Coming Home to Maverick Read online

  Coming Home to Maverick

  A Christian Cowboy Romance

  Sophia Summers

  Kings Row Press

  Contents

  Read all books by Sophia Summers

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

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  Read all books by Sophia Summers

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  Cowboy Inspired Series

  Coming Home to Maverick

  Resisting Dylan

  Her Billionaire Royals Series:

  The Heir

  The Crown

  The Duke

  The Duke’s Brother

  The Prince

  The American

  The Spy

  The Princess

  Read all the books in The Swoony Sports Romances

  Hitching the Pitcher

  Falling for Centerfield

  Charming the Shortstop

  Snatching the Catcher

  Flirting with First

  Kissing on Third

  Vacation Billionaires

  Holiday Romance

  Her Billionaire Cowboys Series:

  Her Billionaire Cowboy

  Her Billionaire Protector

  Her Billionaire in Hiding

  Her Billionaire Christmas Secret

  Her Billionaire to Remember

  Her Love and Marriage Brides Series

  The Bride’s Secret

  The Bride’s Cowboy

  The Bride’s Billionaire

  Chapter 1

  Maverick dipped his hat lower against the hot Texas sun. A man’s hat could hide a lot of things, unfortunately not everything. His forearms flexed against the rough wood of the split-rail fence, as he stretched his fingers open and closed. His mind was so far away he hardly noticed Colton or the new horse in the small corral used for training horses. This new colt was fighting every effort to break him, and Maverick didn’t blame him one bit. He knew his thoughts were ridiculous, but he suddenly wanted that horse on the run, leaping over the fence and taking off across the pasture. Their new trainer was having a devil of a time with the Spawn of Satan, and Maverick wanted to see who would break first—Colton, the trainer, or Spawn, his horse. His bets were on Colton. The horse had passion, fire, and a strong will, exactly what Maverick needed in himself right now.

  The tension in the horse’s flank, his flared nostrils, and the dance of trainer and horse were familiar, comforting. Maverick imagined himself out there, facing the whip, as he tried to distract himself from the shattering news of a just a few hours ago.

  Their property, which stretched for miles in every direction, had always felt like a safe haven. He’d felt God in those hills countless times. But even the stark beauty of the rugged, rocky terrain and rolling green hills couldn’t protect him from the news that had sent him out riding the fence line, checking their bales of hay, inspecting the tractors in the back barn, and then finally here to the horse paddock. He’d tried to send some prayers up to Heaven on the way, but at least that afternoon, God was being strangely silent.

  His phone rang. “Yeah.”

  “Where are you?” Dylan’s gruff voice made him smile.

  “You worried about me?”

  “I’m more worried about the paperwork I gotta send to the accountant.”

  Maverick didn’t believe that for a second. “Colton needed some support.”

  The quiet on the line said more than any response could have. Maverick was hiding. They all knew it.

  Maverick grunted. “And I needed some space.”

  “So you heard.”

  “How could I not hear when no one can stop talking about it?”

  “You coming in for lunch?”

  The whole family gathered for lunch every day. It was more like a late breakfast, but it was a family rule that they show up. And for the first time in a long time, Maverick wished he could avoid them, at least for a little while longer. The last time had been when they’d laid their father to rest in the family plot on the northwest corner of their property. His father had been his hero; he’d raised four boys into men, created a successful thriving ranch, and left the Dawson Ranch legacy to Maverick.

  And now Maverick’s fiancée had returned after six years, with no explanation, no effort to reach out. She just showed back up in their hometown. And he found himself needing some solitude.

  Spawn kicked up his back legs and leapt around the paddock, trying to rid himself of the newly placed saddle. Maverick envied the horse. When would it ever be acceptable for Maverick to kick up his heels and buck off whatever he didn’t want to deal with?

  But he knew he’d best be heading back to the kitchen, or he’d suffer the wrath of Mama. And no one with any sense or brains messed with his mama. He grinned. They owed everything to the strength of that very short woman. “I’ll be there.”

  He heard a grunt of approval or relief or something—who knew what Dylan’s grunts meant—and then he hung up the phone. His gaze traveled over the surrounding hills, the patchwork green and tan of the hay they put out every year to feed the livestock. In a couple months, they’d be bringing in the cows to sell at auction. They’d harvest their crops and nestle in for the winter months. The guys would start in on the rodeo circuit, Mama would participate in the local craft shows and fairs, and he’d take a break.

  He hopped on the ATV, waved good luck to Colton, who was being controlled by the young horse, and then took the longest path back to the house.

  He offered a prayer as he crested the ridge overlooking his family’s homestead. “Thank you Lord for all the goodness in our lives, for my brothers and my Mother.” He paused, expecting a rush of satisfaction. They’d built something special. The Dawson brothers were known for their cattle, their horses, and their rodeo championships. His father would be proud. They were all fine, honorable men. And according to Dad, that’s what mattered. “I don’t care what career you choose,” he used to say, “but be honest, hardworking, and competent at whatever it is.”

  Except in Maverick’s case, Dad did care what he became. Maverick was the new head of the Dawson Ranch, the new head of the family, as prescribed in the will his father left. Only, Maverick felt like half the man his father had been. He turned the ATV back down the path. His other brothers were pulling up to the house. Time for lunch. He finished his prayer. “I should be grateful, and I am. Help me to show it today even though I’ve had some hard news.” He grit his teeth, knowing he should say the next words, but finding it difficult. “And please bless Bailey. She must have gone through an awful lot. Amen.”

  A loud, musical horn echoed across the valley, and he shook his head. Nash. Sounded like his youngest brother was in high form. His Jeep spun out in the gravel at the start of the long drive, and then he slowed to a crawl as he approached the house. Maverick nodded to himself. Nash knew better than to throw dust all over Mama’s flowers. Mama was continually reminding them that someday they’d have grandkids running around the front yard and they’d all have to be careful.

 
Grandkids. Maverick had stopped counting how old his kids would have been if he and Bailey had actually been married. They could have had two by then. Or maybe they would have had a long honeymoon relationship with no children. He’d have liked that just as well.

  “Stop,” he told himself again. Bailey’s return to Willow Creek had brought back emotions he thought he’d buried years ago. But pieces of his heart still longed for her and felt as raw as the day she left. Before he could shut out the memory, the view of the long aisle at the church filled his mind—the pews decorated with ribbons and flowers, the floor sprinkled with flower petals. Everyone they knew and loved smiling up at him, his mother’s eyes full of tears, and his father’s full of pride. He swallowed the lump in his throat before it could turn into anything that would make his eyes red when he walked into lunch with his family.

  He drove down the side of the hill and parked his ATV in the garage, wiping off the trail dust and placing the keys on the hook. Then he went through the workroom, tidying the few items out of place. He brushed the dust off himself again, wiped his face, and ran a hand through his hair. His hat went on a hook—no hats at the dinner table. He was about to open the door into the house when his mama’s voice stopped him.

  “We love you, son. We’ll support you in whatever you want to do.”

  He turned to face her. Her hair was still damp from her shower, the soft curls framing her face. She stood near the entry into the house, watching him, seeing through his stoic front. Mama was a dear, but she had no notion of the private emotions of a man’s heart.

  “What I want to do?”

  Her eyes were kind with a hint of sorrow, and he hated that he was the cause. She handed him some napkins to bring in from the storage room and a bin for extra dishes.

  He’d endlessly analyzed the events of his wedding day and he and Bailey’s relationship, and still he couldn’t imagine how he could have acted differently. And he didn’t know what more he could do now. You can’t prepare to be blindsided. And he knew his mama had been hurt in her own way. She’d given her heart to Bailey and had, in some ways, lost a daughter when the woman had left.

  Mama nodded. “Yes. We’re with you whatever you decide to do—or not do.”

  He wrapped an arm around her. “I don’t know what I want to do. But I do know I love you, Mama. Let’s go have some of Cook’s food.”

  She laughed. “The best thing you ever did was hire a cooking staff.”

  “I see no reason why you have to be the one to make your signature hotcakes.”

  “Sometimes I go make sure they’ve got it right,” she said with a smile.

  “I have no doubt. And they’re delicious every time.”

  She stood on tiptoe. He dipped his head so she could kiss his cheek and give it a pat. “You’re a good man, Maverick. You deserve to be happy.”

  “I am, Mama. What more could a dusty cowpoke need?”

  She wiped her hands on the front of her apron and then took it off. She placed it on a hook, and together they entered the house and made their way into the large dining room. Maverick stood in the doorway. All three of his brothers were in town, and each of them sat at the table. Heaping piles of pancakes waited on platters down the center of the table. Almost as much bacon, eggs, toast, and thick slices of ham made his stomach grumble. Instantly, his mood lifted.

  “Brothers.” He nodded. No one heard him.

  Nash stood from his chair. “You can’t even go there. If I’m riding Spice, no one’s gonna beat me. Not you, not Tommy, no one.”

  “You’re a mess, Nash.”

  “Take a look in the mirror before you go making comments, Decker. When’s the last time you brought home a first place?”

  Mama cleared her throat and nodded toward the sign on the wall behind her. “Dawson happiness starts at home.”

  The brothers grumbled but closed their mouths.

  Mama treated this room as the center of their family. She kept their portraits in there, their senior pictures from high school. The wall also held two phrases the family lived by. “If you’re unhappy, get to work” was displayed in large sweeping letters on the opposite wall from the one Mama had just quoted. The brothers stood when Mama entered. She sat at the head of the huge, thick wood table that dominated the room. Then her eyes turned to Maverick, alerting his brothers to his presence.

  “Hey, Maverick! How’s the colt?” Dylan asked. He was the one who took care of the horses, including their training and breeding.

  Maverick felt their eyes on him as he moved to sit at the other end of the table. “He lives up to his name. Good test run for Colton, though you’re gonna have to save him. Maybe sooner than later.”

  Dylan nodded. “He’ll come around. They both will. Colton came highly recommended. He has a way with horses like no one I’ve ever seen.”

  Maverick was grateful they were talking business. “Nash, I heard your new horn.”

  “Isn’t it awesome!” he said, his grin wide. “I’m taking the Jeep with me when the circuit starts.”

  “You’re going this year?” Mama poured herself some water.

  Everyone looked at their mother as Nash nodded. “Of course, I’m going. You said if I finished out two years helping on the ranch, I could spend the next doing the rodeo circuit.”

  Mama didn’t answer. And she avoided Maverick’s gaze. If no one else stayed, Maverick was the one who stayed. And so far, he’d been happy with that. He didn’t have a problem with taking over for his father; he’d always known some day he would; he’d just thought it would be later. There’s nothing else he would rather be doing anyway, he told himself.

  Decker, Dylan’s twin, usually disagreed with everything Nash said on principle. But he sat quietly, which Maverick found suspicious.

  “What are the predictions on the team this year?”

  Mama held up a hand. “Wait. Before we get into all that, let’s pray.”

  Everyone waited for Mama to say a few words. “You know I’m proud of you boys. We miss those not with us, your father most of all, but I know he’d be even more proud of every one of you. Thank you for what you give to the ranch. It’s a huge endeavor. Your father gave everything he had to this ranch, knowing it would help take care of each of us for as long as we took care of it.” Her eyes traveled to each man at the table, and Maverick knew she desperately needed the ranch. He supposed he did too. It was the only thing they had left of their father. If the ranch lived, their father did too. Mama closed her eyes. They held hands around the table and bowed heads.

  “Dear Lord bless this family. Bless this land. Bless the women my boys are going to one day marry. And today especially bless Maverick. We’re grateful for every thing in our lives that you placed there in such a perfect way, the hard times and the easy. Amen.”

  They all echoed, “Amen.”

  Nash raised his fork. “Let’s eat!”

  Mama nodded. “Let’s eat.”

  Everyone dug in. Maverick slapped away Decker’s hand as he reached for the same slice of ham. “Wait your turn.”

  Nash passed him a dripping, sticky syrup pitcher.

  “Hey now, whoa. Go wipe that off,” Maverick said.

  “Why me?”

  Decker snorted. “’Cause you’re the one who drizzled syrup all over the handle.”

  Nash frowned but got up from the table to wipe the sticky drips of syrup off the handle. The Dawsons had no patience for anything sticky.

  They’d almost finished the meal when Decker put down his napkin and looked directly at Maverick. “So, what are you gonna do about Bailey?”

  Everyone went silent, and the air thickened with expectation. His mother avoided his eyes, but all three pairs of his brother’s eyes waited for his response.

  “I don’t know that there is anything to do.”

  “What if she comes walking back in, thinking there’s still a chance over here?” Decker’s eyes flashed with anger.

  “I don’t think there’s any chance of th
at. She hasn’t said a word to me.”

  Everyone seemed to be waiting for him to say something else about it. So finally, he sat back in his chair. “I don’t know, all right. I had no idea she was coming. I don’t know why she left. I don’t know what she’s been doing except what everyone else knows.” He’d stopped checking social media years ago. “So I don’t know what to tell you. Will I see her again? I imagine I’ll run into her the next time I have to go into town.” He tried to keep the pain off his face, but it was just too hard to hide. “I’m not gonna pretend I’m okay with it, but I don’t know what else to do except move forward as though we are people that barely know one another.”

  “We could shun her.” Nash twirled his fork. “You know, like outright avoid her, refuse to talk to her. If you asked the town, they’d support you. She hurt them when she left, too.” He replaced his fork. “Not as much as you, but they might not want to take her back in with open arms, especially if we say we aren’t ready.”

  Maverick held up his hands. “I don’t want us to say or do anything. If we see her, we’re polite. If we don’t, that’s fine too.” A part of him wanted to see her right away and get it over with. But the other part wanted to go on a long vacation and hope she left before he came back.

  Chapter 2

  Bailey stood as tall as she could, but she knew there was no amount of pretending that could help make coming home any easier. She knew word of her arrival had spread through town as soon as her car drove down Center Street.