“Mav, if somebody is hurt . . .”
I could tell from the look in his eyes he knew the somebody I was talking about was not a human.
“They’ll be fine. But I get it. If you want, we can send a ranch hand to meet Ben.”
“I might need to do that.”
“Why don't we meet at Ryker Ranch and get a feel for the situation first? Then we'll figure out what we need to do.”
“Okay, great. Let's do that.” I nearly leaned in to kiss him in front of his brother like an idiot, but I stopped myself.
When a warning flashed in his eyes, daring me to go there, I said, “Thanks for letting me stay last night.”
“I’m real glad I did. I wouldn't want you out there in weather like that. Would have been worried sick.”
Sutton flicked another glance between the two of us, but he didn't say anything. I grabbed my bag off the side table where I dropped it. That had happened when Mav carried me inside and kissed me until I couldn't breathe.
I didn't look back as I left the house, but I wanted to. I wanted him to go with me. It was comforting to know the two of us would be together today, in some sense. We’d be working on the same task, trying to help the Rykers.
As I started my truck, I took a deep breath and finally let hope for the future trickle in. If I'd let him, Maverick Wilde was going to be my forever.
Maverick
Ryker Ranch was a fucking mess. Tore-up fence, a nearly flattened main house, and a stable half gone was only part of the damage. It looked like a war zone. They were going to be repairing and rebuilding for a long while before things were back to normal around here.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath as I pulled up to where the bunkhouse used to be.
All that was left was the south wall and a toilet. Everything else was strewn across the property in a mess of siding and insulation. Parking my truck, I got out and simply got to work, offering my help wherever I could. Hands from every ranch in the area were here, helping with the cleanup.
“Hey, Mav, thanks for coming out.” Clint Ryker's deep rumble had me turning around to face him.
He stood with Tucker Westin, their ranch foreman and his brother-in-law. Both of them looked like they'd had little sleep. Dark circles ringed their eyes, and their jeans were streaked with dirt and muck.
“Of course. We're sending all our available hands out too. Sutton should be here soon, and Clara is on the way.”
He nodded. “It was the damndest thing. No warning. We're lucky Buck had to take Peanut outside and saw it. He called, and we were all able to get to shelter.”
Buck lived on the outskirts of the property with his wife. They rehabilitated abused horses in addition to working the ranch. His wife Penny was a damn fine massage therapist.
“It's a miracle no one was hurt.”
“Yeah. Miracle is the right word for it.”
“How many head of cattle do you have missing?”
Tucker glanced out at the pasture. “We're still trying to get a count, but from the look of things, not too many. I'm mostly concerned about the fence. The cows know how to get away, but the fence keeps them out of the road.”
I knew that, but I didn't point out the obvious. “You got a spare horse I can ride?”
Tucker nodded. “Appreciate it, man.”
A few hours later, after repairing a long stretch of fence with Buck, Tristan, and Sutton at my side, we rode back toward the remnants of the house. Mama Ryker sat on the back porch, her eyes haunted, but a smile on her face.
“Hey, Mama,” I said. “You doing okay?”
Her clear blue eyes stared into mine. “This was all I had left of George.”
“That's not true.” Clint sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You've got all of us, your grandbabies, and three more on the way.”
She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “You're right.” Then she locked gazes with her son. “Did you just say three more on the way? Sera and Hazel makes only two.”
Clint offered her a sheepish grin. “Yeah.”
Pure joy filled her face. “Oh, honey, I'm so happy for you. When did you find out?”
“Ever took the test last night before the storm hit.”
She hugged him tight and pressed a kiss to his bearded jaw. “Thank you for telling me. This is a bright spot in a terrible day.”
“Mama, you're welcome to come stay on Wilde Horse Ranch if you want. We have a whole house, room for anyone who needs to stay,” I offered.
She released her grip on Clint and stood, walking across the debris-strewn ground until she stood in front of me. Her head only came up to my shoulder, but she was still intimidating as fuck. The woman was a force of nature.
“Maverick Wilde,” she said, reaching up and placing a gentle palm on my cheek. “How you and your brothers ended up such good and kind men, I'll never know. I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn't feel right staying in Wes Wilde's house. Not after everything that happened.”
“That was so long ago. Besides, he's not around to cause any trouble. I don't want y'all living in hotels when we have a perfectly good house sitting empty.”
“I'm all set, sweetheart. Buck and Penny have a spare room. But you might want to talk to Tristan and Hazel. They got hit pretty hard too.”
I flicked a glance at Clint, who nodded silently. “All right. I'll talk to him shortly. Is there anything y'all need? I can call in some favors.”
She hugged me hard. “No. I'm pretty sure the entire town is here to help us. Honestly, I'm overwhelmed with the outpouring of support in such a short time.”
“Y'all are an institution in this town. Saddle Up revived Sunrise.”
Releasing me, she stepped back and smiled.
Buck strode up to where we were all standing. “You ready to go, Mama? Penny is here with the truck. I can load up your suitcases.”
I don't know why relief hit me so hard. Of course her kids would take care of her, but I'd been ready to offer her full use of my dad's empty house.
As Buck and I hefted Mama’s suitcases into the back of his truck, the Langston crew pulled up. Every single one of them. Gram, as I’d been instructed to call their grandma, got out and immediately began barking orders, getting each and every one of her grandchildren on a task.
Sawyer carried a load of baked goods, Nash grabbed a tool belt from the back of the truck and secured it around his waist, and Hawk headed straight for the main house with work gloves on.
All this was followed by Clara, her expression serious as she parked, ready to handle the worst if needed.
This was what the people of Sunrise did for one another. They took care of each other.
But all I could think about was the woman I loved and how I could look after her.
16
Clara
My period was late. Three days late, to be exact. I couldn't help the flutter of excitement in my belly at the prospect of being pregnant. It could be nothing, stress, or just a fluke in my cycle. Except for the fact that Maverick had fucked me six ways from Sunday while I was ovulating. It was highly likely we'd been successful.
He’d been gone the last three days, visiting Seattle so he could learn the ins and outs of owning an NHL team. I’d wanted to go with him, but there was way too much going on at the clinic and with my practice, especially after we’d worked for two days straight helping the Rykers get their livestock accounted for and treated. Damn, I missed him.