Page 16 of The Maverick’s Legacy

Grayson: You STILL haven’t followed up with Carly?

Amanda: Have you met her, Gray? What’s she like?

Jonathan: How long’s it been?

Grayson: Four days! And yes, she’s cool. She brought Jesse a pie.

Benjamin: Dude! Four days?

Jesse: Thanks for that, Gray.

Grayson: Hey, little bro, you came to us.

Jesse: Reminder that I’m the second oldest here.

Jonathan: Then act it, man.

Amanda: I don’t get the pie reference, but if you’re interested, call the woman now.

Benjamin: Hopefully she still remembers you.

Amanda: Stop scaring him. Jess, it’s great you’re starting to date again. It’s time.

Jonathan: Yeah, we’re happy for you, bro.

Benjamin: But four days???

Amanda: Okay, so that’s not ideal.

Jesse felt a little queasy. Had he messed this up already? He was in the process of asking that when their youngest sister finally entered the chat.

Evie: Man up or shut up. Some of us are trying to sleep!!!

Jesse scowled as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. His family was right. Jesse felt like a heel because he’d asked Carly out and then hadn’t found the time to speak with her. He’d had to drive down to his former home and empty the rest of it out.

He’d put off the task for as long as he could. He hadn’t wanted to leave Oscar, but he also hadn’t wanted to take him out of school. He knew it was best for Oscar to keep him in his routine. But he hadn’t left his son this long in his entire life. It had taken Grayson and JenniLynn a full two days to convince him that they’d guard him with their lives while Jesse was gone, to reassure him that he could make this trip. He also found that now that they’d sold the house and the new owners took over the next week, he wasn’t quite as ready as he’d thought he was to let it go—along with the memories that came with it.

When he was emptying the hallway closet a few minutes ago, he’d pulled down a blanket that MaryBeth used to cover herself with on cold winter nights. He’d held it to his nose breathing in deep, trying to catch a scent of her perfume. Instead, he inhaled dust and sneezed.

He looked at the box of donations where the blanket now sat on top. He thought they’d have forever together, and now he was packing away the rest of their items, destined for the resale store and charity. He leaned down and pushed the blanket aside so he could take one more look at their lives together. There was her favorite mug that she’d bought on their honeymoon in Hawaii. The paint had faded off of it even while she was alive, erasing two of the islands. Some of her recipe books, yellowed with age, took up space in the bottom of the box. She used to collect them, and Jesse was almost positive that she never used a few of them. He remembered her excitement at finding a candy cane cake that she’d wanted to try.

I’m going to make this for Christmas this year, she’d said. Doesn’t it look amazing?

Yes, love. It’ll be great.

She passed away before she had a chance to make it.

Even though it had been almost ten years, there were times he missed her so much he ached. It wasn’t even about Oscar losing his mom—though that also killed him. MaryBeth had been born to be a mother. She’d always known how to reach their son, no matter what mood he was in.

No. Jesse missed the little things—the way she used to hum in the shower when she’d get ready for the day. How she used to make the best butterscotch cookies he’d ever had in his life. He missed cuddling with her on the couch, watching gameshows in the room they’d painted together in soft yellow. He’d never gotten used to being alone after she’d passed. Maybe just as she had been made to be a mother, he was never made to be alone. And maybe his sister was right. It was time to start dating someone again.

Correction. He didn’t want to date someone. He wanted to date Carly.

He’d made a damned fool of himself in front of her the other day, and she’d still smiled at him like he was someone worthy of her time. She had to have men falling all over themselves for the chance to have her smile at them like that. But she still said yes to a date with him.

Could he really do this? Could he date someone again? Especially someone who could be killed performing a job that she still did for a living?

He brushed the sweat off his forehead before he walked out on the front porch. He wanted to call Carly and he wanted to do it before he lost his nerve, but he couldn’t do it inside MaryBeth’s house. It wasn’t like the ghost of her lingered and she’d curse him if she overheard him asking someone else out. She was at peace, and he’d taken comfort in that over the years. But…he still couldn’t ask another woman out in her house.