Page 15 of Want You Back

“Her mother is going to be horrified if her kid turns out to be a horse girl.” Despite growing up on the ranch, Faith had no use for horses, rodeos, or cowboys, setting her sights much higher.

“Hannah?” Maverick called from behind us. Kat and I both turned, and Maverick’s eyes narrowed. “Oh. Colt. What are you doing here? Official business? Everything okay?”

“Not official business.” I pointed at my choice of T-shirt and jeans. “I’m in dad mode. Willow takes riding lessons from Kat on Saturdays.”

“Uncle Maverick!” Hannah took that moment to pop her head out of a nearby stall. “Come see Pepperjack.”

“Hi, Pepperjack.” Maverick gave a wary wave. Pepperjack paid all of us no mind. He was a chestnut quarter horse born at this very ranch and was the last of the rodeo horses Betsey and her parents had trained. Willow was experienced and had Pepperjack safely tethered so she could start the process of getting her horse ready to ride. Hannah gazed at Willow’s ease in handling the horse with nothing short of pure hero worship.

“Willow says she can make him do tricks,” Hannah said to Maverick. “They race in real rodeos together.”

“You wanna brush him?” Willow offered archly, clearly loving being the teacher. “Then I gotta get him saddled and warmed up.”

Hannah took Willow’s instructions well, carefully brushing Pepperjack while praising the horse and listening to Willow’s spiel on how to saddle him.

“I think you’ve got a horse girl on your hands,” I said to Maverick, leaning my arms on a nearby stable door.

“Apparently.” Maverick shook his head. “Faith’s gonna have kittens. Surprisingly, I can’t wait to see it.”

“Guess it’s good one of y’all has fun.” I smiled, watching the girls, feeling more conversational than usual. “You settling in?”

“I suppose. Got the Wi-Fi sorted. Bumbling through some ranch questions with Grayson. Set up a finance meeting. Faith is looking into challenging the will.”

“Sounds productive.” I had no doubt Faith and Maverick would bail the second they found a loophole, but the longer they stayed the better for the community and also for my kid. I didn’t know where else Willow could train at a price I could afford.

“I’ve got no clue what I’m doing.” Maverick slumped against a post. “I’m gonna fuck things up.”

“Probably.” I wouldn’t lie. Maverick had spent his whole life running from the ranch. He was going to make mistakes, probably some big ones. But he also knew more than he thought he did. “Maybe no worse than someone else would.”

“Guess that’s one way to look at it.” Maverick’s gaze shifted to watching the girls as Willow saddled up Pepperjack. “Willow looks like Betsey but with your eyes.”

“Yeah.” Willow was tall for her age, blonde with brown eyes, and Betsey’s confidence, as was evidenced by her efficient movements and determined jaw.

“I’m sorry you lost Betsey.” Maverick’s tone turned sympathetic. “It must have been hard on you and Willow both.”

“Thanks.” I gave a curt nod. “Been harder on Willow. Betsey’s folks moved to Arizona after the accident. Couldn’t stomach sticking around here.” Betsey had died on the way to a rodeo, an unlucky tango with a semi. “We’re grateful to Gray and Kat for giving us a place to keep Willow’s horse.”

“I’m glad Gray and Kat were there for you.”

“Hey, Kat!” Willow called out. “What if Hannah tries Magnolia?”

“I could ride?” Hannah’s eyes darn near turned into a pair of horseshoes.

“Sure.” Willow didn’t seem in any hurry to get to her usual routine of warming up before chasing down barrels. “I can show you.”

“She’s probably as good a teacher as me at this point.” Kat gave a warm laugh, turning toward Maverick. “And Magnolia is old, slow, and as sweet as they come.” She pointed over at Magnolia’s stall, where the older horse regarded us through bored eyes. “You wanna call Faith for permission, or do you wanna give the green light?”

“I’ll let Faith turn her wrath on me.” Maverick laughed with the ease of someone who hadn’t been a parent. However, in this case, I was inclined to let him make the call. Hannah clearly yearned to ride. “Easier to beg forgiveness.”

“Alrighty.” Kat rubbed her calloused hands together. “Let’s get Magnolia saddled.”

“You sticking around to watch?” Maverick asked me.

This would be the ideal moment to slip away, go do some errands in town, anything to avoid more time with Maverick. “Sure.” I nodded anyway. “I’ve got the whole day for Willow.”

And him. I always had been a bit of an idiot where Maverick Lovelorn was concerned.

Chapter10

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