am starving. I want to go to Captains.” It was entirely too easy. For a second I wonder if that was their plan all along.
They leave without another word. Cold prickles my skin and I swear to God that he’s in the room right now. Telling the whole world to move the fuck on already.
So I do. I make a plan to move on with my life and get my fucking girl back because Stone, with his obscene wisdom, once told me something. He said sometimes you have to make snap decisions and do things that seem irrational to make sense of the bigger picture. You have to trust your instincts and just go with it. That something or someone else is out there swaying in the atmosphere, looking out for you. It made perfect sense when it came to work, but not life decisions. I thought it was bullshit. But there is no going back on the plan I just decided upon. Like everything in my life, it’s all or nothing. Unlike most decisions I make, I have no fucking clue how it will end.
The only thing I know for certain is that I’ve never been surer about anything in my entire life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Windsor
IT’S BEEN A week since Morganna gave me the wrinkled envelope containing something that is supposed to change my mind about Maverick. It’s sealed and she’s told me she didn’t open it. I haven’t opened it. I leave it inside my desk drawer at work because I don’t trust myself with it at home. I don’t want a piece of paper to sway my mind.
Maverick and I have been texting back and forth during the days, and he seems better. Morganna said he’s better, too. That he had a coming to God moment where he realized how much he was throwing away. He’s eating, going into work, and functioning on a level consistent with that of the old Maverick.
I told him I wanted some space to sort through my feelings. If I’m going to keep him at arm’s length, I need to figure out how to put a damper on my freaking libido and my heart. I feel guilty even admitting this to myself, but it’s unfair to Nash. This time is supposed to be his to prove himself. To have my ex-boyfriend meddling at every turn is just wrong. See how twisted that sounds? If Nash wasn’t in the picture I think I’d still be hesitant to jump feet first back in with Maverick. I feel like a skittish cat…in heat. I miss him.
Hannah’s voice blares through the speakers. “Your mom is on line three!” The jarring buzz scares the crap out of me.
“Thank you,” I say, pressing the intercom button down.
I pull up my e-mail to make sure I haven’t neglected to e-mail her back or something. I’m not sure why else she would call me at work. Our relationship is shaky at best, and I haven’t even told her about Maverick. It’s a conversation more complicated than I’m willing to have right now. I hit the red blinking button and tap on my blue tooth headset.
“Hey, Mom. What’s going on? Is everything okay?” I get it all out of the way in one swoop.
“I’m fine, honey. I have some company over and we’re just sitting down to tea. Funny thing, you’re the person we’ve been talking about.”
“Jesus, Mom. Don’t gossip about me with your cranky friends. Isn’t five back? Don’t you have husband-pleasing duties to perform? I’m at work,” I whisper shout. I’m pleasantly surprised she sounds sober and she’s drinking tea instead of vodka. Who knows, maybe she has vodka in her tea. Isn’t that a thing? Maybe I should ask Maverick.
“Well this guest only has wonderful things to say about you. He came all this way to apologize to me for putting my daughter through a rough time. How gentlemanly is that? He also scared the living shit out of Bill. I doubt he’ll leave again in the foreseeable future. Isn’t that nice, Windsor?”
The room seems to be spinning as I process her words. I lay a hand on my head and take a deep breath. “I’m not sure what you mean, Mom. Should I be happy Mr. Apologizing-scary-gentleman scared the shit out of your husband?” I hear muffled, supremely male giggling—if that’s even possible.
“Windsor,” he says my name. Or makes love to it. I’m embarrassed he spoke it like that in front of my mother. That’s a feat in itself.