Page 37 of Don't Hurt Us
“As long as it’s your family, yes.Any other one, nah.Come over here.”He holds his arm out and I curl into his side, laying my head on his chest, just like Bree is laying.“How’s the bakery?”
“Barry said it seemed pretty straight forward.Let’s hope he’s right.I don’t even know where the other electrician went.He just said he’d be back, but I don’t think he will be.”
“He won't be.It was Glenn.I called him and told him to go home.He worked on the bar last year and almost burned it down.I didn’t want something like that to happen to you, so I paid him for his time and kindly told him not to come back.”
“Maverick!I don’t know if I should be mad or happy at you for stepping in!”
“You should be very happy.In fact, you should reward me for doing it.”
“How much do I owe you for Glenn then?”I groan at the thought of how much this electrical issue is going to end up costing me, especially with having to close the bakery.
“Don’t worry about it.It wasn’t much.”
“Mav…”
“Let me take care of you, Syd.”
“Taking care of me doesn’t mean paying the bills for my business.”
“It means helping you and making your life a little easier.I handled him and I’ll handle whatever else you let me help with.”
Bree lets out a soft whimper and snuggles deeper into Maverick’s chest.My heart breaks for my little girl and how horrible she must feel.If I could take away all of her pain and sickness, I definitely would.
“Do you want me to take her?”
“Nah, I like holding her.She made me sing her a song earlier.She almost started to cry after she threw up on me.She thought I’d get mad at her.”
“Rob would’ve yelled and he never would’ve held her like this.I don’t think he took care of either one of them a single time they were sick.He’s such a horrible excuse for a father.”
“He sounds like it.I rarely had to deal with him, but when I did, it was never pleasant.I always wondered how you ended up married to someone like that.”
“I got knocked up.”I shrug.“I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Huh, is that the best way to force you to marry me?”
I fly out of Maverick’s arms as I sit up and stare at him.The corner of his lips lift into a lopsided grin as he watches me with amusement.
“You could just ask me, you know.”I roll my eyes as Maverick tugs me back into his arms and presses a kiss to the top of my head.
“Sydney, will you marry me?”
“Oh my gosh!Not now!We’ve only been secretly dating for a week!We need to actually date before you can propose!”
“And what do I need to do if I want to change this from secret dating to real dating?”
“I don’t know.Show me this isn't temporary?”
Chapter 17
Maverick
It’sfrustrating.Notonlyam I trying to show her how much I care about her, but I'm battling the demons Rob left behind.No matter what I do, it’s more than Rob did and she questions my motives.
I can be a patient man though.I’ve been single for a long time and waiting for her to be ready to take our relationship to the next level isn't an issue.She’s going to be mine one day, she just doesn’t know it yet.
“Hey, baby?”I step into the living room with a refilled glass of wine for each of us and find Sydney’s eyes closed as she lays on the couch with Bree.
“Hmm?”She murmurs without opening her eyes.
