“Thanks, Shortcake.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Oh, I won’t.”
“I might. But only when others are around to hear it.”
And they were right back on course. Perfect.
It wasn’t like he didn’t deserve a little payback, her brand of revenge one he’d gladly suffer because…
Don’t go there, man.
Because he enjoyed every single thing about her.
“Dish it out however and whenever you want, Shortcake. I can take it.”
She let out a deep breath before raising her face to the sky. “I know you can. Otherwise I wouldn’t do it.”
The baseball cap he’d given her shielded her eyes and nose from the sun, but not her lips, which she currently wet with the tip of her tongue. He had a better cure for her dry lips—his. But no way would he make a move without her seeing him coming and accepting his advance. Instead, he studied her chin, the long column of her neck, how cute she looked in a life jacket, and committed it all to memory.
“Hey, watch where you’re going!” a new voice yelled out.
At the sudden verbal warning, he blinked himself back to the task at hand. “My mistake!” He straightened his and Kennedy’s canoe and focused on the bank of colorful canoes ahead of them.
Kennedy dropped her chin. “I leave you alone for one minute and you almost get us in a three-canoe pileup.” She gripped the edges of her life vest. “Good thing I’m wearing a PFD.”
He got them back to land safe and sound, took care of the canoe, then drove the electric cart toward the inn to drop off Kennedy. They passed the gazebo where preparations were beginning for the wedding on Saturday.
“Hi, guys!” Leah called out with a wave as Maverick slowed to a stop.
“Hi, Leah,” Kennedy said. “How are you doing?”
“Good,” Leah said, walking closer and looking none the worse for wear after closing the trunk of her SUV on her head.
“The flowers are absolutely gorgeous,” Kennedy said, referring to the decorated columns and arch of the gazebo. Leah always made events at the ranch photo-worthy.
“Thanks. We’re just getting started, though. Wait until you see the final look.”
“I look forward to it. If I wasn’t a doctor, I would have been a florist. I love going to the flower mart back home and putting together arrangements for my apartment.”
“You’re hired,” Nova said. Maverick’s sister, medical shoe on one foot, tennis shoe on the other, hobbled by with a large rod of tulle. Yeah, he knew what tulle was. There had been enough weddings on their property for him to properly name everything.
He hopped out of the cart to relieve her of the fabric.
“I got it,” she argued, not letting him help. “It weighs nothing.”
“What am I hired for?” Kennedy asked with interest. “If it has to do with flowers, I’m in.”
“It does. Meet me in the main room of the inn in an hour?”
“I can do that.” She slid out of her seat. “Thanks for the canoe ride, Maverick. Good luck with the flower arranging, Leah. And I’ll see you shortly, Nova.” With that, she walked away.
Leah got right back to work, but Nova looked at him expectantly. “Canoe ride, huh?”
“It was nothing,” he said by rote.
“Yeah, and I’m the tooth fairy. It’s good to see you enjoying some leisure time with the opposite sex.”
“Who said I enjoyed it?”
“It’s written all over your face, big brother.” She turned to go. “See ya around, lover boy!”
He scrubbed a hand across the back of his neck. For once, he had no comeback.
Twelve months ago…
Dear Nicole,
I got a package from Marco today. He and Isabel sent me a bottle of our favorite wine in honor of Cabernet Day. I guess there’s a wine holiday every month and this one reminded them of us. I haven’t sipped a glass of wine since our last night in Italy, but it would be rude not to drink this, right? I know you wouldn’t want me to waste it. My mom’s been bugging me for some mother/son time, so I think I’ll invite her over for dinner and we’ll toast to you.
I can’t believe how fast two years has gone by. I still expect to see your face and hear your voice, but less often than I used to. It’s true time heals, but I can tell you this: I’m not going to fall in love again. It’s not worth the risk of experiencing the all-consuming pain of losing that person. Or watching them suffer and not being able to do a damn thing about it. Jenna was sick last week with strep throat, but it started with her complaining about swallowing, and I completely lost my cool, my mind going to the worst-case scenario. I rode Magnolia over every square inch of the ranch to get my head on straight. Logically, I know I overreacted, but I love that little girl so much. I love you, too. Now and always.
Miss you,
Maverick
Chapter Eighteen
Two days until the wedding
“I could not keep a diaper on him to save my life,” Mary Rose said, adding baby’s breath to the flower arrangement in front of her on the pine worktable. “Needless to say, Mav was the youngest of my kids to be potty-trained.”
Kennedy added another pink rose to the glass vase at her fingertips; Nova stood beside her doing the same. They had a dozen crystal vases to fill—the Owens family’s contribution to making the wedding weekend even more beautiful. The arrangements were meant to spruce up the inn for the special occasion.
They were set up in a corner of the kitchen, flowers and greenery strewn about the table. Kennedy had been given carte blanche to fill her vases however she wanted, and the floral smell, camaraderie, and stories about Maverick and his siblings kept a permanent smile on her face.
“I bet he was pretty cute running around like that,” Kennedy said.
“He was,” Mary Rose agreed. “That little tushy of his made it impossible to be upset with him.”
“You’ve never been mad at Mav,” Nova said. “He’s your golden middle son.”
“And you’re my beautiful baby.” Mary Rose bumped her hip against her daughter’s.
“Was it hard growing up with three older brothers?” Kennedy asked Nova.
“Yes and no. They could be overprotective, but then I protected them right back. My best friend Callie and I would give them the honest truth about the girls around town, which they sometimes listened to and sometimes didn’t, but at least we tried.”