Page 58 of Waiting for the Rancher
Apparently his friend would need more convincing.
Maverick urged his horse up the final ascent. “I know you said to stay away,” Maverick said as he bent low over his mount and tried to minimize the jostling as his horse climbed onto the ledge. “And believe me, I’ve tried. But I can’t do it any longer, and I wanna be with her.”
Sterling was dismounting already.
Maverick’s stomach was tied full of knots, but he pushed forward with what he needed to say. “I’m sorry if you don’t approve, but I can’t let that hold me back any longer from the woman I love.”
“Good,” Sterling said over his shoulder.
Good? Maverick reined in his gelding.
Sterling knelt next to what appeared to be a blanket spread out over the grassy area. He opened a basket and began to pull items out. “Glad to hear that you’re planning to cooperate. I didn’t want to have to beat you up.”
Maverick rubbed a hand along the back of his neck to ease the tension there.
Sterling was setting out two fine china plates and silverware.
Maverick’s whirling thoughts came to a halt. What was his friend doing?
At Maverick’s silence, Sterling sat back on his heels and gave Maverick his full attention, his eyes lined with sadness. “I was a terrible friend and a terrible brother.”
“You were?”
“Yes. Just because I’m not able to have happiness with the woman I love—loved—doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have your happiness.”
The conversation wasn’t going at all the way Maverick had envisioned. In fact, he wasn’t sure what to think. “So you’re not opposed to me courting Hazel?”
“Courting her?” One of Sterling’s brows cocked. “Yes, I’m opposed to courtship.”
“C’mon, Sterling.” Maverick’s voice held frustration as well as all the passion he felt for Hazel. “Don’t know when I fell in love with Hazel, but I did somewhere along the way. She’s not only the most beautiful woman I know, but she’s the sweetest, kindest, most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
“Guess she is pretty amazing if she puts up with you.” Sterling’s voice was serious, but his eyes had begun to crinkle at the corners as though he might smile.
Maverick didn’t stop to analyze Sterling’s reaction. He plunged forward with saying all that he’d rehearsed. “Hazel’s my world, Sterling, and I can’t live without her. I don’t deserve her. She’s too good for a scoundrel like me. But I’m gonna spend mylife trying to be worthy of her. Reckon I’ll fail at times, but when I do, I’ll make it up to her every time and keep on trying to love her as best I can.”
Sterling’s eyes crinkled even more, and one side of his lips quirked up. “Is that all?”
“I don’t need your permission to court her, but I’d sure like it.” There, he’d said what he needed to and now crossed his arms.
Sterling ducked his head. Was he hiding a smile?
Maverick opened his mouth to tell Sterling to take him seriously, but before he could get the words out, he took in the arrangement of the blanket, the dishes, the goblets, and the bottle of wine.
He lifted his leg over his saddle and slid down to the ground gingerly, bracing himself with his cane. Was this what he thought it was?
When his gaze drifted back to Sterling, this time his friend was wearing a wide grin. “Did I get all the details the way you wanted?”
Lover’s Overlook was the place Maverick had always said he’d propose to his woman when he and Sterling had made their plans so long ago. Maverick hadn’t wanted anything fancier than a picnic. He’d always figured the view was grand enough.
Did Sterling really expect him to propose to Hazel here today? He could admit, this was the last thing he’d expected from his friend.
“Like I said, no more courting,” Sterling continued. “Even if it wasn’t official courting, it was close enough, and a few years is long enough.”
Sterling couldn’t be serious, could he?
As if reading his thoughts, his friend held out a velvet bag with a drawstring. “You might need this.”
Maverick’s heart raced forward at double the speed. He took the bag from his friend, opened it, and peeked inside. “How’d you manage this?”
