Coming Home to Maverick Read online

  He stepped out of the dressing room feeling more alive than he had in a long time. Since the day of his almost wedding.

  Nellie whistled at him as he walked by her.

  He rested his fingers on her table. “I’ll have these back and washed.”

  “Keep ’em. I have a feeling you’re gonna be needing them.”

  He didn’t try to contradict her, and he wished she were right. His days on the circuit had been some of his happiest. Even though it made finishing college difficult, even though it took him away from Bailey, he had fit in everything that was important and was still able to compete. He exited the long back hall, and immediately people took note. Phones came out, and kids called out to him.

  “You gonna ride, Maverick?” the man behind the hot dog concessions called to him.

  “I sure am.”

  “Folks, I’m closing up shop early,” the man announced. “If Maverick’s gonna ride, I gotta get out there to see it.”

  Maverick smiled. It sure felt good to be remembered.

  Then he made his way to the bull pens. He quieted his mind so he could focus.

  The announcer came on to call for the last barrel racer. He announced all the upcoming rodeos that would be passing through Willow Creek. And then he paused.

  “Now, folks, I have a special announcement for you. For the first time in over five years, our very own, professional, world champion…”

  As soon as he said those words, the crowd erupted, and Maverick laughed. He loved this. Was that wrong? How could it be? Those stands were full of the people he loved, people he worked with side by side, people he went to church with, and here they were, happy that he would ride.

  He climbed up on the fencing surrounding Pepper, the bull he would be riding tonight. His hands were wrapped. Then he bowed his head. Before every ride, he asked for protection. When he opened his eyes, a familiar peace had settled over. He was ready.

  He lowered himself on the back of the massive animal and was lost to the moment. The crowd quieted. The huge arena went still. And he and the animal waited. He could feel the powerful gulps of air as the bull shifted beneath his thighs. He measured his breaths.

  Then he nodded; the door opened, and he and the bull burst from the chute. The animal kicked, rolled, twisted, and jerked under him, and his body moved with him. Seconds passed. Everything moved slower. His bull was going crazy, as if he wanted Maverick with a vengeance. Good. The worse the bull behaved, the more points Maverick could receive. He kept his body pliable, looking for a rhythm. It had been so long, his body hungered for the abuse. At last, eight long seconds later, the horn blew, and he hopped off Pepper. But the bull was not done with him yet. In an uncharacteristic move, he turned on Maverick with his horns lowered.

  He jumped up on the railing while the bull fighters ran out to distract the angry bull. Pepper rammed his horns into the wood just below where Maverick had been. The animal ran around and around the arena, still kicking and bucking until he finally calmed somewhat, and with a couple whips cracking, he returned to his chute.

  Maverick whooped and swung his hat around in the air. That ride would have won him some serious points if he were in competition, probably a full fifty points for difficulty of the bull. He wiped his forehead. But he’d forgotten just how much a hard ride like that racked his body. He gently rolled his head, stretching out his neck.

  Nash ran up. “You just had a near-perfect ride.”

  “I don’t know—”

  “No, I had a rodeo judge standing next to me, and he said that ride would have blown your old record out of the water. Near perfect.”

  Maverick considered him. Points like that in another competition would be career shaping. Would give him a name and a face on the circuit for the rest of his lifetime. “Wow, man. I haven’t even ridden in years.”

  “It’s still in you. You should do this!”

  Maverick shook his head. “And ask you to sit out the circuit this year so I can go in your place?”

  Nash’s face clouded, and he looked away.

  “Someone’s gotta keep the ranch together. If I leave, someone else has to stay.” And that’s where the conversation stopped. Just like Maverick knew it would.

  Maverick’s ride was the last event of the evening. The announcer ended the show, and people started heading down the stairs and out the doors.

  Just about everyone wanted a piece of Maverick, to congratulate him, to talk strategy, to tell him how much they’d love it if he rode again. But all he wanted was to escape with Bailey. He searched over the heads of the crowd and didn’t see her for the longest time.

  At last, when the crowd had thinned, he spotted her leaning up against the wall. She waved to him.

  He shook one more hand and took two steps toward her, then a pair of arms flew around his middle, squeezing tight. “Maverick! That was incredible! I was so proud of you, babe!” Tiff lifted up on her toes to tell him something, but he couldn’t hear, so he leaned down, and she kissed his cheek.

  His gaze flew to Bailey. She had started to move toward him, but she stopped, hesitation written all over her. Then she pivoted and walked in the opposite direction.

  Tiff wrapped her hands around his arm and began pulling him toward the exit. “We’re meeting at Buck’s, come with us.” She pressed her body against his arm.

  He pulled his hand out of her grip, but she stepped into him and pressed her cheek to his chest. “It’s been too long. Let’s just go somewhere and relax. Let me rub you down, work out those kinks.”

  He shook his head and tried to step away, but her grip was insistent.

  All he wanted was to talk to Bailey. But while trying to peel himself away from Tiff, his gaze caught Bailey’s. She shook her head and kept walking.

  “Tiff, stop. I already have plans tonight.”

  Her lower lip went out, and she placed a hand on her hip. “I’m just trying to help you get out, be young, enjoy your friends.”

  “Thank you, really. You and your mama have been kind.” He had to get to Bailey before she left.

  “Of course, babe. I’m here for you. You know that.” She took a half-step toward him again, but he stepped back and then began to move away.

  “I’ll see you around?” Without waiting for an answer, he took off running across the parking lot. At first, he didn’t see Bailey anywhere. But as he spun around, his gaze was drawn by a lone figure, walking.

  He took off after her. She was as stubborn as ever. He’d always had to work for her affection. She had zero tolerance for the women after shows, even girls wanting selfies. It looked like things hadn’t changed. Whether or not she had a right to be, Bailey was proprietary where he was concerned. He’d always liked that about her. He’d had no problems being true to her. She’d been worth it—until she left.

  The thought triggered a rush of irritation, and he stopped running. Why am I chasing after a woman who can’t wait around for thirty minutes while I talk to people? He whistled.

  Bailey kept right on walking.

  Chapter 8

  Bailey walked home. They lived about two miles from the county fairgrounds. It was far, but she couldn’t stomach anyone’s company. Especially not Maverick’s.

  Did she have any right to expect that he’d be single? No. Did she have any right to be annoyed that Tiff had her hands all over him? No. But Bailey was more than annoyed. She was spitting angry and knew she had to leave before she laid into Maverick like they were still in high school.

  He was probably standing in the parking lot, fuming mad at her, too. She kicked her boots against the pavement. At least Gracie’d had a ride home. No need for her to see her mama like this.

  Once she’d pounded the full two miles back to her house, she felt much better and a little sheepish. She wanted to get drinks with Maverick. But she didn’t know how to get ahold of him. He’d probably already gone out with the gang, taken Tiff up on her offer.

  She climbed the porch stairs and nearly jumped out of
her skin when her dad said, “Maverick still being a gentleman?”

  She swallowed twice and caught her breath. “Oh. Ha. Yes, Daddy. He’s the best kind of gentleman.”

  “Then why is my baby girl walking her own self home?”

  “Oh, you know me. I had to get something out of my system.”

  “Come sit by your old man.”

  She laughed. “You’re not old.” But really, he was getting up there, and the thought made her throat clench.

  “So, what did he do?”

  She shook her head. “Oh, Daddy, honestly, it’s more what I did. I messed up, and I don’t know how to make it all right…again.” The despairing thought that her whole life could be summed up as a list of mistakes she didn’t know how to fix only made her feel worse.

  He patted her shoulder. “We all do that sometimes in our life, I reckon. Do you know a single person who hasn’t messed up pretty bad?”

  She snorted. “Yeah. No one here has ever messed up as bad as I have.”

  “Oh, I’m sure they have. Just no one’s anxious to talk about it, are they?”

  “Mm.”

  “Yours just happens to be more public than most.”

  “Yeah, I wish so bad I could turn back time.”

  “Don’t we all. But where would you be then? What would your heart be telling you?”

  She thought about it and admitted, “To run off. My dumb, selfish heart would be calling out for the chance to make it big, telling me all of this wasn’t good enough.” She shook her head.

  “Now, that’s not such a bad thing for a heart to say. You love singing. You always have.”

  She wasn’t gonna let her father help her feel better about running away.

  “I’m not telling you that you went about it the right way. You about near broke your mama’s heart.”

  She sucked in a breath. And then nodded.

  “And now this ain’t easy, realizing we missed out on five years of our precious granddaughter’s life.”

  Bailey shrank in her chair.

  “But you’re here now. And what can we do but focus on that?”

  “I was sick, Daddy. I was desperate. I wanted to be someone. I guess it took me hitting rock bottom to realize that was never gonna happen.”

  “And that’s the whole beauty of what happened.”

  “Me hitting rock bottom?”

  “Yep. I don’t like hearing any news of you being sad, but look where you are. You’re not the same person who left, are you?”

  “How can I know that?”

  “Well, if you were in the same situation again now. If you were about to marry Maverick and somebody called with your next big break, what would you do?”

  She shook her head. “I’d never go. I wouldn’t.” She smiled. “You’re right.” That felt amazing.

  “Now see. Just like I told you. You’ve learned. And that’s the whole point. That’s why God lets us do some of the things we do. And then when we come back to Him, he helps us make it right. His Grace is everything. He already bore all these burdens you’re carrying around inside. He’s felt them and he’s taken them on so you don’t have to.” He put his arm around her. “Besides that, I don’t see why you have to give up your singing, darling.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Don’t say that. It’s a powerful dream, and I don’t want anything to do with it anymore. It stole everything from me: my happiness, the only man I’ll ever love, my parents. That curse of a dream sucked me into its promises and lies. Daniel…” She looked away. She’d never spoken her ex-boyfriend’s name to her parents. “He led me along like a crazed puppet believing his lies.”

  “And you were trapped.”

  “In a way, yes.”

  They sat for a while, both lost in thought. Her thoughts were full of regret. For her weak choices, for her five years away. And almost as powerfully, this time for not turning around to go get drinks with Maverick.

  “You could still go out with him tonight.”

  She shook her head. “Nah. He’s probably long gone, out with friends.”

  “Nope.” Her dad chuckled. “I happen to know that’s not true.”

  “What?” She searched her dad’s face and then looked around their front yard. “Is he here?”

  Maverick stepped out from the shadow of the trees to the left of the house.

  She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “You been listening to me?”

  He shook his head. “Nope.”

  “Why you here?”

  “Be nice to him, Bailey,” her dad murmured.

  “I’m trying. He just makes me crazy.”

  “That ain’t so bad.”

  She considered her dad, his eyes twinkling, and her smile lifted in a grin. “No, it ain’t.” She stood, took a half-step toward Maverick, and then paused.

  Maverick had only stayed mad for about five minutes, then he’d followed her home to make sure she got there okay. Was he a sorry sap of a man? When it came to Bailey, yes, he guessed he was.

  She turned to say something to her dad. So he called out before she could change her mind. “Come with me.”

  Her shoulders dropped, and then she turned back to him. “You still wanna go out?” Her insecurity, the despairing expression on her face, tore at him. This was not the Bailey he knew. She looked like the colt who had been trained by an overly harsh breaker: submissive, yes, but out of fire.

  “Oh, hey, come here, you.” He held out his arms and stepped closer. She jumped down the stairs, and when he was close enough, she melted into his arms. “Of course, I still want to spend time with you. And tomorrow, too, if you think my big head can fit through the door.”

  She laughed and looked up into his face. “You’re an idiot. I don’t think you’d get a truly big head no matter what happened to you. You’re already the best in the world, and tonight probably beat your old record. If that hasn’t ruined you, nothing can.”

  “Not likely to, anyway. It felt good, though, all those people calling my name. Maverick! Maverick!” He whispered a crowd-like noise and then bumped her shoulder. “I wanna see you out there again. It felt great, Bailey! Even just one time.”

  For a moment, her eyes lit with interest, but then she went solemn again. “Maybe I’ll get to do barrel racing again. But, Maverick, we’ve gotta talk. I have some things I need to tell you, and I just realized I can’t be putting it off any longer.”

  Maverick’s hope flared. Would he finally get some answers? “Do you just want to go back to my truck? We can talk inside.”

  She shrugged.

  “Come on. It can’t be as bad as all that.”

  But the look she gave him made him wonder.

  They made their way back to the truck and hopped inside. He pulled out his flannel blanket from behind the seat and handed her a thermos. “Hot chocolate.”

  “Of course, you brought the hot cocoa.”

  He turned the truck on for a moment to get the heat going, and then he twisted in his seat so that he was facing her. “You know, having you back is doing crazy things with my emotions.”

  Her eyes widened. “Mine too.”

  “Like this right here. How many times have we sat across from each other in this truck? I see you over there, an adult, a mother, but my mind remembers us as teenagers, as college kids, engaged…”

  Her face pinched in pain, but he couldn’t spare her the truth. If he was ever going to understand what happened, to have some closure, he would need answers. And frankly, he deserved them.

  “I don’t know where to start.” Her gaze flitted to his and then away, but he just waited. Finally, she cleared her throat and hugged herself. “I know nothing I say will make it right. So I hope you’re not over there thinking I have some magical reason for being a terrible person. Understanding won’t make it easier not to hate me.” She shook her head. “I know that nothing I could say is good enough. There would never be a good enough reason for what I did to you, to my parents, to Gracie.” She c
hoked on her daughter’s name and looked away. “But you deserve to know that I loved you. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you and forever after. I didn’t leave because I wanted to run away from you.”

  He nodded, not quite sure he believed her. But he hoped what she said was true.

  “I don’t know, Maverick. Here’s what I think happened. I looked at our lives, looked at you and all that you had going for you. Rodeo star, circuit after circuit. You were the world champion that year, remember? I couldn’t take that away from you.”

  “What are you talking about? Why would you—”

  “I’ll explain, Maverick. I wasn’t happy.”

  He tried to ignore his pain at those words. He’d worried for years that he hadn’t been enough for her, that he hadn’t made her happy.

  “Everything with you was perfect, but I wanted more. I was selfish. I wanted a career of my own, in music. I wanted people shouting my name. You had a world record. I wanted a piece of that too.”

  “What do you mean? Like, as a singer?”

  “Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous.”

  He opened his mouth, but she talked over him.

  “Especially now that I know what an epic failure I was. But at the time, I looked around at this beautiful town, at all these lovely people, my family, your family, and I wanted more.

  “I was gonna ask you if we could take off for a year and live in Nashville so I could see where this went. But then you got your record and signed that deal to ride the circuit for two more years.”

  He nodded. “I should have talked to you first.”

  “You did. We talked about it, remember? Right here in this truck. And when you showed me the contract, when you had that light in your eyes and I knew I was witnessing your dream coming true, I couldn’t say anything but ‘go for it.’”

  He should have pushed, asked her questions. He’d been so completely dizzy with excitement at his new fame he hadn’t bothered to really make sure she was on board.

  “And then someone called me. A man named Daniel. He said he’d represent me, help me make it big, introduce me to producers. But I had to go to Nashville right then. There was a group of producers looking for a new talent. And Daniel said if we didn’t leave soon, I would miss my window.”