Chapter 12
Twelve
Maverick
Fourteen years ago…
Looking out at the horizon of my parents ranch, I pull in a deep breath. The air around here is certainly something else. Being perched above my other favourite girl in the world, Storm let’s out a whine.
“Easy, girl,” I say, running my hand along her neck.
Looking out at the sea of fields, I see the boarders that stop my land and begin Mabels.
Aside from our field, this is my favourite place to be. It reminds me how one side of the river starts and the other ends. I feel at deep peace here.
I hear horseshoes hitting the ground behind me. I lift my hat up slightly and look over my shoulder.
“Jake, you should be doing your homework,” I say to my brother as he pulls his horse Willow next to mine.
“All finished brother,” He replies, pulling on the mares reins. I look at him, giving him my best ‘are you sure’ look.
“Yes! All done,” he exclaims.
“Well, all right then,” I reply, placing my hat firmly back on my head.
My brother may be two years younger than me, but I sure forget it sometimes. Being raised by us made him grow up a little bit too quick for my liking.
Jake’s the youngest out of our parents’ kids. As soon as he was born, he was dragged around with me, Colter, my girl and our friends. All of our parents have been best friends since forever, so we all grew up together. Jake got the short straw by being the youngest by a small country mile.
“Mama’s looking for you,” he says, looking up at me from his own cowboy hat.
Damn, there goes my peace.
“That so?” I ask. He nods.
“Apparently some letter came through, looks pretty fancy,” he says back at me.
I know exactly what letter that could be.
I’ve been applying to colleges over America, even one in Canada for safe keeping. I’m desperate to learn about business from a top school.
Even though I knew enough about it from my parents and their friends, I want to learn the real world of it. What makes it tick and most importantly how I could make it work for this exact horse ranch that I sit upon.
How could I make this place better? It has so many opportunities. I want to grasp it within my reach and have the best possible outcome.
I make sure to keep my grades at the best level I can, taking an AP class in Math and English to be sure. My very long stint on the football team as the centre back could mean a potential scholarship to any of the colleges I apply for, taking pressure off my parents to pay for school.
I like football, don’t get me wrong; but it’s not a career choice for me, all but a skipping stone to where I truly want to be.
Mabel and I always had this dream that I would run the Bennett Ranch, and she would split her time between here and Riggins ranch, being our gem behind all of her crazy ideas that could make the world turn a little bit easier.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” I start. “Race ya!” I shout at my brother before kicking Storm into a run, and then a gallop.
“Hey,” my brother calls behind me. “No fair!” he shouts as I hear Willow’s feet hit the ground well behind me.
He may be my little brother, I love him, wouldn’t be without him, but was I fuck about to let him win a race on horseback!
Although I’ll give the kid it, he’s always been a natural with them. Especially the ones who have been brought in damaged. We never know what has happened to them in their life, but Jake seems to have a way with them.
They trust him. It’s an amazing quality to have. He was so patient with them. He takes after our mom in that respect. The horses always love her; she’s so gentle and kind.
She also has the patience of a saint.
The amount of times Colter and I had given her a run for her money, turning up at stupid times of the night, or that one time we crashed the ranches buggy into a ditch my dad was trying to fill.
She never shouts, never raises her voice. Only ever gave us an eyebrow lift and that was it, we knew we had fucked up.
I’m more like my dad, stern and know where he’s supposed to be, although I’ve inherited my mom’s famous eyebrow lift. I’m known to do it a lot with my friends.
Reaching the stable, I won the race by only seconds as Jake and Willow run behind me and Storm. I let out a huff.
“That horse of yours is getting faster, I swear,” I shout over my shoulder towards my brother.
“Hey, don’t hate the player, hate the game,” he laughs, giving his girl a well deserve pat.
Throwing my leg over storm I dismount with ease, placing my hand along her body that’s now damp with sweat.
“You’ll always be my good girl,” I say, reaching her face and throwing my arms over her neck. She snorts in response, and I rub my face along her mane. Releasing my grip, I give her a firm pat on her neck.
Pulling her reigns over her head, I begin to untack her when I hear my mom come running towards us.
“Mav', look what came-” She squeals.
I shake my head, looking back over at storm, who’s none the wiser of what’s happening.
My mom reaches me and Jake with a huge smile across her face, waving the letter about in her hands. I give her a look.
“Mama, I’m on my way to the house,” I say, running my hand through my hair.
“I know, but I couldn’t wait, y’all were taking too long,” she says, playfully hitting me with the letter the letter.
“Open it-” she ushers, her green eyes beaming wide.
I shake my head again at her, taking the letter from her hand, I tear the seal.
I feel their eyes on me as I scan the letter that’s been handed to me.
“I… I got in-” I start, my eyes wide with excitement. My mom clasps her hands over her mouth and Jake cheeks spread.
“I got into Caltech,” I finish, my right hand brushing my own chin, slightly below my bottom lip.
I hear my mom let out a sob behind her hands.
“I’ve got to tell Mabel!” I say, bringing the letter down to my side, letting out the biggest sigh of relief I probably would ever let out.
****
I watch Mabel sit in her office chair and get a full view of her in daylight. She’s still as outstandingly beautiful as she had been the night before.
Watching her looking at her laptop, I see the crease forming in between her eyebrows. She used to do that when she felt uncomfortable. The realisation sinks in that me sitting in her office is most likely the cause.
Looking back down at the employment papers she handed me; I wonder to myself if taking her brother up on the job offer is a step too far.
Scanning the words on the papers as I fill them out the best that I can before I hear her clear her throat.
“You done?” She asks and I lift my head up to look back in her direction.
“Nearly,” I shrug out. I watch her as she studies me for a moment.
“You’ve lost your accent?” she says, as forward as she ever was.
“I… uhm... yeah, guess I did,” I give her a pained look as I reply.
I look back down at the papers, filling out the last questions before signing and handing it back to her. I try to brush my finger against hers again to feel the electricity, but to no avail as she swipes the documents back without even a moment to linger.
I pout; not realising I even knew how to.
Mabel tidies the documents up by shuffling her hands and tapping them on her desk. I watch her as she scans through them, licking her index finger as she scans the pages.
What I could do to that tongue.
The thought pushes its way to the front of my mind, and I feel my dick growing in my jeans as I watch her.
“Seems to be in order,” she says as I’m snapped back into reality and I offer her a slight nod.
Still looking uncomfortable with the crease in her brow still sitting firmly in place.
You could hear a pin drop with the tension in the air.
“So, when do I start?” I ask, trying to ease some of it.
Mabel lets out a defeated sigh. “Monday…” She nods back at me.
“You can discuss anything further with my brother seen as y’all both seem to enjoy going behind my back.” She snaps coldly, as she straightens up in her chair, attempting to puff her breasts out.
Ouch, that was harsh.
Well deserved though, because she’s not wrong.
A lump forms hard in my throat, I place my hand across my mouth and as I rub it, I feel my stubble pricking my hand. This couldn’t get any more awkward even if I tried. I move my eyes back down towards my lap.
Damn, I must look like a naughty schoolboy being scolded at. Except this time, I deserve it.
“We didn’t-” I start, before Mabel places her hand up to stop me.
“Is there anything else I can do for you? I’ve got to get on,” she says bluntly and I take this as my queue.
I stand from the chair, before titling my cowboy hat to her. “Ma’am,” I whisper, before walking out of her office door.
I realise that I was holding my breath the moment the door shut behind me and let out one hell of a sigh.
That was intense.
I should have been more mindful towards Mabel when I accepted this job last night.
However, the buzz I was on prevented any form of meaningful consideration to anything accept I’m on my way to having my best friend back.
Even after he threw me across the parking lot.
Again, well deserved.
Pushing myself to walk away from the door, I make my way up the path back towards my truck. I take in the surroundings and the views of the Riggins ranch.
Damn, it’s beautiful, and I’ve missed it.
I spot our field in the distance.
My mind wonders back to the encounters I’ve had with Mabel over the last two days. I see the outright pain in her eyes, pain that I’d put there for so many years.
I still hear that scream taking over my mind.
I don’t know how I can even begin to start my apology to her if she won’t even look at me.
My mind wonders to Colter, poor guy’s going to get an earful later, no doubt again because of me.
Maybe I shouldn’t have come back?
Why do I get the feeling I’ve just made everyone’s lives a lot harder?
Looking away from the distance and back onto the path my eyes divert to a little girl skipping towards me.
She looks about eight or nine years old. Hmm, something Colter forgot to mention last night is that he’s become a dad.
I stop for a minute to look at her; she has his caramel-coloured hair.
As she skips, she looks up from the floor and straight at me, eyes narrowing as she sizes me up and down. She comes to a complete stand still.
“Who are you?” She asks with concern, tilting her head.
I run my hand through my hair. “My names’ Maverick,” I say, giving her a reassuring smile. She’s looking me up and down. “I’m a friend of Colters.” I smile yet again. I don’t know whether to say dad or not, I could be completely wrong.
“Huh…” she says, edging slightly closer to me. She tries to look closer at me, so I decide to do what everyone should do when talking to a child; I bend down to her level and lean on my left knee.
“You look like my Uncle Jake.” She says. I see her better. Sky blue eyes, seems to run in the family.
“Well, that’s because he would be my brother,” I smile directly at her with the best smile I have.
“Huh,” she says again, tilting her head to the other side.
Looking again at the little girl that is now eye level to me, I notice that she looks a lot like Mabel. This girl’s got her same facial features, button nose and freckles included.
“Well, nice to meet you,” I say, holding up my hand to shake hers. She raises her hand into mine and shakes it with a grin on her face.
“My names’-” She starts, before a raised voice behind me pulls my eyes away from the girl and into the direction of the voice. It’s Mabel coming up the path.
“Ellie, what are you doing?” Mabel asks, staring between me and the girl whose name I now knows name. Ellie takes her hand out of mine and straightens up.
Ellie; that was going to be our daughters name.
I feel the ache in my heart even more.
“I’m talking to Maverick,” Ellie says, pointing to me.
“I can see that, sugar.” Mabel smiles at the little girl, still walking towards us.
I take this as my queue to stand up as I’m still leaning on my knee. I offer Mabel a shy shrug, avoiding eye contact with her.
“This is Uncle Jake’s brother,” Ellie tries to act sweet, pointing at me.
“Huh, no kidding,” Mabel laughs, finally reaching us, sounding slightly out of breath.
Damn, I don’t know who this little girl is but thank our Lord I finally see my girl smile at something.
“Come on, honey, let’s leave Mr Maverick be,” Mabel says, taking Ellie’s hand and leading her up the long path, further away from me. I stand in place for a moment.
I’ll let her walk away with, who I assume, is her niece. She doesn’t want to see me anymore than she has too.
Mabel doesn’t turn to look back at me, just keeps walking straight with her head held up. Ellie, on the other, hand turns to me, still walking with Mabel and offers a smile and a very big wave. I let out a laugh and give her a big wave back.
I look forward to asking Colter about that little girl on Monday morning when we’re finally out working.
Seeing Ellie and Mabel no longer in sight, I walk up the path heading towards my truck, doing my best to stay out of sight so I don’t upset anyone else today.
Ellie was a welcomed treat; the innocence of children is an amazing thing. I also can’t stop thinking about her name.
Mabel and I always said our first girl would be called Ellie. Mainly because I loved the nickname Ellie-Belly.
I wonder if the Riggins family call her that.