Page 20 of Falling Stars (Wild at Heart #2)

MAVERICK

All afternoon, I pace around my condo until the back of my head throbs. Part of me wonders if Baylee was just blowing smoke up my ass when she stopped by earlier. Maybe she has no intention of returning home tonight.

I need help. I can’t call Jace because he’s never had a real relationship. Beau’s always secretive about who he dates, and Isaiah is off in the Amazon, wrestling anacondas and being a badass. Which leaves Rhett.

When my oldest brother picks up, I blurt it out. “I need some advice.”

“About football?”

“About Baylee.”

He’s quiet for a stretch. “I see.”

I run my fingers through my hair. “We had an argument.”

“About your injuries? About you not telling her how bad they were?”

“That kinda kicked off the discussion, but it was about the past. I was an asshole in high school.” I groan.

“Back then, she flat-out told me she liked me and asked if I had feelings for her, and I denied it. You and I had just had that big talk about how sex changes everything, and I was freaked out and didn’t wanna lose my best friend.

So I told her I didn’t reciprocate those feelings.

” It was one of the rare times Rhett and I ever discussed dating.

He whistles. “That’s a doozie, bro. Because anyone in a ten-mile radius with two eyeballs in their head can see you’ve always had a thing for her. And I hope you know I wasn’t trying to scare you away from her. I just wanted you to be cautious.”

“I get it.” I try to explain what was going through my mind at the time. “We had different goals in life. We were headed to different towns. I didn’t think we could go the distance if I was in Charming and she was in Wild Heart. Anyway, she’s pissed at me.”

“She’s probably more hurt than anything, and we all know Baylee’s got a bit of a temper. So that means you need to break down her walls. Gently, of course.”

Feeling overwhelmed, I scrub my face. “What do I do?”

“Be honest with her about where you’re at now and about what you want out of your relationship. And in my experience, groveling will get you a long way.”

“What does that mean exactly? Apologize? Because I’ve done that.”

“It means apologize with action. Show you’re sorry.

Prove it to her. Why do you think I built Paige a huge chicken coop?

Why do you think I’m bottle-feeding a baby goat in my kitchen at the moment?

Because if my wife wants something, I’m gonna move hell and high water to make it happen, especially if I’ve been a dick.

For the record, I try not to be a dick around her. ”

I nod, feeling more hopeful. “Okay.” Don’t be a dick. Apologize with action. Be honest. I can do that.

“But Maverick, if you go after Baylee, you have to mean it. She’s a single mom with a lot on her shoulders.

You can’t mess with her if you’re not a hundred percent sure about this.

Nothing about what I told you in high school is different.

Only now you probably can better appreciate that your relationship with her is special. ”

I think about all the shit we’ve been through and how she’s always stood by my side. “Yeah, it’s special. No one compares to Bay.”

“That’s what I thought. Now go win back your woman.”

I think about Rhett’s advice as I tidy up the condo, do a load of laundry, and try to ignore the pain radiating down my shoulders. A gnawing sense of urgency builds in my chest. I have to make this right with Baylee.

When the food arrives, I set it out on the dining table. I’m just finishing when the front door opens.

I let out a relieved breath that she returned. She stands in the entryway with Leo, who’s fussy.

Don’t make this weird, asshole. Help her.

As I pour some water, I say, “Let me take him for a while. Give you a break.”

She gives me a wary look. “Have you been dizzy today?”

“Nope.” I don’t mention my headache, but I haven’t wobbled once this afternoon.

Baylee sets down Leo’s basket on the kitchen counter, and I pull him out. “Hey, man. Looking good today. How was work? Did the ladies at the salon give you any trouble? I hear if you ply them with coffee, they’re pretty nice.”

Baylee snorts in amusement, and I take that as a good sign.

I hold my arm out toward the dining room table. “I got us some dinner. Are you hungry?”

“I’m going to weigh a thousand pounds if we keep ordering takeout.”

I let my eyes trail down her curves, and my dick pulses. “I don’t think you need to worry about that, Bay. You’re perfect.”

A blush tints her cheeks, but she doesn’t respond. When she opens the containers on the table, a smile tilts her lips. “Pad Thai’s my favorite.”

“I know. Grab a seat.”

I strategically placed everything so we’d sit close. She takes one side, and I sit at the head of the table next to her and hold Leo to my chest.

“Here. Give him to me so you can eat.” She holds out her arms.

“You’re the one who worked all day while I watched brain-rotting TV. I can hold him for a bit.”

“Okay. If you don’t mind.” We both tuck into our food.

I debate how to bring it up. After a few minutes, I bite the bullet.

“Look, I don’t know how to start this conversation, but I don’t want to dodge it.

I’m really sorry that I hurt you. This afternoon I thought a lot about how things went down in high school.

I remember that you went out of town for a while right after Chet’s party, and when you returned, you acted like nothing happened.

Like our kiss wasn’t a big deal. So, at the time, in my pea-sized high school brain, I thought we were cool. ”

Her voice is barely a whisper. “You turning me down like that was soul-crushing, Maverick. I did what I had to preserve my dignity. You were running around with all the cheerleaders, and it pissed me off enough that I guess I shut down.”

“Fuck, I feel like a dick.”

She looks at me straight in the eye. “You were a dick.”

I hate myself right now, but I’m also confused. “Why didn’t you tell me you were angry? I mean, I knew you were that night at the party, but why did you let me think we were good afterward?”

“I don’t know, Maverick. Why did you ask Nicole Ashbury to homecoming instead of me?

You obviously didn’t want to date me, so what was I supposed to do?

Beg?” She lets out a brittle laugh. “You must know by now that I’d rather fucking die by a thousand snake bites than ask a man for anything.

” Baylee shakes her head. “We didn’t hang out for a long time after I kissed you. Didn’t you think that was weird?”

I shrug. “I figured it was because of football.”

“You thought what you wanted to. I hated, hated that I had let myself be vulnerable with you, so the only thing I could do afterward to save face was to pretend we were cool, pretend that what happened wasn’t a big deal.

So we brushed it under the rug and things eventually went back to the way they were. ”

I consider that a moment. “We’ve never gone back to the way we were. Not really.” When she doesn’t respond, I motion to the table. “I’m glad I didn’t set out any knives.”

She cracks a smile, and I reach across and take her small hand in mine.

“Bay, I’m so sorry I treated you that way.

I have no excuse except that my feelings for you scared me.

Back then, if you’d asked me, I would’ve said there were no successful relationships in my family.

Not my parents, not Rhett, who was in a horrible marriage that would end in divorce, and certainly not my other brothers.

I might not know a lot about Isaiah now, but I remember him breaking Liberty’s heart before he took off to South America.

And I didn’t want to risk losing your friendship if we failed at being more. ”

“It took Liberty years to get over Isaiah, and that idiot she’s with now is an asshole.” She sighs. “You Walker boys leave a trail of destruction in your wake.”

If I consider myself objectively, I know I’m not a good bet, but I can’t walk away this time. “I’d agree with you, but Rhett and Paige have me wondering if there’s still hope for me.”

“What do you mean?”

I squeeze her hand. “I mean, if Rhett could deal with his shit and get Paige to fall in love with him, maybe I’m not such a lost cause. Because he has to be a bigger asshole than me. ”

She chuckles. “I have to agree with you there. Don’t tell him I said that.”

I smile at her. “Deal.” Then I remember something she said. “About Nicole.” She stiffens, and I rush to spit this out so I can put her at ease. “The reason I asked her to homecoming is because you never called me back.”

“What do you mean? You never called me . From the time I kissed you until homecoming, not one call or text.”

“I’m pretty sure I called.”

“I’m pretty sure you didn’t.”

Am I misremembering this? “Look, I don’t want you to think I blew you off.

I thought you were blowing me off. And I thought if I gave you some space, we could go back to how things used to be.

That’s how I ended up going to homecoming with Nicole.

My friends were razzing me for not having a date, and she offered.

” I stare at my beautiful best friend, regretting all of my mistakes.

“I’d take you to homecoming now if I could. ”

She lets out a long sigh. “We suck at this.”

I chuckle. “But look at us now, adulting like pros.”

Baylee smiles, and I count that as a win.

Leo starts to fuss, and she reaches for her son. “Let me take him.”

I hand him to her. “He’s a really good baby.”

“He is, isn’t he?” She stares down at Leo with so much love in her eyes that it makes something in my chest ache.

I’ve never really considered having children, but something about Baylee holding Leo makes me wonder if I’ve been wrong about a lot of things.

“And you’re a great mom. I don’t know if you hear that enough.

You’re doing so much on your own—taking care of Leo, running the salon, and taking care of your clients. You’re a force to be reckoned with.”

She blushes again. “Shut up. ”