Page 10 of Maverick

"Hell if I know. I think he just liked collecting them. He'd spend hours out there on the lake, just casting and reeling, casting and reeling. Drove me nuts sometimes. He'd spread thedamn things on the coffee table and work on them, but it made him happy."

I smile, imagining Grandpa out on the water, content in his little fishing world. "I miss him," I say softly.

Nan’s expression softens, and she reaches out to pat my cheek. "Me too, Bunny. Me too."

We stand there for a moment, lost in our memories until a particularly loud bark breaks the spell.

"Alright, alright, I hear you," I say to the dogs, turning back to the kennels. "Go to bed you stinkers. It's the middle of the damn night. You too Nan. Back to bed. Go change your panties."

She flips me the bird with a cackle then turns and shuffles out of the kennels.

I don't bother stifling my yawns as I make my rounds, checking water bowls and doling out a few nighttime treats. The club job is great, but damn, the hours are tough. I'm more of a rise with the sun kind of girl. These 2:00 AM's are kicking my butt.

I finish up with the dogs, turn the lights off, and head to my little office at the back of the rescue. The little lamp on my desk gives the room a warm glow. Nan is already asleep on the cot, head snuggled into her favorite red satin pillowcase.

I rub my chest, staring at her short gray hair, wishing she were back in her own bedroom, in her queen-size bed, surrounded by everything she loves. It's foolish to wish. The house and pretty much everything that was in it are gone.

But it could be worse. So much worse.

I could have lost her.

I'll take a camping mat and sleeping bag on the floor for the rest of my life if it means she's still with me. It's just stuff. I'll replace it all someday. But for right now, she's all that matters. We're warm, we're safe, and that's a lot more than some other people have.

But it's not forever. Because things will turn around. They always do. I believe that with everything in me, even if right now it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. Maybe that's why I love mornings so much. Everything feels so much brighter, and I feel so much stronger, in the morning.

Yeah, good things are coming for us. I know it.

3

MAVERICK

"Mav," Cara says, tapping her knuckles on my open door. "Have a minute?"

"For you? Always." And it’s true. She’s ruthlessly efficient to the point that Ransom would probably drop to his knees and beg her to stay if she ever decided to quit. So if she’s here, it’s important.

She grins and strolls in, dropping gracefully into the chair in front of my desk, leaning forward to drop a folder on my desk. She still looks exactly the same as she did this morning. Hair perfect. All her buttons in the right place - no small feat considering Declan's in the habit of dragging her into his office for a nooner on the daily.

"Does that lipstick stay on all day, or do you have to reapply it all the time?"

One brow arches, and she leans back in her chair. "Where did that come from?" Her grin is slow, and knowing. "Nevermind. I know. And yeah, it stays there until I take it off. Makes things easier, you know?"

"Right," I mutter, face hot. Not going there. Don't want to think about ways to wear it off. Stop it stupid brain. A slightlyhysterical giggle escapes, and I clench my teeth together to stop any more from escaping.

Cara laughs, letting me off the hook. Not that I think she'd try to make me uncomfortable. "Relax. I know what it does to men's brains. It's fine. You're fine. Red lipstick is a thing, I know."

"Right. A thing. Fuck. Sorry." I reach for the folder, sliding it toward me. "What's this?"

"All the information on that building. The one that might work for executive offices?"

"How do you feel about this plan? You seemed pretty on board with Ransom's original plan to build a new headquarters." We’re overflowing this building. It’s served us well for years, but we need a fuck of a lot more space. Plus, there are kids coming. It’s bound to happen. Mia and Noah are just the tip of the baby iceberg, and Ransom is determined to have the perfect daycare for them.

"I was on board. Anything he wants, it's my job to help him get it. That's the executive assistant's role."

"Fuck the role. You know what I'm asking."

"Yeah, I do. I'm okay with it. I think it's smarter. We can be in there by the end of this year, and let's face it, we need the space. I just…" she trails off, wincing.

"What?"

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