Chapter 24
Maverick
"You missed your chance," Ford said when Belle and her friends walked outside.
I tipped my bottle back as if I didn't have a care in the world, but underneath I was irritated with myself. "How can I talk to her when she's in a group of people?"
"If Angela walked in here, I would say hi. It's that simple. It doesn't matter if she's alone or with someone."
I set the bottle down. "I screwed up."
We hadn't talked about what happened. I didn't feel comfortable doing that with Belle across the room. I felt her look over at me a few times, but she hadn't approached. She hadn't reached out since that first night. The longer this went on, the worse it felt.
"What's going on?" Ford asked.
"Her mother dropped in the other day. We were embracing—"
At Hudson's raised brow, I hurried to add, "Not kissing. Just hugging."
"Okay—" Ford said, drawing out the word.
"Belle introduced me as her boyfriend, and her mother wasn't pleased. I'm sure she doesn't want her daughter hanging out with the help." My tone was bitter.
Ford frowned. "Is that what she said?"
"No. But she might as well have," I muttered, my gaze on the game on the screen. "Belle left for lunch with her mother, and I stayed behind."
Everyone was quiet for a few seconds.
Cooper leaned forward. "Let me know if I've got this right. Belle's mother took her out to lunch, and you haven't spoken since?"
I nodded. "She texted that night asking if I was coming over like I usually do, but I said no. I said I was tired, and we haven't talked since then."
Cooper leaned back. "You've been avoiding her."
"I guess you could say that. We used to hang out most nights. When she wasn't with the girls."
"And now you've stopped texting or going over there. What is she supposed to think?" Hudson asked.
I shrugged. "That I'm working through some things?"
"But you didn't tell her that," Ford said.
"Maybe I should have said that instead of I'm tired." But I wasn't great at expressing myself, especially when it came to relationships.
"How do you feel about her?"
"I love her," I said simply, the realization washing over me. And I was pissed that her mother hadn't approved of me. What chance did I have with her now?
Hudson shifted forward on his elbows. "So her mother taps into your biggest insecurity, that you're not good enough for Belle, and you give up. You just assume your relationship can't work."
"That's about right."
"You're an idiot," Cooper mumbles to himself, but I'm right next to him and can hear him just fine.
I glared over at him, wondering why he was invited.
"You don't love her," Ford said simply.
I swung my gaze back to him. "How can you say that?"
"I know enough that you don't walk away from someone you love. You might fight or have disagreements, but walk away?" He shook his head. "Never."
My jaw tightened. "I love her."
"You're not acting like a man in love. You're acting defeated, as if Belle's mother has some kind of say over your life," Hudson said, his bottle tipped back.
I winced because that was harsh but probably accurate. "She said what everyone's already thinking. Belle and I don't make sense together. She's an academic, and I work with my hands."
"You're talking about all of us now. Are you saying we don't deserve our women?" Hudson asked.
"I don't know what I'm saying," I said.
"We're in construction. We work with our hands. So you're saying that we can't be with someone who went to college?" Morgan asked.
Cooper leaned in. "Or does this rule only apply to you?"
I rolled my shoulders back. "Her mother doesn't approve of me. How could that work?"
Ford shook his head. "Who cares what she thinks?"
"I'll have to hear about it. Eventually, Belle will agree with her, and what then? I might as well break things off now."
"But you haven't done that. Instead, you're stringing her along. Not talking to her about your feelings and acting like a jerk."
I blew out a breath. "Fine. I'll talk to her." But I knew how that would go. She'd say that it wouldn't work, and I'd agree. But I should have that conversation with her and not delay the inevitable.
"I'd think about what you want."
That was easy. I wanted Belle. But that didn't mean I could have her.
I loved hanging out with her and going to new places.
I loved how she interacted with kids in her shop, the way she was with me.
How she always made me feel important. The last time her mother stopped by, Belle needed me, and it was nice to have her depend on me.
"If you blow it with her, you might not get another chance," Cooper said.
"She might just break things off and move on. Why should she wait for you to figure things out?" Hudson added.
They were making good points. I had to figure out what I wanted. She wasn't living with her parents anymore. We weren't kids. Should their opinion matter? Sure, it would be nice if they liked me, but was that a realistic expectation?
Her mother had triggered my biggest insecurity. That I wasn't the right guy for Belle.
I intended to move on, but instead, I fell right back into old patterns. I'd wanted to be the man she could count on, and I wasn't. I let her down.
I worked on the statue in my workshop. It was a good way to hide from Belle and my crew.
Hudson was working on site, finishing the plumbing.
I'd carved the stone into the intricate lines of the little girl. Every fly away hair exact, her face carefree and her dress flowing around her knees. She was beautiful. My chest ached because she looked like a smaller version of Belle.
This girl reminded me of Belle's inner child. Belle was thriving despite her mother's opinions about her life. Couldn't I do the same?
My chest ached with the effort to stay away from her, to convince myself that I wasn't worthy of her.
I knew I should talk to her. But my heart was telling me to finish the statue first, then attach her to the fountain.
Once it was complete, I could talk to Belle and hope she'd forgive me for being an idiot.
I had to do this one thing before I would be ready to hash this out with her. The longer I worked on the girl, the more I realized that I really was in love with Belle. That it wasn't a passing thing, and I wouldn't be able to just walk away. I had to stay and fight.
I had to convince her that I wasn't whatever her mother said. I was good and strong and would always be there for her. If she gave me another chance, I'd have to gain her trust again. It wouldn't be easy, but then again, nothing worth having was.
Maverick: Are you around Friday night? I have something I want to show you.
Belle: What's that?
Maverick: I want to show you the completed fountain.
Now the patio would look complete.
Belle: I can meet you after work.
I reread my messages to her. She thought this was just a business thing.
I wasn't sure how I could rectify her perception.
And from the tone of her words, I wasn't sure she'd see me for any other reason.
This was my only opportunity to convince her that I deserved another chance, so I let her think whatever she wanted.
On Friday, I called my brothers to help move the statue. It was covered in a tarp, so I wasn't worried about anyone seeing it before the big reveal.
We lowered it to the fountain and secured it.
"The plumbing's working?" I asked Hudson.
Hudson nodded. "You want me to fill it?"
"Can we do that and keep the tarp on the top?" I asked, not wanting to reveal to anyone what was underneath. That was just for Belle.
"Absolutely," Hudson said, filling the base with water.
Ford approached me. "What's this about?"
I gestured at the tarp. "'I made this for Belle."
He scrutinized me. "Is this your apology?"
I grimaced at his characterization. "I planned this before as a surprise. It's based on one of her drawings. It reminded me of her as a little girl. I thought it would be a nice addition.”
Ford pursed his lips. "That's risky. What if she doesn't like it? You're stuck with a specific piece that only works for one person."
I chuckled without any humor. "I guess I'll keep it in my workshop to be a reminder of everything I've lost."
Ford crossed his arms over his chest. "You think this will be enough to win her back?"
"I'm going to have to earn her trust again." If I ever had it at all.
He nodded. "I haven't seen it yet. But I know how much work goes into something like this. I can't even imagine carving a girl out of stone."
"You think it was a good idea?"
"I think she's going to love it, and I haven't even seen it yet," Ford said.
I raised a brow. "You have a lot of faith in me."
He pressed a hand onto my shoulder. "You don't always express your feelings, but you show your love through how you show up for people. And this was a thoughtful, meaningful gift. Even if it wasn't meant to be an apology, I think she'll appreciate it."
I let out a breath. "I just hope it's enough, and I'm not too late."
"You think she loves you?"
I huffed out a laugh. "She never said."
"I bet if you look back, you'll get an idea." Ford walked over to Hudson to help him.
I know she enjoyed my company, that she couldn't get enough of being together. But did that mean she was in love with me?
It seemed almost too much to hope for, but I did it anyway.
Hudson showed me how to turn on the water so that it would flow through the watering can.
"I hope she likes it," Hudson said.
"She might hate it," I said, refusing to look in the direction of the shop where I knew Belle would be talking to a customer or stocking the shelves.
He raised a brow. "I don't think I've met a woman who wouldn't be thrilled that a man made a fountain for her."
"I hope you're right." I helped him pack up his tools and then sent my crew home early. I had a few other things to do before Belle closed her shop for the day.
I went to the nursery and filled my truck with pots of flowers for her patio. I knew she wanted a garden feel, and she hadn't talked to the landscaper yet. Plus, they would add to the big reveal.
I set the pots on the patio. The tables and chairs were already in place. Then I hung lights.
It was getting dark, so I turned them on. I was itching to uncover the fountain and turn it on.
The back door to the shop opened, and Belle stepped outside. "You wanted to show me something?"
"I was just setting the scene."
She took a few more steps and then stopped.
We stood a few feet from each other, but it felt much farther. The distance I'd created in the last week seemed impenetrable.
She raised a brow. "I don't remember ordering lights or flowers."
I stepped toward the fountain. "They were something I added."
"For?" Her tone was cautious, and she didn't move any closer.
"I created something that wasn't in your design for your fountain. I can remove it if you don't like it, but I hope you do." I untied the tarp, then stepped onto the wall of the fountain, facing her. I wanted to see her reaction.
My heart beat hard, and I pulled the tarp off slowly, then tossed it aside. I turned on the fountain. It took a few seconds for the water to start moving. I jumped down and backed away just as the water erupted out of the watering can.
I looked over at her.
Her hands covered her mouth, and her tears were shiny. "It's my drawing."
I moved closer slowly, a little worried I'd spook her. "She reminds me of you, how you might have looked as a little girl."
A tear spilled out, and I wished that I could wipe it away.
"It reminded me of how your daughter might look. She's carefree and happy, escaping into a garden or into a world of words."
"I can't believe you did this."
I couldn't tell if she liked it or not. "Do you like it?"
She dropped her hands, and her gaze finally moved from the gurgling fountain to me. "I love it."
I let out the breath I'd been holding. "I planned this before your mother visited. I took a picture of your drawing and built it in my workshop. I wanted it to be a surprise."
"That's where you are when you're not here?"
"I wasn't sure if you would like me veering away from what you'd planned."
"I never would have thought of doing something like this. It's absolutely perfect. Thank you."
"I also wanted to apologize for being a jerk this week. Your mom wasn't thrilled that you're dating me. That isn't an excuse. But it hammered on every one of my insecurities. That I'd never be good enough for you."
She sighed heavily, and I hoped I wasn't losing her.
"But I'd vowed to be the man you could count on. Who would always be there for you. Then I ran at the first sign of trouble. I stayed away, assuming that you agreed with your mother. Maybe not today but some day. And I thought it would be easier if I broke things off."
Her brows furrowed. "But you didn't talk to me."
I stepped closer. "And I'm sorry for that. I was getting ready to tell you that I love you, and when that happened, I freaked out."
Her breath hitched. "You love me?"
"I hope I'm not too late. I'm not asking you to forgive me all at once. I want to prove to you that I'm the man you deserve."
She stepped close, her hand on my chest, right above my heart. "I love you too, and you're already deserving of my love. You don't have to prove anything."
I dropped my head, her words hitting me in the chest. "You do?"
She licked her lips. "Yes."
"I want to build a relationship that has nothing to do with our families. Their opinions don't matter."
"I agree with you. I've met with a therapist to discuss ways to create boundaries with my mother that we can both live with."
"You did that for me?"
"I did it for me. My relationship with her isn't healthy."
"We're really going to do this," I said softly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
She looked up at me. "Yeah, I guess we are."
With the fountain water trickling next to us, we kissed under the lights. Soon, people would be congregating on the patio, but tonight we had it to ourselves.