Page 33 of Want You Back (Second Chance Ranch #1)
Chapter 33
Colt
“What will happen if my mom dies?” Hannah asked while picking at a stack of pancakes. I’d made pancakes and bacon for the girls for breakfast, hoping it might be a good distraction and a way to get some food into Hannah. She hadn’t eaten much last night.
“That’s not going to happen!” Willow barked out. God, I hated this for her too. Inevitably, Faith’s accident had to be triggering memories of losing Betsey. Not a shocker that Willow wouldn’t welcome what-if questions.
“You don’t know that,” Hannah shot back, eyes narrowing with the first real argument I’d seen between the girls all summer.
“None of us knows what is going to happen.” I pitched my voice to be soothing, hoping to reassure them both while also needing to be honest. “The last update from Maverick said he’d know more soon.”
The precise text had been more dire.
Trauma team working on Faith again. Something’s happening, but I can’t get answers. Pray. Will update when I know more.
I’d toned it down slightly to Hannah by telling her that the doctors were still trying to help Faith and Maverick would update us when he could.
“That was a while ago.” Hannah shook her head as she gazed down at all three of our way-too-silent phones on the table.
“Yeah.” I couldn’t disagree with her there. “And to answer your question, we’re all pulling for your mom to make it. But sometimes, bad things happen that aren’t in our control. If something happens to her, you have so many people who love you and who would step up to help. Your Uncle Maverick, of course, but also your friends at the ranch, Willow, me, and our family. You wouldn’t be alone, Hannah. I promise.”
“Okay,” she whispered, eyes big and liquid.
“Oh, Hannah.” Willow stood up from her chair to hug her friend hard. “It will be okay.” Turning toward me, Willow added, “Can you call Kat? I think Hannah needs Magnolia.”
More like Willow needed some Pepperjack time to deal with what had to be a cyclone of conflicting emotions. Nevertheless, I made the call, and Kat said to bring the girls later in the morning. In the meantime, I took them to the diner for some arcade game distraction and a chance for me to help Aunt Georgia with a leaky faucet she hadn’t wanted to bother a plumber about.
“How is Maverick holding up?” Aunt Georgia leaned against the door to the walk-in as I examined the faulty prep sink. She, like most of the town, already knew all about Faith’s accident, and she’d had big hugs for both girls before they made their way to the arcade games.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “Text updates have been sporadic.”
“Understandable. Hospitals are nothing but hurry up and wait.” Her eyes went distant, undoubtedly thinking of my father and other hospital vigils of her own. “I guess a better question is, how are you holding up?”
“Me?” I scoffed. She was far too perceptive, but I’d never come right out and told her Maverick and I were anything other than friends. “I’m fine.”
“Uh-huh.” She gave me a pointed look, so I busied myself with the faucet instead of meeting her shrewd gaze. Aunt Georgia didn’t take my hint, however, and stayed nearby. “Well, I’m pulling for Maverick and Hannah. Faith messed up big time, but they don’t deserve that kind of loss.”
“No one does,” I said softly. My heart pounded and my hand holding the wrench turned clammy. Perhaps Aunt Georgia was right to be concerned. Willow wasn’t the only one dealing with flashbacks to other losses. The official ruling on Betsey’s death had been distracted late-night driving, not intoxication, but I couldn’t deny similar feelings of rage and helplessness. Every time I glanced out at the girls playing arcade games, I saw another kid who needed her mom. And in Hannah’s scared eyes, I saw Maverick at fourteen, confronting his own loss. What about you? I inhaled sharply, not liking that thought one bit. But the truth was, I was in that club as well, missing my dad every damn day of my life. Family first, always. “Hannah has enough on her plate as it is. She doesn’t need to lose her mom.”
My voice, which was usually so strong and steady, legit wobbled.
“Still doing fine?” Aunt Georgia’s voice wasn’t unkind, and she came to place a hand on my back. “You know loss too, Colt. This has to be bringing up all sorts of feelings. Probably why you keep that heart of yours on lockdown.”
“I don’t…” I trailed off in favor of making a frustrated noise. “You’re one to talk.”
“You mean because I never married?” Aunt Georgia might as well have poked me in the back with a barbeque skewer for all the bite her words had. She was the nicest person I knew, and also, not someone to cross. “Maybe I was too busy helping raise my nieces and nephews.”
“Point taken.” I turned away from the faucet so she could see my remorse. “Sorry?—”
“No, don’t apologize.” She waved for me to get back to fixing the sink. “You’re right. I keep my heart locked up every bit as tightly as yours. After all, I spent decades pining for my best friend.”
I dropped the wrench into the sink with a clatter. “You and Miss Minnie were a thing?”
“No, because I kept my mouth shut.” Aunt Georgia took on a mournful tone. “Didn’t want to ruin a friendship or shock the town. Fear is a terrible thing.”
“I’m sorry. I know you miss her.” Miss Minnie had run the Lovelorn Press right up until she passed a few years back from a brief illness. The whole town had been devastated, none more so than my aunt.
“I do miss her. More than I can ever express.” She stepped forward to lay a hand on my shoulder. “And all I’m going to say to you is don’t live life with one eye on your rearview, Sheriff.”
Aunt Georgia’s words echoed in my brain long after I fixed the sink and gathered the girls to head to the ranch. Was I holding back from Maverick? I didn’t trust him to stay, but how much of that belief was self-preservation? Going all-in only to lose him to bright lights and bigger dreams down the road would hurt on a level on par with only a few other deep losses in my life. Wasn’t it understandable to want to avoid that?
At the ranch, Hannah wanted to change clothes before riding horses, so we all trooped into the main ranch house. Without Faith or Maverick, the place seemed eerily quiet, but most striking were the many changes since I’d last been in the house some weeks prior. In the kitchen and family room area, colorful throw pillows and linens livened up the space, along with some modern Western-themed wall art.
The dining area and what had been the formal living room were even more transformed. The parlor had been dark and dreary, a place to avoid. Now, the room was bright and airy, the heavy drapery and dark walls replaced with floaty curtains and white paint. Live plants and lighter furnishings helped complete the look. The dining room still featured all the original woodwork and built-ins, but Maverick had managed to tone down the stiffness of the room with colorful chair cushions, new light fixtures, and brighter wall art.
“Wow.” I whistled low. “The place looks…different.”
“Yeah.” Turning back at the base of the stairs, Hannah shrugged. “Uncle Maverick’s been busy all summer. I helped.”
“I see.” I gave another appreciative look around. “You did good.”
Hannah went up to change, leaving Willow on her phone on the couch and me with more thinking to do. I’d known Maverick was famous for hotel renovations and flipping dated establishments, but I hadn’t seen firsthand evidence of his talents before. He was damn good at using some paint and updated decor to give a completely new vibe to a space. Could I really expect him to give up that work and be happy as a rancher? On the other hand, the changes signaled a sort of moving on from the past, letting go of old grudges. I had no doubt he would carry the pain of losing his mother and brother and of his father’s treatment for life, but this sort of processing was healthy. If Maverick could move on, why couldn’t I?
“I’m ready to ride!” Hannah came charging back downstairs, stoic expression in place. “Any news from Uncle Maverick?”
“No.” I checked my phone again. Nothing. My back tensed, more dread gathering by the hour.
At the barn, Kat and I helped the girls saddle up before turning them loose in the arena.
“Do you think Maverick will stay on if Faith passes?” Kat asked in a low whisper as the girls circled the arena on their horses. “I’ve had a couple of calls asking if I might be looking for other work. Spread outside of Durango wants me to interview for foreman, not just barn manager or horseback instructor. I like it here though. I’d miss working with Willow especially.”
“I don’t know what Maverick will do.” I sucked in a deep breath. “I do know he wants to make a go of ranching for Hannah’s sake.”
“Want and can are two very different things.” Her tone was somber.
“Maverick can do anything he sets his mind to.” My loyalty was immediate. Was it really that simple? Let Maverick do the thing he said he wanted to do? I want you to stay. Maybe I was finally ready to say the words. My jaw set, neck tightening. “I’m not going to tell you what to do about job hunting, but I’m always going to bet on Maverick.”
“Good.”
I pivoted to discover a weary and rumpled Maverick behind me. He looked like he’d been through an apocalypse, right down to the half-tucked shirt, untied sneaker, and what looked to be a coffee stain on his pocket.
“Maverick.” I reached for him, Kat’s presence notwithstanding. “You’re back.”