Chapter 18
Eighteen
Maverick
Mucking out the remaining horse stalls, my mind races, not able to let me forget about the interaction I had with Mabel earlier on, before Ellie interrupted us. She looked calmer, less angry at me and the world.
Back to the girl I once called my Firefly.
I can’t stop myself from wondering if Ellie’s part of the reason, or has someone has said something to her? I was expecting Mabel to be cruel to me for a lot longer, I abandoned her, so I was expecting worse.
The Mabel I once knew could hold a grudge for months if she saw fit. Maybe becoming a mom has softened her?
I finish up the last stall for the day and move the horse safely back into her home. I give her a pat; she’s a pretty looking thing.
Realising I’d be here a lot longer than expected, I took Storm into one of the horse fields to let her roam about and eat some grass just after my interaction with Mabel and my new nemesis, Stallion. I walk past his stall, and he lets out a snort. Stubborn asshole.
I shake my head at him as my phone vibrates in my back pocket, pulling it out I see a text from Colter...
Colter; You done?
Me; Just finishing up...
Colter; Come up to the big house... You deserve a beer ;)
The man don’t have to tell me twice. I’m done in; I haven’t worked that hard in years.
Walking out of the barn door I stop in the place that I’d knocked Mabel onto her back and the place she turned to me and waved moments after. I shake my head from side to side, removing the smile creeping across my face.
I’m getting way ahead of myself.
I make the walk up to the barn, looking out towards the east, to our field. I’m pleased to see the Riggin’s hasn’t built there. Nostalgia sinks in at the feeling. Maybe she wouldn’t let them?
Reaching the gate securing the big house’s garden from the rest of the land, I push it open and see Colter already sitting on the porch, hiding his chair in the shade, beer already in hand.
A cool box sits in between his chair and the one I plan on occupying. Taking a seat next to Colter, I take my hat off my head and place it onto the side table next to me, running my hands over my face with my already dirty shirt to try and remove some of the sweat from my face.
Colter leans into the cool box and pulls out an ice-cold bud, handing it to me which I take willingly.
I pop the cap off and take a hard gulp of the almost frozen beer.
Placing it onto the table when I’ve had my fill, I lean forward and kick my ariats off my feet which causes Colter to snicker at my actions.
“When was the last time you done that?” he asks.
“Too long, brother.” I smirk back at him, moving my boots over to the side of the chair, letting the breeze run through the gaping hole in my sock that formed at some point today.
Hearing the door slide from where we both sit, I notice Jane and Wyatt come out through the door. I look at them, holding my breath.
These people have always been like family to me; I need to apologise to them as much as anyone else.
I stand from my chair and hold my hand out to Wyatt; I feel the shakes in them without looking down at them.
“Come here, son,” Wyatt says, before pulling me into an embrace. I return the short hug and turn to look back at Jane with a tear forming.
“Maverick, you look well, honey.” Jane takes hold of me; her cheeks spread in a welcoming smile.
“Aunt Jane, you’ve not aged a day,” I say, winking at her as I hear Colter scoff. Releasing myself from her tight grip I walk back over to Colter and sit back down in my chair, reaching for my beer. Jane and Wyatt take the seats in front of us as I keep my eyes locked on the door.
Maybe she’ll come out as well?
I see Jane giving me that knowing look she used to when I was a kid and looks behind her, back at the door and smiles whilst shaking her head. She looks back at me and gives me a wink, the heat in my cheeks from being caught, you can never pass anything through her or my mom.
Colter shifts in his seat, and I turn my head back to face him as he clears his throat.
“So, Mav, tomorrow you don’t have to be here ‘till six in morning,” he starts as I listen, giving him my undivided attention.
“We’ll saddle up and check on the herd first thing. Jimmy’s watching the herd for the rest of the day due to the celebrations.” I let out a growl at the mention of that man’s name.
“Then, back to do the barn work that needs doing,” he says as I nod back at him in response, doing my best to ignore that man’s presence in their home.
“Then, it’s back up here to help me set up,” Jane shrieks, clasping her hands up to hide the excited smile spreading across her face. I laugh at her, looking in her direction.
“I’m excited, I’ve missed your cooking.” Taking another sip of my beer, I wink at her again and Jane blushes before pushing my arm.
“Thank you for inviting me,” I start before Jane holds up a hand. “None of that, you are family.” She waves me off.
Not was, not aren’t.
You are.
“Well, my jobs done, meats all prepared,” Wyatt says, popping open his own bottle of beer.
My mouth waters at the thought. Wyatt and Jane sure knew how to grill, and I can’t wait to celebrate in my favourite place once again. As timing goes, I chose the right time to come back here.
Colter and Wyatt continue discussing the makes of the grill and then moves onto where the tables will be set up. I listen intently, trying not to get involved in their conversation.
This isn’t awkward at the moment, and I don’t want to change that.
It’s not that I don’t feel comfortable here, I’m just waiting for the inevitable to be brought into conversation.
Taking another bottle of beer out of the cooler, I feel Jane’s eyes on mine, so I tilt my head and grin at her.
Jane and Wyatt have always my second parents. Many times, I came to them with a problem I felt like I couldn’t tell my own parents. I know Colter and Mabel done the same with mine. This slice of heaven was, still is, my home away from home.
“Mav, would ya’ mind helping me bring some more drinks out?” Jane asks, standing up onto her feet.
“Yes, Ma’am,” I reply as I follow Jane through the sliding door and am in awe of her beautifully designed kitchen. The layout of the kitchen is still the same, the cupboards just different. Oak counter tops and green shades fill the room.
“I’ve had it redone since you went away.” Jane spots me staring.
“You out done yourself this time,” I reply, looking around the huge room.
I walk back over to the refrigerator and pull out some more buds, placing them onto the countertop.
“Come on, handsome, what’s wrong?” Jane asks, forward as she ever was. I stop myself from what I’m doing and look in her direction.
“What do you mean?” I ask, knowing she’s onto me.
“Well, you have the same look on your face that my daughter did this afternoon.” She pulls a bottle of whiskey from the liquor cabinet.
Letting out a sigh, the weight heavy on my shoulders. Is Mabel as wrecked as I am?
I look back to Jane and let out the breath I’m holding in to avoid the rising feel of panic. I shake my head; I’m struggling to find the words for her.
“Y’all need to talk.” Jane offers, reaching me and cupping my face in her hand.
The warmth hasn’t changed from her. Although I could swear her height has gotten smaller as the years have rolled on. I don’t dare say that to a true southern woman like the one standing before me; she’d take a wooden spoon and beat me two shades of Sunday with it.
“I know there’s a reason, sweet pea, I’m not a silly old woman just yet,” she says, moving her hand from my face and towards the glasses on the island, cloth in hand ready to polish them before use.
Whether or not Jane has made me feel any better, I’m not sure about at the moment. It feels wonderful to be welcomed back into this house. Hell, back into this family, the one that is just as important to me as my own; but there is still a frost between me and them.
I know why, I deserve the frost because I was the one who walked away for good.
“I’m sure you’ll tell us when the time is right, Angel,” Jane shrugs at me, clearly noticing how uncomfortable I look. I offer her an uncomfortable grin back.
I’m glad she’s not pushing me.
If anyone is going to hear it when the time is right, it’ll be the girl who deserves it the most.
I’m following Jane back out onto the porch with the drinks when I spot Ellie sitting on Wyatt’s lap.
“Hi, Mr Maverick.” She smiles up at me.
“Hi, Ellie, good to see you again.” I reply, putting the bottles of beer into the cooler.
Looking at Wyatt, I see him beaming with pride at his granddaughter, one arm resting around her lap, keeping her in place on his knee.
“So, Ellie...” I start. “Are you looking forward to tomorrow?” I ask her, trying to make some form of conversation with my girls daughter. Taking another beer from the pile, I pop the cap off.
“Yes!” she squeals. “Are you coming?” She asks me. She really is as cute as a button.
“Am I invited?” I ask her taking a sip.
“Of course, wait, hold on,” she turns her head over her shoulder and looks back at Wyatt.
“Gramps, can Mr Maverick come?” She turns her head over her shoulder back at Wyatt who lets out a laugh.
“I reckon we can squeeze one more in for you, Ellie-belly.”
There it is… the nickname.
I freeze in my seat
Damn, I really hoped they all called her that. My heart swells at the memory of her name and where it came from. Even though I left, its bringing me comfort that Mabel tried to live our life out as much as possible.
The house, Ellie; I wonder what else she’s done in the memory of us, of the life that we should’ve had, that I carelessly walked away from.
Leaning back into my chair, I hold onto my bottle with a tight grip, taking in my surroundings. Ellie is talking away at me, telling me about her favourite things in the world, what class she’s in at school and how she spends her time on the ranch.
I hardly get a word in with her talking and it offers me a familiar fondness; she’s just like her mom.
I gaze at her in awe, studying her as she rambles on about almost everything a normal nine-year-old girls rambles on about.
“So, what about you, Mr Maverick? What’s your favourite colour?” She asks, by this point she is almost sitting on my lap she is so close to me.
“Well, Ellie, my favourite colour is orange,” I answer back to her, looking into her eyes.
“What kind of orange?” she asks, now she’s hanging on every word I’m about to say, and the feeling makes me nervous.
Truthfully, my favourite colour has always been her mama’s hair.
The dark auburn that always flowed so softly down her back, that would always get caught in my fingers as I kissed her lips.
The hair that I’d always push behind her ears so I could study her face so much better when I looked longingly into her eyes, seeing every piece of her heart and our future.
The same colour that as we got older, I’d breath in like a drug, sinking her smell into my flesh as we made love out in the open field that we claimed as ours.
“Just orange.” I smile back at Ellie shrugging my shoulders, giving her as much as I want to pass along.
“Like my mama’s hair,” she exclaims, and I snort; girl hit the nail right on the head there.
“What about my hair?” I hear, snapping my neck in the direction her voice came from. Mabel struts out from the kitchen doors and pauses, hand on her hip, eyebrows raised; my eyes flicker back towards Ellie.
“Mr Maverick was saying his favourite colour was orange, Mama, and I said just like your hair!” Ellie explains, moving away from me and towards Mabel.
“That so, huh?” Mabels eyes automatically dart to mine, eyebrows still raised. I give her a subtle shrug before looking back down at my beer bottle.
“Well, office is all shut up. Come on Ellie-Belly, time to head home.” Mabel looks back down at her daughter.
“Aww, Mama, can’t we stay here a little longer?” Ellie whines famously like she had done earlier today, when Mabel rescued me from my dilemma that is called Stallion.
Mabel looks down with a grin and shakes her head. “No can-do, Sugar, we all got a long day tomorrow.” She winks at her daughter.
“I know, Mama. Mr Maverick said he’s coming too.” Ellie looks back at me and now I feel awkward as fuck again.
Mabel smiles at me. “Well, if that’s the case you can chew his ear off some more tomorrow.” I let out a laugh.
I don’t think Mabel realises that I’d love nothing more than for that little girl to chew my ear off tomorrow.
I want to get to know her and her story if her mama is willing to let me.