Page 61 of Maverick

Bree closes her eyes, a look of devastation on her face.

“I don’t get it,” I admit, feeling and probably looking baffled. As far as I can tell, Janey is pure sunshine. “What if your babies are sweet and intuitive, and kind and gentle and comforting?” Janey’s head comes up, and her expression is so hopeful it’s devastating. “I think the world needs more kids exactly like that.”

She wipes at her cheek, and sucks in a shaky breath. “Okay. I’ll talk to him.”

20

MAVERICK

Nan's huddled with a group of seniors, her face animated as she chats with them. I'm pretty sure she's trying to convince them to let us younger guys join in on their pickleball game. A couple of older guys keep smirking over at us. Is it wrong that I want to smack that look off their faces?

Yeah, it's wrong. Hitting eighty year olds isn't okay. I'm pretty sure it's a rule.

I turn to Nick and Jonas. "Listen, I've been trying to find a moment to talk to Nan about my feelings for Cadence, but you two keep interrupting. So we're going to play this fucking game, then you're going to excuse yourselves, got it?"

Nick raises an eyebrow. "Your feelings for Cadence, huh? Do tell."

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Don't play dumb. You know damned well I can't stop thinking about her. She's incredible, and living with her these past few weeks has only made me fall for her harder."

Jonas leans in, nodding seriously. "That's how it happens. You get her in your space, and soon you can't imagine your life without her. You judged me when I proposed to Janey, but youdid exactly the same thing. You could have given them the extra apartment. But you didn't."

I shoot him a look. "No, I didn't. And you're right, I judged you, hard. Honestly, I'm judging myself pretty damned hard, too. Just because I followed your lead doesn't mean I actually think it's an ethical thing to do. I should have given them a choice. But instead, I pushed my own fucking agenda. And even though I feel bad, I'm not sorry."

"I guess it depends on what your intentions are," Nick says, leaning against the wall. "You planning to fuck her or marry her?"

I glare at him. "I want to date her, obviously. I want to make her happy, support her dreams, be there for her. But I need to talk to Nan first, make sure she's okay with it. If I don't have her blessing, it could be a really big problem."

"Problem," Jonas says, frowning. "Why would it…oh! Sexual relations would be challenging with her wandering around the apartment."

"Could be fun though too, sneaking around," Nick says, sounding distracted.

Jonas's eyes go hazy. "I like sneaking around. My Janey and I do it at work all the time."

Nick and I trade glances, grinning. "I hate to break it to you brother, but waving, and giving us a thumbs up as you and Janey do the walk of shame isn't really 'sneaking'."

Jonas just smirks.

"It's a smart move," Nick says. "Getting the grandma's blessing."

"Exactly," I agree. "But I can't do that with you two hovering around so after the game, you're gone, okay?"

Nick claps me on the shoulder. "After we play, then we'll go. Right now, we're going to kick some ass. Then we'll eat pickles."

Again with the fucking pickles.

We head over to where Nan is still chatting with her friends. She looks up as we approach, a mischievous twinkle in her eye that sends a little wave of dread through my body.

"Well, well, well. Look who's decided to join us. You boys ready to learn how to play pickleball?"

I grin, pushing thoughts of Cadence to the back of my mind for now. "Bring it on, Nan. Let's see what you've got."

The sweat poursdown my face as I bend over, hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. Nick's right beside me, equally winded. Jonas saunters over, cool as a fucking cucumber.

"You are not doing well. At all. I suspect that you're the worst players in the history of this sport," he says, shaking his head. "This is embarrassing." Then he wanders away, pulling up a seat at a table of little white haired ladies, who immediately pass him a cinnamon bun the size of his head. He even lets one of them pat his hand.

The man's a food whore.

"When we get home, remind me to break into his Lego room and tear apart his Hogwarts model."

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