Page 23 of The Maverick’s Forever Home (Montana Mavericks: Behind Closed Doors #2)

I n the week since their impromptu breakfast, Maggie had gone over the conversation she’d had with Braden more times than she wanted to admit.

She’d been so overwhelmed by him that she’d fumbled with her words and babbled over him instead of hearing him out.

At the time, she’d thought he was simply reaffirming that he wanted them to be okay—as friends.

But later, when her brain was no longer short-circuiting from the super tight T-shirt that clung to his sculpted muscles, she wasn’t sure that was what he’d been trying to say after all. And that teeny-tiny doubt ate at her.

Since then, she, Cody, Braden and Delilah had gotten together twice. Tuesday had been a pine cone collecting expedition that had been cut short due to the nippy wind and Delilah’s aversion to being cold. Thursday, the four of them had met at the Silver Spur Café for pie.

But each and every time, she had been reduced to a quivering, aching, puddle of a woman—which was very concerning, indeed. That’s why she wasn’t sure how to feel about tonight’s football game. But, this time, she’d packed multiple blankets so there would be no cuddling or getting too close.

“Ma,” Cody called from the other room. “Braden and Delilah are here.”

Too late to back out now. She shoved water bottles into the backpack, added a bag of trail mix and zipped it closed. She took a deep breath, slung the backpack onto her shoulder and walked out of the kitchen and into the front parlor.

Braden sat on the couch. She wasn’t sure how it was possible, but he seemed to get better looking every time she saw him. Now was a perfect example. In his blue-and-gray flannel button-up shirt, his eyes were extra blue and extra gorgeous. But then, all of Braden was gorgeous.

“Ma.” Cody patted the couch beside Braden. “Come sit for a second.”

And stop staring. She nodded and sat beside Braden, leaving space between the two of them.

“Delilah and I want to talk to you.” Cody and Delilah sat on the edge of the coffee table, facing them.

“Yep.” Delilah nodded. “It’s important.” She swung her feet back and forth.

Maggie glanced at Braden, who shrugged. “Is everything okay?”

“Sorta. You have to let us talk, okay? No interruptions.” Cody sighed.

“Wistening ears.” Delilah pretended to lock her lips. “Shh.”

“Can you do that?” Cody waited for her to nod before turning to Braden.

Braden leaned forward. “I’m listening.”

“We know you guys have been trying real hard to be friends.” Cody waited for Delilah to nod. “But we don’t want y’all to be friends anymore.”

Maggie was stunned. She knew Cody hadn’t been thrilled about befriending Delilah, but she thought the two of them had become closer.

Delilah shook her head. “Nope.”

Braden shook his head. “But—”

“No talkin’, Daddy.” She held her finger to her lips to silence him. “Just a minute, pwease.”

“You like my mom, Braden. Like like her.” Cody wasn’t asking, he was telling.

“You do wook at Maggie so much, Daddy.” Delilah patted Braden’s knee as she spoke.

“You are always looking at her.” Cody sighed. “Like you wanna kiss her.” He made a disgusted face then wiped it off and turned to her. “And you get that foggy look, Ma, when you look at him. You know, that face you make when you read those pirate love stories—”

“Cody—” Foggy look? He knew about her pirate romance novels? And now so did Braden. Just when she thought she couldn’t get any more mortified. “Let’s—”

“Hold on, Ma.” Cody held up his hand. “You can like my mom, Braden. Since she likes you, I don’t mind. But you two can’t hold hands or kiss or act all lovey-dovey cuz we’re in the way.”

Maggie wanted to say something—anything—to stop this. But her mind was blank.

“We don’ wanna be in the way.” Delilah kept swinging her feet back and forth. “You need awone time.”

“Yep. We want you to go out and have alone time.” Cody crossed his arms over his chest. “Couples needs lots of that.”

“Then you can fall in wove.” Delilah squealed, beyond delighted.

“That’s why we are going to stay here with Uncle Mike and you and Braden go on a date.” Cody looked very pleased with himself.

Maggie shook her head, willing her brain to work. She threw out the first excuse that came to mind. “Hon, your uncle might have plans.”

“He does.” Mike stepped into the room. “We’re watching Brave and eating popcorn while you two go on your kid-approved date.”

Mike was here? He was in on this? She scowled at her brother—who wasn’t the least bit repentant.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Maggie wasn’t sure if she said that out loud or not. “Can I talk now?” She sat up, ignoring her gloating brother, to give the two kids her full attention. “Please?”

Cody glanced at Delilah, who shrugged. “Depends on what you’re going to say,” Cody said.

Braden laughed at that.

Maggie turned to him, beyond shocked that he found any of this amusing. “Braden.”

He stopped laughing—but not grinning.

“You’re no help.” She tore her gaze away from his absurdly handsome face. “I think it’s very sweet, what you’re trying to do but…what if Braden and I don’t want to go on a date with each other?”

Delilah turned to Cody. “You said they wike-wiked each other,” she whispered.

“They do,” Cody whispered back.

Braden managed to choke off his laughter this time.

“Seriously?” Maggie turned to Braden again. She frowned, reaching back to give his knee a warning squeeze. “We need a united front. A little help here?”

“I think the kids are on to something.” Braden took her hand in his. “Let’s do it.”

Maggie was staring, open-mouthed, at Braden. He was holding her hand. She stared down at their hands. “You… Wait, what?” Had he really just said that?

He gave her hand a squeeze. “Why not? It can’t hurt. We’ll still be friends either way. Since they’ve figured a few things out already, maybe they’ll be right about this, too.”

Figured what out? But, oh, goodness, the brush of his thumb across the palm of her hand felt so good. Stop. No . She tugged her hand free. “What did they figure out?” She shoved her hands between her knees, wishing her palm would stop tingling.

“I do like-like you, Maggie.” He didn’t shy away from her gaze. “A whole lot. And since I have Cody’s approval and, I’m guessing, your brother’s, too, I can’t think of a reason why we shouldn’t date.”

She swallowed, sinking into his blue-blue eyes. There were plenty of reasons… Any second now, one would spring to mind. Any second. Whatever they were, they were alluding her, and her resistance was fading—rapidly.

“Unless you don’t want to?” Braden’s smile faltered.

She felt it in the pit of her stomach. For her, that hint of vulnerability pushed, hard, at her lingering resistance. He wanted to do this? But the longer she studied him, the more she accepted it. He did. He wanted to go on a date with her.

“She does want to.” Cody stood up. “Ma, come on. See, right there, you were just making that foggy face—”

“Okay.” Maggie jumped up, desperate to stop Cody from finishing that sentence. She didn’t want to ever hear her son refer to her foggy face again. “Fine. Let’s go.”

It was Mike’s turn to laugh now.

“I don’t want to hear a peep out of you.” She pointed at her brother. “You are in so much trouble.”

“I’m being a good uncle, Maggie.” He shrugged, then turned to Braden. “Mike Cooper. I know we’ve met before but… I’ve heard a lot about you. Mostly good.”

“Nice to hear. Braden Parker.” Braden smiled. “Nice to officially meet you.”

“If everything goes well, yes.” Mike smiled.

“You are going?” Delilah hugged her around the thighs. “I am so happy.”

Maggie patted her back, awash in too many emotions to name. “Well…have fun.” She glanced at Cody. “And behave for Uncle Mike, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Cody flopped onto the couch. “I’m not a kid anymore, Ma.”

“Bye, Daddy.” Delilah held her arms up. “Be nice to Maggie.” Her attempt at a whisper was heard by everyone. “I want her to wove you reaw bad.”

Maggie’s face was on fire, she could feel it. This had been the strangest ten minutes of her life. But watching Braden scoop Delilah into a big hug and kiss both her cheeks was a nice distraction. The way he was so open with his affection for his daughter made him even more appealing.

The man can’t be any more appealing that he already is, can he? She was already in so much trouble.

“Thank you for watching them, Mike.” Braden nodded at Mike. “Have fun.” Braden set her on the couch by Cody.

“Go on.” Mike pointed at the door. “We’ve got a movie to watch.”

Maggie was in a daze. Somehow, she wound up on the front porch with her coat, her purse and Braden.

All she knew was it was quiet now. No kids.

No Mike. No blood roaring in her ears. Only cold and silence and…

Braden. Once she looked at him, that was all she could see.

It wasn’t fair, really. The way he looked—the way he got to her.

She’d always prided herself on being levelheaded and deliberate.

But he made her want to throw caution to the wind—to give in to her impulses and throw her arms around his neck and—

Whoa. Wait. She was not that person . Calm down. But then Braden stepped in front of her—so close she could feel his warm breath on her face—effectively thwarting every attempt to steady herself.

Beneath the bright porch light, his eyes were crystal blue. “Maggie, I want to make sure you weren’t forced into this. They meant well, I think, but if you don’t want to do this—”

“I do.” The words sort of erupted before she could stop herself. Way to play it cool, Maggie .

He was smiling that bone-melting smile again. “You’re sure?” He took a step closer.

She nodded, her throat too tight to speak.

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now.” He reached up and tucked a curl behind her ear before cradling her face in his hands.

“A while?” All she could manage was a whisper. “If you want to kiss me, why did you wait—”