Chapter 15
DOVE
Maverick Murphy is a work of art.
Seriously, I’m pretty sure he was the model for all those naked Roman statues you see all over Caesar’s palace in Las Vegas.
I’m doing my best not to let the drool fall out of my mouth as I watch him pull his body up and down on the bar in the doorway.
His chin lifts, and Knox counts all the way to fifty-one, before he drops, holding up his hands and walking to where his cousin grins smugly, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
Every muscle in his upper body seems to pulse.
A sheen of sweat coats his tanned skin, and a few strands of hair have escaped his messy bun and stick to his square jaw.
That meme of the girl leaning back and fanning herself with the paper crosses my mind.
Also the one of the girl lifting the pitcher of ice water and dumping it over her head.
He winked at me, and my pussy literally ignited.
I have lost my mind.
Mav is my friend and roommate. We’ve known each other all our lives. I shouldn’t be thinking of him this way… like I want to feel that hard body pumping between my thighs. Like I want to have those strong hands gripping my ass as he drags his lips up the inside of my…
“What the hell’s going on out here?” The door to Mav’s bedroom opens, and Austin staggers into the short hallway, rubbing his eyes. “It sounds like a fucking parade.”
“Just a little friendly competition.” Knox pushes off the wall, slapping Mav on the shoulder. “Mav thought he could beat me at pullups.”
“I did beat you at pullups,” Mav huffs, blotting the perspiration off his brow and chest before pulling the T-shirt back over his head.
“It’s always a competition with you two.” Austin shakes his head before turning to go back into the bedroom and shut the door.
Kelani bounds into the room, jumping all around my feet and letting out cute little breathy barks.
“Where have you been?” Mav scoops her up, and she proceeds to lick him all over the face. I don’t blame her one bit. “Did she sleep in your room last night, Dove?”
“Yes, and she was a very good little roommate.” I rise from the chair and start for the kitchen. “Gina suggested I move her crate to my bedroom while the guys use your room.”
“Dang,” Knox gives her a gentle tap on the head. “She probably needs to pee.”
“Oh, shit.” Mav holds her out, hurrying past me to the door leading out to the back porch.
I put a scoop of puppy food in the metal bowl and watch as he walks her around the small backyard waiting for her to do her thing. It’s so funny to watch this big sexy giant being so sweet to a tiny dog.
“Is there any chance you have matcha?” Edward walks into the kitchen wearing faded jeans and a long-sleeved plaid shirt over a white tee.
Even though his personality is utterly direct, and he doesn’t do well with nuance, Edward is very handsome and thoughtful in his own way. I could imagine him making a very fine partner for the right person.
“I don’t know.” I frown up at him. “I don’t drink it, and I’ve only seen Mav drink Mountain Dew.”
“Mountain Dew is extremely acidic and high in caffeine.” Edward frowns. “It’s like drinking battery acid.”
“It’s his game-day ritual,” Knox says, pulling a box of Lucky Charms from the cabinet and eating it dry.
“It is?” I blink up at him.
“Yeah—red Mountain Dew and five red M&Ms.” He holds the box to me, but I shake my head. “It’s what he had before he made his first hat trick back in high school. Now it’s what he has before every game.”
“Red food dye is linked to certain forms of cancer,” Edward notes as the door opens, and Mav returns with the puppy. “Maverick, do you have matcha green tea?”
“That sounds like health food,” Mav teases, putting Kelani on the floor. “You must think you’re at Haddy’s place.”
Edward makes a confused face, but I touch his arm. “There’s a coffee shop not far from here. It’s pet-friendly, too. Give me a second, and we can walk up there and get you some matcha and me a cappuccino!”
“Austin will want to go,” he notes, going in the direction of Mav’s bedroom. “What time will we be leaving?”
I look up at Mav, who’s watching me with that cute smile he’s been wearing all morning. “Five minutes?”
“Sure.” He puts a hand on the doorjamb above me, leaning closer. “We’ll take Kelani for her first neighborhood walk.”
Reaching out, I run my finger down the front of his shirt. I don’t know why I do it. I’m not his girlfriend. “I’ll get changed.”
“So they’re having to replant all the peach trees?” Austin sits across from me, concern lining his handsome brow. “That sounds like a lot of work.”
I nod, swallowing my sip of perfectly brewed cappuccino.
“It is, and we’re not even sure if it will solve the problem.
Armillaria is highly invasive. It grows underground, so it’s hard to know the extent of the spread.
Even if we kill it, the ribosomes can be in the soil, and it starts all over again. ”
“Shit,” he hisses under his breath, glancing to the side.
“Do they communicate through the roots like in The Last of Us?” Knox leans forward in his chair.
“No,” Edward answers flatly. “The Last of Us is a fictional program based on a video game. Armillaria is not cordyceps, and even if it were, there’s no evidence plants can communicate in such a manner.”
I fight a grin at his curt response. It’s so Edward.
Mav puts his hand on my knee. “I still think it’s cool you’re learning how to stop it. I hope you found what you were looking for at the conference.”
“It was an amazing experience." I look down at his large hand, and I reach down to cover it with mine, thinking about all the texts we’ve shared and how earnestly he’s listened to my fears. “I shared a lot of it with my uncles.”
I study the way my ivory skin appears against Mav’s olive tone. It’s a nice combination. Then I realize a moment of silence has fallen.
“How’s your mom doing?” Knox breaks it. “She must be pretty upset about all this. Aren’t the peaches part of her skin care line?”
I blink away from Mav’s hand. “She’s upset, like we all are. But I mean, we’re doing our best to keep going. My best friend Boo is getting married in a few weeks. She wants to have the ceremony in the orchard with the peach blossoms on the trees…”
“That sounds nice,” Knox says.
“Yeah.” I sigh, thinking about it. “It’s like this strange juxtaposition of the joyfulness of a wedding slammed right up against the fear of what could come.”
“Maybe it’ll bless the trees,” he suggests hopefully.
It’s a nice thought. I tilt my head to the side, and my lips curl down. “Maybe.”
“Sounds like a but is in there.” He gooses my side, and Mav cuts his eyes at him.
I shake my head. “Sorry, there’s not. It’s a lovely thought. Thank you, Knox.”
“What’s bothering you?” Mav’s voice is quiet, and he watches me with so much concern.
I exhale a groan, shaking my head. “It’s just… more Corey Hayes.”
His dark brow lowers at once. “What does he have to do with it?”
“He’ll be at the wedding, of course, and he’s texting me about being my escort and preserving our heritage.” I adopt a mocking, pompous tone. “I hate going back and seeing him without having solid answers.”
“I didn’t realize you’d have to see him. Do you have to go?”
“Of course, I do.” I huff a laugh. “I’ve known Boo since we were babies. I’m a bridesmaid. I would’ve been Maid of Honor if I hadn’t come here…”
“I don’t want you to go alone.” His shoulders broaden, and his expression is fierce.
I confess, Mav giving angry-protector vibes is hot.
“I won’t be alone. I’ll have Mom and Dad and all my family around me.”
Knox joins the fray now. “Who the fuck is Corey Hayes, and why do I already hate him?”
“He’s this dickhead whose family is trying to take over the orchard,” Mav answers. “He keeps bullying Dove.”
Austin leans back in his chair watching us all with quiet amusement. “Why don’t you go with her, Mav?”
His deep voice is so calm, and my response to his suggestion catches me off-guard.
I take a quick breath, and my chest rises with hope.
Pressing my lips together, I force myself not to look at him.
No matter how happy it would make me to have Mav there, it’s impossible with his hockey schedule. I shouldn’t even think of such a thing.
My rebellious eyes still flicker to his face, which is stricken. “I don’t have any breaks at this point in the season. From here on in, it only gets more intense.”
He sounds so helpless, my flash of excitement turns to guilt. “I would never expect you to make that trip. I know… or at least I’m learning how busy your schedule is.”
“Yeah, it’s not like football where you actually have time for personal relationships,” Knox leans back, grinning as he rests his hand on the back of my chair.
“If you’re lucky,” Austin notes, glancing at his brother.
“Oh, fuck, sorry Austin.” Knox drops his chin.
My eyes blink up again, and with a shock of electricity, I catch Mav watching me. His gaze is so intense, I can’t hold it for long.
Looking down again, I give his hand a squeeze. “Please don’t feel bad. The thought never even crossed my mind.”
“I would if I could.” His tone is so low and serious, I almost don’t know how to take it.
“I know.” Reaching out, I slide my hand over his. “I’ve been dealing with Corey Hayes a long time. I can handle him.”
Confusion knots my throat. I’m sitting here, holding his hand, comforting him for not being able to rush in and save me. When have I ever expected anyone to save me?
My life has been so focused up to this point. I’ve worked on my studies, worked with my uncles on the farm, focused everything on doing my part to keep things going and carry my own weight.
This enemy appeared, this unseen force attacking from underground, and I don’t look around for a hero. I dig in and utilize all my own strengths to help find a solution. It’s what I do.
My plans were well-established when I arrived. I had a focus. Maverick Murphy does not fit into that established plan. It’s impossible. We like each other, okay. We’ve always had a connection, and maybe it’s stronger than I realized as a teenager. But the truth is, we’re too different.
He’s big-city excitement. He’s an ice hockey star with an overwhelming schedule.
He’s a fast-moving tornado, and I’ve seen what tornadoes do to peach trees.
They lift them up high into the air and swirl them around.
They take them on a thrilling ride, but ultimately they throw them to the ground, uprooted and irrevocably damaged.
It’s not the tornado’s fault. It’s simply their nature.
Maverick is gorgeous and tempting and so sexy, but he’s not going to walk away from his life here. I’m not going to walk away from my life back home.
I don’t even know why I’m allowing myself to have anxiety about these things.
Maverick is sweet and kind, and he has always been protective, even when I fell carrying a basket of peaches. We’re friends. We have fond memories. I’m the silly fool going down some rabbit hole, letting my insides get all twisted up by fantasies and lust.
The tornado is in my own head, and I’ve got enough real problems to worry about without creating fresh, new ones.