“He’s kinda sensitive, huh?”
I scowl at him. “You’re being rude.”
He has the nerve to look surprised, but I walk away before he can respond. I march back to Maverick. “Can we talk for a sec? Maybe in the nursery?”
Maverick doesn’t say a word as we walk down the hall, but at the last minute, he turns to the left instead of to the right. I’m expecting to see the empty master bedroom.
Instead, there’s a room full of furniture. “When did this happen?” There’s a beautiful bed with crisp white linen. Bedside tables. Lamps. A dresser.
He wraps his arms around me from behind. “This afternoon. Beau and Rhett helped me set everything up.”
“I’m sorry you’ll only get to sleep on it twice before you leave.” My voice cracks, and I cough to play it off.
Mav kisses my neck. “Sorry about being a dick to Sean. Just… I don’t want him getting too comfortable around you.”
Questions about Nicole are on the tip of my tongue, but do I really want to spend one of my last nights with Maverick talking about his ex? “You don’t have anything to worry about.” I turn in his arms and kiss him. “I’m yours, Mav. I promise.”
He brushes his nose with mine. “Guess we should get out there. Make sure Sean hasn’t run off with Leo.”
I smack his hand. “Don’t joke like that.”
“I’m teasing. I’m just saying Leo’s amazing, and everyone wants him. I know I do.”
Oh. My eyes sting, and I press my head to his chest and hug him. “Thanks for loving my son.”
He kisses the top of my head. “He’s easy to love. So are you.”
I shake my head. “Don’t make me cry.”
“Hey, Baylee!” Sean shouts. “I think Leo pooped! It sounds like a big one!”
Mav smirks. “Novice.”
I roll my eyes. As we head out of the bedroom, Mav’s phone rings. He frowns as he stares at the screen. “I’ll be out in a sec. I need to take this.”
“Sure.”
He returns to the bedroom. I help Sean get Leo situated again on the changing table in the nursery, but we’re out of wipes. “There are more in the diaper bag. One sec.”
When I step into the hallway, I see Mav pacing through the cracked open door. “I know, Coach. I told you I’ll be there on Monday.”
“I sent you home to rehab, not to go viral singing to your little girlfriend.”
Shit. It’s the Viper coach, not Taggert.
“I understand, Coach, and I’m sorry if it looks like I’m just on vacation down here. I’ve been doing daily PT. I’m not dizzy anymore, and my arm is feeling better. I’m ready to go.”
The hope in his voice is bittersweet. While I’m thrilled he’s doing better, his lifelong dream will carry him far away from me and Wild Heart.
“I’m relieved to hear you’ve seen improvement. A word of advice, though? Leave all of those distractions at home. You need to be one hundred percent focused on the game when you get back.”
“My girlfriend’s not a distraction. We grew up together. Infact, she’s staying in Texas, so I’ll have all the time in the world to focus on football.”
I can hear his coach’s sigh across the room. “Not to be an asshole, Maverick, but having a girlfriend back home is even worse than if she was to tag along. The last thing you need is a woman over a thousand miles away making demands on your time.”
My stomach drops as I process his words. Mav starts to respond, but his coach cuts him off. “I’m not going to argue with you. Just be ready to go when you get back. I’ll see you Monday.”
I quickly run to the kitchen to grab the wipes and hustle back to the nursery. I’m surprised I don’t bump into Mav on the way back, but maybe he went to the en suite bathroom.
