Page 56 of Waiting for the Rancher
“We all make messes at times.” With a hoof pick in hand, Clarabelle lifted one of the mare’s hooves and began to dislodge mud. “Sometimes even big messes. We can walk away from them, or we can roll up our sleeves and clean them up.”
Clarabelle was turning into a beautiful woman not only on the outside but inwardly too.
“Weston was always the level-headed son, and he succeeds at everything he does. If only he’d never left...”
“Weston has good business savvy. But Pa knew you had the heart and soul that this ranch needs.”
“If Weston had been here taking care of things, Pa wouldn’t have died.” The statement fell out from the deep, dark recesses of the pain that he’d been trying to avoid.
Clarabelle halted and gave him her full attention, her brows furrowed. “You know that Pa always said he had no logical explanation for why he was still alive, not after all the near-death encounters he’d experienced over the years.”
Maverick had heard Pa’s tales over the years—the bullet that’d taken off a section of his ear in the war but missed his head; the rattlesnake bite that’d punctured the sole of his shoe but missed his heel by a fraction of an inch; the log beam that had fallen while building the house, right after he’d moved from where he would have been crushed. Pa’s stories had always been entertaining.
“Pa always said he got more years than he deserved,” Clarabelle said softly. “He finally reached his limit.”
“But if I hadn’t gone after the horse thieves that day—”
“You and Pa would have gone the next and been in just as much danger then.”
Was Clarabelle right? Was he carrying the burden of Pa’s death when it wasn’t really his to bear?
“You and Pa were more alike than anyone else.”
Maverick shook his head and started to scoff.
“Why else do you think Pa had so many dangerous adventures?” Her clear green eyes probed him. “Because he lived life to the fullest, just like you.”
Tension eased from Maverick’s shoulders. He wasn’t sure if Clarabelle was right about everything, but it made a whole heap of sense. “How’d you get so smart?”
She tossed him another smile before picking up the next hoof. “We were blessed to grow up with parents who dedicated their lives to us. Now it’s our turn to do the same to each other and our own families.”
His throat closed up, and he managed a nod.
“Now go on and make things right with Hazel.”
He limped again toward the barn door.
“And Mav?”
He paused and glanced back at her.
She was watching him tenderly with a big happy smile. “I love you.”
“I love you too, kid.”
As he finished making his way out of the barn, his heart was lighter. Even though he wasn’t perfect and had made plenty of mistakes, his family still cared about him, because that’s what family did for each other—they kept on loving and forgiving.
And they cared enough to speak the truth in love...
The plain truth was, he was always gonna make mistakes, no matter how hard he tried not to. Instead of walking away again from Hazel, he had to roll up his sleeves and clean up the mess he’d made.
He started across the yard toward the barn where they kept their work horses, his gelding among them. He could make the ride to the Noble Ranch without too much pain. At least, he hoped so. Once there, he’d talk to Sterling first. He was done asking for his friend’s permission and approval. This time he’d tell Sterling his plans to court Hazel and wouldn’t let any objections stop him going to Hazel next, dropping to his knees, and apologizing for leaving her.
“Maverick!” came a shout from the lane. The voice sounded an awful lot like Sterling’s.
21
Maverick stumbled to a halt and turned to see Sterling riding out from the ridge of pines.
