Page 33 of The Maverick’s Forever Home (Montana Mavericks: Behind Closed Doors #2)

At one time, Maggie would have been eager to go out into the field.

Not anymore. Somewhere along the line, everything had changed.

She didn’t know how to undo that change—or if she wanted to.

All she knew was leaving felt…wrong. “I can’t help you this time.

I thought I told you my doctor’s appointment is next week. ”

“You did but I was hoping anyway.” Opal sighed. “Well, let me know as soon as you’re cleared for travel. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ll let you know what the doctor says.” Was it wrong to hope he’d tell her she needed more time? If it was doctor ordered, her guilt over breaking her promise to Angelique wouldn’t consume her.

“Good, good. We will figure out a way to get you back. Talk soon.” And the line disconnected.

She stared down at her phone. A way to get you back … Had Opal been serious about Maggie training all their new hires and staff? And, if she was, what would that look like?

“Who were you talking to, Ma?” Cody and Delilah slid back into the booth.

“Work.” She smiled and tucked her phone away.

“How is it going with JenniLynn?” Mike took his seat, too.

“It wasn’t JenniLynn.” She shrugged. “It was Opal. But I do need to get some work done for JenniLynn.” She turned to Mike.

“Go on. Cody and I have pie to eat.” He shook his head.

“Maggie, Maggie.” Delilah stood on the bench and hugged her around the neck and whispered, “Pwease get better. I wove you very much. Daddy does, too. So you have to get better, okay, for more pwaydates? And, pwease, come to football. I miss you wots.”

Maggie closed her eyes and held the little girl tightly. “Okay.” She pressed a kiss to her temple. “And I will try to come to the football game so we can cheer together.” Because, even though she’d made things awkward between her and Braden, she adored Delilah.

She drove home and sat on the front porch swing, wrapped in a thermal blanket. Other than the wind whipping through the trees, it was silent.

“Tree whispers.” Maggie smiled as she thought of Delilah’s words on the day of the hike. That had been a good day. Actually, every day with Braden and Delilah had been a good day. Some of her best days ever.

My heart is already yours. I love you, Maggie. That’s all I know. Nothing will change that. So, if you change your mind about us, I’ll be waiting.

She remembered the look on his face when he’d said this to her. Intent. Sincere. Pained. It was enough to amp up the ache in her chest had been constant since she’d pushed him away. Because she loved him.

Life isn’t black-and-white. Braden was right. Life wasn’t that simple.

She ran her hands over her hair, sifting through all the back-and-forth going on in her head.

What do you want? Braden’s question echoed, loudly, through her head. It was a question she rarely asked herself. She was surprised by how quickly she could answer that.

* * *

Braden propped his foot on the lowest rung of the pipe fencing. The sky overhead was gray and glum—just like his mood. “Seems about right.”

On the outside, nothing had changed. He got up with Delilah, made breakfast, got her dressed and took her to school.

For the next eight hours, he slogged through whatever work needed doing.

The harder the better. As long as his mind couldn’t wander, he was good.

He kept his smile in place when he picked up Delilah and tried not to let her see how crushed he was. Because, inside, he was broken.

He’d get over it. He’d done what he’d done because he loved Maggie. And seeing that Cody and Maggie were better made losing her worth it. At least, that’s what he told himself when he was missing them too much—which was more often than he wanted to admit.

Tonight, he’d take Delilah to the football game. If Maggie showed up, he’d dig in and get through it. If she didn’t, he’d try not to look for her or get eaten up with disappointment.

“Get out of your damn head.” He picked up the shovel he’d propped against the fence post. He walked off three feet, then started digging.

His father wanted to put in a new, smaller corral.

That way Delilah would have a safe place to learn to ride.

Braden didn’t think it was necessary, but he didn’t argue with his old man.

Digging holes by hand was grueling work, and an hour later, he couldn’t feel his arms and he was dripping sweat.

He pulled off his flannel shirt and hung it on the fence post but he was still hot.

He was walking back to the barn for his canteen when he froze.

Was he seeing things? He was running on next to no sleep for a while now, but this would be the first time his eyes played such a vivid trick on him.

He wiped his face with his bandana and leaned against the open barn door.

No, it was her. Maggie. Her wild curls were dancing in the wind. He gripped the door frame with one hand until the pain in his heart eased some. She was here, but he couldn’t come up with a single reason she’d be here, walking down the path to the barn.

Unless…she had come to say goodbye? He swallowed again.

“Braden.” She waved. She was waving and smiling like all was right with the world.

He nodded. It was a gut punch to see her, but her smile, somehow, still managed to make him happy.

“Are you busy?” Her cheeks were red—likely from the cold this time.

He shrugged. Whatever this was, he wasn’t sure how to act. Seeing her and not being able to hold her close hurt like hell.

“You’re not talking to me?” She stepped inside the barn. “That’s okay. I’ll talk and you can listen.”

“I’m working.” He tugged off his leather gloves and hung them over his belt. “It’d be better if you called later.” He crossed the hay-covered barn floor and pulled his canteen off the hook on the wall.

He took a long sip, hoping he’d turn around and she’d be gone.

She wasn’t. “I wanted to do this face-to-face.”

Do what? Part of him wanted to hear her out, the other part was already bracing for what was to come. He cleared his throat. “I thought you said there was nothing left for us to talk about?”

“I did but you kept on talking anyway.” She marched directly at him. “Now it’s my turn.”

“Maggie. No.” His patience was hanging on by a thread and his voice was harsh.

“This was the one place where I haven’t made memories with you.

This was it. When I’m here, I can forget.

But now you’re here…” He shook his head.

“Forget it. Go on.” He made the mistake of looking at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” He took a step in her direction. “What’s wrong?”

She was struggling, he could tell. In the span of a minute, damn near every emotion had played across her face.

“Maggie… I’m sorry I snapped at you. What can I do?” Heartbroken or not, if she needed him, he’d be there.

“You’d help me?” She took one step toward him, then another.

He nodded, his throat tightening. “I told you I would. Always.”

“I know.” She nodded. “I want you to understand. I—I made a promise to a young mother, Angelique, a long time ago. She was dying from measles. She was a good mother. She’d made sure her three little girls were vaccinated but she wouldn’t get inoculated. There were too many kids in line.”

Fool that he was, he wanted to reach for her hand. “What did you promise her?” He clenched his hands at his sides.

“That I’d always fight for the people who couldn’t fight for themselves. That I’d be a voice for all the women like her—and their children. She held on until I promised her, Braden. Then she died in my arms.”

Everything fell into place then. All of it. Why she was so torn but couldn’t walk away or let go. Damn but he wanted pulled her into his arms. “That’s why you hold on so tight.”

She nodded. “I thought I was doing what she asked but…you made me question that.”

He felt like an ass. “I never meant to—”

“No, Braden. It’s a good thing. I do see things as black or white. I did. And I was so wrong. I can do what I promised and stay right here.” Her green eyes swept over his face.

He couldn’t squash the flare of hope her words stirred. “How?”

“A different role in the company. I’m the best at what I do so I should be the one training everyone else. There might be one or two weeks a year that I train in the field but that’s it.” And she looked so damn happy about it.

He found himself smiling, too. “Your company agreed to this? You already worked this out?” He shoved his hands into his pockets. For the first time that day, he was cold.

“I talked to Opal for hours. She’s agreed and she’s really excited.

I am, too.” There were tears in her eyes as she stared up at him.

“I’d never have thought about it if you hadn’t said…

everything. If you hadn’t made me stop long enough to ask myself what I wanted and what it would take to get there.

” She kept on smiling at him. “So, I wanted to thank you for that. For helping me think outside the box.”

“I guess one good thing came out of that day.” He forced a smile. “That’s something.”

“More than one good thing.” A tear spilled over, slipping over her cheek. “Cody, too.”

“I tried my best, Maggie.” He ran a hand over his face. “Cody was hurting. You were hurting. I wanted to help, Maggie. Because I…care.”

“You did help. Thank you, Braden.” She shook her head, more tears flowing.

“It’s my turn to apologize. When we met, you asked me for help.

You said you had a lot to learn about parenting—that you didn’t know what you were doing.

” She laughed softly. “Now I’m asking you for help.

I have a lot to learn when it comes to loving someone. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Braden let her take his hand, unwilling to process what she was saying.

She squeezed his hands. “You said you’d wait for me. Well, I don’t want to wait—either of us. I love you, Braden. But I want to love like you do. I’m ready to risk everything for love, if I can love you. If I’m still lucky enough to have your love?”

He was too stunned to respond right away. She was saying all the things he’d dreamed she’d someday say. But this wasn’t a dream. She was here—holding his hand. “You’re sure about this?” He blew out a deep breath. “Losing you… I don’t know if I can handle that kind of pain again.”

Maggie’s hands cradled his face. “I’m so sorry, Braden. And I’m so grateful to you, too. If you hadn’t come along, I’d never have known what real love is.”

“But now you do? Because you love me?” His words were gruff and thick.

She nodded. “I love you.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love you so much.”

Braden’s arms came around her. “I love you.” He held her, tight, against him and buried his nose in her hair. “And, damn, but I’ve missed you.”

“And I’ve missed you.” She clung to him. “You and Delilah and all of us being together. I love our family, Braden. I want to share every day with you. I want what you want—a future together.”

He held on to her until the ache was gone. It took a while, but she never pushed against him or complained. She held on just as tightly. When he did ease his hold on her, he took his time tracing the features of her face.

“Do you think we will have more kids?” Maggie nibbled on her lower lip. “Cody and Delilah have already asked me this, you see.”

“They’ve asked me, too.” He shook his head.

“If you’re okay with it, after we get married, I’d like to have more kids.

” He hoped they’d have lots of curls and big green eyes just like hers.

“As to when we get married… The ring is in that drawer, over there.” He nodded at the old wooden desk against the far wall of the barn.

“I’d been planning on proposing that night—when you called me over for Cody. ”

“You already bought a ring?” Her surprise was adorable.

“I did. Like I said, I know what I want.” He held on to one hand and led her to the desk. After he’d fished the box out, he held it out to her. “And that’s you.”

She stared at it.

“Hold up.” He let go of her and dropped to one knee. “Maggie Cooper, I love you. I’ll make mistakes and frustrate you every once in a while, but I’ll make sure you never doubt my love or loyalty to you. Will you marry me and let me love you for the rest of your life?”

“I will. Absolutely.” She dropped down onto her knees, too. “Definitely. In case it’s not clear, my answer is yes. It’s a big, big yes.”

He slipped the ring on her finger. Watching the pleasure on her face as she wiggled her fingers and stared down at the ring was one of the prettiest things he’d ever seen. So was the love in her eyes when she gazed back at him. And just like that, his heart was whole.

“You and Cody, me and Delilah will be a family.” He helped her up, dusted the hay from her knees and grabbed her hand. “Our own mini Brady Bunch.”

“Mini Brady Bunch? I like that.” She giggled. “I can’t wait to tell them. I have a feeling they will approve.”

He smoothed her hair from her face. “They knew we’d be a family before we figured it out.”

“They did. Let’s go tell them.” But first she tilted her face up for another kiss. “Are we still going to the football game tonight?”

“Are you going to hold my hand and share a blanket with me?” He kissed her again.

“Always.” She was smiling just as much as he was.

“Always.” He traced the curve of her cheek with his thumb. “I like the sound of that.”

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from Fortune’s Fake Marriage Plan by Tara Taylor Quinn.