Page 44 of Maverick

Dammit Cady, stop it!

Nan seems to agree. "Alright, we'll give this a try. Cady, leave the cot and mattress in place. If this guy turns out to be a lunatic, we can come right back."

She's gone before I can open my mouth. Sighing, I study my boss, who looks anything but rich at the moment. His hair is messy, he's got wet spots on his t-shirt, and he generally looks like he's worked hard, which he has.

But it's the look in his eyes that makes me swallow my objections. Yeah, we're okay here. I still believe that. I wouldn'thave put Nan or I in a situation I thought was dangerous. Uncomfortable? Yeah. But not dangerous.

But I can't stop myself from asking the big question. "Why? Why does this matter so much to you?"

His gaze is level. "Because you matter, Cadence."

"And if I say no?"

"Then I'll be sleeping in my car outside every night."

He didn't even hesitate. He had that answer ready. God, who is this guy? "You wouldn't do that. That's insane."

His lips tighten into a grim line. "I've been called worse. But I'll do it, without a second's hesitation."

Abby puts a hand on my shoulder. "Cadence, it's fine. These guys have so much money, it's ridiculous. It's okay to ask for help. There's actually an emp?—"

"Abby," Maverick says sharply. She clamps her mouth shut, and the two of them have some sort of silent conversation that ends with Abby grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Um, anyway, as I was saying, there's plenty of space. I haven't been in Mav's apartment, but they're all pretty similar, and they’re huge. There's plenty of room for you and your grandma." Biting her lip, she continues, voice softer. "What happened Cady? How did you end up here?"

I should have been expecting the question, but I still stare at her blankly for a minute. The memories of that time still feel raw, like an open wound that refuses to heal. "A couple years ago, Nan was diagnosed with cancer." My voice wavers slightly, and I clear my throat, pushing back the emotion. "She fought hard, and she beat it, but the insurance... it didn't even come close to covering everything." There's so much I would have done differently. So much I wish she hadn't hid from me.

The panic and worry of those days wash over me again, the image of Nan, frail and sick, burned into my mind. All the nights I slept on the floor next to her bed so I could be there foranything she needed. But I don't share that part. I can't. It's too personal, too painful.

"We hung on as long as we could, but the bill collectors were…a lot. Every time the phone rang we both got tense. The stress was just too much. There were so many bills, we needed a big influx of cash to make a real dent in them, and Nan insisted we sell her house to pay most of the debt." I can feel my defenses rising, the need to justify our choices. "We're nearly out from under it. I just need a few more months."

But even as I say it, I can't help the twinge of guilt. I should have been able to keep Nan in her home. There had to have been a way, but I wasn't smart enough to figure it out, and that chafes. "I suggested we get an apartment with some of the money, but our credit wasn't great, and we both just…wanted to be done with all the bills. We've been camping out, but it's not been bad, really. We're warm and dry, we have food, and the dogs are great little alarm systems."

One of his thick, dark brows raise. "They can't be that good. You didn't realize I was here."

"I thought I'd be on my own this morning. I put earplugs in so I could sleep in a bit longer. Ah, yeah, the alarm was on my phone, which is…broken."

Maverick's face darkens. "So anyone could have come in, and you wouldn't know it. You would have been defenseless, Cadence."

I haven't been defenseless since I was a kid, not that he'd know that. "I have my bat."

"I disarmed you in seconds," he says with a bit of a sneer.

This dude! "I was half asleep. And you had the code! You didn't break in. I would have heard the alarms. You're just being dramatic."

"Dramatic?" he says, tone low and dangerous. "You?—"

"That's enough. Cadence, you've done great taking care of your Nan. Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing the best you can in a tough situation." Abby steps closer, her hand still on my shoulder, a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "You're just getting a little help over the finish line, that's all."

Just a little help. I could use it, I'm woman enough to admit it. But living with my boss, the hot sexy guy I've been having steamy dreams about?

The cost may be too high. But I'm tired of fighting, while Maverick looks like he could keep going for hours. Would it be so awful to just…give in? Just for right now?

"Fine. We'll come and stay with you, temporarily. And if it doesn't work, we'll leave, and there won't be a peep out of you about it, you hear me?"

He grins, but there's something sharp about it. I don't think he agrees, but all he says is. "I hear you, Cady. Now get your things. I'm taking you home."

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