Chapter 2

Maverick didn't have time to react or even think. In the next instant, a fist flew into his face, and knuckles slammed into his cheek.

The impact sent him stumbling backward with pain ricocheting through him.

Another fist pummeled into him, this one into his gut.

"You dirty, low-down dog!" Sterling's voice held a rage that Maverick had never heard there before.

Maverick finally glimpsed his friend coming at him with another fist. Maverick barely had time to duck before Sterling swung at him.

"Hold on!" Maverick held up his hands not only in self-defense but also to try to stop his friend.

Sterling's eyes contained the same rage as his voice. "You're trying to steal my woman!"

"No, it's not like that at all."

Sterling growled and then barreled toward Maverick, this time tackling him so that the two of them toppled over. Maverick hit the ground with enough force to drive the air from his lungs. Sterling landed on top of him but was still swinging his fists the whole time.

Maverick rolled out from underneath his friend. He'd wrestled enough livestock over the years that he was tough and could fend for himself.

Even so, he'd never been in a fight where he felt as though he might actually be in danger of losing his life. But with Sterling's expression twisted with deadly fury, a slight flicker of fear pulsed through Maverick.

"I was bringing Violet inside to you!"

Sterling grabbed him to keep him from getting away. "You were kissing her!"

Maverick wanted to deny his friend, to tell him that he had no desire for Violet. But it was better this way, for Sterling not to know about Violet's lapse in judgment, likely brought about because she was nervous.

Maverick scrambled in the damp grass to get away from Sterling. Even if he kept pretending that he'd been the one to start everything, it would still hurt Sterling. But stretching the truth wouldn't devastate him the same way Violet's betrayal would.

Sterling crawled after him, grabbing his legs and pulling him back.

"Fine!" Maverick shouted, ducking his head and barely missing another fist to his face. "I got carried away. But it's all me, not Violet. She loves you and wants to marry you."

From the corner of his eye, he could see that the guests were spilling out of the house onto the porch and down the steps. Violet was now huddled against Hazel nearby, her face buried, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

Sterling pushed Maverick to the ground and planted the full weight of his body on Maverick. With his tie askew and streaks of dirt on his starched white shirt, Sterling set his jaw in a hard line. He pulled back his arm, his fist clenched, ready to throw another hit. Instead of rage, Sterling's eyes contained hatred, raw and unfiltered.

This time Maverick didn't fight to free himself. He laid his head back and stiffened in preparation for whatever further punishment Sterling wanted to dole out.

The hit came a second later, into Maverick's side. He could almost feel one of his ribs crack at the impact, and he closed his eyes to ward off the grunt of pain. More than that, he wanted to block out the hatred, something he'd never imagined he'd see in Sterling's eyes directed toward him.

As his friend's fist pounded into his gut again, Maverick didn't resist.

"No! Stop!" The shriek came from Violet. "Maverick isn't at fault. I am."

Sterling froze.

Maverick's gaze flew open and found Violet. She'd stepped toward them, but Hazel still had ahold of her arm. Tears streaked Violet's cheeks, and anguish lined her face. He could see that Violet intended to tell Sterling everything.

Maverick couldn't let that happen, although he didn't have a plan to prevent it.

"I'm not ready to get married." Her words filled the silence that was broken only by the wind chime on the front porch tinkling in the cool breeze.

Maverick could feel the fight beginning to ease from Sterling's body.

"I was already out here trying to decide how to tell you," she continued, "and Maverick saw me and was just trying to convince me to go through with it."

Sterling was shaking his head. "No. Maverick is always trying to steal the attention and sabotage things."

"No, I'm not—"

Sterling pressed his knee down hard into Maverick's gut, cutting him off. Then he turned pleading eyes upon Violet. "Please, don't say anything else. I promise we can work through this."

The tears were still rolling down her cheeks. "I can't go through with marrying you when I have feelings for Maverick too."

"He doesn't care about you like I do." Sterling's knee dug into Maverick with bruising pain. "I'm the one who loves you, no matter what he's told you."

"Don't blame Maverick." Violet's voice turned pleading. "I started the kiss."

Sterling was shaking his head. "That's not true. Maverick did—"

"No! Sterling, listen to me." Violet's voice rose with a note of hysteria. "I can't marry you! Not when I don't know if I even love you."

Sterling grew absolutely still.

An ache formed in Maverick's chest—one that wasn't related to the beating. It was an ache for his friend at this ultimate rejection from the woman he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

"I'm sorry, Sterling." Violet spoke through broken sobs. "I should have told you sooner—"

"Please, Violet. Don't do this." Sterling's whisper was threaded with agony—an agony that tore at Maverick's heart.

Sniffling, she broke free from Hazel's grasp, picked up her skirts, and raced across the yard, away from the house in the direction of the nearest barn.

Sterling shoved Maverick one last time.

Maverick grabbed his friend's coat sleeve. "She didn't mean it—"

"Don't talk to me." Sterling jerked his arm free and tossed a contemptuous glance at Maverick—one containing the same hatred as moments ago, except more intense. As he stood and towered above Maverick, his gaze trailed after Violet.

Hazel made a move to follow Violet, but Sterling held out a hand to stop her. "I'll go talk to her."

Hazel nodded.

Already Violet's sister and mother were racing after the runaway bride. Sterling started forward but halted and glowered at Maverick. "You're an idiot, and I don't want to talk to you or see you ever again."

In the process of sitting up, Maverick felt Sterling's words almost as powerfully as a punch. He flopped back to the ground, a strange emptiness and pain radiating through his chest. He was tempted to defend himself and explain what had happened in greater detail, but he clamped his jaw closed. Even if Violet had already tried to take the blame, maybe Sterling still needed a scapegoat.

With a final contemptuous glare, Sterling jogged away.

Maverick hoped his friend would turn around and tell him he didn't really mean what he'd just said. But Sterling's shoulders and back remained stiff and unyielding.

The other guests were watching Sterling too... except for Hazel. Her beautiful bronze eyes were trained upon Maverick. And they brimmed with disappointment.

With her hands on her hips and her head slightly cocked, she watched him for a moment longer, as though attempting to understand what had driven him to his foolishness. Then with a shake of her head, she turned and walked away.

With four years' difference between his twenty-five years and her twenty-one, he'd been like another big brother in her life. He'd had a friendly and easy relationship with her, teasing and bantering like he did with his sisters.

The difference was that Hazel always had a sparkle in her eyes whenever she interacted with him—a sparkle that made him feel important, like he was her hero.

But here, now, he'd finally done something unforgivable. He'd proven to her that he wasn't anyone special. He was nothing more than a fool. He'd tried to help Sterling, but all he'd done was make matters worse... just like he'd done with his pa.

With an inner curse of self-loathing, he pushed himself up so that he was sitting.

Hazel was already near her parents and other siblings and had her back to him. He wanted her to turn around so he could smooth things over with a smile.

As if sensing his silent plea, she glanced at him. Her gaze was hard and accusing.

He blew out a tense breath and hung his head.

"Come on with you now." Clarabelle held out a hand to him. Clementine stood more stiffly, likely embarrassed by the turn of events.

While growing up, his twin sisters had been nearly impossible to tell apart in their appearances. At nineteen the two still looked very similar, with their pretty features, green eyes, and blond hair with hints of red.

But the differences were becoming more distinct. Clarabelle's skin was pale and unblemished compared to Clementine's, which had more freckles, especially sprinkled across her nose. Clementine also had a tiny scar on her chin from one of her many childhood mishaps.

While they were nearly the same outwardly, they were opposites in their personalities, with Clarabelle being quieter and more reserved, while Clementine was loud and outgoing. Clarabelle assisted at the school in Breckenridge but hoped someday to become a teacher. Clementine made candy and sold it at the general store but planned to have her own business eventually.

Course, over recent months, they'd both made many sacrifices to take care of Ma, neither one having all that much time to devote to their aspirations.

Maverick took Clarabelle's outstretched hand. Even though he didn't need the help in rising, he let Clarabelle drag him up to his feet.

"Let's go home," she said quietly as she eyed the other guests, who were now watching the three of them with decided hostility.

As he stood, Clementine slapped at his arm. "Sometimes I don't know what to think of you, Maverick Oakley."

Sometimes he didn't know what to think of himself. But today, it wasn't hard to figure out. Sterling had summed it up well by calling him an idiot.

Today, he'd not only hurt and alienated his best friend, but he'd probably also severed his family's longstanding relationship with the Noble family. At the very least, the friendship between the two families would be even more strained than it had already become since Pa's death.

Had he also lost having Hazel as his friend and broodmare manager?

No doubt she'd never want to speak with him or see him again either. And for a reason he couldn't explain, that made everything that had happened even worse.