“You ready, cowboy?”
“Yes, Auntie,” he said. He’d been obsessed with cowboys since the posters had gone up for the rodeo. He’d even found one of TJ’s old straw cowboy hats and had been wearing that.
She’d teared up the first time that had happened. She’d wanted to share it with someone…Finn, but he was in the wind. She knew he had to go back to the racing circuit—that was what he did—but he hadn’t been in touch at all in the last three days. Sure, that was what she’d agreed to but at the same time, she was still disappointed.
She snapped a photo of Lane and then grabbed his bag, the lunches she’d premade for them, and then pointed to the door. “Let’s go.”
“Yeehaw,” he said, then did his version of a trot toward the front door.
She made a mental note to ask Mrs. Corbyn if they sold any broomstick horses in her shop. Lane needed one. She thought he was too young for an actual ride, but she had started looking into a possible trip to a ranch over in Whiskey River that did tours.
She locked the door behind them and stuffed her keys in the back pocket of her jeans. Her work uniform consisted of jeans and an Outlaw Tequila tee, which was fine with Lancey. It was comfortable, and simple, just the way she liked it.
When she got to Outlaw Tequila, she parked her pickup in the staff parking spaces, got Lane out of his car seat and hurried indoors since it was already starting to get hot. She heard the sound of heated voices coming from the office in the back and hesitated, but Lane took off down the hallway toward them.
“I don’t give a damn if you are used to being the boss, Cal. This is my baby and I know what’s best. Joaquin and I have been working on this premium—” Braden’s voice broke off, softening as Lancey rounded the corner. “Hiya, kiddo. Lancey.”
Cal stooped down next to Lane to talk to his nephew as Braden glanced at her.
“Sorry,” she said. “He’s been waiting to get over here and show y’all his new hat.”
“It’s pretty special,” Cal said.
“Yeah. I’m a cowboy.”
“I could tell. You need a horse, though,” Cal said.
“I was thinking about picking up a broomstick one from Mrs. Corbyn’s shop on my home from work,” Lancey said.
“I’ll text Amelia and tell her to bring one over on her break,” Cal said. “In fact, I have a coffee break with her in a few minutes. We can finish this discussion later, okay Bray?”
He gave Lane a quick hug and smiled at her on his way out the door. Braden walked around his desk and sat down harder than he needed to.
“That sounded…like more than one chewing-out I had from my CO. Do you want to talk?”
Braden took his glasses off, cleaned them and then put them back on. “No. Maybe, but I don’t want to sound the same way I have all my life. The main issue with me and Cal is that he still thinks I’m fourteen, and not old enough to make decisions.”
She smiled in sympathy at him. “It’s hard being here because everyone has a way of looking at you, and since you’ve never left, it’s never changed. I mean Cal went out and played pro ball, I joined the military, but you have always been Last Stand, Braden.”
“I like being Last Stand Braden. I was running this company while Cal was still playing,” Braden said.
“It’ll happen. Give it some time,” she said, thinking of Braden’s two brothers. Cal was definitely not the one she wanted to talk about. But she’d told herself it would be one and done with Finn, so she wasn’t going to bring him up now.
She’d made up her mind.
“Hey, instead of working in the shop this morning, I was wondering if you’d mind liaising with Finn’s team manager. We’re going to be running a promo at the upcoming race and his car will be detailed to match our logo. They want someone from the company in on the call and Delphine is out this morning with a sick kid. Only I really don’t have time,” Braden said.
“Sure, I can do that. Will Finn be on the call?” she asked, both hoping and dreading it. But it would be better to do this over the phone instead of in person. Seeing or talking to him for the first time… It was just something she would have to do, then move on.
She could do that. She knew she could. She was tough and could handle anything the world or Finn Delaney threw at her.
“I doubt it. He is usually doing other stuff like testing out the car setup and taking practice runs. You should be good,” he said. “You never did say how the other night worked out.”
“I said he walked me home and then he left. We’re not going to make a mess of an already complex situation.”
“You said that, but I thought maybe…something else happened,” Braden said, looking over at her. “But that was probably just me hoping you had some fun.”
“Yeah,” she said, trying to sound vague and noncommittal because as much as she didn’t want to talk about this with her friend and the brother of her hookup, she also didn’t want to lie.
“Auntie, juice,” Lane said.
She got his sippy cup out of her bag and turned back to give it to him. He smiled over at her as he took a sip. This was her life now. This little man was the only male she needed in her house. Really.
*
Sitting in the truck with the air-conditioning running wasn’t her idea of a great lunch break. Lane was being a bit cranky because he wanted to eat his lunch and ride on the broomstick horse that Cal had brought over for him earlier. But it was too hot for the park and she didn’t want to drive home for her break. The house would be hot because she’d turned the air off while she was gone in the hopes of saving some money.
Someone rapped on the driver’s window and Lancey smiled as she saw that it was Delilah Corbyn. Delilah was the owner of Dragonfly and had been in the same year as Lancey in school. She rolled down the window and Lane, who’d been sulking, scrambled onto her lap.
“Hiya,” Lancey said.
“Hey,” Delilah said. “I don’t want to sound like I was stalking you, but I saw you retreat to the truck because of the heat and I thought you might want to come over to the restaurant. The back patio is shaded by tall trees and it’s really cool.”
“That’d be great. Thank you. This little cowboy is missing riding his horse but he was getting overheated.”
“I’m getting overheated just standing here,” Delilah said.
“Hop in and I’ll give you a ride to the restaurant.”
“Thanks,” Delilah said.
While Delilah went around to the passenger side, Lancey turned and lifted Lane into his car seat in the back of her pickup and buckled him in. It took less than three minutes to drive to the Dragonfly.
“I love summer but I hate it, too,” Delilah said. “It’s even worse when I’m in the kitchen, but then when I close down at night and the sky is big and summery, it’s irresistible.”
“I know the feeling. It’s nice that it’s light for so long. I can do a lot of stuff with Lane when I get off work and I love that but in the middle of the day, it’s awful. Thank you so much for this.”
“You’re welcome. One of the reasons why I wanted to work here and not in Dallas is that Last Stand is small, and this community feels like family. When I see a friend who’s clearly making the best of a bad situation, I want to help out. And I can, because this is my place and I pay my own bills.”
“Girl, that sounds like a story.”
“You don’t want to know,” Delilah said. “It’s not a happy one. Let’s just say I earned the moniker of bitch that time.”
“I hate that a strong woman is often labeled a bitch. I got it a few times myself, when I was an MP. Guys get respect…and we get called a bitch.”
“Yeah, well only by the men who aren’t confident enough to handle a woman who knows what she’s doing.”
Lancey laughed and for the first time since she woke up alone, she felt like she was finding herself in Last Stand. She wasn’t exactly on the path she needed to be on, but she was checking out options. She had an int
erview with Police Chief Highwater and was hopeful he’d be able to help her find work.
“Lane’s going to be out at the Delaney ranch this weekend. Do you want to hang out?” she asked Delilah.
“I’d love to. I usually spend an hour or so on Saturday afternoon between the lunch and dinner rush and evenings with my sisters and Lea. Want to join us?” Delilah asked.
“Will I be intruding?”
“Don’t be silly, I wouldn’t have offered if I thought you would. Emma sometimes brings Joey. It’s just women hanging out and having fun and sometimes drinking my meemaw’s moonshine.”
“Count me in,” she said.
Delilah went to the kitchens to get back to work after saying goodbye to Lane. Lancey let him ride his horsey all the way out to the back patio. The tables were all covered by the shade of the tall trees that were interspersed between the tables and it felt at least ten degrees cooler. She set their lunch bag on the table and Lane circled around in front of her, coming back and forth to grab a bit of the cooked chicken she’d prepared for him.
“Auntie!”
“What!”
“Watch this,” he said, pulling back on the reins and making a loud whooping sound.
She clapped. “I love it.”
The rest of her lunch break went quickly, and she realized that this unexpected path she’d found herself on had a lot of unexpected joy. She’d never seen motherhood in her future because of the way she’d been raised. Her mom and Granny had each other but Lancey had really wanted to be part of something bigger. She’d found that in the military. She still had some regrets about leaving—she’d found a purpose in the routine and discipline of the military—but the last few days had demonstrated that those things hadn’t been as important to her as she’d thought. She enjoyed her time with Lane, and the slower pace of Last Stand—something that had always seemed to chafe—now fulfilled something in her. Raising her nephew, being a mom to him as well as an auntie, brought her more joy than she’d ever experienced.
She’d always thought she loved her life because she’d done what she wanted. She didn’t have to make choices and wonder how it would impact anyone else. In the military, she’d simply followed orders or issued orders and anyone who broke them…well, as an MP, she meted out consequences that made sense.
But watching Lane made her realize how much she loved having him depend on her. She understood it might be the newness of mothering her nephew that made her feel that way, but a part of her was certain it wasn’t. She was happy just taking care of him and watching him play and grow. It made her realize that she might someday want a family of her own—one that had more than just her and Lane in it. When Delilah talked about her sisters, she knew she wanted Lane to have cousins around him, too. Amelia and Cal were engaged and would probably have kids, but Lancey was realizing she wanted to be more than an aunt. She wanted to be a mom, too.
*
Lancey had been a loner all her life. It wasn’t just the five years between her and TJ that had kept them from being close—it was more that she’d never really needed anyone else.
So when she showed up at Delilah’s house, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She’d brought a bottle of wine that she’d picked up last week and some lemon pie from the freezer that she’d made earlier in the week while pretending that she didn’t care that Finn hadn’t called or texted.
When she climbed the front porch steps, she could hear the sound of people laughing inside and the faint beat of music. She chewed her lower lip.
What was she doing here?
She’d never been a joiner. Even in her unit, she spent her free time by herself. She had always liked to be on her own, not responsible for anyone. Maybe because she knew it would be temporary? But now, she was open to something different. And this budding friendship with Delilah was nice.
Besides, she had no choice about leaving Last Stand now. Not unless she wanted to do it without Lane, and she wasn’t about to do that.
She lifted her hand to knock when she heard someone come up behind her. Lea—the girl that Braden liked but was afraid to talk to.
“Hey. I’m glad to see you here tonight,” Lea said. “The Corbyns are always so wonderful but I’m an only child so all that sisterly bond stuff makes me…well, envious. I wish I’d had that growing up.”
Lancey smiled over at her. “Me too. I almost turned around to go home but then you arrived.”
“I was late last time. I just stood there, considering the same thing,” Lea said. “I’m so much better with dogs than people.”
Lancey laughed at that. “I’m better with a side arm.”
“That’s something,” Lea said. “I heard about your gran being a trick shooter at the rodeo. Does it run in the family?”
“No. I’m good with a gun, but trick shots aren’t my specialty.”
“But you can do one?” Lea asked.
“What are you two doing out here?” Delilah asked, opening the front door. A large furry dog leapt out of the house and went straight for Lea, going up on his hind legs and putting his paws on her shoulders. He licked Lea and she just rubbed his fur and hugged him.
“Hello, Milton,” Lea said.
“We were just catching up,” Lancey said to Delilah. “You named your dog Milton?”
“He’s a rescue. The name came with him. Plus, it sort of suits him,” Delilah said. “Come on in. We were just talking about my parents’ house. Mom had us all over there getting it ready for the Fourth. She did put out most of her patriotic décor for Flag Day but she likes to save a few things for later.”
“I love your parents’ house,” Lea said. “Sometimes, when I’m walking my dog, I just stand there in front of it and imagine what it must be like to have something like that to live in.”
“It’s not as dreamy as all that. It’s dusty and there are tons of rooms to clean,” Delilah said. “But I do love it.”
“I made a freezer pie, but it’s not professional or anything like that.”
“I’m sure it’s great. I love it when I don’t have to cook. Most of the time, no one brings food and I’m always starving by the time it’s over.”
“She is,” Amelia said, coming out to give them each a welcoming hug. “I think she became a chef so she could eat all the time.”
Amelia seemed so much more relaxed now that she and Cal were engaged. Lancey had heard rumors about there being some issues between Amelia and her mom, but now that Mrs. Corbyn was healthy again, the two women seemed to be getting along well.
“I agree,” Emma said. “I brought you brownies last week.”
“They tasted like they came from a box,” Delilah said.
“That’s because they did,” Emma replied. “Meemaw said it’s the thought that counts.”
“If she tried those brownies, she might not agree,” Delilah said.
Emma stuck her tongue out at her sister, which made everyone else laugh. The doorbell rang again, and Emma went to answer it. “That should be Joey. I invited her to join us.”
Amelia took Lancey by the arm and led her away from the kitchen into the living room. “So, what’s going on with you and Finn?”
“Nothing. Did your sister tell you anything?”
“No,” Amelia said. “So, something did happen? I’m only asking because when he was video chatting with Lane last night, he asked me if I’d seen you. I said I hadn’t in a few days and then when I tried to find out why, he clammed up. But Braden said—”
“We hooked up,” Lancey said. “Just once, because it’s awkward with how our families are connected. But that’s it.”
“Why is it awkward? I like the idea of you and Finn,” Amelia said. “Cal thinks that all Finn needs is a good woman. Someone to help him mature.”
“That’s not me,” Lancey said. Finn had let her wake up alone. Somehow, the only reason she could see for him asking about her would be to find out if she was mad. “We’re sort of friends who just had the hots for one another. But it’
s over now.”
Amelia put her arm around Lancey’s shoulders. “I was hoping it was more than that.”
Lancey nodded. “It’s fine. I’m not really looking for anything more. The Maverick women are famous for being able to do it all on their own.”
“Yeah, but that’s not much fun. I’m glad you have us,” Amelia said.
“Me too,” Lancey agreed.
The rest of the evening was enjoyable. She had fun playing games with the other women, and even went back to her place to get her gran’s old pistol to do the mirror trick, shooting a straw cowboy hat off a flower barrel in Delilah’s backyard. And, more importantly, she managed to forget all about Finn until she was back in her bed. Without him.
Chapter Six
The drivers’ meeting on Thursday was always a good time for Finn. He liked seeing his friends, and hadn’t been surprised when Neil Zimmerman, one of his best friends and his head mechanic, came and sat down next to him. The hospital where he’d ended up after his crash in the Poconos had been where they’d first noticed Finn’s blood clot. It had shown up on his MRI, and further tests had revealed DVT. He’d been shocked by it and so had everyone else on the team. Finn had always been so healthy. So far though, now that he was on blood thinners, everyone seemed to be more relaxed, expecting him to be okay and able to drive. His boss of the number 73 car, Larry Herminster, texted him nearly every day asking for an update. But what could he say? Finn didn’t know how to gauge if the blood thinners had taken care of his clot or not. He’d seen the team medic before coming to this meeting and now Zim and Danny Miller, his replacement driver, were sitting next to him.
“Um, do you know something I don’t?” Finn asked.
“Dude, I’m not sure about Danny,” Zim said. “Larry asked me to bring him and sit in. That’s it.”
“Damn. I had another blood test this morning,” Finn said. But stopped talking when a rival team sat down next to him.
Zim took his phone out and texted Finn. Danny looked uncomfortable which worried Finn. They were benching him. F—. He’d guessed this was going to happen but had hoped he’d be cool with it. Instead he wanted to punch Danny and storm out of the drivers’ meeting.
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