Page 113 of Savage Heart

Teddy has the decency to give me an apologetic look. I don’t think he knew he was drawing an audience.

Cameron and Grady tighten around me.

“You gonna talk to us?” Cameron says, his voice low. “Tell us what’s really going on here? I can’t go anywhere without someone asking if it’s true that you were out with Iris.”

“We don’t have time for this,” I tell him. “There are a million things that have to be done today.”

“You’ve got a minute to talk to us.” Grady gives me a pointed look. “You’ve been avoiding us like the plague. I don’t like it.”

I lift my hat and run my hand over my hair before putting it back on. “I’m sorry. I haven’t known exactly how to handle it because it’s Iris’s story to tell, and I promised her I wouldn’t . . . but can you just trust me? I asked you to trust me when I told you she was coming to the ranch, and that stands more than ever now. I . . .” I look them both in the eye. “You know I’ve always loved Iris, right? I mean, really love her.”

They look at me in shock because while I believe they always suspected this, it was never said out loud.

“Well, I still do,” I say. “And I know it’s a touchy situation, especially with Jennifer, but I want to be with Iris.”

Grady swipes his hand over his scruffy chin and puts his hands on his hips. “We need to talk about this, Mav.”

“Maybe later, Grade.” I smirk. “It’s time to get to work.”

“Fuck,” Cameron mutters. “Shit’s about to go down.”

I’m exhausted by dinnertime, but I can’t stand not seeing Iris before the day ends. Instead of eating at the big house, I go to Prairie Rose. A smile breaks out on Iris’s face when she sees me, but then she looks around to see if anyone else noticed.

I hate that we’re being cautious. Beyond wanting to make sure Jennifer is okay, it’s no one else’s business what Iris and I do. And I’m not positive we can do anything to make Jennifer okay—she hasn’t been in so long.

“Maverick! Over here,” Linc says, sitting in the corner booth with Otis.

“Hey.” I grin at Linc. “I’ll be right over.”

I move in that direction but stop first by the counter to say hi to Iris.

“Hi, beautiful,” I say.

I reach across the counter and take her hand. She looks around anxiously.

“Maverick . . .”

I lift her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. Her cheeks go pink.

“I miss you,” I tell her.

“Miss you too,” she says softly.

“What the hell is going on here?” Millie Claire says.

I hadn’t even noticed her, but she’s standing next to me, hands on her hips.

“I’d heard about Nonna Bella’s, but I needed to see this with my own two eyes to believe it. What the hell are you thinking, Maverick?” Millie Claire snaps.

“Keep your voice down,” I tell her, “and lose the attitude.”

Iris lets go of my hand, and I look at her apologetically before I turn to face Millie Claire.

“Lincoln would be crushed by this,” Millie Claire says.

“I think it’s funny that you’re pretending to care what he would think,” I say, my voice low. “Lincoln would’ve been crushed by the way we’ve treated Iris and Linc.”

Her eyes blaze, and her mouth goes into a tight line. “If this is the way you’re going to act, I won’t be bringing Bobby Roy to your camp again, or to any of the other activities at Harrington Ranch,” she says haughtily.