“Are you going somewhere Nicole wanted to go?”
“Yes.”
“By yourself?”
“Yes.”
Okay, time to ask a question that didn’t have a “yes” or “no” answer. “When are you leaving?”
He leaned his elbows on the counter, leading her to believe her questions exhausted him and he needed the support. His forearms were strong. His hands big and masculine. “In twelve days.”
“Oh wow.” She hadn’t expected that answer. “So soon.”
“It’s been planned for a while.”
They reached for pieces of sushi at the same time, their fingers brushing, and a shock of electricity skated up her arm. “How long are you going for?”
“Two to three months.” Another answer she hadn’t considered. “So, a job in Boston?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Fingers crossed.” She lifted her free hand and crossed her fingers. She really hoped to hear from Dr. Weaver before the end of the week.
“You haven’t applied anywhere else?”
“No. This position came up and I really want it.”
“It’s a long way from home.”
“That’s part of the reason I want it.”
“The engaged sister thing,” he stated, obviously good at reading between the lines.
She touched her finger to the tip of her nose. “I don’t know how to be around her or my mom anymore, and it stresses me out when we’re together. I will miss my other sister, Ava, though. She’s starting her senior year at UCLA next month. And Hugo and Andrew.”
When Maverick didn’t say anything else, she steered the conversation back to him. “Are you excited for your trip?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going back to favorite places or visiting new ones?”
“Both, but mostly…” He glanced at his passport. “I made a promise to Nicole to visit the places we didn’t get to see together, so those are at the top of the list.”
“How long ago did she pass away?”
“Three years.”
His voice, tinged with sadness, penetrated down to Kennedy’s bones. She’d witnessed patients passing away numerous times in the ER, but this one hurt the most. Hearing Maverick so defeated hurt. He obviously still had unresolved feelings. “Did you ever think about going back to veterinary school? There’s no reason why you couldn’t, right?”
“There’re reasons,” he said, leaving her to wonder what they were. “You want the last one?” He pointed his chin toward the spicy tuna.
“No, thanks. The rest is all yours.”
He ate the last piece of sushi while she gazed out the kitchen window. Dark now, there was nothing to see, but she kept looking nonetheless. One of the puppies whimpered, pulling her attention toward the living room. “Is that Pinky?” she asked hopefully.
“Sounds like it. Why don’t you go have a seat on the couch and I’ll grab a bottle for you to give to her.”
“Okay.” She practically skipped into the other room, grateful to Pinky for breaking the silence in the kitchen and for being hungry while Kennedy was still there.
Maverick put the tiny little thing in her arms and then handed her a bottle. Pinky immediately took to it. “She’s so cute,” Kennedy cooed, unable to take her eyes off the soft, sweet animal.
“You’re a natural with her.”
“Was that another compliment, cowboy?”
“Just stating a fact.”
“Good to know. If you start giving me compliments all the time, I really won’t know what to do with you.”
Except kiss. She’d like to kiss him until the cows came home. That was a ranch saying, wasn’t it? And kissing him meant no talking, only feeling, and boy had she felt a lot of pleasure when they’d kissed.
She noticed out of the corner of her eye, however, that his attention was on his phone, not on her at all, like she’d hoped it would be.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“My mom just texted that George is loose somewhere.”
“Is that a problem?”
“It could be. George likes to wander and always comes back, but with the hoedown happening, he may get frightened or frighten someone. Hunter’s in town, so he asked if I could track George down and return him to his stall before anyone’s the wiser.”
“I’m fine here with Rumi if you want to go.”
“Rumi?”
“Is it okay if I name her that? Rumi was a famous thirteenth-century poet. He’s a favorite of mine, and I think it’s a great name for a pet. Not that this little angel is mine. You can change her name after I leave.”
“You like Rumi?”
“More like love.” One of Rumi’s quotes hit her just then. She knew Maverick would appreciate it. “‘Silence is the language of god…’”
“‘All else is poor translation,’” he finished for her.
Her jaw dropped. “No way.”
“I know Rumi quite well.”
This time, their staring contest wasn’t about who could beat whom. It was about realizing a magnificent piece of treasure you never knew existed had been right under your nose this whole time.
Rumi’s lyrical poetry was breathtaking and beautiful and spoke of celebrating union. This newfound piece of Maverick made her want to test the glittering waters further… “‘In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems.’”
“‘You dance inside my chest where no one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art,’” he finished once again.
The room spun. He’d just blown her mind, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Who was this man? And who was she for suddenly thinking him the sexiest man alive?
He quickly stood. “When she’s done eating, go ahead and put her back with the others. I won’t be too long.”
Kennedy simply nodded before focusing back on Rumi. She didn’t lift her head until she heard the front door shut.
Talk about an epic surprise. If Maverick threw one more pleasant unknown at her, she might have to rearrange her entire view of him, and that wouldn’t do. Because once she did that, her only reason for getting under his skin would be to make him change his view of her in return. And she’d prided herself on not caring what he thought of her.