Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
S o… you’re requesting we hire your wannabe girlfriend?” Linking his hands behind his head, Tate leaned back in his office chair. His eyebrows tilted up, accentuating his knowing grin.
Maxwell spread his hands wide. “I cannot affirm or deny. I barely know her, so all this could go south. That’s a risk I’m willing to take and, I guess, a risk I’m asking Sweet River Ranch to take on my behalf.”
“You do know it’s October now, right? Most of our staff is seasonal. Summer, in case you’d forgotten, which is over.”
“I’m aware.” Why was his big brother making him sweat this out?
“Bro.” Tate shifted so he was leaning across his desk. “I have to ask. Is this a knee-jerk reaction to Heather leaving?”
Maxwell skewered his brother with a glare. “Heather quit five months ago. Any jerking of knees is long past. And, besides, we didn’t have that kind of chemistry. We were friends comfortable in each other’s company.”
“Chemistry?” Tate’s voice tilted up with humor. “What kind of chemistry are we talking?”
“Look, I can hire Eryn to my crew if you’re going to be like this. I can use an extra person or two, so long as they’re willing to learn and follow orders.”
Tate chuckled. “Ooh, touchy. But I can see how you’d rather not be her boss if you’ve got designs on her. What’s her skillset? Let’s see what we can do.” He bumped his mouse and peered at his computer monitor.
Designs. Was that what they were calling it now? It sounded unsavory compared to the growing hope Maxwell felt inside himself when he thought of getting to know Eryn.
Tate’s gaze slid to him then back to the screen. “You’re taking a big risk, you know.”
“Yeah, I know.” Maxwell flexed his hands. “But finding out her dad didn’t have a job and neither of them had a place to live, I couldn’t shut up when I had a solution.”
“I think we’ve heard a rendition of this story before,” Tate muttered, jabbing at a few keys.
It took Maxwell a minute before he burst out laughing. “Oh, man. I’d forgotten completely. You offered Stephanie a job as Jamie’s nanny when you’d known her for less than a day.”
“And then there was Graham, rescuing Cadence after she was jilted, and hauling her all the way from Chicago to give her a job and a fresh start.”
Two happily-ever-afters had started in a similar way. Huh. Maybe it wasn’t such a long shot, after all.
Tate looked at him again. “I feel obliged to remind you that this is a bigger deal. With Keith Ralston on payroll — great find, by the way; we need him — Eryn may feel obligated to you and like she can’t quit her job if things don’t work out between you.”
“I thought of that.” A heavy sigh slipped out of Maxwell. “But I still couldn’t leave it be. Keith is a perfect replacement for Joseph. Farming at its core can’t be that different in Montana than Kansas. He has all the experience needed to jump straight in.”
“We don’t have any openings on the resort side, unfortunately. What job experience does Eryn have?”
“Mostly restaurant work. Everything including some cooking.”
“Hmm. Aunt Nadine could probably use someone part-time with Emma and Tina away at college. We do have more guests booked over the winter than last year.”
“I’m not sure that’s what Eryn really wants, but I’m sure she’ll be happy with it, at least for now.”
Tate studied him, eyes twinkling. “And what does Eryn really want? Besides, assumably, a giant rock on her left hand?”
“She’s not a gold digger. If she were, she wouldn’t have turned me down when I first asked if we could keep in touch.”
The grin widened. “Now there’s a story of humiliation I’d like to hear.”
“There’s nothing to it. She only agreed because her dad decided to accept my offer. She wasn’t playing a long game, because she had no way of knowing it was an option. I didn’t know when I asked her that, either. I only found out her dad had sold the farm after the fact.”
“See, that concerns me. I’m a little reluctant to turn over the farm to someone who lost his own through hard times .” Tate air-quoted the words. “What does that even mean?”
“You can ask him yourself. Frankly, I didn’t think it was any of my business. You’ll be his boss, not me.”
“I can ask and probably will, but unless he’s on the run from the law, you’ve kind of committed me to hiring him. He’s already on his way to Montana.”
What day was it? Maxwell had flown home on Wednesday, so it must be Thursday. “They’re not leaving Kansas until Monday. Go ahead and set up a video call.” He crossed his arms and stared at his brother.
“No, I trust you.”
“Good. It didn’t sound like it there for a minute.” Maxwell let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Look, I get this is irregular, yours and Graham’s experiences notwithstanding. And I also realize I barely know Eryn, and we might not hit it off. But thank you for taking the chance with me.”
“Anytime, bro.” Tate laughed. “Okay, that’s a lie. You get one shot at inviting a wannabe girlfriend to be on staff here. If this is your move, I’ll support it.”
“I only need one shot.”
Tate’s eyebrows twitched above his twinkling eyes. “All right. So, I can assign staff housing #4 to them until Joseph moves out of the original farmhouse, probably end of November. The duplex will seem small to them, but that’s what there is. At least it has two bedrooms.”
Maxwell nodded. He still lived in one of the units over the winter, when the influx of summer staff flowed back from whence they’d come. In the summer, he lived in his travel trailer surrounded by the campers and tents of his crew. He’d be moving into #9 himself now that he was home. As if the barebones unit could be called home.
Tate had built a house when he’d decided to marry Stephanie and stay in Montana. Graham and Cadence were discussing building sites. Weston had already staked claim to a small plot near the stables for a log cabin for him and Paisley.
Settling on the ranch forever wasn’t in Maxwell’s plans, not if he opened his own construction company after he’d burned through Grandfather’s ever-expanding list of projects. Jewel Lake, though? He could see that. Close enough to be part of things with his family at the ranch, but not involved in the day-to-day.
Eryn might want to have a say in that.
Maxwell blinked. Whoa, his thoughts had totally escaped again. He shouldn’t be imagining a future with her like that. Not at this fragile, early point. They mightn’t ever even date.
But he was a planner. A forward thinker. That was how he’d more than doubled his nest egg in eight years. He could analyze possibilities, choose a path at the snap of his fingers, and commit to it until completion.
Maybe a woman wouldn’t want to be treated like a project that way, but it was who Maxwell was. He couldn’t change himself, and why should he? Eryn — he corrected himself — whomever he married would think his personality was an asset, not a liability.
Eryn and her dad expected to arrive Wednesday evening with all their worldly possessions in their two vehicles and a utility trailer hitched to Keith’s truck.
Maxwell had a week to prepare. He cracked his knuckles. He was so ready.
“Wow, I can’t believe you’re all packed up and moving out of Gilead!” Letty, the owner of Heavenly Brew, hugged Eryn Sunday after church.
“I know. It’s been a crazy week.” Eryn glanced around the foyer of Fount of Grace Fellowship. She’d attended here nearly every single Sunday of her life, other than when she’d been sick. They’d rarely even been on vacation, thanks to the farm.
She was going to miss these people: Pastor George. Zoey and Connor Hamelin. The Groenings.
Joanie Brandt approached. “Wow, girl! Good on you for grabbing that guy so quickly!”
Letty’s ears perked up.
“It’s not like that. He offered Dad his dream job, and I’m just tagging along.”
“You tell yourself what you need to hear.”
“Ooh, tell me more!” Letty interjected.
“There’s nothing to tell.” Eryn wrapped her arms around the middle. “I reconnected with Maxwell Sullivan at the reunion, and when he found out Dad had sold the farm—” a fact Eryn was still getting used to “—with no firm plans, Max offered him a job at his family’s ranch in Montana. They have cows and hayfields and all that as well as a guest ranch for tourists. I’m just tagging along.”
Joanie and Letty shared a conspiratorial look.
“Whatever you think is going on, that isn’t it. I barely know Maxwell. He was always more Amelia’s friend than mine when we were kids.” A fact that had become clearer as Eryn worked her way through Amelia’s journals. She’d given up all pretense of ignoring the temptation with the first mention of Maxwell’s name.
“Eryn?”
The two women stepped aside at Maribel’s approach.
Maxwell’s mother proffered a large container. “I took the liberty of having Dominica prepare some muffins and sandwiches for your trip. I know it’s not much, but you and your father may not always have a decent restaurant on hand when you’re hungry. The drive between here and Montana goes through desolate terrain.” The woman shuddered delicately.
Desolate? Eryn and Dad had poured over online maps to determine their route, and that was not the word she’d have used to describe the scenery. She’d see the Rocky Mountains for the first time and soon be living nestled in their flank! Sign her up.
“Thank you.” She accepted the container. “How very thoughtful of you.”
Had Letty snickered? Eryn could ignore that.
“I hope you have a good trip, and I’m sure I’ll see you when I next visit the ranch.”
“Oh?” How hadn’t she realized Maribel made the trip? Of course, she would. All her sons lived there plus her two grandsons.
“I work remote for Sullivan Enterprises, and there are semi-annual board meetings. Since Walter bought the ranch, the meetings have been there, but I believe the next one will be back in Chicago. But I also visit for family reasons, when my ex-husband can be bothered to fly me there.” Maribel tightened her lips.
Maxwell had mentioned his parents’ not-so-amicable divorce.
“I look forward to seeing you next time you come, in that case.” Eryn tapped the container. “I can return this then.”
“That won’t be necessary. It’s an extra. I expect to visit for Thanksgiving, even if I have to fly commercial.”
A fate worse than death itself, by the sounds of it. Eryn wouldn’t know. When she’d told Maxwell she’d rarely been out of Kansas, she meant by car. Planes were beyond her experience.
“I’ll see you then.” Maribel started to turn away and bumped into Dad. “Oh, excuse me, Keith. I just gave your daughter a bit of food for your trip. I hope it helps.”
“That’s very kind of you.” Dad smiled at the woman before turning to Eryn. “You ready? I thought maybe there was no point in waiting until morning. We can get a few hours’ head start today since everything is already packed but our toothbrushes.”
Eryn blinked. “Um, sure. You’re right. There’s no reason to wait.” Normally, she’d worry about the extra night in a hotel, but Sullivan Enterprises had issued generous funds for relocation. She’d also received a small bonus with her final paycheck from Debby’s.
“What will you be doing at the guest ranch?” Joanie asked.
Letty jabbed her elbow into Joanie’s side and they both snickered before glancing at Dad and Maribel and straightening up.
“I’ll be kitchen staff. That’s my skillset, after all.” Eryn had been a bit disheartened with that appointment, but Maxwell had stressed there would be an opportunity to try something else later on, if she wanted. Cooking was fine. People needed to eat. She got that. But she wanted to experience all that Montana beauty, not be cooped up in a stuffy kitchen.
“Sounds fun. I love me a good kitchen and prepping food people will love.”
Right, Letty owned a coffee shop. Of course, she’d be a fan.
Why was everyone still watching her? Eryn didn’t love being the center of attention like this. “I’m just thankful to have a job waiting for me in the off-season.”
“Well, keep in touch, girl.” Joanie reached in for a hug and whispered in her ear. “Invite Stuart and me to the wedding.”
Eyes wide, Eryn jerked out of Joanie’s arms. “There won’t—” Best to zip her mouth, since Dad and Maribel were still right here. Talking to each other, but they’d surely overhear any vehement denial.
Joanie winked. “You say that now, but you wait and see. It’ll come.”
Letty hugged Eryn. “I can guess what Joanie said, and that goes for me, too. Shh.” Then she linked arms with Joanie and dragged her away, tossing a wink over her shoulder.
“What was all that about?” Dad asked.
“Nothing much.”
But Joanie had voiced the tiny, tentative hope buried deep in Eryn’s heart. What did it matter if Amelia had dreamed of the boy Maxwell? She wasn’t here to claim the grown man. Could Eryn?