The Maverick’s Homecoming (Montana Mavericks: Hidden Gems Ranch #1)

Prologue

Three and a half months ago

“Kenzie?” asked a deep voice from directly behind her. Kenzie Osborne knew that voice. Her stomach churning, she swiveled on the wooden barstool.

Yep. Finn Monahan.

Unbelievable. Almost fifteen years had rolled by since the day he broke her heart. That day, as he’d turned to walk away from her, she’d shouted that she hated him, that she would never speak to him again.

But life goes on. And remembering that painful after-noon now just made her feel even sadder than she had a moment before.

She stiffened her spine and put on a smile. “I heard you were back in town…” The words came out sounding strained, but not because of what had happened years ago. She had fresher heartaches to deal with now, heartaches that had nothing whatsoever to do with Finn.

Her stomach lurched again. She breathed in through her nose and ordered the uncomfortable feeling to pass as Finn’s wide brow creased with a worried frown.

“Look, Kenzie,” he said. “The truth is, I followed you in here.” Here was the Grizzly Bar on Central Avenue in their hometown of Tenacity, Montana.

Why? she wondered sourly. What in the world could she and Finn Monahan possibly have to say to each other now?

Not a thing, that’s what.

Drawing in another slow breath, she glanced around the knotty-pine-paneled space. All the tables were empty. Down at the end of the bar, a lone cowboy sat staring into a half-finished glass of beer. The bartender was nowhere to be seen.

And Finn just stood there, watching her. Apparently, he thought they had more to say to each other. “Honestly, Finn. I’m really not up for a trip down memory lane right now.”

He looked at her with what actually seemed to be honest concern. “I’m not here to talk about old times, I promise you.”

“Great,” she said sincerely and then she waited for him to move along.

He didn’t. Instead, he remained right where he was and continued to stare at her with that worried look on his face.

After several endless seconds of truly uncomfortable silence, she asked impatiently, “If not what happened years ago, then what are you here to talk about?”

“I saw you outside.” He gestured back over his shoulder at the door to the street.

“You seemed upset.” He glanced at the crumpled papers she’d dropped on the bar and then went on, “You stopped out front and looked around like you weren’t even sure where you were.

I followed you in here because I just wanted to…

Look. All you have to do is tell me. Are you okay? ”

A weird squeak of laughter escaped her. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the ridiculous sound. Laughing was a bad idea. Her emotions were all wonky. Laughter just might make her burst into tears.

And what had he asked her?

Right. Are you okay?

Why lie? He wanted to know what was wrong with her, fine.

“Truthfully, Finn, I’m feeling a little low.

My divorce is final.” She grabbed the papers from the bar and shoved them at him.

“I got these in the mail today. One look at them and I jumped in my car headed…” She drew in a slow breath through her nose.

“Well, I’m not sure where I was headed. I found myself cruising along Central Avenue.

About then, I decided that what I needed was a good, stiff drink…

The rest you can probably figure out for yourself. ”

“Damn.” Finn stared at the divorce decree in her outstretched hand and then met her eyes again. “Kenzie, I’m so sorry. I…” He swept off his Stetson and held it to his chest. “Hell. There has to be a right thing to say at this point. But I don’t have a clue what that might be.”

She shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. The truth is that my marriage is toast and has been for a while now. Honestly, I’m trying really hard to move on.”

“Well. Okay, then. That’s good, right?” He asked the question carefully.

She sighed. “Yeah. It is good. But still. Getting the final papers is a real kick in the teeth, one that knocked the wind right out of me. It brought back the past seven years—eight, if you count the year my ex and I were dating…” She paused for another careful breath.

Why was she still talking? Finn Monahan did not need to hear this.

And yet she kept right on. “It’s just that, suddenly, I feel like I’m drowning, going under for the last time with no chance of rescue. You can’t imagine all the hopes I once had, all the big dreams of love everlasting.”

“Yeah, I can.” He looked right in her eyes. She knew what he was thinking because she was thinking it, too. They’d been in love once, she and Finn. Yeah, they’d been teenagers then. But still. They’d shared big dreams and high hopes.

She dropped the decree on the bar again. “Sorry. I guess what I’m trying to say is that getting the final papers is no fun at all.”

He seemed at a loss. “I can’t even imagine.”

“Never been married, huh?” Her question was rhetorical. She would have heard if the great Finn Monahan had ever taken the leap.

“Nope. Still single.” At that moment, he almost looked shy.

So shoot her. She couldn’t stop herself from thinking that her ex-high-school sweetheart had grown into a truly fine-looking man. He was bigger and broader than back in the day. And the faint beginnings of laugh lines and crow’s feet? They only added character to his handsome face.

In high school, she had loved him with every fiber of her being. And then, when he left her, she’d hated him with the burning fury of a thousand suns. It had taken her a long time to get over him.

But all that was ancient history. Now, she had Tate to get over. The heartbreak she’d suffered when Finn walked away from her was water under a very old bridge.

She did find it somewhat disorienting, though, to have him standing right here in front of her today of all days. She’d heard he was back in town. But this was the first time she’d seen him in person since he broke up with her all those years ago.

He seemed to be studying her face. Did she look as woozy as she felt? Was he waiting for her to do something alarming—perhaps pass out and fall off her stool? “You’re pale,” he said. “You sure you’re—”

She cut him off with a weary wave of her hand. “Just a little queasy, that’s all. It happened fast, my divorce. I get sick to my stomach just thinking about it.”

Right then, the bartender emerged from the open doorway to the back room. He spotted Finn first and came straight for him. “What do you know?” He stuck out his beefy hand. “Finn Monahan, am I right?”

“That’s right.” The two men shook hands as Kenzie put all her energy into not being sick.

“I’m Dale Clutterbuck,” the bartender said.

“I moved to town eighteen years ago, which means I was here when you led the Tenacity Titans to back-to-back state championships. Then, twelve years ago now, I bought this bar from old Mr. Kelsy. Man, it’s great that you’ve come back to town, Finn.

And I do mean that sincerely. I heard you bought the Rawlings place. That’s quite a house.”

“Yeah. It’s a beautiful property.”

“It is indeed. You settling in alright?”

Finn slid a worried glance Kenzie’s way. She squared her shoulders and managed a grim smile to signal that she was just fine.

His gaze swung back to Dale. “I’m doing well, Dale, thanks. I’m in real estate now and have been for a while. Things are looking up around here and I’ve got a feeling this town is going to do just fine in the future. As a matter of fact, I’m betting on Tenacity to come back big.”

“Smart man,” Dale replied with a firm nod. “Yeah, we’ve had some bad years. But that’s over now. And you chose the right line of work. The real-estate market is only going to get hotter.”

The bartender knew what he was talking about, Kenzie thought as she sucked in air, slowly and steadily, through her nose.

The old days of political corruption were behind them.

Tenacity’s new mayor was trusted and admired by everyone in town.

Money once stolen from the town coffers had been reclaimed at last. And then dinosaur bones had been discovered.

The town had pulled together to build the Tenacity Dinosaur Center, which was now open and attracting tourists from all over.

Dale was still talking. “Well, don’t be a stranger, Finn. It’s real nice to have you back home.” He turned to Kenzie then…and got his first good look at her. “Whoa!”

She tried a big smile. “Hey, Dale. Good to see you. How’ve you been?”

“I’m fine. But you don’t look so good—it’s Kenzie, am I right?” When she opened her mouth to tell him her last name, he put up a hand. “Wait, wait. Don’t tell me. Hastings! Kenzie Hastings.”

“School nurse, at your service.” She tried a chuckle. Too bad it came out as more of a groan. “And it’s Osborne. Kenzie Osborne. I, uh, recently took back my family name.”

“Alright then, Kenzie Osborne.” Dale leaned closer and asked gently, “Tell me the truth, now. You sure you’re okay?”

Willing her stomach to settle the heck down, she took off her denim jacket and hung it on the hook beneath the bar. “Must have been something I ate. But I’m feeling better now, honestly.”

Finn caught her eye. “Ginger ale?”

She almost smiled. After all these years, he remembered. She used to crave ginger ale whenever she was feeling under the weather—which was often during the last couple of months they were together. “Ginger ale would be perfect, thank you.”

“Coming right up. Finn?”

“Maker’s Mark and ice.”

“Done.” Dale served their drinks and moved down the bar to get that lone cowboy another beer.

Finn sipped whiskey as Kenzie tackled her tall ginger ale. The fizzy drink helped. She grinned as she realized that Finn was still standing.

“Still haven’t dared to sit down, huh?” she teased.

He looked pained. “Given our…history, it seemed like a good idea not to grab a seat until I’d been invited.”

He had a point. But the past? It was forever ago. She patted the stool beside her. “Consider the hatchet officially buried.”

He looked at her sideways. “There was a hatchet?”