Page 30 of Don't Hurt Us
I park in front of the garage and get out of the car.Climbing the steps to the porch, I take in the cute swing and Adirondack chairs.His home looks like it could be on the cover of a magazine.I can only imagine what inside looks like.
I'm about to knock when the door swings open and I find a smiling Maverick staring down at me.
“Hey, sweetheart.I was just about to text you to see when you’d be here.How was work?”He motions for me to come in and shuts the door behind me.
“It was good, but I'm glad to be out of there.”I glance around the living room.
There’s a fire crackling in the fireplace with two large leather couches to the side of it.The coffee table in the center is gorgeous and rustic looking.The lights are low, but Maverick turns them up so the space is lit up.
“Welcome to my home, Syd.”
“This place is breathtaking,” I whisper as I take in the high ceilings and the mossy walls.The beams show on the ceiling and I swear I'm in love with his house.
“Thanks.My dad built this place before I was born.After he and my mom died, I knew I could never part with it.”
“I'm sorry to hear they died.”
“It’s alright.It was a long time ago.I’ll always miss them, but they wouldn’t want me to dwell on it.”
“Where are the kids?”
“Oh, they’re downstairs.I came up to let you in when the driveway alarm alerted me you pulled in.”
“Fancy.”I grin as I follow him to the steps.
Every inch of the house is gorgeous and exactly what I’d pick out if someone asked me to design my dream house.When we get into the basement, I let out an audible gasp.One side of the basement is a batting cage and the other side is set up to watch movies on a massive TV.
“Mom!Isn't this amazing!I don’t even have to go to the batting cages anymore!Maverick says I can come here whenever I want to.”Danny grins as another ball flies towards him and he connects with a loud crack.
“That’s awesome, buddy.You look like you’re having a lot of fun.”
“I am!Maverick was showing me how to pitch when we got home, but when he started making dinner, I switched to batting.”
“I guess we’ll have to do homework later on, huh?”
“Nope!Maverick already helped me.He also explained that thing with math I was struggling with.”
“That’s… amazing.”
I glance up at the man I'm quickly falling for.Not only did he play with my son and make dinner, but he also helped with homework and took the time to teach him math.There has to be something wrong with him, right?
Could he be an axe murderer?Some dark past I won't like?He has to at least snore so loud he shakes the house, right?
“Where’s Bree?”I shake away my thoughts and focus on my children.
I can spend the night analyzing what could be wrong with Maverick after I get home.I'm sure I could spend hours coming up with scenarios.
“Oh, she’s over in the dance studio.”
“You have a dance studio?”I arch a brow, not believing a word he’s saying.“And batting cages.”
“Well, my dad loved baseball and when I started showing interest in it, he built this for me.He knew how much I hated going to the cages and having to wait to use a pitching machine.Plus, it costs a fortune when you go as often as I did and playing outside is difficult when we get a lot of snow.”
“Were you a ballerina too?”I smirk, teasing him a little bit.
“Nah, my mom was.She loved ballet and used to perform when she was younger.She always had a dance studio and after she died, I couldn’t bring myself to change it.I have some workout equipment in there, but for the most part I kept it the way she always had it.”
He leads me down a hall to a room with mirrors the entire perimeter.There’s a ballet barre on one wall and Bree’s trying her hardest to get her foot to rest on the top of it.
