Page 5

Maverick

W ell shit. I’m a man who can admit when he’s wrong, and I was wrong.

Apparently, waiting three weeks was too long.

I guess I didn’t factor in the time it would take to get the paperwork filed and actually get a court date, so now it’s been more like six weeks.

Too bad throwing away the ring didn’t throw away this marriage; if it did, we wouldn’t be here right now.

The judge peers at us over her cat eyeglasses.

If the look in her eye, judgment, is any indication, this is going to be a rough morning.

“With the pictures supplied to us by the Media, we cannot rule out that you two didn’t knowingly enter into this marriage.

Vegas or not. Especially with the delay you had in filing.

Job or not, one could argue that you two had second thoughts, and that’s why you waited to file.

I’m denying the annulment until you two can prove you’ve given it a fair shot.

We can revisit the issue in six months.”

Ava’s eyes widen at the news. “But your honor, there’s nothing to reconcile. I don’t even know him.” Her voice comes out more pleading than anything else.

I don’t miss the glare she shoots me when she looks my way. Can’t blame the girl, but in my defense, it takes two to tango. And get married .

The judge folds her arms over her chest, resting them against her bench. “Be that as it may, there is evidence blocking the proceeding today. Let’s move on to the terms of this arrangement.”

Shit, maybe I should have brought a lawyer to this shindig, but I kind of assumed it would be easier than this.

“Miss Davis, do you feel safe with Mr. Ryder?”

“Yes, your honor,” Ava mumbles. She tucks a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear, and I catch a glimpse of the red on her cheeks.

Even mad as hell, the girl is gorgeous. I have to force myself to tear my eyes from her.

The judge looks at us both as she says, “Perfect. I am ordering you to live together until you are deemed divorced. We’ll do check-ins to make sure you both are safe. Do either of you have a dwelling where you can reside?”

Ava’s jaw drops open before she tries and fails to recover. She looks nervously at me before responding, “I do not, your honor. I am currently living with a friend. I just graduated from nursing school. I have to live here, in Wyoming, though, if at all possible.”

Pursing her lips, as if annoyed, the judge moves on to me. “What about you, Mr. Ryder? Do you have a home in which you could live?” She is very much not impressed with our situation.

“Uh, yeah. It’s not really meant for two people. But it is in Windy Peaks, Wyoming.”

Lucky for Ava, I’ve lived in Wyoming my whole life. It’s going to be a tight fit and not one I want to make. My little cabin is my solitude away from the hustle and bustle of traveling. And sharing that space will take all that away .

Clearly not giving a shit that neither of us are happy about this whole ordeal, she goes on.

“Well, I am sure you two can make it work.” She looks down at the papers gathered in her hand before looking back at us.

If you two can keep to the terms of this agreement, I'll grant the divorce. Mr. Ryder, I’ve taken into account your finances, and those will be kept separate for the duration of this trial of marriage. ”

“I don’t care about his money. I really just need this to go away.” Her voice cracks, almost like she’s on the edge of tears, making me feel like the world's biggest jackass. She tried to make me handle this earlier, and I brushed it off, putting us both in a bind.

“I understand, Miss Davis. However, the annulment should have been filed earlier. My decision stands.” She picks up her papers and lines them together as she taps them against the stand.

“I’ll give you both two weeks to get your affairs in order, and you’ll have six months together after that.

I am setting the next court date for August 18th. ”

Damn it, right at the end of Cowboy Christmas.

My biggest money-making season. My manager is going to love this.

He’s really going to love the fact that I have a whole ass wife I've failed to tell him about. That’ll be a media nightmare.

A one-night stand turned into a marriage isn’t exactly his idea of a “squeaky-clean” image.

How the hell did I manage to make a shitty situation a hundred times worse?

Stepping out of the courtroom together, Ava and I walk in front of the courthouse in her hometown.

I pull my coat tighter around my body to keep the chill of the wintery Wyoming wind off me.

I’m glad I happened to have this particular day off.

It’s been one of the busiest years yet. It’s like the closer I get to retirement, the more Doug wants to push me.

Competing in both the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Professional Bull Riders has my schedule packed to the brim most months.

We walk down the steps in silence before I clear my throat and say, “Listen, I’m going to get my lawyers to look into this. Maybe we can find a way out.”

“The way out was the day you left me hanging. Two months ago. I won’t be holding my breath.”

If her voice didn’t ice me out, her tense shoulders and refusal to look at me would do the trick. Fuck, I feel like absolute shit about the whole thing.

A little frustration rises in me because she clearly has no clue about the amount of time and work that goes into riding bulls for a living. “Sorry that my job called me away. There was nothing I could do about that.”

“Yes, well, now I am going to have to figure out what I am going to do for a job for the next six months in your little podunk town.”

It’s not like the town we’re standing in is much different. There’s only three little shops in the city center and judging by the amount of cars I see, it’s not heavily populated either. It’s another small town in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming.

Ava moves to angrily stomp away from me, and she actually looks kind of cute when she is all pissed off, but I keep that thought to myself. I am pretty sure I am walking on paper-thin ice with her.

Grabbing her elbow, I swing her around to look at me.

“One, you only have to work if you want to. I can float you since I’m partially to blame for this mess.

Two, don’t insult a town you’ve never been to.

It’s a great town, and if you spend enough time there, I bet you won’t want to leave.

” Windy Peaks has always been home. No matter how many cities I’ve been to, nothing tops it.

She looks like I’ve gravely insulted her by the way her face pinches, and sarcasm drips from her tone as she shoots me a stiff smile.

“Yeah, one, I am not taking a dime from you. Thank you very much. I’m going to have to cross my fingers and toes that there's a hospital within driving distance. Two, I’m sorry.

” Something about her tone leads me to think she is anything but sorry and that she is about three seconds away from spontaneous combustion due to rage, “I’m mad at you, not your town. ”

Unsure of how to diffuse the situation, I choose honesty. “Well, if it makes you feel better, I am mad at me too. And when I leave here, I have to tell my whole team about this, so there are going to be a whole lot more people joining the Mad at Maverick Club today.”

I don’t even want to think about that right now. My ass will never be the same after the chewing it’s about to get.

The tense rise in her shoulders seems to let go as she takes a deep breath, her rage goes from a boiling over to a dull simmer.

“Okay, well that does make me feel better. I’m sorry for the part I played in this, too,” she props a hand on her hip, laying the attitude on thick, “but maybe next time, listen to me?”

I raise my hand in promise. “I swear I have learned my lesson.”

“Well, I guess I will call you next week and figure out a good time to move. I need to go.” She doesn’t give me a second glance. But I can’t help but stare as she walks away.

Maybe by the end of this, she won’t hate me. But I’ve got bigger fish to fry today. There’s a chance I’ll be dead next week once I tell Doug, so she might be in luck.