Chapter 13
SADIE
Blinking my eyes open, it takes me a second to register where I am. Right. The tiny cabin on Vancouver Island. Heidi and Max’s wedding. Maverick.
Okay, that last one I register as soon as I hear a pained grunt and my gaze flies to where he’s slowly standing up from the floor where he insisted on sleeping last night. He moves through a few stretches, rotating his arms slowly, and there’s no mistaking the grimaces of pain.
Throwing off the covers, I stand up and walk over to him.
“Tonight, you’re taking the bed,” I say firmly.
He glares at me but doesn’t argue. I move to the kitchen area, sending up a prayer of thanks that the cabins come with coffee makers.
I hear Maverick move into the bathroom and the shower turns on.
Guess it’s a good thing I don’t have to pee…
although, I can’t be mad at him. I’m guessing he’s hoping the hot water will ease what has to be a very stiff and sore body from sleeping on the floor.
I should’ve made him take the bed last night, but when I tried, the look of complete disbelief he gave me left no room to try and convince him. At least he took the blankets and extra pillows we found in a closet and tried to make something of a bed, but clearly, it wasn’t enough.
Once my coffee’s made, I step outside to soak in the view and try to gather myself for the day ahead.
Maverick surprised me last night. He was friendly, albeit quiet, and charming to everyone, even Max’s brother Sawyer who definitely went a little fanboy.
He recognized Cooper, whose mom Tori is friends with Willow, and spent a lot of time chatting with the young kid.
I’m having to admit it wasn’t all that fair of me to worry he wouldn’t live up to his end of things and be convincing in front of my friends.
After all, he’d suffer more than me if we didn’t pull this weekend off.
And away from the limelight and the pressure of the city, the media, the team, all of it, Maverick seems different. Like he’s able to let go, ever so slightly, of the heavy pressure he seems to always be under.
The problem is, with every layer I’m peeling back to discover, I find myself falling just a little bit more for him. At first, he was just a hot baseball player with a bad attitude who needed my help.
Now I see someone different. I see a man who won’t let anyone get close to him, who has built walls ten feet tall and five feet deep to keep everyone away. But also, a man who cares deeply. Who rises to expectations, even when everyone around him, including me, thinks he won’t.
There’s just two weeks left in our arrangement.
Two weeks when I have to continue to pretend to date a man I could very easily develop feelings for if I let myself go there.
But I can’t. Because there’s no way those feelings would ever be returned.
And if Dirk taught me anything, it’s that I will no longer settle for a man who doesn’t love and respect me without fail.
Several hours later, and I find myself anxiously waiting for Maverick to hit his limit.
This morning he went for a hike, leaving me in the cabin alone.
I didn’t mind and took the time to relax and read, watching the waves from inside.
When he returned, it wasn’t empty-handed.
He’d stopped by a local bakery and picked up a box full of incredible treats that he handed to me wordlessly before going back into the bathroom and turning on the shower again.
At least the man cares about personal hygiene.
But the reception is in full swing now, with the dinner plates cleared and the dance floor full of happy couples.
Maverick held my hand throughout the ceremony, not saying a word when I started to cry at how Max and Heidi are clearly happy and in love.
He was polite to everyone at our table throughout dinner, and now he’s beside me, nursing a glass of clear liquid.
I smile up at another couple that walks past us with a curious look thrown our way.
So far, no one has been too intense around Maverick.
I guess it has something to do with Max’s brother being a former pro hockey player.
This crowd is used to famous athletes and don’t get worked up about it.
But the two of us are definitely getting some looks.
I shift in my seat, trying not to worry if it’s because my supposed boyfriend isn’t touching me at all, or if it’s because it’s obvious we don’t belong together.
“Can I steal your girl away for a few minutes?” Heidi smiles down at Maverick as she takes my hand and tugs me out of my chair. How out of it was I to not even realize she had walked up to us?
Maverick raises his eyebrows at me but gives Heidi a nod.
She seems to take that as enough of an answer and sweeps me away from the dance floor, not stopping until we reach a pair of Adirondack-style chairs facing the water.
Dropping into one with a loud sigh, Heidi tips her head to the side, facing me, and smiles. “Finally.”
“Everything okay?” I ask, unsure what she means.
“Oh, everything’s perfect. I’m now married, and everyone I love is here and happy. I meant, finally, I get a chance to talk to you!”
I shift on the chair, not loving the way I suddenly feel like a spotlight is shining down on me, interrogation style. “Oh, um. What do you want to talk about?”
“Gosh, Sadie, I don’t know, what could we possibly talk about.
” She’s teasing, I know it, but I’m still tense with worry.
The only other time I’ve had to spend with a friend one-on-one since this whole thing started was with Willow that second day of my arrangement with Maverick.
And it was still so new, I was in shock and fumbled my way through somehow.
But Heidi knows me better than Willow. Which is going to make this a lot harder, I just know it.
“Max’s family is lovely, and I see why you love it here. This part of the island is gorgeous,” I say, trying to deflect. But Heidi sees right through me.
“Nice try, girlfriend. We’re not talking about my amazing in-laws or this slice of heaven I get to call home. We’re talking about the broody tattooed bad boy of baseball that is so obviously falling in love with you.”
A wave of guilt crashes over me. I hate having to lie to anyone, but hearing my friends be so happy about something that isn’t even real makes me sick to my stomach.
“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” I say, perhaps a little too quickly when I hear Heidi’s sound of surprise.
“I mean, it’s not really serious or anything.
We’re just, I mean…” Crap. Heidi’s face is a picture of dismay and disbelief and I know I’m screwing up big-time. “We’re taking it slow. That’s all.”
Her face clears, and I breathe a secret sigh of relief.
“Of course. I get it, it can’t be easy dating someone who’s so much in the public eye.
He doesn’t exactly have a great reputation.
” Heidi frowns. “But he’s got to be more than what the media shows, or you wouldn’t be with him.
The Sadie I know is way too smart to fall for someone who’s not good for her. ”
Now that guilt is souring even further in my stomach. She’s right, Maverick is much more than what the media shows. But she’s also wrong. Because apparently, I’m not smart enough to not fall for a man like him.
“Exactly,” I say, clearing my throat. “The media paints a picture, but it’s not the whole picture, you know?”
“I knew it. So has he told you what happened the night of his accident?”
Um, no. That would require him talking to me. Opening up to me. And that’s never going to happen.
But I can’t tell Heidi that. “It’s kind of a sensitive subject. Sorry, Heidi.” I give her an apologetic smile, hoping she’ll accept my nonanswer.
“Oh my gosh, of course. I’m sorry, here I am being all nosy when you’re just trying to protect your man. Well, as long as he treats you well, he’s good in my book.” She pats my hand just as we hear someone calling her name.
“There you are, love.” Max leans down to kiss his bride, and that small gesture is so overflowing with love, it makes my cheeks heat. “Sorry to interrupt your girl chat, but they want to do the bouquet toss.”
Heidi jumps to her feet, taking Max’s hand and gesturing to me with the other.
“C’mon, Sadie, I’ll try to aim it at you.
” She gives me a wink as I try to think up a way to get out of this, but Heidi Morgan — no, Heidi Donnelly now — is a force of nature when she wants to be.
And the next thing I know, I’m being dragged back into the reception and to a small group of women all laughing and smiling.
I glance around but don’t see Maverick anywhere.
Good, maybe he’ll miss this embarrassing moment.
I duck behind someone, hoping Heidi’s aim is terrible. But the next minute, flowers are flying through the air, straight at me, and I instinctively put my hands up. Not to catch them, just to avoid a face full of wildflowers.
But when a cheer goes up, I realize I have, in fact, caught the damn bouquet.
And of course, when I look to the side, there’s Maverick, his hands in his charcoal dress pants, looking like the sexiest cover model ever with his messy curly hair, tattoos peeking out from under the shirt that strains to cover his muscles.
He’s staring at me, an unreadable expression on his face.
Then I’m being gently pushed in his direction and someone — I think it’s Max’s sister Kat — is whispering to me, “Go and dance with your man.”
I reach his side and look up at him, the flowers in my hand forgotten. “We don’t have to do this,” I whisper, unsure if the intense look he’s giving me is annoyance, discomfort, or something else. Either way, I feel compelled to give him an out, an excuse if this is not okay with him.
“Sadie. I’m gonna dance with you.”
His rumbling voice makes me inhale sharply.
Slowly, methodically, he takes the flowers from me and sets them down on the table next to us.
Then, taking my hand in his, he leads us out onto the dance floor where a few couples are slow dancing to Ed Sheeran’s voice.
Maverick lifts my hand to his shoulder, giving me a small quirk of his lips.
“Just don’t hold too tightly on that side. ”
I move to snatch my hand away when I realize it’s his injured side, but he just takes it and puts my hand right back. “It’s fine, Specs. Just wanted you to be aware.”
“Maverick, we don’t have to do this,” I whisper, only to get a narrowing of his eyes back at me.
“Yeah. We do. I’m not the kind of guy to come to a wedding with my girl and not dance with her.”
My mouth goes dry at hearing him say my girl even though I know he meant it hypothetically. Lord, this is bad. My feelings are like a runaway train, but there’s no station on this track. No final destination that could possibly result in anything but heartache.
Still, I let him take my other hand and interlace our fingers.
And then I let him draw me close, his hand on the small of my back, fingers spread wide, holding me against him.
The heat from his hand burns through my dress.
I feel surrounded by him, consumed by him.
And when his lips graze my ear, I know he feels me shiver.
“Relax, Specs. Try to look like you want to be here. In my arms.”
I choke out a laugh at the ridiculousness of this.
Here I was, worried he wouldn’t be able to make it believable in front of everyone for the weekend, and instead, I’m the one holding back and acting stiff and uncomfortable.
His thumb starts to stroke up and down on my back, and that small movement somehow settles me.
To my surprise, when the song ends, Maverick doesn’t let go. He keeps me there in his arms for two more songs until the tempo changes to something more upbeat and we finally draw apart. Glancing around, I realize at least half of the guests have already left. Exhaustion hits me like a Mack truck.
“Do you want to call it a night?” I ask, and there’s no mistaking the relief on his face.
“Yeah.”
We make quick work of saying goodnight to Heidi and Max, then make our way back to our cabin.
The moonlight on the water and the soft sounds of music and laughter from what’s left of the reception make for one heck of a romantic moment, but I keep my hands to myself and a foot of distance between Maverick and me the entire walk.
When we reach the cabin, neither of us says a word, simply orbiting around each other as we take turns in the bathroom.
I emerge in my pajamas to see him wearing the same thing he did last night, a T-shirt and shorts.
Grabbing a pillow from the bed, I move to one of the chairs and settle in, tugging a blanket over my legs.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
I look up to see Maverick glaring at me. “Going to bed?”
“Like hell you are, not in that chair. Get in the bed.”
I cross my arms and glare right back. “No. Don’t think I didn’t notice how much pain you were in this morning after sleeping on the floor. It’s only fair, you get the bed tonight, and it’s my choice to take the chair, not the floor.”
“For fuck’s sake, Sadie. You’re not sleeping in a goddamn chair.”
“Um, yes, I am.”
His nostrils flare as we stare at each other in some weird standoff. Then suddenly, he strides over to me and yanks the blanket off.
“Maverick!” I shriek as he chucks it on the bed. I jump up, planning to get my blanket and return to the chair, but Maverick moves to stand in front of me.
He scoffs, still glowering down at me. “You want a blanket, get in the bed. You’re not sleeping on the chair.”
“Well, you’re not sleeping on the floor.”
We stare at each other for another second before a yawn overtakes me.
“Fine. You know what, this will be fine. We’re adults.
” I climb into the bed, moving all the way over to the edge.
“You stay on your side, I’ll stay on mine.
Everything will be fine.” To make my point, I flip over, facing the wall away from Maverick and screw my eyes shut.
Another minute passes before I feel the bed dip and Maverick lying down beside me.
I hold myself perfectly still, not wanting to move an inch.
After a while, he shifts and settles, turning off the bedside light and plunging the cabin into darkness. Only then do I let my eyes open and try to remember to breathe normally. Until he speaks again.
“What was it you said about that word fine? It never means what you want it to mean, does it, Specs?”