Page 49 of The Cupcake Cottage

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Daisy-Mae didn’t know what to think. She’d practically had to strong-arm Maverick into celebrating his own win. And thenonce they were out, he kept hiding away, refusing to pose for the cameras with her. The photos that had been released didn’t exactly exude love.

She didn’t get it. He smiled that special smile for her, was always dropping by her office when he was in the city, stealing kisses here and there, phoning her when he was traveling.

It no longer made any sense.

It had been several days since the win—the last time they’d seen each other—and now he’d asked her to meet him for coffee.

Something had shifted between them, and she wasn’t sure what it was. It felt like they were getting closer as a couple, but he was acting strangely, pulling back whenever they had a public commitment. Had she done something wrong? Was he afraid she was going to make him look bad?

It didn’t help that Louis had called her into his office two days ago, looking tired and asking for the scoop.

There was no scoop.

Maybe Maverick was getting pressured by Louis, too, and it was making him seize up in public. He’d said he’d try to get better at the publicity stuff, but it felt like he was getting worse.

Leo and Landon still didn’t have deals, and there were only four more months in the season since it would take a miracle to make playoffs, which would have extended their season by another two months and into June.

She slipped into the Longhorn Diner, scanning the room, which was decked out for Christmas.

She took a stool at the back, planning to order a coffee while she waited for Maverick.

“Hey, Levi,” she said, recognizing the man one stool down. Cowboy hat, dark hair, blue eyes. Wylder through and through. She unwound the scarf his sister-in-law April had knitted her last year and bunched it on the counter.

“Hey, how’s life?” he asked. “I barely see y’all these days.”

“Yeah, life’s kind of gotten busy,” she said, shaking out her hair.

“Who’s that gorgeous woman sitting alone?” Maverick said moments after she’d gotten herself settled.

“It’s like he doesn’t even see me when you’re around,” Levi joked, grinning at Maverick, who gave him a nod.

“Hey, stranger.” Daisy-Mae slid off her stool to give Maverick a hug. He responded by pulling her into his arms, giving her an extra squeeze, and landing a kiss on her lips.

It made her believe everything was perfect—as well as wonder why he couldn’t do this when the cameras were on them.

“Get a room,” Mrs. Fisher, the ancient waitress, told them from behind the counter. She waved her coffeepot at them and they nodded.

Levi reached over the counter, grabbing Daisy-Mae and Maverick fresh cups for Mrs. Fisher to fill.

“Thanks, hon,” she said, not even scolding him like usual for doing her job.

Maverick stole another quick kiss from Daisy-Mae as Mrs. Fisher filled the cups.

“You’ll turn off the customers with all that smoochin’,” Henry Wylder replied as he took a stool a few down from where they were standing. He jabbed a thumb toward his own chest. “Me.”

“We’ll be over here, Mrs. Fisher,” Daisy-Mae said, picking up the cups and gesturing at an empty booth.

“Want to order a bite?”

They shook their heads and made their way over to the booth.

“Is he still glaring at us?” Maverick whispered as they left the counter.

“Henry always glares at me.”

“He’s as ornery as Bill,” Maverick muttered, referring to the armadillo that terrorized the town.

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