Page 64 of Maverick

"I can see that. I haven't known her a long time, but she…shines."

"I figured you saw it. I mean, why else would a man like you haul a woman and her grandma back to his place? It's obvious you've fallen for her."

I clear my throat, shifting in my seat. "You're not wrong," I admit, meeting Nan's gaze. "I can't stop thinking about her. Cadence, she's...she's something special."

Nan nods, her expression unreadable. "And what exactly are your intentions with my granddaughter?"

This was the whole point of this outing, to talk to Nan, but damn, I didn't expect to be this nervous. "I like her, Nan. A lot. And I think she might feel the same way. But the moment she found out I was her boss, she shut down. She put up these massive walls between us."

"Can you blame her?" Nan asks, raising an eyebrow. "The kind of money you boys have is…power. A woman would be a fool to jump in with both feet. When you add in the fact that her paycheck is coming from you?" She shakes her head. "Of course, she's cautious."

"I would never do anything to jeopardize her security," I say firmly. "Cadence's job is safe, no matter what. I'm not that kind of man. I assured her of that."

Nan studies me for a long moment, her eyes piercing. "And what kind of man are you, Maverick?"

I meet her gaze head-on. "The kind who cares deeply about the people in his life. The kind who would do anything for the ones he loves. And the kind who knows that family is everything."

"And the kind that is out late most nights, working."

Well damn, she doesn't pull any punches. "I'm trying to lighten my caseload. I take on outside cases, but they've startedto take over my life in a way that's not…healthy. I'm working on that."

Nan's expression softens slightly, but she's not letting me off the hook that easily. "Relationships take time and effort. I am assuming that's what you want with my Cady?" She waits for my nod and then continues. "And what do you want from me, exactly?"

I take a deep breath, knowing this is the moment of truth. "Your blessing," I say simply. "I know how important you are to Cadence. You're her whole world. And I respect that. I respect you. I would never want to come between you two or do anything to upset the balance of your relationship. And with all of us living in my place, there's a distinct possibility you'll be right in the middle of everything."

Nan leans back in her seat, considering my words. "Is that what you imagined? Courting a young woman with her grandma sitting next to her at the dinner table? That can't be appealing."

Nan's expression is doubtful, and I guess I should have expected that. "Do you know how we grew up? Do you know much about my family's history?"

"No, son, I don't. I know that you're not all blood, but not much else. I've been trying to keep to myself and not wiggle myself into your family."

I didn't know she was trying to keep herself separate, and I want to punch myself in the gut. Why didn't I do a better job of helping her settle in? I just saw a busy woman, always out at her community center, and didn't think about it. She should have never felt like she had to stay out of my way.

"I'm sorry you felt that way. That I made you feel that way. That's not really how we operate. When I invited you to live with me, I mostly knew what I was signing up for. I meant for you to feel completely at home. I'm sorry I didn't make that clear." She nods, a small smile on her lips, and I clear my throat.

"My mom was a stripper. She died when I was eight. And after she died, I was in eleven foster homes in four years. I was angry, and combative during most of that time." Maybe that's an understatement. A giant ball of rage might be a more appropriate description of my mental state in those years.

"Finally, I ended up at this facility for foster youth. The kids there were the troublemakers, the ones who couldn't hack it in families, and I fit right in. I wasn't really a troublemaker, but I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I would argue with anyone about anything. And I was damned good at it. I'd argue with the staff, and with other kids, and the arguments usually ended up with the other person pissed off and frustrated."

"It was about control," I admit. "I didn't feel like I had any, but being able to talk up one side of a person, and down the other was something I was always good at. So I did it a lot. That's when Ransom found me."

"Found you? You make it sound like some movie, where he swooped in and took you away from there."

"Nah, not exactly like that. He was only a couple of years older. I remember when he came. Some of the kids arrived with an attitude, posturing and trying to show everyone how tough they are. Others looked scared shitless. Ransom was different. He was quiet. Watchful. But even then, he held himself with a confidence that was completely unique in there. It was nearly a prison, but he made it seem like a place he was choosing to be. And then he started collecting us."

Nan leans forward, hands gripping the arms of her chair. "Collecting you?"

"Yeah. I never really questioned why he chose us. Looking back now, it's so obvious. Each one of us had a skill set or personality that makes the company what it is. I don't know if Ransom always imagined this life for us or if his plan shifted as we came together. Either way, none of us regret where we'veended up. Ransom helped us channel those parts of ourselves that made us difficult into something valuable. Something that made our family stronger."

"I can see that," she says softly, watching me carefully. I'm sure she's confused. She asked me why I'd want her around, and the only way for her to really understand, is to understand who we are.

"It was just the nine of us for a long time. And we built a good life, but after a few million, money doesn't matter all that much. All that mattered was family. But we've all lost people we loved. And even though we love each other, and see each other as family in every way that matters, something was always missing, you know?"

There's the dawning realization sweeping over her face. "Yeah honey," she says slowly. "I think I do know. My George always said I made our house a home, and I think he believed that's true. But I always saw our home as the people, and life inside it."

"Exactly. The women started coming along, and everything got better. But it wasn't just the women. Bree and Cara are sisters, and we loved having Bree around. We treated her like our own sister until Nick defiled her. And Janey's dad's coming around more. He's a pretty good guy. And now you…"

"Me?"

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