Page 74 of Maverick

Now I was going to an art show because of her. I’d be the epitome of the fish out of water, attending considered a sign of weakness, at least to a group of friends who ate macho for breakfast. A ghost of a smile crossed my face. That was the bullshit they liked to float my way from time to time. However, there was no doubt I had a screw loose. I snickered at the thought.

As I glanced at the time again, I didn’t care. What little Gage had told me about the reason she’d called him continued to nag at me. I grabbed my phone from the living room, making the call.

Three rings later, I heard his disgruntled voice.

“What the hell?”

“Is that the way you greet all your friends?”

He huffed. “It’s not even morning yet. Right now, unless there’s a dead body on the side of the road that you had something to do with, I’m not your friend.”

“I’m sorry, but this couldn’t wait. What can you tell me about Drake Myers?”

“What?” he grumbled.

“I need to know.”

“Oh, no. I can’t tell you shit about the call,” Gage grumbled, yawning into the phone.

“I need to know, Gage. Chasity is terrified. She’s tried to hide it from me, but I can see right through her. Plus, I noticed she has a weapon. Now, if that’s not the sign of someone who’s afraid then I don’t know what is.” I heard rustling the background. Maybe he was taking me seriously.

“Interesting.” At least now he seemed wide awake. “Look. This is all I’m going to tell you. Drake is not a bad guy, not by a long shot. I know his parents, for God’s sake. They’re pillars of the community.”

“That means shit to me if the bastard is stalking her.”

“Would you calm down,” he said through gritted teeth. “He likes her, but never had the courage to speak to her. Instead, he sent her flowers then found them in the trash when he was just doing his job. Then made a critical error, creating a heart on her desk with the petals. He’s paying a price of being lovestruck by losing his job.”

“And the phone call?”

When he hesitated, I let him know him by the gruff sound of my breathing. “I can’t explain that, and he swears he didn’t make it.”

I knew the man well enough to know when he was hiding something. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Oh, for God’s sake. Stop reading into everything. Go back to bed.” His grumbling continued.

I rubbed my jaw, trying to figure out what I could do to find out more. “Never mind, Gage. I’ll figure this out for myself.”

“Hold on. Don’t you dare go and do anything rash.”

“Who, me?”

“Yes, you. I know that tone far too well. Remember?”

He was the kid most often labeled a delinquent in our group of Missoula Bad Boys all those years ago. I was a close second. I grinned as a few memories of our antics came into the back of my mind. Then my smile grew big. Being around her was good for me. I’d remembered more details of my past in the last few days than I had all the months I’d been back, even if a significant portion was painful. “Yeah, I remember all too well.”

The silence was entirely different than I was used to with the man. He and I had once bantered about everything.

“You like this girl,” he said almost as an afterthought.

“What’s not to like? She’s beautiful, intelligent, witty, and one huge pain in my ass, but the amazing thing that is that after just two sessions with her, my leg doesn’t ache nearly as much as it used to.”

“Right. You like her for her medical skills.” His laugh boomed over the phone. “Just take it slow and easy. Neither one of you need to fall into something without knowing what you’re getting into.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“I’m serious. The incident at the hospital has been taken care of. Let it go. Just enjoy the time together.”

“Says a man who can’t commit.”

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