The Maverick's Secret Baby. Teri Wilson

       Chapter Three

      “Mr. Crawford.” Melba Strickland stood on the front steps of her big purple house and looked Finn up and down. “This is a surprise.”

      Was it?

      Finn got the feeling she wasn’t shocked to see him in the least. The furrow in her brow told him she wasn’t pleased about his impromptu visit, either.

      “Good morning, Mrs. Strickland.” He tipped his hat and smiled, but her frown only deepened.

      Once Finn had recovered from the shock of running into Avery at the general store the day before, he’d realized she’d never given his invitation a straight answer. Granted, she hadn’t exactly jumped for joy when he’d told her he wanted to take her out while she was in town, but she hadn’t turned him down, either. Melba hadn’t given her a chance.

      After he’d finally collected what he needed at the store, he’d returned to the Ambling A and spent the afternoon making repairs to the ranch’s barbed-wire fence. One of the things Finn liked best about Montana was its vast and sweeping sky. He’d always loved the deep blue of the heavens in Texas, but here it almost felt like the sky was stacked on top of itself like a layered cake. A man could do a lot of thinking under a sky like that, and while he’d pounded new fence posts into the rich red earth, he’d managed to convince himself things with Avery hadn’t been as awkward as he’d imagined. Old Gene probably had papers waiting to be picked up at the Dalton Law Office, just like Melba said. There was no legitimate reason why Avery should be trying to avoid him.

      Now, in the fresh light of day, he wasn’t so sure. Melba was definitely giving him the side-eye as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other and tried to see past her to the inside of the boarding house.

      Was she even going to let him in?

      “I stopped by to see Avery.” He nodded toward the bouquet in his hand—sunflowers and velvety wine-colored roses tied with a smooth satin ribbon. “And to give her these.”

      Melba glanced at the flowers. Her resistance wavered, ever so slightly.

      “I’ll have to see if Avery is available.” She held up a hand. “Wait here.”

      “Yes, ma’am.” He winced as she shut the door in his face.

      Finn felt like a teenager again, trying to get permission to take a pretty girl to the school dance. Even back then, he wasn’t sure he’d ever run into a protective parent as steadfast as Melba Strickland.

      At long last, the door swung open to reveal Avery with her thick brunette waves piled on top of her head and her lips painted red, just like she’d looked that fateful night in Oklahoma. But instead of her usual business attire, she was wearing faded jeans and an oversize cable-knit sweater that slipped off one shoulder as she gripped the doorknob. Finn’s attention snagged briefly on the flash of her smooth, bare skin, and when he met her gaze again, her mouth curved into a bashful smile.

      “Finn Crawford, whatever are you doing here?” She tilted her head, and a lock of hair curled against her exposed collarbone.

      It took every ounce of Finn’s willpower not to reach out and wind it around his fingertips. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”

      What was she doing in Montana…in Rust Creek Falls, of all places?

      “I had business nearby, and since I was a bit intrigued by the charming town you’d told me all about, I thought I’d check it out while I was in the area.” That’s right—the last time they’d seen each other, he’d told her all about the plans to relocate the ranch. “It seemed like a nice place to escape for a few days.”

      Finn nodded, even though her answer raised more questions than it answered, such as what exactly did she need to escape from?

      “I actually thought about looking you up, but I wasn’t sure if I should,” she said.

      He arched a brow. “Why not?”

      Avery took a deep breath, and for a long, loaded moment, the space between them felt swollen with meaning. But then she just bit her lip and shrugged.

      “Are those for me?” She smiled at the bouquet in his hand.

      A wave of pleasure surged through him. Whatever her reason for being here, it was great to see her again. “They sure are.”

      “How very gentlemanly of you. Thank you.” She took the flowers and held them close to her chest. Her soft brown eyes seemed lovelier than ever, mirroring the rich, dark centers of the sunflowers. “Do you want to come in while I put these in some water?”

      She gestured toward the interior of the boarding house, which was the last place Finn wanted to be while Melba was around.

      “Actually, since you seem so interested in the area, why don’t I show you around town for a bit? I can even give you a tour of the ranch if you like.”

      “A tour of the ranch,” she echoed. The flowers in her grip trembled. “Your ranch?”

      Finn paused, remembering what she’d told him in Oklahoma about the supposed feud between their families. Once upon a time, Oscar Ellington and Maximilian Crawford had been friends. Best friends, according to Avery’s father. They’d roomed together in college, both majoring in agriculture and ranch management. After graduation, they’d planned to go into business together, but at the last minute, Finn’s father had changed his mind. He pulled out of the deal, and the friendship came to its tumultuous end.

      “Sure,” Finn said. He and Avery weren’t their parents. He saw no reason why he couldn’t take her to the Ambling A and walk the land with her, show her how the fall colors made the mountainside look as if it were aflame.

      Although, if Oscar and Maximilian had turned their youthful dreams into a reality, the ranch wouldn’t be his. It would be theirs—his and Avery’s both.

      Imagine that, he thought. Being tied to Avery Ellington for life.

      He could think of worse fates.

      But that would never happen. Ever. He wasn’t even sure why he was entertaining the notion, other than the fact that his dad and Viv Dalton were dead set on putting an end to his independence.

      “All right, then,” Avery said, but her smile turned bittersweet. “Let’s go.”