Chapter 13
Maverick
As I drive down the ranch driveway, a few of the ranch hands whistle and clap as they see me. A flush works up my neck, and I blow out a shaky breath. I know they don’t actually care that I spent half the night in jail, but it still makes me feel like a bit of a failure as their boss.
Duke is waiting for me as I park and climb out. His claps are slow and loud, with a sprinkle of amusement. “Who would have thought, huh? You? A rulebreaker? Fucking jail bird.”
I roll my eyes. “Shut up.”
He grabs my elbow as I try to move past, his nostrils flaring before he swallows roughly. “Is it that little blonde omega?”
A growl rumbles in my throat, and I shove his hand away from me. “What’s it to you?’
His tongue pokes his cheek, and he glances over his shoulder toward the stables. “We might have run into her and her redhead friend before we left town.”
I have multiple questions. Like who is “we”? He left with Cooper and a few other staff members. And the last time they left…was right when Kinsey stumbled upon the ranch. I scowl. “You sent them up here?”
Duke frowns. “Well, yeah. They were asking for the place.”
“And you didn’t think to ask why? Or call us up with a warning?”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “No, they seemed harmless enough.”
I grunt, shaking my head. “That redhead is my half sister.”
His eyes widen in shock. “And the blonde? I hope she’s—”
“No,” I bark out. “No, she’s…mine.”
Duke nods “Right…right. What if she’s not just yours though?”
It turns something in my stomach. I’m not naive enough to think I’d have an omega all to myself. I watched Colt, Dallas, and Brooks all circle around the same woman. It’s not unheard of, but I’d hoped that none would be men from my ranch.
I clear my throat. “Who? You?”
He narrows his stare at me. “Is that a problem if it is?”
Yes.
No.
Fuck. Damn it.
I can’t say that to him. As much as I dislike his well-known tendency to fall into women’s beds, he’s still a good man. And a damn good worker. He and his brother are invaluable to the ranch.
“Depends,” I finally grunt once I handle my initial jerk reaction.
“On what?”
“On if you plan to treat her right and be loyal. What about my cousin? I can still smell her on you.” My jaw is tight with the accusation. It's still missing the sweetness of sex from their scents. But Delilah is there regardless.
Duke’s shoulders slump. “She has nightmares, Maverick. I caught her running in the field one night in some kind of sleep trance when I was getting home late. She begged me not to tell you because she was afraid you’d lock her up like Uncle Levi.”
It’s like a stab to my heart, and I have to take a deep breath to steady myself.
The accusation is ridiculous, and it stings she’d think that.
I know we’ve never been the closest, but I took her in the moment she needed it.
Tears prick the back of my eyes. “Fuck. Damn it,” I curse, unable to keep it inside my head.
“I would never do that.” I rub my palm down my face and shake my head.
Somewhere down the line people started to expect the worst from me, and I don’t know how we got to this point.
“I know that, man. I tried to tell her, but she has it in her head. I think it has more to do with whatever your ma’s family tells her.”
I nod, ignoring the pain still lingering in my chest at the accusation. “Right. Of course. It always comes down to my ma.”
Delilah opens the door, her smile slipping when she sees it’s me. I don’t miss the way she looks behind me, as if expecting someone else. Probably Duke.
“Can I come in?”
She shrugs. “It’s your home.”
“That I’ve loaned to you.”
“So if I say no?” Delilah asks with a raised eyebrow.
A bitter smile lifts on my lips. “I’ll respect it, but I’d like for us to talk.”
She relents with a sigh, leaving the door wide open as she retreats back into her living room.
There are a few crafts littered over the table, some puzzles, and crocheting activities.
I had wondered if she was bored staying cooped up inside, but it looks like she’s far from it.
The small amount of groceries she asks for is no hit on my budget, but now I do worry I’ve been enabling her isolating behavior.
“Is this about Duke again? We’re just friends,” she says, flopping down into the oversized chair.
“Somewhat. He told me something that I wanted to discuss with you.”
She gasps, sitting up straight. “That bastard. He had no right!”
I frown. “You don’t even know what it was yet.”
Delilah deflates a little, an embarrassed blush blooming on her face. “Oh, right.”
I nod, mostly to myself as my gaze drops to the table between us, and then around the rest of the cabin.
It’s a tense moment of silence before I look back at her.
“You know that I put my father in a community home because he needed the care that I couldn’t provide for him.
He agreed, and is much happier there than being stuck in the house. ”
She tears her gaze away, her fingers fidgeting on her lap. “Yeah.”
“And I don’t want you to think that I’d force you anywhere you didn’t want to go…” I trail off, hoping she gets the point.
Delilah sighs, picking at her dress. “But you think I should go into like a psych ward or something?”
It takes a moment to find the right words to articulate my point.
“I don’t know what happened to you, Dee.
But it’s been over two years, and you don’t leave the cabin.
” And apparently wander the fields at night sometimes, but something tells me that she’d be upset Duke confided that in me.
“I don’t think it’s doing you any good, and I can’t help you.
I barely have time to run the ranch, as much as I would love to see you more. ”
Her jaw is tight, and she wipes a lone tear falling from her eyes.
I blow out a slow breath. “I’m not kicking you out. This is your home as long as you need it to be, but I do think it’s time that we get to the root of the issue.”
Delilah swallows harshly and nods. “I’m scared.”
My throat aches with emotion, and I want to hug her, but I don’t think she wants that, so I stay in my chair. “I know, but Duke… He may not always be here to help.”
She draws in a large breath. “Can we see about someone coming here?”
I give her a small smile. “Of course. I mean it, this is your home.”
My cousin smiles back. “Thank you, Maverick.”