“Or you guys broke the bed in Lindsey’s room and Coop and I are going to have to replace everything,” Stormy said in the same teasing tone.

“I’m sorry about leaving Princess. See, this is why I shouldn’t be a pet owner,” Lindsey said as she continued petting her dog. Whether she should or not, there was no way she was ever going to be able to let go of Princess. She loved her far too much to do that now. Even if she had forgotten her the night before.

“I tend to forget anyone and everyone when I have a wild night of lovemaking, too,” Stormy said. “What’s for breakfast, Mav? I’m starving. Coop had to run off this morning for a board meeting and the baby was fussy last night so I’m crashing your breakfast party.”

She went and took a stool at the island.

“It’s always a pleasure to cook for beautiful women,” Maverick told Stormy as he pulled out another plate. “I’m making pancakes, eggs, and bacon.”

“Yum! I haven’t had pancakes since before the baby was born. It’s either quick meals or no meals. Coop keeps trying to get me to hire a cook, but I just don’t want some strange woman invading my kitchen. I did agree to the maid, though. I’m way too tired with the jewelry shop, baby, and husband to scrub toilets,” she said with a laugh.

“You could always do one of those meal plans where a chef makes all your meals for the week in one day and then all you have to do is pull them out and heat them,” Mav suggested.

Stormy looked at him like he was a pure genius. “You are my favorite brother-in-law,” she said with a sassy smile. “As soon as I have my new awesome cook, I’m inviting you over for dinner. Well, that is if I can get you out of my best friend’s bed long enough to come eat with us.”

He laughed, and Lindsey’s face turned beet red.

Maverick placed a plate of food in front of Stormy and then cradled Aaron to him with his good arm so she could eat with both hands. Then he came over and sat on the floor next to Lindsey, holding the baby with one arm and petting Benji with the other.

The scene was so domestic—so perfect.

And it scared the living hell out of Lindsey. She had dived in with both feet, and now she wasn’t sure she knew how to swim.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Maverick slammed down his phone for the tenth time as his call went right to voicemail. He’d suspected Lindsey was avoiding him the day before after not hearing from her for a couple of days, but now he knew it for a fact.

They’d gotten too close. Hell, it scared him too, but she was the one running and ducking for cover. He couldn’t allow that. It wasn’t what she needed, and whether she was willing to admit it or not, it wasn’t what she wanted either.

She was just scared. But if she truly thought she could hide from him, she hadn’t learned a single thing about him in the last month—or the last couple of years, for that matter. In addition, Maverick wasn’t a man to give up on a mission just because the going got dangerous.

It was time to give some tough love.

Grabbing his sweatshirt, he left his new house. It really was perfect. He didn’t feel like he was in a museum anymore. Maybe it was time to bring Lindsey to it. He wanted to be the one protecting her—the one to keep bad things from happening. He was more than capable of that. Though she wouldn’t admit to needing protection, she still did. She was vulnerable. However, what they’d shared was magical. It was rare, and he wasn’t going to allow her to push him away.

At the end of all of this, he wanted to be her friend, wanted to continue having her be a part of his life. That wasn’t typical for him. Sure, he didn’t make enemies of his ex-lovers, but he didn’t have a desire to stay in contact with them either.

But it was different with Lindsey. She was quickly becoming an essential part of his close-knit community. Besides, she was best friends with Stormy, which meant she wasn’t going anywhere. That thought gave him peace, though he didn’t think he needed reassurance. Maverick really wasn’t sure exactly what he did need. All of this was confusing and new to him.

The drive to his brother’s place didn’t take him long. He bypassed the main house and went straight to the guest cottage. He found it empty. Pounding on the door anyway, he was about ready to knock it down when he was interrupted.

“Problems, brother?”

Maverick turned with a dirty look toward Cooper. How much did he want to share with him? They normally didn’t talk about women—well, not in a respectful manner, at least.

It wasn’t that they were exactly crude, but they’d always looked at women as beautiful, desirable, and . . . replaceable. Just thinking that thought about Lindsey made him cringe. She wasn’t just any woman. She was special and would make a man a great wife someday. It just wouldn’t be him.

That thought sent an immediate pang through him. Picturing her with another man was enough to make him want to put his fist through the wall.

“Hello? Earth to Maverick.”

“Sorry, Coop. I have a lot on my mind,” Mav finally said, turning to see his brother grinning stupidly as he leaned against the porch rail.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Cooper said with a laugh.

“Where’s Lins? She’s avoiding me,” Mav said as he moved away from her door. She wasn’t going to just appear even if he knocked down the door. Obviously she wasn’t home.

“Guess you didn’t exactly wow her in the bedroom, huh? She go running away screaming?” Coop said with a laugh.