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I was saved from allowing Duke to crush my hard-earned equanimity because his girlfriend came out. She was in tight jeans, a tight T-shirt,andheels. For the love of everyone holy.Four-inch fucking heels!
“Hi,” she said breezily. “We have company.”
She came up to Maverick and extended her hand. “Fiona Turner. I work with Duke at Ironwood Development Group.”
Maverick looked at the hand and then, after a moment, shook it. “Maverick Kincaid. I work at Kincaid Farms.”
“More like own it,” she giggled. “I know of you, Maverick. Very nice work. You know, you should give us a call. We can help you with future acquisitions.”
“Right now, I’m tryin’ to acquire a horse trainer, darlin’. Can you help me with that?” He smiled insolently.
“Ah….” Fiona looked at all of us and then at Duke. “Well…ah…... ah... I don’t know, but I can set up some contacts and find you someone appropriate.”
“Oh, I know someone perfect,” Maverick continued.
“Enough.” Duke put a proprietary arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. I assumed it was his way of saying, ‘Shut the fuck up.’ “We’re busy, Kincaid. Maybe we can visit another time.”
Maverick turned to me, lifted his hat, and placed it right back. “You change your mind, Wildflower, you call me…any time.”
“Thanks, Mav,” I replied softly, walking him to his vehicle.
“You seriously okay?” Maverick asked when we were out of the earshot of the others.
“I honestly don’t know.” I took a deep breath. “But I’m getting to a better place. Thanks for coming, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
“It’sneveran inconvenience. Okay?” He kissed my cheek. “I know Hunt is your person but so am I. Even if you don’t let me fuck you.” He winked then.
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll see you around.”
I stepped away from him, and he climbed back into his truck, tires kicking up dust as he drove off. I watched the taillights disappear down the road, not because I gave a damn about him leaving, but because it gave me a few more seconds before I had to turn around and face Duke and his girlfriend—before I had to pretend his words hadn’t cut deep.
When I was younger, I would’ve fought back, would’ve thrown fists or curses, would’ve screamedthat no one had the right to call my mama that name. Mistress. Whore. But time had tempered my fire. I didn’t waste my breath on people who thought they knew me. Let them talk. Their words said more about them than they ever did about me.
Because I knew who I was. The good and the bad. The things I was proud of and the things that still haunted me.
And that kind of knowing? It made me untouchable.
“What was that?” Fiona cheerfully quipped as if she couldn’t feel the tension in the air. She definitely couldn’t read a ranch, bless her heart.
“Maverick was here to see my horse trainer.” Duke kissed Fiona on her temple, but he was looking at me. “But we’re not ready to let them go.”
Fiona obviously didn’t know I was the horse trainer, and she nodded eagerly. “Right.”
“They have their uses right now. But once I’m done with them, they can go work for Maverick Kincaid or fuck him for all I care.”
Fiona’s eyes went wide, and she looked at Hunt and me as if asking for an explanation.
Ask your boyfriend, doll. This is his circus.
Once Duke and his woman were inside the ranch house, Hunt chuckled. “Well, that was one hell of a mornin’, don’t you think,Wildflower?”
“Oh, don’t you start, Hunt.”
“Does he know?” Hunt asked somberly.
I knew what he was asking. Did Maverick knowabout my history with Duke? Did he know about the baby? Did he know aboutme?
“Some,” I admitted.