I turn to my mother to see her narrowed expression. “I have.” My mother’s been dealing with my father’s death with snarky comments and hard looks.
“Eloise, don’t do this to yourself again. Men like him will only lead to heartbreak. You’ve been here before, and you know this.”
“I know you loved him once, but don’t forget everything after. Be careful. He won’t come chasing after you like you thought he would last time,” EmmaJean adds, making my heart ache with the thought.
She’s right. I always thought Maverick would chase me down when I left. When he didn’t, I thought it was because he didn’t love me like he said. How wrong had I been?
“I packed your bags this morning, and it’s time for you to get back home. EmmaJean is right. Maverick has the ranch to run. He’ll stay here, and this isn’t where your life is anymore. Let’s get you home. Back to work. Back to your life.” Mom tugs me behind her, but I continue to watch Maverick over my shoulder.
I gave Maverick my heart again. The moment I returned to Montana, I was falling in love all over again.
14
Chapter Fourteen
Maverick
“Are you seriously going to let her go again?” Betsy’s voice cuts into my thoughts. I kept my gaze on Eloise all day, but she had the support of her mother and that friend who shoots me the dirtiest looks. But I understood. EmmaJean was the one to pick up and repair my broken girl. Eloise had given them all her attention the moment they arrived in Kalispell. I don’t know what to say to my sister in response because I’m still trying to handle the way my chest feels like it’s tearing apart inside of me. If losing Russell wasn’t enough today, the universe is taking Eloise from me, too.
“Maverick?” My sister’s voice is sharp, but instead of a response, I turn to her and Mallory. We overheard Annabeth say Eloise is packed and ready to return to LA. She never told me she was leaving, but again, we haven’t talked about us since her mother arrived.
“Let’s get you home. Maybe we should pick up some takeout on the way so you guys can eat.” I usher both women toward my truck and away from the woman I love. I should have known she was going home today, but both of us spent the last two days doing everything but talking about the inevitable.
Mallory’s watching me, her gaze penetrating, but she also knows now isn’t the time to push me. I get both to the truck to leave and grab some lunch. Betsy and I drop Mallory off at the house. We both offer to stay longer, but Mallory says she wants to be alone, so I drive us home, giving my friend’s grieving wife the space she needs. I’m sure I’m an overbearing presence anyway, but I promised Russell I’d care for Mallory until my last breath. I made sure my friend would rest easier knowing the love of his life would never be alone.
I pull into the driveway, and we both get out to walk inside. My sister’s vibrating with tension. It’s been building and building since we left for lunch earlier. I’ve learned early on to let her have a moment to gather her thoughts, and that I’ll hear them when she’s ready.
“That’s it.” Betsy says as the front door slams shut behind her. She goes to the living room and starts looking around. “You aren’t doing this again.”
“Doing what?” I ask but stand away from her. Sometimes my sister is like a baby calf you’re trying to round up. Go in with caution.
She growls. I swear the sound leaving her throat is of absolute annoyance. Her shoulders square when she comes to stand in front of me. “You aren’t going to let her go again.”
My body coils tight, like a cougar about to pounce. I want to chase after Eloise. My body wants nothing more than to leave this fucking town and everything behind to chase after my heart’s other half, but I can’t. I won’t abandon Betsy or leave my best friend’s life’s work behind to flounder. His now widowed wife won’t be mourning alone.
“I know what you’re doing. You’re thinking about everyone but yourself.” Betsy rushes upstairs before I can form a response, so I storm up after her. She has a bag on her bed, and she’s shoving clothes into it.
“What are you doing?” I wasn’t sure my heart could handle anymore today, and watching my sister crumble apart as she loads her bag with clothes kills me. “Please stop.” I grab her hands to pause her.
“I’m leaving. I’ll leave and work. I’ll figure it out. You can’t keep giving up your life for me. If I wasn’t a burden, you could go to Eloise.”
I spin my sister around and make sure she’s looking right at me. “This stops right fucking now. Do you understand me? You aren’t a burden.” My gaze narrows on her blue eyes, the ones that are an exact match to mine until she understands what I’m saying. “It’s me and you. One of us doesn’t go without the other. Got it?”
The tears pour down her cheeks, but I wait, not budging. “Okay,” she says, then sniffles, and I think I’m okay to let her go. My heart slows the longer I see she’s no longer packing her bags. With that settled, I run a tired hand through my hair. That’s until she goes right back to packing.
“I told you, you aren’t leaving.”
“Then we’ll move together. We can sell the house and pack up everything. I bet I could sell my computer and stuff to help.” She’s rambling, pausing from her packing to grab her computer. “Before I get rid of it, I better find us an apartment in LA. In what part of LA does Eloise live? Whatever. You wouldn’t know that.”
“Stop!” I need her to give me a second so I can catch back up. “We aren’t moving to LA. It’s not that easy to just sell a house. And I have a job here. I can’t just quit.” I never told Betsy I own the ranch.
“Well, you can find a job in LA. I mean, they don’t need ranch hands, sure, but there’s something else I’m sure.”
“Russell left the ranch to me.”
“God dammit. Why do you keep taking everyone’s burdens? Dammit, Mavie.” She flips her laptop upside down, another annoyed grunt escaping.
“Don’t curse.” I pace back and forth across her room, my hand on my neck. “He isn’t leaving me a burden...”
“Sure, so looking after his now widowed wife wasn’t part of that too?” Betsy has her arms crossed, brow raised. Russell hadn’t come right out and asked, but he knew I would watch out for Mallory.
“I’m his friend, of course, I’ll make sure his wife is okay.”
My sister rises from the bed, a new fire lighting the words she says next. “What about you?” I don’t have a response. Sure, I want to chase after what my heart wants. These weeks with Eloise have been amazing. And the nights, even better. It’s hard to let go of the woman I love, but out of everyone, I know she’s safe. Eloise has the support she needs from her mom and friend. She has a life and has found herself along the way. Her promise—she wouldn’t love again—I can’t forget that either.
Betsy returns to packing more stuff. “Would you stop packing shit?”