
“Yeah. I dated a guy in college. Pretty seriously. It…didn’t work out.”
Instant anger coiled in me. That asshole had hurt her. He’d broken her faith in men. I could see it written all over her as I waited for the gates of Whiskey Ranch to open so we could drive through to the private event.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. I learned a lot about myself and what I need. It just reaffirmed my theory that I don’t need a man to make me whole.”
“You’re one hell of a woman, Clara Barnes.”
She grinned at me as I parked. “Don’t go falling in love with me, Maverick Wilde. You won’t recover.”
“I don’t doubt it.” I got out of the truck and opened her door, offering to help her down and laughing when she refused. Stubborn woman. “Come on, let’s go watch our friends get married, then we can have a night of dancing and drinking without worrying about strings.”
“Sounds like a perfect arrangement.”
It would’ve been perfect, if she hadn’t have smelled so damn good and felt fucking perfect in my arms as we danced in the warm light of the wedding venue. I swayed with her held tight to me, just giving myself over to the feel of her as the night wore on.
One dance became two, and before we knew it, the night was nearly over and we were headed home in my truck both of us silent as the rough road jostled us. I pulled up to the clinic, gaze trained on the stairs that led to her apartment over the office.
“Well, I guess this was a success.”
She smiled. “Total success. No one even talked to us all night.”
“I think Mel Langston was too focused on watching to see if I kissed you to bother talking to us.”
Even in the dimly lit cab I could see the blush creeping up her cheeks. “And Doc was probably taking bets on how long this would last between us.”
A tendril of hair fell into her face and I couldn’t help myself, I reached out and tucked it behind her ear. Her eyes caught mine, the little hitch in her breath doing nothing to ease the tension.
“Mav?” she whispered, dragging my focus to her lips.
“You look really pretty tonight, Clara. You know that?”