‘Thank you.’
He nodded and waited for her to climb in before gently closing the door and walking around the hood.
He opened the back passenger door for Shadow, who jumped in and settled on the back seat, her tongue lolling. Nina reached back to pet the dog as Maverick slid into the driver’s seat.
‘I won’t get in your way. Or your sister’s.’
He started the Jeep, put it in reverse. ‘I can’t promise the same for us. Sierra is a devil in the morning. She snaps and growls, and God forbid you approach her before she’s caffeinated. And Poppy … Poppy has no concept of personal space.’
That had a little kick of anxiety kindling in her stomach. ‘I have no experience with young kids,’ she warned him. ‘The only time I’ve ever interacted with one was in a diaper ad in my twenties. And all I had to do was hold out my arms and “laugh lovingly” until the toddler walked to me.’
‘You’re an actress.’ He took his baseball cap off and threw it on the dash before running the same hand through his thick, dark hair. ‘Just pretend to be sufficiently enthused over everything she says and does, and you’ll have a new best friend.’
‘That’s it?’ she asked doubtfully.
‘Yup.’
‘It’s that simple?’
Maverick turned those lake blue eyes, glinting with humour, on her. ‘Simple? You only say that because you’ve never had to pretend to be excited for mud pie.’
‘Mud pie? What is that?’ she asked. ‘Chocolate?’
‘Nope. It’s mud, made from garden soil and hose water and garnished with one of Sierra’s prized roses.’
‘Mud?’ Nina frowned. ‘You let your kid eat mud?’
Maverick laughed and turned the Jeep down a short, shaded drive. ‘No. She only had to put it in her mouth once to realize that real food was better. But she still likes to bake mud pies – and she still tries to convince me to eat them.’
‘Huh.’ Nina wondered what she had walked into. She was a good actress – she knew that. But how exactly did one pretend to be enthused about mud pie? ‘Do you sling it over your shoulder when she’s not looking?’ she asked, because she genuinely wanted to know what the protocol was.
‘Sometimes. But she’s typically happy if you just pretend to eat it. You’re a city girl, so think tea party – but outside and with mud.’
Nina smiled grimly at that. Tea parties had been about as foreign a concept during her childhood as mud pies, and the only tea her mother ever drank was the Long Island variety.
He pulled the Jeep into a shaded spot beneath a huge oak tree and parked. He turned off the engine. But he didn’t get out right away. He asked, ‘Why does this worry you?’
When he only waited in silence, giving her the space to continue, she said, ‘I … I suppose I don’t really have any family experience. I’ve never even lived with anyone else, really. And after everything you’ve done for me, I don’t want to be a burden.’
‘Only child?’
‘Only child,’ she confirmed. ‘No father. And my mother wasn’t exactly winning any awards in the parenting department.’ She raised her thumbnail to her teeth in an anxious habit she’d thought she’d kicked but had recently fallen back into. Then, lowered her hand again as soon as she realized what she’d done.
‘You’re overthinking this,’ he said gently. ‘Poppy’s five. She’s young, but also precocious and self-sufficient. If she gets in your space, just gently redirect her. Ask her to find me. Or if I’m not there for some reason, put the TV on for her. It’ll keep her occupied until I get there.’ He shrugged. ‘The only time she’s ever alone is for a few minutes or so when she’s sleeping in the morning and Sierra is heading to work as I’m heading home. I’m not saying she won’t get in your way – she’s five. But she’s not your responsibility. She’s mine.’
Nina thought about that. He had said something similar when he’d been talking about desensitizing Barbie before calling the vet and farrier to look her over. And while being responsible for one’s child was the most basic of metrics for parenthood, she was beginning to understand that Maverick Hunt accepted responsibility for a lot of things. His child. Forty rescue horses. The ranch and resort. His staff. And now, Nina.
She would have felt guilty had she not been so relieved. Even sitting in the confined space of the Jeep with him made her feel safe.
‘I’ve seen you with the horses,’ he added. ‘You’re kind and gentle. Stop worrying. Poppy will love you.’ And with that, he climbed from the vehicle and walked around to get her suitcase out.
Nina took a moment to look at the beautiful white ranch house with its wide porch and big windows before following Maverick up the three front steps and inside, Shadow on their heels.
The moment the door slapped shut behind them, a happy ‘Daddy!’ rang loudly through the house, followed by the sound of little feet on hardwood.
Poppy came running out, her face lit with unbridled joy as she made a beeline for him.
She was adorable. She had Maverick’s brown hair, big brown eyes, and she was dressed in yellowBeauty and the Beastpyjamas. Nina watched as Poppy threw herself at Maverick, wrapping both arms around his knees in a hug. ‘Daddy, I made dinner with Sisi!’
