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Maverick

Y ou know what’s scarier than a bull beating the ever loving shit out of you? Telling your whole team you’re done. It’s been two weeks since my accident. I still feel like I got hit by a fucking truck, but I can almost take a whole breath without wanting to hit my knees, so that’s an improvement.

“You sure you want to do this today?” Ava’s eyes scan over me.

She’s constantly making sure I am not trying to actively croak on her.

The warm breeze blows in through the rolled down windows.

I love this time of year. Everything is green, the flowers are all bloomed, and it feels like a little piece of heaven.

“I’m sure. I can’t keep them waiting.” Especially since they’re all going to need to find another client to add to their roster; that’s the only part I feel bad about.

Coach is probably about ready to retire himself; I partly wonder if he hasn’t stuck around just for me.

All these years, he was the only one who really had my back when it came to rodeo.

If he was ever mad, I damn well deserved it.

Ava pulls the car to a stop in front of the house. She takes a deep breath as she looks at me, and that look right there is all I will ever need. All I need to do is look at her, and I know I will always have someone. “Okay, you ready to do this?”

“It’s time.” She opens her door, and I wince as I step out of mine. The bruises have all hit the ugly yellow phase, but fuck, do they all still hurt. I walk around the front of the car and grab Ava’s hand. We walk into the house, a united front.

I invited everyone here today: Rhett, Weston, and his whole family. Well, since it’s their house, it made sense. Plus, it’ll be nice having their support should shit hit the fan. Knowing Doug, it might.

They all sit around the large table, but I don’t bother sitting. My nerves would make it impossible to do so anyway. Plus, Ava has had me so cooped up, it's nice to be up and moving.

I look to Ava and have not a single doubt in my mind that I am making the right choice.

It’ll be a relief to have this off my chest and start figuring out what I am going to do next.

Even if I don’t know what the rest of my life holds, at least it holds her.

Ava grabs my hand, bringing me back to why I’m doing this all in the first place. A life. A life with her.

“Alright, I won’t keep you all long. I know we are all busy,” I say, looking around the room.

Weston gives me a subtle nod. The corner of his mouth tilts up in a half smile, and I can see the pride on his face, making this that much easier.

“Before going into my last ride, I had made the decision it would be my last. I didn’t want my last professional ride to go like that, but it proved exactly why I need to stop.

You all know what happened to my dad, and I have a whole life yet to live, so I plan to do that. ”

Coach immediately finds his way to his feet and moves to stand in front of me. I stand strong and look him in the eye, ready to take whatever words he intends to strike me with. Only he doesn’t.

I’ve hugged my coach one time in my life.

When my dad died and we were at his service.

He has been a huge piece of my success, but we’ve always kept it professional.

He shocks the hell out of me when he pulls me in for a hug; the words he whispers in my ears will stay with me forever.

“I’m proud of you, son. You did the one thing your dad never could. ”

“What’s that?” I pull back and look at him.

“Walk away.” His eyes have a bit of mist in them. Sometimes, I forget he probably misses him too.

I’ve tried my whole life to prove I’m something, and those words hit me right in the chest. I may not have gotten the buckle, but I did walk away with a life to live, and that is worth more than any buckle. Coach Sully pats my arm a couple times, with his face in a proud smile.

Our moment is ruined by an interruption. “Bullshit. You’re in your prime. You’d have to be mad to walk away now,” Doug’s mouth pops off, quickly ruining the happy moment like usual.

“Doug, this decision isn’t yours to make,” I say, my voice even and firm.

“Well, it affects all of us.” He opens his arms, looking at everyone around us as he does.

This guilt trip no longer works on me, I never should have let it in the first place.

“You can find another cash cow to milk, Doug. I’m done.

” I know what this is really about. What it’s always been about.

Money. The only fucking thing Doug cares about.

It makes me wonder if my dad ever wanted to walk away but stayed because of Doug’s voice in his ear.

God, I wish I would have pulled my head out of my ass so much sooner.

“Oh please, this is exactly why I wanted you away from that girl. She’s just another buckle bunny whore.

” His words drip with disrespect, venom coating each one.

Anger flares through me like nothing ever has.

I don’t know if I can even swing, but I am about to knock out a sixty-year-old man. No one talks about Ava like that .

I take one step forward, pulling Ava behind me, ready to lunge, but Rhett beats me to it. Knocking him flat on his ass.

“You’re not welcome here, get the fuck out of this house,” Rhett says, looking down at Doug.

Rage trembles through me. “Oh, and you’re fired. Dickhead.” I will need to find someone else to manage what sponsorships stick around after I announce this to the media on Monday.

He gets off the floor, looking like dog shit. A split lip and bruised ego. “I’ll be pressing charges.”

“Okay, there are a whole lot of witnesses who didn’t see shit. Looks like you fell when the door hit you on the way out,” Weston says.

I may not have blood relatives, but I do have a family. And every single one of them are standing ten toes down for me tonight. They always have. That alone is worth more than any amount of money I could make.

“You’re going to regret this, Maverick, and don’t come crawling back when you do,” he says as he stands, wiping a trickle of blood off his split lip. Pathetic little man he is.

“Doug, I have wanted to fire you for the better part of our working relationship. I’ll personally catch myself on fire before I reach out to you. You will be hearing from my lawyers at the beginning of next week.”

He stomps the whole way to the front door as I silently kick myself for not firing the fucker years before. What a dumbass. He and I both.

“Well, Mav, what do you plan to do next?” Mabel asks.

“Hopefully working here full time, if you will have me.” Guess I didn't really plan this part of it out, but there’s no place I’d rather be than here.

Bull riding never made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile like working here does.

Keeping the animals safe and getting to take in the land.

All of it. That’s what I want to spend the rest of my days doing.

“You know we always need the help,” Jack says as he pats me on the back. A flicker of pride shines in his eyes. My old man may not be around, but his best friend has done his best to fill his shoes. And for that, I will be forever in his debt.

“Alright, then I will see you all as soon as I am cleared from restrictions.” Looking over to Ava, I add, “I have a very bossy nurse.”

A pft sound leaves her lips as she props a hand on her hip and points at me. “If I wasn’t bossy, you would have already busted out your stitches. It won’t kill you to go a few weeks without working.”

Raising my eyebrows, giving her a knowing look, I tack on, “Coming from the girl who started talking to cows because she was going so stir crazy.”

She’s quiet for a second, trying to find a rebuttal. “That was different!” she states defensively. Clearly, she came up empty.

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.” The smile on my face comes easy, it always does when I’m looking at her.

Jack chuckles. “That bull must have knocked some sense into you, son. You’re learning much quicker than I ever did.”

“Learning what?” I look over at him as I drape my good arm over Ava’s shoulders, pulling her body closer to mine.

“Happy wife, happy life,” his Mabel says with a laugh as she elbows him in the ribs.

Ava laughs, but my thoughts start to avalanche. Will she still want to be my wife when time is up? Where do we go next?

I thought the conversation we had here today was scary as shit.

Asking your wife if she still wants to be your wife?

Now that is scary, but even scarier is not knowing.

Not asking. If she needs time, I’ll give it to her.

Someday, she’ll be Mrs. Ryder, and it won’t be an accident.

I kiss the top of her head; just thinking about it makes my heart feel relaxed. She was the best choice I ever made.