Cowboy Up (Coming Home #3)

“Caroline moved into the ranch house.”

Maverick stops in his path and turns slowly to assess me. I haven’t gotten very close to the middle Davis child, but I also haven’t spent tons of time around him since Clayton and I stated dating. The few interactions we had were brief, and he studied every move his brother made with me. What I hadn’t gotten in the months since Clayton and I started dating was his younger brother smiling freely in my direction. It’s so shocking I can’t do anything but stare at him.

“Well, I’ll be,” he finally says, his grin growing even wider. “I bet that bitch Jess isn’t too happy about this news.”

I shake my head.

“What’s that mean?” Quinn questions, sniffling loudly.

“Just what I said, Hell-raiser.”

“Why would what Jess thinks even be relevant right now?”

“You must not have been hearin’ the gossip flyin’ around town. I know Leigh told you about it because she said you were goin’ on and on about how nasty Jess is.”

Quinn looks at Maverick like he’s grown a second head. “She mentioned Jess was sniffin’ around Clay, not details! I’ve been stuck at home on bed rest for a whole week, asshole. How am I goin’ to get the good gossip when I can’t even waddle my ass into town?”

Leighton laughs, finally dry-eyed. “I forgot to tell you what I heard when I was at the PieHole last week. Sorry, Q. I got distracted when you started talkin’ about your cervix and everything.”

Quinn’s eyes go from Leighton’s to her brother’s, over to mine, then back to Leighton’s when no one goes to explain further. “Well! D, don’t just sit there. Give me the goods.!”

I sigh but don’t say anything.

“It really isn’t a big deal. His ex put her hands on him in the middle of the day smack-dab in the center of town. Jana told me that he grabbed her hand off his crotch the second he realized—a second too late, I should add—that she was goin’ to touch him there. She didn’t hear what he said, but rumor has it was somethin’ about her bein’ a used-up slut that he wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot-long cattle prod, even if he wasn’t madly in love.”

“I think you’re embellishing it just a little, Leigh,” I add, rolling my eyes to hide the fact that my stomach is going nuts at the mention of love.

“She isn’t far from the truth,” Maverick says, sitting down next to his wife and rubbing her stomach. She looks at him and smiles before placing her hand on top of his.

“How is that woman still even sniffin’ around? They’ve been broken up for years and I know he isn’t stupid enough to have gone back even for a quickie seein’ as she’s been with half the town.”

Leigh hums in agreement when Quinn stops talking. “Did he ever say why they split in the first place?”

They look at Maverick first, but he doesn’t glance away from his wife’s belly, ignoring them completely.

“Uh,” I stammer, “I love you two and all, but if you haven’t heard it from him before now, you aren’t gonna hear it from me.”

I might’ve gotten back the friendship that was broken when I left town after high school, but my loyalty will always be to Clayton now.

I ignore the annoyed glances they both shoot me and meet Maverick’s gaze. I’m not sure what I expected, but a wink followed by a low chuckle damn sure wasn’t it.

“You know!” his wife snaps accusingly. “You hadn’t even come back to Pine Oak when he was datin’ her.”

“Didn’t have to live in Pine Oak talk to my brother, darlin’.”

“Well?” Quinn probes, looking at her brother.

“Yeah, right, Quinnie. And don’t y’all be givin’ his girl any shit for bein’ faithful to her man. If Clay wanted y’all to know his personal shit, he’d tell you. You both know damn well you wouldn’t say a thing if the roles were reversed, so give her the respect of doin’ the same.”

They stay mute as he leans down to kiss Leighton’s belly before pressing another kiss to her lips. After rising from his seat, he walks by his sister and pats her head. Leaving the room, he shuts the back door softly. The girls share a look, then glance at me in shock.

“I think,” Quinn breathes, “you just got a Maverick-size stamp of approval.”

“She totally did,” Leighton agrees with a smile.

Earl licks my hand and meows, clearly sick of me not petting him anymore. I lean back, fighting a grin. Five minutes later, he’s not too happy with me when Leighton shoos him off my lap so I can help her carry all the newly washed and folded baby items to the nursery. Quinn, knowing she’d be pressing her luck if she got off the couch since she’s ready to pop, doesn’t come.

“You seem happy,” Leighton muses in the nursery.

“I am,” I confirm with a smile.

“I haven’t said it, but I’m really happy that you and Clay are together. It’s not just that he’s good for you—you’re good for him. He’s always been super private about his personal life, but I hope you know that both Quinn and I are here if you ever just want to talk to your girls about things. I respect the fact that you might never do that too, just so you know. We might be nosy, but Mav wasn’t wrong.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Leigh.”

“A little advice from one girl who fell for a Davis to another: just don’t ever tell Quinn about your sex life or you’ll never hear the end of it. That girl is as weird as it gets when she finds out about that stuff.”

I chuckle. “Noted. Don’t ever tell Quinn how good her brother is.” My eyes widen when I realize what I just said. “What are the chances you’ll forget that?” I ask Leigh.

Her whole belly moves as she laughs softly. “Not even a little bit, but don’t worry, I won’t say a word. I’ve got a cowboy of my own, so I know how to keep quiet.”

When we go back into the living room, Quinn is asleep on the couch and Earl is curled up in a tiny space between her belly and thighs. A large cat, some breed Leighton called a Maine coon, there’s no way he can be comfortable with his back half hanging off the couch, but he’s purring away regardless.

“I’m goin’ to let y’all rest and head home,” I tell Leigh, feeling my heart skip a beat at the idea of home being the ranch. “I promised Clayton today I’d finally let him teach me how to ride.”

I give her a hug, promising to call later, and walk out to my car. It’d be quicker if I knew the four-wheeler trails, but I don’t mind the short drive. It’s hard not to love it when every turn gives me the most beautiful views of Pine Oak’s backcountry. Miles and miles of green pastures.