Chapter 21 #3
“You think she’s too much horse for your uncle?
” Mister Mooney asked. I don’t know how, but he seemed to speak fluent Maverick.
I guess it made sense. Maverick lived with them, he probably had to get good at reading his body language to know what he was thinking, but it was still impressive as hell. Not even Cash could do that.
Maverick nodded before casting an apologetic look at his other uncle.
Goodie dipped his hat. “No, I agree.”
Mister Mooney stomped out his cigarette, a scowl forming on his lips.
“I don’t. Goodie’s gotta learn how to communicate with pigs just like Maverick did—” He glanced at his brother, before turning and leveling his nephew with a pointed stare “—and Maverick’s gotta learn to let other people figure some shit out for themselves. ”
Maverick looked like he wanted to argue, his dark brows knitting together as his jaw clenched. And I don’t know what came over me, or what the hell possessed me to open my mouth, but there was no stopping it once the words fell from my lips. “I’ll take over.”
Everyone stopped and stared at me. Cash with surprise, Goodie with straight up disbelief, Maverick with soft appreciation.
But Mister Mooney’s heavy gaze on me almost had me eating my words.
The weight of his stare was crushing, and with his sunglasses blocking his face, I couldn’t read his emotions.
“I’ll take over for Goodie,” I repeated when it was clear no one was going to say anything. “You said there’s a wager, right? How much money we talkin’?”
“Two grand,” Goodie said. “You sure you wanna kill yourself over that?”
If only he knew just how desperate I was right now. The insurance company still hadn’t gotten back to me yet, but I doubted I’d be getting much. And while two grand didn’t seem like much, it could set me up with a nice new heat press and sublimation printer to start up my shop up again.
I looked to Mister Mooney. “So…can I take over?”
He scratched at the stubble on his chin and regarded me for another long moment, finally offering me a nod. “Alright.”
I grinned, my gaze flicking to Maverick. His lips curved up into a soft smile and he nodded. I wonder if he knew why I’d decided to do this. It seemed like he did. It felt like he did…if that made any sense.
Mister Mooney huffed out a loud sigh and nodded at Goodie and Maverick. “Well, should we get back to the ranch and doctor up those calves in pasture three?”
Cash frowned. “What’re you talkin’ bout?”
“I asked Maverick if he’d help me with some of the new calves back home,” Mister Mooney said with a shrug.
“Mav’s done enough today. I can help.” There was an earnestness, a desperateness to his voice that was so wholly un-Cash-like that had I not known why he was acting this way, I’d be worried.
But I understood the sudden want—no, need—to make sure Maverick was okay. I felt the same too.
Cash’s dad shook his head, a frown on his lips. “You got a fever or somethin’, boy? You ain’t ever volunteered to do shit for free in your life, unless it involves gettin’ your pecker wet.”
I bit back a laugh, even as a scowl formed on Cash’s lips.
“Besides,” his dad went on, “you’re too rough with the babies, and I asked Maverick.”
A muscle tightened in Cash’s jaw, his hazel gaze narrowed on his dad, but after a long moment he blew out a breath. “Fine.”
Mister Mooney nodded to his brother. “Get your ass outta that round pen before she kills you, Goodie. And give Maverick your keys. We ain’t waitin’ out in this fuckin’ heat for your sorry ass.”
I looked between Mister Mooney and Maverick.
I didn’t want him to leave. Firstly, what the hell was I going to do here by myself?
And secondly, he still wasn’t talking. Wasn’t fully back to himself.
There were glimmers now and then, but he was still so quiet and stoic. His smiles were few and far between.
“Can I come along?” I asked. “I’ve worked with calves before.”
While Mister Mooney’s gaze wasn’t harsh and cold as it had been toward Cash, there was a firm finality to it. I knew the answer before he even opened his mouth. “You got that red filly to work with.”
I sighed, disappointment writhing in my chest, but I lowered my gaze to the ground and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
The jangle of keys and the rhythmic chink of spurs drew my attention.
Maverick had climbed over the pipe-stall and made his way toward me—Goodie following behind, albeit a bit slower.
Maverick didn’t speak as he placed a soft hand on my shoulder, his sunglasses stare holding mine for a long moment, but he didn’t need to.
I knew what he meant well enough. It was okay and he’d be back soon.
I offered what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “Text me if you need anythin’.”
He dipped his head, a soft smile coming to his lips
as he flicked my nose gently. I waved him off, a huff of laughter escaping me. He turned and clapped Cash on the back before nodding to Mister Mooney.
“Be right there,” Cash’s dad responded, waving a hand at Goodie and Maverick. “Y’all head to the truck.”
Without a backward glance, the two headed off for Goodie’s pearly white King Ranch edition Ford F-350.
As soon as the doors shut, Cash whirled on his dad. “Why’re you makin’ him do this? Ain’t he been through enough shit? He don’t need your bitchin’, and we all know what a prick you can be when you’re doctorin’ them cattle.”
Mister Mooney took off his sunglasses, the hazel depths swirling with some unknown emotion I couldn’t place.
A smug smirk coated his lips, though. “I ain’t actin like nothin’, boy.
That’s the thing…you two are the ones makin’ it seem like somethin’s wrong with him.
I’m treatin’ him like I normally would, which is what he wants.
What he needs. He don’t want no coddlin’.
No fussin’. He just wants things to be as normal as possible. ”
He took a couple steps, his focus on his boots, before nodding and replacing his glasses.
It was a contemplative stance, one that I noticed Maverick doing on occasion.
When he looked up, he fixed Cash with a soft smile as if he was lost in old memories.
“Wanna know why that boy started talkin’ again?
It was you, dipshit. You, who treated him and talked to him like not havin’ a voice was no big deal at all.
Like words weren’t needed to communicate.
In those ten months, you talked so much, you spoke for the both of ya’s.
You gave Maverick a voice and made him feel normal. That’s what he needs now.”
It made sense. Letting him come out of it on his own. A part of me worried that it would only make him withdraw further into himself if we just let him, but that was just my fears talking. Logically, it made sense. Give him time to process and come to terms with things, and he’d open back up.
“Do you think it’ll last ten months?” I asked, worry trickling into my tone.
He shook his head. “Nah. Last time, Maverick wasn’t just dealin’ with the trauma of the accident.
He was dealin’ with a whole bunch of other shit.
Shit he’s come to terms with since then.
I say a month tops.” He gave us both a pointed look.
“A lot sooner if y’all start treatin’ him like normal and don’t coddle the piss outta him. ”
I lowered my head. “Yes, sir.”
It was hard not to treat him differently. What he’d done… I still couldn’t believe he’d done that for me. I couldn’t fully shake the guilt that it was my fault. Deep dow,n I knew it wasn’t, but tell that to my stupid head. My heart.
A warm, heavy hand settled on my shoulder. I looked up to find Mister Mooney holding me in place with his stare. “Chin up, darlin’. You didn’t know. How could you possibly? But do me a favor, don’t be so busy tryin’ to take care of him, you don’t take care of yourself.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You went through shit too. And pushin’ it aside to take care of him ain’t gonna get rid of it. At some point it’s gonna pile up, and shit always rolls downhill.”
I blew out a breath and offered him a soft smile. “Thank you, sir.”
“We’re havin’ dinner at the house tonight,” Mister Mooney said, glancing at Cash. “Tell everyone to come. Your mama’s making fried chicken.”
Cash grinned. “What’d you do to convince her to make that? A new gun?”
Mister Mooney grinned. “She don’t even know yet, but if she won’t do it for Maverick, I think your idea just might work.
” He looked between the both of us and pointed at me.
“You go work that filly and take care of yourself. And you—” His finger landed on Cash.
“I hate to say it, it’ll give you a bigger head than you already have, but bring some of that Cash sparkle when you come over…
or else you ain’t gettin’ nothin’ but burnt pieces. ”
“Like fuck I am,” Cash huffed, some of that said Cash sparkle returning to his gaze.