Chapter 11

Maverick had been avoiding her. There was no other explanation.

Hazel rubbed down Candy in the paddock, but her attention was focused on the north pasture, where Maverick had been all day. Now, at the sight of him upon his gelding riding with another fellow, her heart gave a traitorous beat.

It was one week since he'd kissed her that night she'd stayed at High C Ranch and had fallen asleep with him on the sofa. Ever since then, he'd barely spoken more than a dozen words to her.

The morning after the kiss, she hadn't wanted to return home when Alonzo had come for her. But when he'd said that her family was worried about her, she'd reluctantly gone. Besides, she owed it to her family to help them too.

When she'd returned to the Oakleys' the following day at midday, Maverick had already been gone, scouting for fresh pasture for the herds, anything that wasn't covered in snow. Once he'd located a place on the open range, he'd taken turns with the other ranch hands guarding the cattle from predators and thieves.

Then he'd been traveling for two days. She'd had to ask Clarabelle where he'd gone, learning that he'd ridden up past Dillon to check on purchasing another stud.

He'd returned late yesterday. While he'd been riding up the lane, mud-splattered but never more handsome, her heart hadn't stopped pattering with need—the need to just have one smile directed her way, one glance, even one tiny word.

But he'd ridden past the mare paddock as if he hadn't noticed she existed, and she'd gone home with Alonzo yesterday feeling as though her heart were breaking. Only when she'd finally been alone later in her room had she allowed herself to cry.

After she'd finished, she'd given herself a stern rebuke about the reality of her situation. The truth was that their kiss hadn't meant as much to Maverick as it had to her. She was obviously making far more out of the moment than he'd intended.

She should have known better with how flirtatious Maverick was with women. In fact, he probably didn't even remember the tender moment—probably had already put the kiss from his mind.

Because obviously, he'd kissed plenty of women in his life, and what was one more woman and one more kiss? Especially from someone as inexperienced and na?ve as she was, who'd never been kissed and most likely had botched the entire thing.

If anything, she ought to be glad he'd forgotten about her and put the incident from his mind. It was probably better that way—less embarrassing for them both.

Candy gave a nervous whinny and sidestepped away from Hazel.

She placed a steadying hand on the mare's spotted withers. A pale gold, the horse looked as though someone had splattered ink over her hindquarters. "You're okay, girl. Everything will be just fine."

It was the mare's first foaling. At two—now almost three—she was young to be having a foal. But she was one of the first of the new Oakleys born on the ranch, so her baby was important in the continued development of the breed.

Hazel's attention drifted again toward Maverick drawing closer. Now she recognized the young man riding beside him as Tanner, one of the Oakleys' adopted sons. She hadn't seen Tanner around much, not since Mr. Oakley's death. Even before that, Tanner had been the wanderer of the family, gone much of the time up in the mountains hunting and trapping and sometimes working as a trail guide.

Tanner had a recent falling out with his older brother, Ryder. Hazel didn't know all the details of what had transpired between the two but heard it had something to do with their past.

Even if their feud didn't make sense to her, she suspected that maybe Tanner was also embarrassed that Ryder had gotten one of Captain Moore's daughters pregnant. Just as soon as Ryder had learned Sadie was carrying his baby, he'd done the honorable thing, and they'd gotten married in February.

After the quick wedding, the Oakley family had rallied around him when he'd claimed a homestead near Frisco, helping him to build a cabin and barn for him and his new wife. She was due in the early part of the summer, and everyone was hoping the birth of the grandchild would help cheer Mrs. Oakley.

Hazel glanced across the paddock to where Tiny and her foal stood together in the warm afternoon sunshine. At a week old, the colt was nursing well, already gaining weight, and starting to frolic with some of the other colts.

Now it was Candy's turn to foal. And the inexperienced broodmare would need a little more coaxing and help than Tiny.

Hazel rubbed the mare's abdomen, checking and rechecking all the signs that she might be in labor. "I don't think it'll be tonight, sweet love." Hazel brushed a kiss against the mare's cheek.

As Maverick and Tanner slowed their mounts in the yard, she stood back from the mare. Maverick was wearing his usual black Stetson, flannel shirt, and denims. But Tanner had on a coonskin cap over his brown hair and was wearing a Native buckskin coat with fringes on each shoulder.

At the sight of her, Tanner whistled and waved. "There she is. The most gorgeous woman in the Rockies."

Hazel smiled in response. Tanner was like Maverick in his ability to flirt, maybe even better. He didn't mean anything by it, the same way Maverick didn't ever mean anything. They were both just friendly young men who liked women but who clearly didn't like commitment.

She could feel Maverick's gaze upon her, and even though she wanted to exchange a familiar smile with him, the hurt was too fresh to ignore. Even if he hadn't meant to hurt her, even if he'd just been himself, she'd allowed herself to believe his attention had meant more. Now she needed a little more time to force all her feelings for him back down inside so that she could see him as nothing more than a friend again.

If only she hadn't let him kiss her. Her thoughts returned to the night of the kiss, the way he'd dipped down and pressed his lips to hers. At first she hadn't known what he was doing. The brush of his lips had been so tender, so sweet, so unexpected. He'd paused for a moment, as though giving her a chance to back away, to put an end to the kiss.

Of course she hadn't wanted to. She'd always secretly dreamed of kissing Maverick, although in her dreams she'd been the one to jump into his arms and initiate the kiss. She'd never dreamed he'd kiss her first. Why would he?

And why had he? Was it because they'd been lying together on the sofa? Had he felt close to her in the moment?

She could admit that she'd broken the kiss and run away from him because she'd been frightened. She'd been afraid of this very thing happening—where he kissed her casually, where it didn't mean anything to him, where he went on with his life unaffected. Unlike her, for whom his kiss had been earth-shattering, had kept her awake for hours that night, and had filled her thoughts for days afterward.

It still consumed her, but she was doing better today than she had been the rest of the week. She was finally making peace with the fact that she had to put him out of her mind once and for all. If she took nothing else away from the kiss, she was learning her lesson that Maverick would never see her the way she saw him.

It was for the best if she didn't allow herself to get close to him again. No more spending time with him, especially alone. No more long conversations. No more allowing him to help with the foaling—unless there was a problem. No more letting herself admire him. And certainly no more kissing. Never, ever again.

She would focus on Tanner. Maybe she could even practice some of the flirting techniques that Maverick had taught her. Not that she was interested in Tanner. She wasn't any more interested in him than she was in Ross. But if Maverick could flirt so shamelessly, then she could too.

"Hi, Tanner." She offered the young man a smile, looking him straight in his eyes the way Maverick had instructed her. "It's been a while. How are you?"

Tanner's grin widened. "At the sight of you, I'm mighty fine now."

"I've sure missed you." She hoped her smile was warm and inviting. "Things are never the same without you around."

"Well, now. You're as sweet as you are pretty. Isn't that right, Mav?"

"Yep." His answer was curt, almost as if he was upset with her.

If anyone should be upset, it ought to be her. After all, he'd been the one to kiss her and then ignore her all week.

She made herself laugh lightly, her mind scrambling to find something—anything—that would get Maverick's attention. She didn't stop to analyze why she wanted his attention, why it was so important in the moment. Instead, she swiped off her hat and let her hair tumble down. While she'd taken the time that morning to tie it up into a messy knot, over the course of the day, it had come loose, so that now it swirled in wavy masses every which way.

She gave the thick mane a shake, feeling the stares of both men. What was Maverick thinking? Did he find her pretty with her hair down? Was the tactic working to make him take notice of her?

Even though she wanted to take a peek at him, she widened her smile and kept her attention on Tanner. "I've got an Oakley ready to foal soon. If you want to help me, she'll probably go into labor tomorrow night."

Tanner nodded. "She's the yearling?"

"Candy. The Oakley that Clementine named after she ate up a batch of the candy left outside to cool."

Tanner surveyed the mare, then glanced at Maverick as though gauging his reaction to her request.

Maverick's expression was guarded, without the usual flirtation or humor. His jaw flexed tensely, and his eyes were narrowed upon Tanner.

Tanner held up his hands as though he was afraid of being shot. "Hey now. She invited me. I can't say no to such a grand opportunity, can I?"

"Thought you were gonna help me sort through the studs." Maverick's answer was solemn and filled with accusation.

"If we do that tomorrow, we'll be done in time for the foaling."

Hazel had been attending to foalings long enough to learn that most mares waited until the quiet and privacy of night to start foaling. She didn't know how they could plan it that way, but daytime foalings were an exception and not the rule. And Maverick knew it, which meant there was no way he could object to Tanner helping her.

As though recognizing the same, Maverick pursed his lips together, and then without another word, he nudged his horse toward the barn entrance.

Tanner watched Maverick's retreating form with a growing smile. "It sure is fun riling him up."

Hazel wrapped up a fistful of hair and then began winding it back toward the top of her head. She didn't see the humor or fun in the interaction the same way Tanner did. Now, after seeing Maverick and having him ignore her again, she felt even worse.

He'd seemed almost angry with her. Maybe this past week, he hadn't just gone about his business as usual as she'd thought. Maybe he was upset about the kiss. Maybe he blamed her for it—which would be preposterous, because he'd been the one to initiate it.

But why else was he going out of his way to be cold and unfriendly toward her?

She finished her afternoon chores with the mares and foals, and as she studied her chart of the rest of the mares and their foalings hanging next to the barn door, she half listened for Alonzo and the wagon. From what she could tell, she'd have two mares ready to give birth next week, two the week after that. But during May, the foalings would grow more infrequent.

At the crunch of footsteps in the hay behind her, she tossed a glance over her shoulder to find Maverick approaching from the rear barn door. Even though he was wearing his Stetson, the furrows in his brow were deep and easy to see in the shadows.

He was still angry about something.

At the sight of her, he veered his steps toward her, as if he'd come into the barn intending to speak with her directly. If so, that would be the first time all week.

She fidgeted first with her hat, then her coat. Now that he was ready to talk, she wasn't sure she was ready to hear what he had to say.

His stride was hard and purposeful.

Her stomach cinched. She didn't want to hear him say that he hadn't liked their kiss, that he wished it hadn't happened, that he was sorry about it. She moved into the door and peered down the wooded lane. Alonzo wasn't in sight.

She started to step outside anyway, needing to get away from Maverick.

"Hazel, wait," he called.

Her stomach flipped with the urge to keep him from saying whatever he was on a mission to say, but she only made it two steps away from the barn before his hand closed about her arm and drew her to a halt.

She didn't fight against his hold, although she knew she should. Instead, her skin warmed under his touch, his strength sending a current through her, making her insides quiver with the longing to have both his hands upon her and not just one.

She closed her eyes against the desire. "Hello, Maverick. What can I do for you?" She tried to keep her voice calm.

"I want you to stop flirting with Tanner." His demand came out low, almost a growl.

Frustration fueled into a hot flame inside her. Pulling her arm out of his grip, she spun around so that she was facing him. "You have no right to tell me who I can flirt with."

"I taught you, so I get some say."

His answer was so silly and illogical, she almost laughed. "Maybe I like Tanner and want to gain his attention."

Maverick's eyes were stormy. "Do you like him?"

"What does it matter to you if I do?" A part of her willed him to say that he cared about her and didn't want her to like any other man. But she knew he didn't, that she'd simply allowed her girlish feelings to surface and influence everything.

He released a tight sigh. "Tanner's my brother, and I love him. But he's not the right man for you."

"And I suppose you're the expert in knowing what kind of man I need?" She silently dared him to say yes, that he was well aware of the kind of man she needed. Him.

But he shook his head. "I know it's not Tanner."

"Tanner is sweet, funny, and likes me."

"He doesn't love you."

"Maybe I don't need love."

This time he grasped her arm and tugged her back into the barn. There was an urgency in his movement that made her pulse accelerate and her insides flutter. As always, she couldn't resist him, even though a part of her warned that she should.

Once they were standing in the shadows and out of the view of the barn door, he took a step toward her, closing the distance so that he was mere inches away.

His presence was as magnetic as always, and before she did something really stupid, like throw herself against him, she took a step back, pressing into the barn wall.

Again, he stepped after her so that only inches separated them. He reached out and braced a hand against the wall beside her head, and his gaze made a circuit around her face before landing on her mouth.

What was he doing? Was he thinking about kissing her again?

Delicious heat pooled low in her stomach. She'd chastised herself severely all day about her feelings for Maverick and the need to stop caring about him, but now that he was here and so close, every thought flew from her mind except one—how much she wanted him. She wanted to feel his mouth taking command of hers, wanted the pressure of his body leaning into her, wanted the tangle of their limbs and lips.

His breathing seemed to grow shallower in the space between them.

Did her nearness stir up longings in him too?

He tilted in just a little closer, his broad chest brushing hers.

The graze only sent more heat spilling through her.

Something was there between them, whether either of them acknowledged it or not. She wanted to say something about it, but the words were lost in a haze of strange desire.

As he bent his head closer, her body tightened with need—the need for another one of his kisses. She suddenly needed it more than another breath of air. Her lungs seized, as though agreeing with her. And she waited breathlessly.

But instead of moving toward her lips, he shifted so that only his cheek brushed hers, his stubble scratching her.

The sensation of his face against hers was so exquisite she could only close her eyes and savor the closeness. And of course, she couldn't keep from wishing that the moment would never end, that she could stand in Maverick's presence like this forever.

He drew in a ragged breath, one close to her ear. "You do need love, Hazel," he whispered. "You deserve it more than anyone I know."

"What about you?" Her whisper came out more of a plea, but she couldn't help herself. She wanted to know if he'd ever consider loving her.

At her whispered words, he froze. Then he pushed away from the wall and away from her. Anguish creased his face—an anguish that he quickly worked to hide.

She didn't realize she was trembling until she pressed farther back and her fingers made a connection with the barn wall. What was going on? Why was he acting this way—seeming to want her one moment and then letting her go in the next?

At the rumble of a wagon nearing the barn, she knew Alonzo had arrived and that she needed to go out before he caught sight of her alone with Maverick. Even though Sterling hadn't stopped her from coming to work at the Oakleys', he'd made sure she was well aware of his loathing of Maverick. Just yesterday, he'd even quizzed her about her interactions with Maverick, asking her how much time she was spending with him.

She'd been able to honestly answer that she'd hardly seen him all week and that he hadn't talked with her or spent any time with her.

If Alonzo carried home word that she'd been in the barn alone with Maverick and that they'd been standing awfully close, close enough to kiss, Sterling would accuse her of lying and do everything within his power to force her to quit her job.

Because even after almost two weeks since the failed wedding, he was still bitter and angry and showed no signs of being able to forgive Maverick.

And the truth was, she was more confused than ever about what was happening between herself and Maverick. After the past week of hardly any interaction and feeling shoved aside, what did this closeness now with him mean?

She finally let herself meet Maverick's gaze. For just a second, his eyes seemed open, like windows, letting her glimpse deep inside. Heat and attraction and even something more glowed there.

But with a quick shake of his head, he shuttered himself off. "Stay away from Tanner." Then he spun and stalked off.

As she watched him, she wanted to shout that he needed to stay away from her, that every time he came near, it hurt even more when he walked away. Surely it would be easier on her heart if she cut him out of her life and stopped caring about him altogether.

If only she could.