Page 11 of Maverick

"He really liked the idea of building something for all of us. I hate seeing him disappointed."

"Me too. But this is logical."

“When has logic ever mattered? It wasn't necessarily logical to build a forty story high rise and live there. It was long and slow, but he had a vision."

"He always has a vision. I guess the problem is that now, our family has competing visions. It's an adjustment." It's bound to happen with all of the women who've joined our family. Mybrothers are prioritizing their women, as they should, but all of us are still trying to recalibrate.

"He's afraid he's going to lose all of you," she says softly.

Her words hit me hard. "Lose us? Why would he think that?"

Cara's eyes are sad. "You're all coupling up. Having babies. Building your lives with your women. Moving out, moving on, is inevitable. And I think he must worry that he's going to get left behind." It's nice of her to include me in that when we both know there's no relationship on the horizon for me. Unless Cadence—. Nope. Nevermind. Not going there.

I shake my head, a lump in my throat. "That's not possible. He's our brother. Our family. That doesn't change just because the guys fell in love."

"I know that. And logically, so does he. But emotions aren't always logical, are they?"

I lean back in my chair, running a hand through my hair. "No, they're not." It's weird to think about Ransom as emotional. Not that he's a robot. But he's always so together, always knowing where we're going, knowing the path.

"He had to have known that we wouldn't stay single forever."

"I'm sure he did, but you have to admit, this is fast. In a year, eight of you have found love. I mean, that's crazy, right?"

"A little." Or a lot. "It's a little weird. Some nights, you guys are all busy doing your own things, and it's just Ransom and I."

She frowns and bites her lip. "Do we need to find him a girlfriend?"

I can't stop the physical recoil.

Cara laughs. "Jesus. Are you expecting him to stay single forever? It sure looks like it."

"I…fuck. Maybe I am. That's fucked up. He deserves happiness more than anyone." But in a weird way I do want him to stay single forever. He's the head. He's like the dad, eventhough he's only a bit older than I am. And I can't picture him not focused on us.

We're fucking co-dependent.

"And what about you Mav? Don't you deserve to be happy?"

I shoot her a grin. "I kneel next to my bed every night, begging the Baby Jesus to send me a woman to love. So far, nothing. I think he must be asleep. I should try praying earlier."

She slaps a hand over her eyes. "Oh, my poor pathetic guy. That's your whole plan to meet someone? Pray? No wonder you're single! Do you want me to set you up?"

"On a date?" I ask blankly.

She groans and flaps a hand at me. "You're hopeless. Listen, just promise me that if you ever meet someone who lights you up, even just a little bit, you'll explore it. It's okay if it's not forever. But you have to put yourself out there."

I grunt and tap the folder on my desk. "Thanks for this. I'll look it over."

"Fine," she mutters, standing, "be like that. But it's going to happen one of these days, and I can't wait. I hope she puts you through the wringer."

After she leaves, I sit for a long time, staring at the wall. Thinking about family, and about change. About the bonds that tie us together. And how I hope, no matter what changes, those bonds will always remain.

But maybe they have to loosen a bit.

Or maybe we just lasso the new people and tie them up with us. Then we can all move through life as one living mass.

It's not the worst idea.

Thoughts of Cadence force themselves in, memories flashing. To the way she looked at me last night. To that moment when she nailed me with that sexy smile, and flirted her ass off.

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