Page 5 of Waiting for the Rancher
Maverick scrambled in the damp grass to get away from Sterling. Even if he kept pretending that he’d been the one to start everything, it would still hurt Sterling. But stretching the truth wouldn’t devastate him the same way Violet’s betrayal would.
Sterling crawled after him, grabbing his legs and pulling him back.
“Fine!” Maverick shouted, ducking his head and barely missing another fist to his face. “I got carried away. But it’s all me, not Violet. She loves you and wants to marry you.”
From the corner of his eye, he could see that the guests were spilling out of the house onto the porch and down the steps. Violet was now huddled against Hazel nearby, her face buried, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
Sterling pushed Maverick to the ground and planted the full weight of his body on Maverick. With his tie askew and streaks of dirt on his starched white shirt, Sterling set his jaw in a hard line. He pulled back his arm, his fist clenched, ready to throw another hit. Instead of rage, Sterling’s eyes contained hatred, raw and unfiltered.
This time Maverick didn’t fight to free himself. He laid his head back and stiffened in preparation for whatever further punishment Sterling wanted to dole out.
The hit came a second later, into Maverick’s side. He could almost feel one of his ribs crack at the impact, and he closed his eyes to ward off the grunt of pain. More than that, he wanted to block out the hatred, something he’d never imagined he’d see in Sterling’s eyes directed toward him.
As his friend’s fist pounded into his gut again, Maverick didn’t resist.
“No! Stop!” The shriek came from Violet. “Maverick isn’t at fault. I am.”
Sterling froze.
Maverick’s gaze flew open and found Violet. She’d stepped toward them, but Hazel still had ahold of her arm. Tears streaked Violet’s cheeks, and anguish lined her face. He could see that Violet intended to tell Sterling everything.
Maverick couldn’t let that happen, although he didn’t have a plan to prevent it.
“I’m not ready to get married.” Her words filled the silence that was broken only by the wind chime on the front porch tinkling in the cool breeze.
Maverick could feel the fight beginning to ease from Sterling’s body.
“I was already out here trying to decide how to tell you,” she continued, “and Maverick saw me and was just trying to convince me to go through with it.”
Sterling was shaking his head. “No. Maverick is always trying to steal the attention and sabotage things.”
“No, I’m not—”
Sterling pressed his knee down hard into Maverick’s gut, cutting him off. Then he turned pleading eyes upon Violet. “Please, don’t say anything else. I promise we can work through this.”
The tears were still rolling down her cheeks. “I can’t go through with marrying you when I have feelings for Maverick too.”
“He doesn’t care about you like I do.” Sterling’s knee dug into Maverick with bruising pain. “I’m the one who loves you, no matter what he’s told you.”
“Don’t blame Maverick.” Violet’s voice turned pleading. “I started the kiss.”
Sterling was shaking his head. “That’s not true. Maverick did—”
“No! Sterling, listen to me.” Violet’s voice rose with a note of hysteria. “I can’t marry you! Not when I don’t know if I even love you.”
Sterling grew absolutely still.
An ache formed in Maverick’s chest—one that wasn’t related to the beating. It was an ache for his friend at this ultimate rejection from the woman he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
“I’m sorry, Sterling.” Violet spoke through broken sobs. “I should have told you sooner—”
“Please, Violet. Don’t do this.” Sterling’s whisper was threaded with agony—an agony that tore at Maverick’s heart.
Sniffling, she broke free from Hazel’s grasp, picked up her skirts, and raced across the yard, away from the house in the direction of the nearest barn.
Sterling shoved Maverick one last time.
Maverick grabbed his friend’s coat sleeve. “She didn’t mean it—”
