Page 21 of Want You Back (Second Chance Ranch #1)

Chapter 21

Maverick

August dawned hot and dry, summer in the high desert, summer tourism peaking statewide, and the temperature wasn’t the only thing heating up. A few weeks had passed since the trail ride, and while Colt and I had a healthy stream of text messages and a few stolen moments, sustained alone time was in shorter supply than snow. I was going to blow like a pressure cooker the next time I got the man in a room with a locked door.

However, at the moment, my attention was on Hannah sitting at the kitchen island next to a full cup of coffee. Her rather forlorn gaze was on her phone, and she didn’t offer me her usual smile as I came into the room on a break from my latest room painting and decorating project.

“What’s this?” I asked, forcing a bright tone despite knowing full well I probably wouldn’t like the answer. “I didn’t know you liked coffee.”

“I don’t. It’s gross, especially hot.” Hannah gave a heavy sigh, one that made her seem far older. “But Mom said if I made her a cup, she’d come down, and we could talk and maybe go into town.” Hannah gestured at the empty stairs with her phone. “That was almost an hour ago.”

Yep. As I’d suspected, the blame for Hannah’s glum mood was squarely on Faith yet again. My fists clenched right along with my stomach.

“I’ll go check on her.” What I wanted to do was shake Faith. Rattle some sense into her. Make her value her awesome kid. However, I couldn’t let Hannah see how utterly furious I was. “She’s probably?—”

“Hungover,” Hannah finished for me, shaking her long, slightly tangled hair. “It’s okay. You don’t have to lie and say she’s tired.”

“I’m sorry.” Closing my eyes briefly, I rubbed the bridge of my nose. I hadn’t realized how much Hannah saw and understood. Sweat gathered on my lower back. I should have seen the impact Faith’s behavior was having on Hannah. “I’m not sure what the right thing to say is, but I wish things were different.”

“Me too.” Hannah stared down at her chipped fingernails.

“It’s not okay how she’s acting.” Few had dared to say that to my face about my father. Would it have made a difference if they had? I wasn’t sure, but I wanted Hannah to have the support and reassurance I didn’t at her age. My insides churned. I knew all too well the pain of neglectful parenting, and I hated that Hannah had to go through this. “Was her drinking bad in Houston too?”

“Sometimes.” She twisted a hank of hair around her index finger.

“Oh.” The mournful sound escaped my throat. I should have visited more. Should have known. Shouldn’t have let it get this bad.

“I like it better here. That’s what I wanted to talk to Mom about. It’s less than a month until school starts. I need to get registered if we’re staying here.”

The lawyers Faith had consulted in Denver had evidently been no help as she’d come sulking home without reports of a new solution, and I hadn’t prodded her for a full accounting because I’d been wrapped up in what Colt and I had started. I didn’t want to be trapped on the ranch forever, but I was currently in no rush to leave.

“Do you want to do school here?” I asked. If Hannah did school here, I could keep a far better eye on her than if Faith jetted back to Houston. That much was certain. It would be a solution to a couple of problems.

“Yes. I can do eighth grade with Willow.” She gave me a mournful look. “I want that more than anything.”

“I’ll do what I can to help,” I promised, holding Hannah’s gaze. “And not only about school. You know you can come to me about anything, right? Anytime. You don’t have to deal with things on your own.”

“I’m getting used to that.” Hannah’s tone was far too stoic for someone so young. I made a mental note to start looking into therapy options for her. She needed more than I alone could provide. “And thanks, Uncle Maverick.”

“Why don’t you see what Willow’s up to?” I pointed at her phone. “If your mom isn’t up to it, I can take you into town.”

“You would? I need…girl things.” Her wide-eyed, stricken expression conveyed what her words didn’t. “You’d take me to get those?”

“Absolutely.” I hoped I sounded more certain than I felt. The pads and tampons aisle wasn’t a place I frequented, but anything for Hannah. “All the more reason to text Willow, though, maybe bring her along to help you pick…girl things.”

“Good idea.”

I left Hannah to her texting. As I climbed the stairs, I sent a text of my own to my friend Adler, my one friend other than Colt who might be able to help or at least listen to my Faith problem. I also texted Colt, letting him know Hannah would like to take Willow shopping with us. Willow was likely with his mother or one of the sisters today, but Colt understandably liked to be kept in the loop of plans.

Faith was, predictably, still asleep and, once awakened, in no mood for my lectures. The room was icy cold, likely from cranked A/C, but one couldn’t rule out ghosts haunting the space. The room’s epic view was hidden behind a heavy curtain, darkness increasing the tomb-like feel.

“Not now, Maverick,” Faith mumbled, rousing herself out of bed only long enough to shove me from the room and lock the door.

“I’m taking Hannah to town. Like you promised,” I called through the door. No reply. Where was the sister I knew to be a caring human? The one who’d sent me frequent pictures of Hannah as a toddler? I’d give anything to reach that version of Faith again. She’d always been on the superficial side, but the borderline cruelness was new and not at all welcome.

As I stomped down the hall, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Rather than texting, Adler had opted to call me back.

“Hey, Hannah, I’ve got a quick call then we’ll go,” I yelled down the stairs before answering my phone.

“Hi, Maverick.” Adler’s easygoing Californian accent was a welcome addition to my day. “How’s my favorite boss?”

“I’m not your boss any longer,” I reminded him. He’d been part of the falling apart of the reality show. He hadn’t cheated like my ex, but he’d had a spate of personal issues affecting his work, all caught on camera, capped by a very public DUI.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re my favorite one. And the only one who tried to be a friend.” Adler kept his tone upbeat. “How’s life on the ranch?”

“It’s…complicated.” I glanced around the empty hallway. I’d finished two additional guest rooms up here. “If you’re still between gigs, you should come visit. I’ve got a dilemma I want your opinion on.”

“Oh? What sort of dilemma could an out-of-work concierge help with?”

“Do interventions work?” The words rushed out of me, a creek overflowing an insufficient dam. Adler was the one person who might have an actual answer for what to do about Faith.

“Oh wow, Maverick.” Adler’s voice shifted along with a rustling sound, like he was plopping down on a pile of papers somewhere. “That’s a hell of a question.”

“Sorry.” Fuck. I hadn’t meant to be insensitive and intrusive but had likely succeeded. I leaned against the door to the guest room that had once been my childhood bedroom, resting my head on the worn wood. “I’m sorry. That was poorly worded and timed. I’m so proud of you for making the healthy changes you have. And I’m wishing my sister could do the same thing.”

“Ah.” Adler drew the word out. “I can’t answer the intervention question for you. All I can say is an intervention wouldn’t have worked for me. I had to hit rock bottom on my own. Sadly, the footage of my rock bottom will live forever, but no amount of intervention beforehand would’ve worked.”

“Yeah.” I dug my forehead into a groove on the door, catching the edge of a piece of clear tape—the last remnant of a childhood sign I’d had on the door. KEEP OUT . Like that might’ve held all the bad things at bay. “I know. I just have to do something. For me, but mainly for Hannah, Faith’s kid.”

“They have support group meetings for people in your situation.” Adler had a patient tone. “And your niece. I’m texting you a link to ones in your area and online right now.”

“Thanks.” I hoped I sounded grateful, but inside, nearly forty years of rage swirled. I wanted to punch this door. How fucking dare Melvin Lovelorn lead us to this place where Faith was repeating his missteps, and I felt powerless to stop her slide.

“And I’m going to take you up on that visit offer.” Adler’s voice turned unusually firm.

“You don’t have to do that.” I wiped at my head, sweaty from more than the dry August heat. Maybe I couldn’t fix Faith, but I needed to save Hannah, and a wave of helplessness washed away the last of my rage, leaving me wrung out and defeated.

“It sounds like you could use a friend.” Adler rustled around again, more purposeful now that he had a plan. We shared an impulsive nature, along with a need to take action. Being a solid problem solver had made him a good concierge and manager. “You were a friend when everyone else ran away from me. And as it turns out, I continue to be underemployed. I’m not sure I’ll ever get another chance in the hospitality industry, but that’s a conversation for another time.”

“We’ll talk about it if you come,” I promised.

“I’ll text you my travel plans when I know more,” Adler said as we ended the conversation.

Hannah reported that we could grab Willow from her grandmother’s house, so we headed for my car, only for Grayson to come walking up with a purposeful expression I already knew I didn’t like.

“Hey, boss?—”

“Not the boss.” I groaned in the same tone I’d used with Adler, but Grayson wasn’t having it.

“Actually, you kind of are.” He gestured at the house behind me. “You need to set up a meeting with the trust about fall cattle sales. We usually sell off the spring calves and other stock in late September or early October, but we’re looking at a rather soft market this year. I need to know how to proceed.”

“Understandable.” I nodded as if I had the capacity for one more problem today. “I’ll call them about a meeting, but you and I should talk beforehand so I have a better idea of our options.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Grayson ambled off. In actuality, I had no damn idea what I was doing with any of this. The ranch. Colt. Faith. Hannah.

“Uncle Maverick, do you think we could get burgers while we’re in town?” Standing by the side of my car, Hannah cut into my ruminating. “I like the arcade games at the diner.”

“Absolutely. Text Willow that we’ll do burgers after shopping. Bet I can beat you both.” The old arcade game might well be the only thing I was good at, but Hannah didn’t need my bad mood on top of her earlier disappointment.

Taking a page from my past, I faked having fun long enough to actually start enjoying myself. I took the girls south to one of the bigger stores in the area. I was of zero help in the feminine hygiene aisle other than to suggest we add copious amounts of chocolate and several colors of nail polish to the cart, but the girls seemed to have fun, which was all that mattered.

We had a nice early dinner at the diner on our way back into town. Aunt Georgia wasn’t there, but the burgers were as good as always and the gaming was the distraction Hannah and I both needed. For her part, Willow had her father’s reflexes and handily beat both Hannah and me in a race to kill off the most alien invaders.

“Drop me off at my house,” Willow said as we returned to the car. “My dad texted that he’s home.”

Despite my uneven day, my pulse sped up at the prospect of seeing Colt. He met us in the driveway, greeting Willow with a hug. He had the barest hint of a limp left from his twisted ankle. Willow and Hannah ran into the house so Hannah could borrow some book they’d talked about on the drive. It was a nice evening with a hint of a much-appreciated breeze.

“Thanks for taking Willow shopping.” Colt leaned against his truck. He was still in uniform, and I wouldn’t ever get used to how freaking hot he looked in khaki.

“No problem.” I restrained myself from drooling over how his shoulders pulled at his summer uniform shirt. “I should be thanking Willow, not the other way around. We needed to shop for certain…girl things.”

“Say no more.” Colt gave a knowing chuckle. Unlike me, he’d been surrounded by sisters and aunts and such and been a girl dad long enough to not be as uncomfortable as I was in the feminine hygiene aisle. “You’re a good uncle. You doing okay?”

“No.” With anyone else, I’d lie. Hell, if Hannah were there, I’d lie. But alone with Colt, I could be honest in a way my soul dearly needed. “Faith needs help, but I have no idea how to get her to take it. Hannah needs structure Faith isn’t giving her. Grayson needs money answers for fall, which means another meeting feeling unprepared with the trust people.”

Colt whistled low. “That’s a lot.”

“Yeah.” I studied my dusty shoes. “Sorry for the word vomit.”

“Hey.” Colt lightly doffed my shoulder, forcing me to look up. “I’m here. Spew at me anytime. That’s what friends are for.”

We were so much more than friends, but all I could do was swallow hard. “Thanks.”

“Tell you what, Tiffany called earlier, wanting to know if Willow could babysit Friday night. She said it was fine if Hannah came along.” Colt paused, then nodded. “Why don’t you and I do something?”

“What do you have in mind, Sheriff?” I’d waited a hell of a lot of years for Colt Jennings to ask me out, so I was going to enjoy this moment, including the way his tanned cheeks turned dusky.

“I’ll come up with something.” His tone was more resolute than playful, but I liked the take-charge attitude. “You’ve got enough on your plate.”

“Can it include some privacy?” I offered him a heated look to make him blush further.

“I’ll see what I can do.”