Chapter Seven
Julie
Maverick spends the weekend at my cabin keeping me company, holding me close, and helping me write my speech for the election day today. The one thing we don't do… is open the door to the twins’ room. I’m sure I could have handled it with him next to me, but I didn’t want to ruin the bit of mental stamina I’ve been building up. It’s too much to ask him to lift me up every few hours. I have to fight for me too. The funny thing is, when Maverick is around, the fight shifts from a mental struggle to a physical battle of wills, which is a nice distraction.
He’s been sleeping next to me, poking me inadvertently, brushing against me, holding me from behind in the kitchen, kissing my lips as we watch TV, and listening to me as I rant about Mrs. Richardson’s views on the possible mining ban. I’m without a doubt falling for Maverick and giving myself to him physically seems like the next reasonable step.
“Damn!” he groans, drawing his gaze up and down my frame. “You look sexy as hell, Ms. Mayor.”
“Please, I haven’t won yet. Maybe I’m wrong about how many people are pissed about the miners being in town. It does get pretty loud, and it’s brought a bunch of people into the area that weren’t here before. These are small-town folks. They don’t like anyone they haven’t seen before. I think a few of them struggle with the tourism the tattoo shop brings in already.”
“I guess I’m one of those strangers,” Maverick says, wrapping me up from behind to kiss my neck. He smells of pine and cedar like a tall, massive tree, holding me close.
I break away from his grip and spin toward him. I can’t get all worked up this close to my speech.
“You aren’t a stranger to me,” I say, kissing his lips gently.
He grins and leans into me again, running his hand down the small of my back and onto my ass. “I guess this means I’m voting for you today.”
I raise my brows, and turn away. “I should hope so, or we might have a different arrangement come tonight.”
“Bribes?” he gasps playfully. “How unbecoming.”
I giggle and look down at my phone for the time. It’s nearly thirty minutes to my speech and I really need to get into town.
“Ready?” I say, huffing out a deep breath of anxious energy.
Maverick looks back at me, but I see something in his eyes that I haven’t seen before, like he’s about to disappoint me. “I’m going to be there,” he says, “but I have to take care of something first. Can I drop you off on my way to my thing?”
“Your thing?” My voice drops as I say, “You havea thingthat’s more important than thethingthat I have going on this morning?”
His gaze meets mine, warm and confident. “It’s important, but I promise I’ll only be gone for a flash.”
We’ve been sitting together all weekend and I’m a little surprised he hasn’t mentioned this thing, but he’s an adult and we really have no allegiance to each other, so I grab my keys off the counter and kiss him goodbye. Maybe I was wrong about him. Maybe he is the drifter I pegged him for when he rolled into town. Maybe these miners are bad news.
I shake my head and let the thought go. I have to focus on this speech. I’ve been working toward it for months and I’m already battling against losing the twins. I can’t have whatever he’s doing weighing me down too.
“I’ll be right behind you,” he says, anxiety in his voice before he kisses me goodbye.
I’m not sure he realizes what he’s doing to me right before my important speech, but I try to assume the best, and make my way to the truck. The drive over to the tattoo shop will give me a chance to call Angie anyway. I’ve been meaning to catch up with her since I got back to town.
She picks up on the first ring.
“Well… well… well. Nice of you to grace me with your presence, Mrs. Maverick. I sent him to rescue you, not steal you away from me.”
“Trust me, I wasn’t expecting it. He seems nice enoug—”
“And a criminal. Did you know he did jail time? I swear if I’d known I’d never have sent him up there.”
I roll my eyes. Angie has good intentions, but her worries cause her to overthink nearly everything and a guy who’s done jail time is definitely not on her approved list of suitors for me, or anyone else she knows.
“Besides, what do you think the voters will think if they see you around town with a miner who’s also a criminal? They’re going to vote for Mrs. Richardson just on rumors alone.”
I hadn’t thought of what everyone else will think. I usually don’t. I just live my life and hope for the best.
“He’s not a criminal. He went to jail for a few years for larceny when he was young, and he told me everything. It’s all good.”
“No,” she gasps, “that’s not all. I hear he went to prison for kidnapping.”