Page 2 of Want You Back

The same could have been said for Maverick, who was as much a Lovelorn as his father and all his relations, back to the first homesteaders in the 1870s. They’d founded the town, and the ranch had long been the largest taxpayer in the county. In addition to cattle and crops, the ranch had a world-class reputation for breeding and raising quarter horses. And now Maverick and his sister were the last of the Lovelorns, and the two of them hadn’t been able to leave the county fast enough. And for all that their father had been a cantankerous soul, he’d had a strong moral compass. He’d begrudged the hell out of the responsibility, but he’d ultimately done right by the town and his ranch.

I doubted Maverick could be trusted to do the same.

“What happens now?” I asked, already dreading the answer. “What are you and Faith going to do with the ranch?”

“Nothing left to be done.” He shook his head mournfully. “Place is cursed. Sell the whole damn lot.”

“Sheriff?” My radio crackled with an update from Dolores. “I’ve got those plates you wanted. You’ll never guess who the vehicle is registered to.”

“Maverick Lovelorn.” I stole a little of her glee and immediately felt bad for it. “I’m finishing up here, Dolores. No ticket. I’ll be back in time for that meeting with the insurance folks.”

“See you then. Over and out.” She didn’t sound too put out by my curtness, but then, Dolores was hard to ruffle.

“So I’m free to go?” Maverick asked.

“You follow real estate, I’m sure.” I ignored his question. “You know what’s happening all over the state. Durango wants to be the next Jackson Hole, full of part-timers and hobby ranchers pricing out the locals. Aspen. Vail. Jackson Hole. All major tourist destinations for the rich and richer. No one who works there can afford to live there.”

“Lovelorn is hardly as attractive as Durango to tourists.” Maverick scoffed. “It’s the bean capital of the world. The new biofuel plant was the major news of the decade.”

“Yep. Plant opened, brought a few new faces to town.” I was surprised Maverick had kept up with the town that much. Maybe there was hope for him yet. “Developers have been sniffing around. For people priced out of Durango, Lovelorn would do just fine. And if not land-grabbing developers, a corporate farm will swoop in and be just as bad for the area.”

Either choice would be terrible as a corporate farm meant profits over people with lower wages and worse land practices, especially regarding water rights, which Maverick’s father had always been generous with. Pricing out the locals with hobby ranches would dry up employment and affect many of my friends, family, and fellow townsfolk who lived paycheck to paycheck as it was.

“Change happens. Even in Lovelorn.” Maverick sliced right through any hope I had that he might see reason.

“Look, I know your dad did a number on you and Faith. But this town loved you both. Raised you.” I made my voice sterner. Compassion hadn’t worked, but maybe good old-fashioned guilt would. “Your dad wasn’t beloved by any means, but his loss is still gonna be felt by many. Don’t make it worse.”

“I’m sorry. Truly.” Looking down, Maverick studied his hands. “But we have to sell.”

Chapter2

Maverick

Then: Summer Before Freshman Year

Pow.Pow. Pow.The more I fired the buttons, the better I felt. Take that aliens. And that.Pow. Pow. Pow.The old arcade machine shook slightly from the force of my button smashing, and still, I played on. I wasn’t about to waste my second to last quarter.

Dun Dun Duh!Tinny music sounded as I finished a level. As I waited for the next level to load, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

“Hey.”

“What do you want?” I whirled to find Colt Jennings standing there.

He’d been helping in the back when I’d arrived at his aunt’s little diner in downtown Lovelorn. As the county seat, we had a small downtown with the county courthouse at one end and the sheriff’s station at the other, next to the firehouse. In between were a few blocks of small businesses, including this freestanding diner. I’d been in a crappy mood even before I hitched a ride to town with Faith, and an hour of playing arcade games hadn’t done nearly enough to help.

“You don’t have to keep feeding it quarters.” Colt was in my grade. Couldn’t say we were friends, but then, I didn’t have any of those. He’d always been around, though, as long as I could remember. He was quiet but respectful and helpful, the sort of teacher’s favorite I’d never managed to be.

“How else am I supposed to play?” I scoffed.

“My aunt keeps these games for fun.” One thing about Colt, he never got riled up. Never got mad. Just kept right on with what he’d come to say, same as if I hadn’t been rude. “There’s a switch that lets you play for free. She sent me over to flip it. But if you’re not interested…”

“I’m almost out of quarters.” I stepped aside so he could fiddle with a key on the underside of the machine, near where the money could be removed. “Thanks.” I could have left it at that, but something, whether guilt or boredom, made me add, “You play?”

“Only every day.” Colt snorted. “One-player mode sucks though.”

I’d already encountered the limitations of playing against the machine, enough to find myself nodding in agreement.

“Who knows when Faith will be done at the salon.” I tried to sound as casual as Colt always managed. Faith called me dramatic. My dad called me worse. But I didn’t want to think about that. “You wanna play me?”

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