Page 43 of Falling Stars (Wild at Heart #2)

BAYLEE

When Mrs. Nash gets off the phone, I hold up the plaid blue western shirt. “Can I put this on layaway?”

“As long as it doesn’t take you five years to pay it off.”

She’s teasing, but my face still burns. I’m sure she doesn’t mean it as an indictment on my finances, but I can’t help but feel self-conscious. I hand her a five-dollar bill, and she records it in her ledger.

“Oh, that’s a nice shirt,” Paige says as she settles at the counter of the Prairie Rose Trading Post. “For Maverick?”

“I just wanted to get him something to thank him. He spent all day yesterday putting up security cameras at the salon.” I get upset thinking about how disproportionate his contributions to my situation have been.

All I can do is fetch his lunch if he wants takeout, and that’s not enough to pay him back.

“He’s been bragging in the family chat that you made him a huge bowl of puppy chow.”

“It’s the least I can do.”

“Have you guys talked about what you’re going to do when he leaves?”

I shake my head .

“Baylee.”

“I know I’m burying my head in the sand, but I don’t see a way around this. My mother can’t come home from Amarillo to take over the salon, and I can’t ask Maverick to give up his NFL dreams.”

Paige frowns. “Would dating long distance be that bad? It would give you time to figure things out.”

“Sometimes I think I can swing it, but then I start obsessing about the what-ifs. What if he doesn’t call like he says he will? What if I can’t handle him taking photos with female friends? What if he doesn’t want to move back once he’s done with football? It’s making me mental.”

When she doesn’t say anything, I fill in the silence. “I feel terrible that my gut reaction is to always jump to the worst-case scenario, but it’s what happened with my parents.”

She squeezes my hand. “I remember.”

“Mama!” Ella cries from her stroller. It startles Leo, so I push his stroller back and forth to get him to settle.

My phone rings, and my old landlord’s name flashes on the screen. “Can you watch Leo for a sec? I need to take this.”

Paige nods. “Sure.”

I step down an empty aisle. “Hi, Mr. Ulrich. Thanks for calling me back. I was just wondering why you returned my check.” I got it in the mail at the salon this morning.

“What? You’re breaking up.”

“Hold on a sec.” I walk to the opposite end of the aisle where I get a few more bars on my cell. “Is that better?”

“Yes. I can hear you now.”

But I can’t hear him, so I put him on speakerphone and repeat my question. He hums. “Didn’t your boyfriend tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“He sent me a check for everything. For your past-due rent and the damages to the bedroom walls, closet, and floor. So you’re all set.”

I freeze mid-step. “What… what was the total amount?”

He whistles. “It was a pretty penny. Four or five grand, I think.”

“What?” Why didn’t Maverick tell me? When he called my landlord, I thought he was going to negotiate a price for me on the repairs, not cover the entire amount.

Mr. Ulrich chuckles. “You got yourself a great boyfriend. The floor cost more than I thought to refinish, but since he gave me a lump sum, I’m gonna overlook that.”

When we hang up, I feel sick. First Mav pays for my rent and repairs, then he buys me an entire nursery and wardrobe, and then he purchases cameras for my salon. Not to mention, I’m living in his condo for free.

I start to hyperventilate.

“You should be ashamed of yourself.”

I whirl around to find Lorraine Ashbury, Nicole’s mother, giving me the stink eye. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, girl. I know all about you. How you’re letting that nice Walker boy pay for all of your bad decisions like your late rent. Squatting in his luxury condominium like a deadbeat.” She shakes her head in disgust.

I’m so taken aback, I just stare at her.

“That Maverick is going places. Where are you going?” She gives me a dismissive once-over.

“That boy is out of your league, and everyone knows it. He’s much more suited for someone like my daughter.

Did you know that Maverick and Nicole were high school sweethearts?

He was captain of the football team, and she was head cheerleader.

” Wistfully, she laughs. “I once caught him sneaking out her window at night.”

He used to sneak into her window too? I thought that was our special thing. I’m going to be sick. Right here between the Texas-shaped coasters and the locally canned fig preserves.

Paige comes up behind me. “Nicole was such a bad captain, she almost got booted from the squad for bullying. Funny you don’t mention that.”

Lorraine waves her hand dismissively. “It was a misunderstanding. My Nicole is a sweet angel. And if she was such a bad cheer captain, why is she the head coach of the high school squad now?”

I still. Maverick’s been to the high school almost daily for the last two weeks, but he’s never mentioned Nicole. I knew she worked there, but I didn’t realize she coached the cheerleaders. Granted, it’s the spring, so maybe the squad hasn’t been around the football team.

Also, it’s not a huge school. Is it possible he hasn’t run into her?

As Lorraine turns to walk away, she pauses to smile at me. “I’ve heard Maverick’s considering a coaching position at Wild Heart High. It’ll give him and Nicole the chance they need to reconnect. Won’t that be lovely?”

Before I can think of how to respond, she’s gone.

He hasn’t mentioned wanting to stay, so how can he take that position? And if he does stay, it will drive me fucking crazy knowing he’s always around Nicole.

“Don’t listen to that old troll. She’s one of those nasty stage mothers who can’t handle her kid not winning the first-place trophy.”

Paige is just being a good bestie. Lorraine is actually in great shape. Probably from drinking the blood of anyone who trespasses on her property.

When I don’t say anything, Paige wraps her arm around my shoulder and walks me back to the strollers, explaining that Mrs. Nash said she’d watch our babies. “When I saw Lorraine, I thought you might need help.”

“Thanks for the rescue. For the life of me, I didn’t know what to say.”

“Seriously, don’t pay her any mind. She was constantly giving the other girls on the squad shit when we were in high school. I’d bet anything the only reason Nicole got hired is because her parents are big boosters.”

Yes, I’m shaken by what Lorraine said.

But I’m more troubled that Maverick hasn’t mentioned talking to Nicole at the high school.