Maverick took Daisy-Mae home after work, and as he dropped her off, he couldn’t help but feel how wrong it was for them to be living apart. They’d been dating just shy of five weeks, but he wanted her to become a permanent fixture in his life. Even if it was too soon to think that way.
The sponsorship deals weren’t rolling in for anyone on the team yet, his reputation had yet to be rewritten, and the publicity around them as a couple still remained pretty low-key as he did his best to avoid media frenzies. But he was happy, and he had a perfect excuse to spend time with his gal Daisy-Mae.
A timer flicked on Christmas lights that ran along the edge of her house as the sun set behind them.
“I like your lights,” he said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He didn’t want to let her out of the vehicle, didn’t want the evening to end. “Supper,” he said in a fit of inspiration. “Have you had supper?”
“No. Have you?” She sounded amused.
He shook his head.
He was exhausted from commuting, practices, traveling for away games, and renovations. His life had become go, go, go, and he feared he wasn’t showing Daisy-Mae how important she was to him. Maybe that was part of why he wanted her in his home. It would be easier to hang out. They could go home together, enjoy a morning chat over coffee. Stealing minutes, making hours. Definitely easier than trying to navigate their schedules and separate households.
Yes, that was all. He wasn’t in over his head with a woman who was dating him partly as a way to help others—and him.
Or at all paranoid about his mother’s words about him not letting Daisy-Mae into his life enough so she’d know he cared as deeply as he did.
“Want to grab something at the Longhorn?”
“You can’t eat there.”
“Why? Because of Henry?”
She laughed. “No, because you’re on a strict diet and the diner is all burgers and fries.”
“They have that chicken wrap thing.” They should have eaten in the city. He was going to have to make supper tonight, and he didn’t enjoy cooking for one. So much work for a lonely meal.
“You’ve got to be getting tired of ordering that.”
“It’s okay, actually. But truthfully? I’m not sure I can handle listening to the diner’s Christmas CD over and over again while we eat.”
“I almost have the song order memorized.”
“We should teach Mrs. Fisher how to use the shuffle button.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“Maybe we could fix her radio?”
“You’re not a fan of Christmas music?”
He shrugged. “Maybe not listening to the same eight Country and Western Christmas songs over and over again. How about you? Do you get into the holiday? I like your lights.”
She laughed. “You already said that.” Daisy-Mae pointed at the lights hung along her eaves with a sigh. “Don’t ever leave them up all year though. They used to have color, but they’re all faded now.”
“I could help you. We could replace these with colored ones, and then I could help you take them down in January. Then back up again next winter.”
“Nah, they still work—they’re just not as colorful.”
“But you bought colored lights,” he pointed out.
“True.”
“I don’t have any decorations up at my place.” In fact, he wasn’t even sure if he had decorations any longer.
“You don’t celebrate?” She tipped her head to the side.
“I do. I just…” He lifted his hands, giving her a helpless gesture.
She sighed in a way that reminded him of his mother. “Men,” she muttered.
He chuckled. “What does that mean?”
“These things don’t just happen, you know. You have to go out there and buy the tree. Kind of like if you want food in your fridge, you have to go to the grocery store.”
“Now you’re just busting my chops.”
“I promised I would,” she teased. She was relaxed, sitting back in her seat, obviously not eager to go back into her home and spend her evening alone, either. Even though she had her dog.
“Do you have a tree?”
“Yes. And I have food in my fridge.”
“So do I. In fact,” he said, an idea coming to him, “go get Ella.”
“Why?”
“Get her. I have a plan.”
“A plan?”
“I have something to prove to you.”
She grinned, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening her door. “I like the sound of that. Back in a flash.”
She hustled up the steps and, after what felt like forever, reappeared, small dog under her arm, a larger shoulder bag, and an entirely different outfit.
“Sorry,” she said breathlessly as she climbed in. “Wardrobe change. Figured I didn’t need work attire for you proving yourself to me.”
“True.” He patted Ella on the head and she sat, trembling with excitement on Daisy-Mae’s lap, watching out the windshield as Maverick turned the truck around.
“Where are we going?” Daisy-Mae asked a few miles down the gravel road.
“My place. I’m making you supper.”
“To prove you know where the grocery store is?”
“Something like that.”
“Oh—turn here. She edged forward in her seat as they passed the turnoff for her friend Alexa, who owned Blueberry Creek Ranch.
“We’re going to Alexa’s?”
“Not quite.” She began poking at her phone, then fiddling with his stereo.
Maverick went to protest, then realized he didn’t mind if she played DJ or even paired her phone to his truck’s stereo so she could use Bluetooth.
Soon Christmas music filled the cab.
“What’s this?”
“We have to get you in the mood.”
“That wasn’t quite the kind of mood I was hoping to get into,” he joked, giving her a wink. She blushed, and he knew that while he might have a crush on Daisy-Mae Ray, she had a crush right back.
* * *
“Turn in here,” Daisy-Mae commanded Maverick, pointing to a driveway that led off of the road to Alexa’s ranch.
“Peppermint Lodge?” Maverick asked as they passed the lodge’s sign at the turnoff.
Cassandra’s Peppermint Lodge, a converted hunting lodge which shared the same road with her sister, was getting close. Cassandra moved here a year ago and this season had brought in some live Christmas trees. She was still deciding what to do with the lodge and its land and so far had been following the seasonal trends to bring in a little extra income for herself and her son. But Daisy-Mae knew what she truly wanted to do was create a wedding venue. It was just a problem of time and money to get it all going.
“Cassandra loves Christmas. And she has trees.”
“For me?”
“Yes, but the best ones go first. Hopefully, she has something left.”
“But it’s barely December.”
“Two weeks until Christmas, Mav.”
“Where did November go?”
“You spent it chasing me.” He’d been chasing up her free time whenever it coincided with his own. Dinner dates, coffee in her office, kisses after home games. So far they were doing pretty good with his insane schedule, although he’d had a string of away games last week, making it feel as though she’d barely seen him in the two weeks since Thanksgiving.
But she knew he was thinking of her. He’d call from airport lounges and had even sent her flowers once.
Daisy-Mae pointed to a spot near an old barn where Maverick could park. Strings of white lights, not faded like her Christmas lights, hung on posts around a corral with rows of trees waiting to be chosen.
“Good thing I drove my truck today,” Maverick said.
Daisy-Mae took his hand outside the tree corral and Cassandra came out of the house in her boots and a flannel jacket.
“Hey, Daisy-Mae. Need a tree?”
“Maverick does.”
“Wow, that’s two NHL superstars buying trees from me now.”
“You should put it in your advertising,” Maverick said.
“Well, I’m sorta dating Landon. Does that count, or is it nepotism?”
“Pretty sure it is, but welcome to the world of business. Hey, how’s Dusty doing?”
Cassandra’s expression fell slightly, but she gave them a smile anyway. “He’s doing okay. Thank you. He really loved having the team come to the hospital yesterday.”
“He’s still there?” Daisy-Mae asked.
“They’re doing some tests and observations. He’ll come home tomorrow.”
“It was a lot of fun hanging out with the kids,” Maverick said. “If he has ideas on more fun we can have, just let me know.”
“Or Landon. Or me,” Daisy-Mae added, feeling strangely possessive of Maverick. Maybe it was the way he was focusing on Cassandra, or the fact that Daisy-Mae knew he had a way of going more than the extra mile when it came to people in need. And Cassandra was a woman in need.
The conversation right now made her feel…well, she wasn’t sure. But she’d probably choose insecure if she had to. Which was crazy because Landon, as much as the man hated to admit it, was head over heels for Cass. And Maverick looked at Daisy-Mae in a way that should remove all doubt that he liked her.
She supposed it was just the newness, the time apart, and the fact that their relationship made the papers sometimes.
Although Maverick had also mentioned something about fearing that the public would criticize her and that dating him would make her a target. She knew, without him saying so, that it could twist back on him. All they had to do was say “former beauty queen” and there’d be a stigma that he was dating a bimbo, and poof! The image repairs would slide away.
Again, insecure. She knew it but sometimes felt powerless to pull up out of that nose dive.
“I heard about the fire in the hospital while the team was there,” Daisy-Mae said. “I hope it didn’t scare Dusty.”
“Some wonderful photos came out of it,” Cassandra said, smiling at Maverick. To Daisy-Mae she said, “These guys were carrying kids out!”
“We had to evacuate.”
“Everyone was okay, though?” Daisy-Mae confirmed, even though she’d already seen the official report that a small fire had been confined to the hospital’s cafeteria and that nobody had been hurt.
“Yeah, except maybe Jari.” Maverick laughed and Daisy-Mae glanced at Cassandra, wondering who Jari was.
“Who’s that?” Cassandra asked.
“Dak’s ex. He owns The Gingerbread Café, and she showed up there afterward when we were all there.” Maverick had texted Daisy-Mae to see if she wanted to meet them, but she’d been about to go into a meeting with a T-shirt distributor. “She tried to take on Miranda.”
“The team’s owner?” Cassandra asked. She let out a howl of amusement. “I bet that went well.”
“It was a bit funny. If you were at a safe distance.”
They stood awkwardly for a beat, then Cassandra asked as she headed into the corral, “What size tree are you looking for?”
Soon they were putting a tree in the back of Maverick’s truck and heading back to his place.
“Are you letting me into your woman-free zone again? Or will I have to wait in the truck?” She cuddled Ella closer. “Is that why you told me to bring her—for company?”
Maverick rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“No, wait! The real reason you didn’t want women to come over was because your house looks like a cupcake! Sweet little cupcake cottage,” she cooed. She deepened her voice. “So manly. Stately.”
Maverick sighed and turned down his driveway.
“Come on, teasing is no fun if you clam up.”
“You’re never going to let me live it down, are you?”
“The cuteness of your house? Nope. Because I adore it.”
“No, because I wanted a private sanctuary where nobody comes to party or comes by to drag my name and reputation through the mud.”
“You’re such a grumpy old man.”
“I earned it.”
She supposed that was true.
He parked his truck under the yard light, and they carted the tree into the living room, Ella dancing at their feet, barking with excitement.
“She loves real trees,” Daisy-Mae said. They stopped moving once they got to the corner of the room and Maverick stood the tree up, holding it with one hand.
“You know what?” he said.
“I’m not sure I like the tone of that question…”
“I don’t have a tree stand. At least I’m pretty sure I don’t.”
“How do you not know?” Men were such a mystery.
“I’ve moved a lot in the last few years, and people were buying and selling off stuff for me. I don’t know what I have anymore. Maybe my mom got one for me. She has a tab open at several places in town and is determined to have this place looking like a proper home before spring hits.”
“Your credit card company must love you.”
“I get a lot of points on my card, that’s for sure. But to be honest, I appreciate what my mom’s doing.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair and took in his living room like he was just seeing it for the first time and wasn’t sure what he thought of it. Then his eyes met Daisy-Mae’s and his shoulders relaxed down a notch and he smiled.
“You know you’re always welcome here. The no-zone doesn’t apply to you.”
All of her insecurities fled back to where they belonged in Stupidland.
He leaned the tree against the wall and pulled her into a hug, giving her a gentle kiss. “Now that I have you here, do you want to watch a movie? I’ll let you lean against me. Maybe even give you a foot massage.”
“A foot massage? It’s a personal rule to never say no to that. Especially now that I’m wearing heels to work most days.” She glanced around his living room. “You don’t have a TV.”
“Watch on my phone?”
A small screen would mean lots of cuddling. She liked that idea.
“Didn’t you lure me here with the promise of supper?”
“I did.” He dropped a kiss on the end of her nose and released her, heading toward the kitchen, Ella hot on his tail, her collar tag jingling.
As Daisy-Mae took in the sparse room she shook her head. Somehow Maverick always surprised her. They could go from domestic moments to fancy suppers to colleagues, and all of it felt natural. He was definitely a very special man who was stealing what was left of her not-so-available heart.
* * *
“How can I help?” Daisy-Mae scooted up to Maverick as he made supper. He was in the zone, moving around the kitchen, battering the basa fillets in egg and milk before dropping them into flour loaded with spices. Then into the pan with a touch of olive oil, the sound of sizzling filling the room.
“You can set the table.” Timing was everything with fish, and he wanted dinner to be perfect for Daisy-Mae.
She opened the cupboard for the plates, already knowing where dishes were kept because of Thanksgiving.
“You have fancy plates,” she noted.
“They’ve been in the family a while,” he said from his station at the stove.
“And you use them every day?”
“Why not?” Why hold back using something you really enjoyed? Why save it?
“I don’t know. I guess so they don’t get broken?”
“Sure. That’s a reason.”
She set the table, and when she returned to the kitchen, Maverick handed her a plate of hot fish. He followed her out with a homemade spicy mayo from the fridge, having already prepped the mango, avocado, onion, and cilantro for the toppings. He set it all on the table along with a stack of whole wheat flatbread.
“This looks amazing,” she said as they sat down across from each other.
“I hope I made enough.”
She looked at the fillets and raised her brows. “I’m pretty sure this is more than enough unless you still eat like you did as a teenager.”
“I do.”
Daisy-Mae followed Maverick’s moves, building her own taco. He could see from her expression that she wasn’t so sure about mango on top of fish. But upon her first bite, she closed her eyes, savoring the flavors. When she opened them again, Maverick smiled.
“You like it?”
“You’re going to be sorry.”
“Why’s that?”
“I’m going to be over here mooching dinner all the time,” she threatened.
His heart swelled at the thought. “Works for me.” He took a large bite of his own taco, pleased with his cooking skills. He’d have to remember to thank his mom later.
“Do you always cook for yourself?” she asked when they were working on second helpings.
“Pretty much. Athena gives us a strict diet to follow during the season. It’s easiest to just make the recipes she gives us.”
“Is this one of hers?”
Maverick nodded.
“It’s delicious. I should ask her for some recipes.”
“What?” He tossed his hands upward as though bothered. “Now mooching off of me isn’t good enough? You’ve got to go to the source?”
She giggled, giving him the sweetest smile. He could get used to this. Having her in his life, doing the things most couples took for granted.
When they had eaten their fill, they began packing up the leftovers. He’d definitely over-estimated how much Daisy-Mae would eat.
“I’m going to make myself a fish sandwich for tomorrow. You want one?”
“Cold fish?” Her mouth wrinkled into a frown.
“You don’t trust me?”
“Okay, fine. But if it’s gross, I’m going to march down to the rink and find you.”
“Promises, promises.”
He began prepping their sandwiches for the next day, a tidbit somehow falling from his steady hand and landing exactly in Ella’s mouth.
“Oops.” He gave Daisy-Mae an innocent look.
She laughed. “She’s already got a huge crush on you, but I think that sealed her undying devotion.”
Now he just had to figure out how to do the same with Ella’s owner.
He finished the sandwiches, packing the fish separately. “Don’t add the fish until right before you eat or everything’ll get soggy.” He set their lunches in the fridge, washed his hands, and checked his phone. “My mom says I have decorations in the barn.”
He was barely finished the sentence before Daisy-Mae was moving to the front entry. “Let’s go find them. I love decorating Christmas trees.”
“Wait! We need a flashlight.” He grumbled about her impatience as he moved past her, finding the large light he kept at the door.
He discovered he didn’t mind the small entryway though. Moving around Daisy-Mae often caused her to place her hands on his waist, back, hip, or arm. He liked it. Too bad he couldn’t think of more reasons to spend time in there.
In the barn, Maverick swung the flashlight left and right along the ground so they wouldn’t trip on the boards, cables, spare parts, and other things left behind by the previous owners.
“Careful,” he said, directing her around some metal pipe.
“You don’t have lights in here?” Daisy-Mae asked.
“There’s something wrong with the wiring. It’s way down near the bottom of the to-do list somewhere.”
He shone his flashlight past his car and toward a stack of boxes at the back of the small barn as they made their way closer to them.
“How’s the herd doing, Mr. Cowboy?” she asked, giving the punching bag he’d hung from a rafter a delicate right jab.
“Gotta earn my hat and buckle,” he joked.
“Why do you have cows? You’re barely around.”
“My hired hand takes good care of them when I can’t get out there. Having my own herd is something I’ve always wanted. When I retire I plan to be more involved.”
It still surprised him how much he wanted to prove his worth and belonging when it came to his land. He wanted the respect of the neighboring cowboys. And yet he didn’t care that half the world thought he’d cheated with his ex-coach’s wife and, as a result, would never respect him.
Although, to be fair, when he allowed himself to think about it, he did care what everyone thought about his bad boy reputation. The fact that there was a crowd of folks out there who believed he lacked integrity kept him up at night—especially when he thought about how it all reflected back on his mom and the work she’d put into raising him.
All because of one story. That one false story.
So, he did care. A lot more than he wanted to admit, in fact.
As they shuffled through the boxes, Daisy-Mae let out a soft gasp. Maverick was at her side in a flash.
“What’s wrong?”
“Kittens!”
“Well, will you look at that?” he said, leaning to look past her. A litter of five kittens tottering around their gray mother. “I’ve always wanted cats. We couldn’t when I was a kid.”
“Your mom’s allergic?”
“No, we just couldn’t afford it. But I can now.”
“So much for your woman-free zone.”
He realized that when it came to that rule, there was a lot of room for exceptions.
* * *
Back in the house with the Christmas decorations, Maverick cracked an egg into a pan and began frying it.
Daisy-Mae, who’d been poking through the box in the living room, peeked her head into the kitchen. “Are you already hungry again?”
“It’s for the cat,” he said, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to put his heart into decorating for Christmas until he’d taken care of the mama. “You can see her ribs.” Her kittens seemed healthy enough, but they looked to be a few weeks old and were no doubt draining the mama cat’s limited reserves.
Daisy-Mae wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her cheek against the back of his shoulder blades. “That’s sweet.”
“She’s hungry.”
“You know she’ll never leave if you feed her.”
“Kind of like you?” he asked with a smile.
She let out a giggle. “Yeah, kind of like me.”
His mom didn’t know what she was talking about. Daisy-Mae knew how much he adored her and that she was always welcome here.
“For the record, I’m okay with all of that.” He slid the cooked egg onto a plate, the scent of butter filling the air. “Besides, I could use a good mouser.”
“How about six of them?”
He turned in Daisy-Mae’s embrace, facing her.
“Once she’s done nursing I’ll have Brant spay her to help control the population. Then bring the kittens in once they’re old enough, so they don’t reproduce as well.”
“You’re going to keep them all?”
“If they want to stay, they’re welcome. Can you grab me a bowl?”
While she got one, he chopped the egg into bite-size pieces, then went to the fridge for some of the fish leftovers. He took a small chunk from one of the fillets packed for his lunch, scraped off the spicy batter, and added it to the plate.
He took the bowl from Daisy-Mae and filled it with water, making sure it was cold and fresh. There was a small pond out back, but the mama cat shouldn’t have to make the trek, deal with the mud, or the fact that the water was less than desirable.
He lifted the bowl and plate, blowing on the still-steaming egg.
“The cat chose the right barn,” Daisy-Mae said.
“I’ll be back in a minute to help decorate.”
“You’re taking the good dishes out there?”
He glanced at the meal he’d created. “Yeah?”
Daisy-Mae made a clucking sound that made him smile. She dug through the recycle bin by the back door that led off the small laundry room attached to the kitchen. She returned with two empty plastic containers. “Here. You’ll get in less trouble from your mom this way.”
That was a good point.
“Thanks.”
Daisy-Mae was watching him with a warm expression. She stepped forward, brushing his cheek before planting a kiss on it. He had a feeling that just by being himself, he was winning some serious brownie points. He loved that about Daisy-Mae. It was all so perfect, so easy.
“I’ll be right back.”
Maverick left the food and water a few feet from where the cat and her litter were stationed, afraid to disturb her by getting too close. He didn’t want to spook her or make her feel she had to move her kittens elsewhere to keep them safe.
He headed back to the house, smiling at the light shining from the windows and the fact that there was a woman inside, waiting to decorate a Christmas tree with him.
Life was looking pretty good for this old defenseman, and the only way he could think to improve it would be to ask Daisy-Mae to be his wife.