Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
M axwell loved the more intimate feeling of the dining hall in the offseason. Sure, he loved the buzz and activity of tourists over the summer, but this was more like extended family. He’d forged his own path for eight years, only tapping into the family dynamic when he had time, whatever that was, but reconnecting with his brothers and cousins had been more satisfying than he’d thought possible. Even Bryce.
He’d nearly said no to Grandfather’s request, but the photos of neglected and half-finished guest cottages had lured him in. Good thing, too.
“Aunt Nadine, I’d like you to meet your new helper, Eryn Ralston, and her dad, Keith.”
Nadine smiled over the dinner counter. “I’m happy to meet you, Eryn. It’s not super busy this time of year, but I’ll be glad to have an assistant, nonetheless.”
Eryn offered a shy smile. “Do you want me to start tonight?”
“Heavens, no, child! Take a few days to settle in. Monday is soon enough.”
“But—” Eryn’s wide eyes appealed to Maxwell.
He touched her back. “What she says. If she needed you earlier, she’d say so.”
“But—”
Keith reached across the counter and shook Nadine’s hand. “I’m pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Wait, was Aunt Nadine blushing? Nah, couldn’t be.
“Please dish yourselves up and find a seat out there.” She fluttered a hand.
Maxwell nudged Eryn in front of him as they scooped pasta, sauce, and salad onto their plates then added garlic toast on the side. He glanced back at his aunt.
She was watching Keith but noticed Maxwell’s smirk. Her face pinked, and she turned back into the kitchen.
Maxwell shook his head and set his tray down on a vacant table. Soon the three of them were settled with their food.
“Have your aunt and uncle been here at the ranch long?” Keith dipped his garlic toast into the sauce.
“My aunt and unc—” Maxwell cut himself off and managed not to laugh. “There’s a whole story there, but the short answer is that Aunt Nadine’s husband passed away before I could meet him. He’s been gone several years.”
“I’m sorry.” But Keith’s contemplative glance back to the kitchen mocked his words.
“The longer version is that my grandfather had an affair with his secretary before he met and married my grandmother. His secretary left Chicago without a forwarding address, and it wasn’t so easy to track people back then. Anyway, Nadine had been searching for her father all her life, but her mother refused to divulge the man’s name. Enter twenty-first century DNA testing and genealogy websites, and Nadine pinned my grandfather down with the evidence he was her father.”
Eryn gaped at him as she lowered her laden fork to her plate. “That’s crazy.”
“It is, you’re right. That’s when Grandfather bought this ranch. He invited his daughter to work for him, and all us boys — my brothers, my cousin Graham, me — and Nadine’s sons, our newfound cousins. Jude is away in Chicago right now at flight school, and Weston will be your boss, Keith. He’s in charge of the stables and nominally oversees the farm operations as well.”
“So, she’s single?”
That’s what Keith Ralston got out of the story? “Yes, she is.”
“I see.” The man looked thoughtful as he ate a meatball. “She’s a good cook.”
“Most everything is from scratch. She even bakes all the bread we go through around here.” Maxwell smiled at Eryn. “She and her staff, of course.”
“I’ve never baked bread.” Eryn bit her lip and glanced toward the kitchen.
“I hear she’s a good mentor.” He touched Eryn’s hand. “She won’t expect you to know how to do everything the first day.”
“I hope I won’t disappoint her.”
“Not possible.” Okay, maybe he was coming on a little too much like Bryce, but Eryn’s self-esteem seemed exceptionally low. Was it her personality? Did her father put her down? Maxwell hadn’t seen any evidence of that, but he hadn’t spent a lot of time with either of them, let alone together.
He was going to remedy that.
“Keith Ralston?” Weston stood beside the table with a tray in his hand, Paisley beside him.
“Yes, sir.” Keith swallowed his bite, surged to his feet, and held out his hand.
“I’m Weston Kline, and this is my fiancée, Paisley Teele.” He glanced at Maxwell as he shook Keith’s hand. “I hear you’re taking over Joseph’s position. May we have a seat?”
Maxwell nodded and managed not to smile too wide. Weston was acting like a civilized human being for once in his life, not the sour grump everyone had grown used to since they’d met a year and a half ago. Paisley’s doing, for sure. Oh, and God’s.
“Paisley, this is Keith’s daughter, Eryn. She’ll be working with Nadine in the kitchen for now.”
“I’m so happy to meet you!” Paisley gushed. “You’re going to love it here. You’re from Kansas?”
“Yes.” Eryn offered a shy smile. “I’ve never been out west before.”
“Oh, there’s so much to do and see! I run the family activities here at the resort. We do trail rides and archery and kayaking and bonfires and all sorts of events. I hope you’ll take advantage of everything that sounds interesting to you. I can hook you up with any of it.”
“Thank you, but I’m not sure how all that fits around my work schedule.”
“There are fewer families here during the school year, but we do things on weekends still through Thanksgiving. And then we have big events planned for Christmas week. Not kayaking so much.” Paisley giggled.
“No, we’ll be at least knee-deep in snow by then.” Maxwell chuckled. “But it’s not too cold for kayaking now, if you enjoy being on the water.”
“I’ve never been.” Eryn seemed to shrink in on herself. “Any of those things, really.”
“Hey, you went trail-riding in Kansas,” Maxwell chided gently. “We could ride here, too.”
“Oh, let’s!” Paisley brightened. “Tomorrow afternoon? Maxwell, you up for that?”
“Sound good, Eryn?”
Eryn glanced toward her father, who was deep in conversation with Weston. Maxwell heard references to pregnant heifers and silage and the fence on the west pasture before tuning them back out.
“I don’t want to be a bother.” Eryn poked her fork at her plate.
“You’re not. We look for any excuse to go riding around here. Which horse for her, do you think, Maxwell?”
“Mirage, probably. I’ll take Nutmeg or whichever one needs exercise most.”
“Sounds good. Let’s plan to head out right after lunch. You’ll love the back country, Eryn. It’s so beautiful here.”
“You’re staying this winter then, Paisley?” he asked.
She flushed. “Of course! I have a wedding to plan!”
“Are you guys getting married here at the lodge?”
“Yes. Stephanie and Tate’s and Cadence and Graham’s were so beautiful here.” She turned to Eryn. “Imagine the bride descending the log staircase over there—” she pointed “—and the groom waiting by the fireplace. There’s room for almost one hundred guests, not that Weston and I know that many people.”
“Only the entire staff at Sweet River.” Maxwell chuckled.
“Not everyone needs to attend the ceremony. We’ll have a big reception and dance out on the lawn afterward.”
Eryn’s eyes widened as she absorbed Paisley’s plans.
Maxwell could relate. Paisley’s enthusiasm was a bit much at times, but she’d worn Weston’s reserves down.
Unfair. Weston had come into his own with the light of Paisley’s love shining on him.
Maxwell wasn’t the recluse his cousin had been. He didn’t need a woman to bring out the best in him. But… maybe he did.
Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe Eryn needed someone who believed in her the way Paisley had believed in Weston.
Could Maxwell be that someone? Did he even want to be? While he’d occasionally thought of getting serious with Heather, she’d come to him as an equal with her strong personality and opinions.
Eryn would agree with everything anyone said if she wasn’t sure how her opinions would be taken. Was he the right person to help her instill confidence and stand her ground?
Did he want to be?
Eryn listened to the other woman bubble on and on about her upcoming wedding to the cowboy, who was completely ignoring her and focused on answering Dad’s questions about the ranch operations.
Obviously, Paisley didn’t take that lack of attention as negative. Maybe no one dared ignore her for long. She seemed like a woman who got what she wanted.
Eryn didn’t even know what she wanted, let alone how to forge her own path to achieve it. Was Sweet River Ranch a place where she could figure all that out?
If not here, where? If not now, when? She was 28 years old, and she’d existed in her sister’s shadow since birth. Amelia had been the healthy twin who learned to crawl and walk before sickly Eryn caught up. How could Eryn possibly still feel Amelia’s shadow all these years later? Her sister had never been to Montana. No one here knew her except Dad.
And Maxwell.
Eryn had read a few more snippets of Amelia’s journal in which she gushed about adolescent Maxwell, reliving every interaction between them. Maybe by the 2010 diaries, Amelia would be on to some other boy. Eryn could hardly wait to find out, because the descriptions and anecdotes were killing her with jealousy.
She only had a crush on him now because he was the first man in her entire life to make any attempt to draw her out. That was all. He’d never be truly interested in a wallflower like her. Not if he’d been a fraction as interested in the juvenile version of Amelia as she had been of him.
No, she’d have a front-row seat here of him falling in love with some other woman. Maybe someday it would be her turn for romance. At least the ranch seemed more possible for that than Gilead, where everyone had known the twins since birth.
She glanced surreptitiously around the dining room. There were several tables with only men and several with only women as well as some with mixed groups. How many employees stayed over the winter?
“What do you think, Eryn?”
She gave her head a little shake and looked at Paisley. “Pardon me? I missed what you said.” She’d have to do a better job of focusing.
“You must be tired after days on the road. My nosy questions can keep.” Paisley nudged Maxwell. “Is tomorrow a date, or are you too busy?”
“A ride sounds great. I’m caught up with the projects for now. Janessa says we’re waiting on the flooring for the next three cottages. Something about the vinyl planks we need being temporarily out-of-stock. She figures they’ll be available Friday.”
Eryn hadn’t even stopped to wonder about what Maxwell did at the ranch or that he might work with women. Women who were probably more attractive and fun than she was. Maybe he was even in a relationship.
No, that couldn’t be right, or he wouldn’t have hinted the way he had in Kansas, like he might be interested in her.
Dad turned to her. “Weston says we can have a look at the farmhouse tomorrow after lunch.”
Paisley slung her arm over Weston’s shoulder. “Can you make that later in the afternoon? I invited Eryn and Maxwell to go riding with us then.”
The serious-looking cowboy covered his fiancée’s hand with his. His whole demeanor softened as he looked at her. “It won’t take long to swing by Joseph’s. We can still be on the trail by two. Sound okay?”
“Okaaay.” Paisley dragged out the word and batted her eyelashes at Weston. “There’s still plenty of daylight.”
Weston nodded at Maxwell then at Eryn. “That’s a plan, then. Joseph and Marie won’t move out until after Thanksgiving. When I gave that extension, I didn’t realize we’d be able to fill his position so quickly. On the plus side, it means you can work with him for a while and learn the ropes. I’m far more active with the horses than with the cattle, so this works out well.”
“Will you be living at the farmhouse, Eryn?” Paisley asked. “Or in staff housing?”
“I… I didn’t realize I had options.”
“The farmhouse is old, but it’s homier than the duplexes. If it were me, I’d stick with my dad.” She grimaced. “If I had a father worth sticking with.”
Eryn’s eyebrows rose.
Paisley shook her head. “Long story. I’m a bit jealous of your relationship, that’s all. Let’s leave it at that for today.”
Maxwell elbowed Paisley’s arm lightly. “Let her see the options before she makes a decision.”
“Of course. I wasn’t trying to push her. But I’m talking too much again, right?” Paisley wrinkled her nose. “I always talk too much.”
Maxwell’s eyes crinkled as he grinned at Eryn. “I’m not sure about too much, but it’s a lot, right, Eryn?”
“Not too much at all.” Eryn smiled at Paisley. She hadn’t had a good friend in forever. Maybe she and Paisley could hang out some. Then again, the other woman was planning a wedding, and she probably would have her own friends in place to help with that. She was just the sort who was friendly with everyone.
“Anyone want more garlic toast? There are only a few pieces left.” Nadine stood between Dad and Weston at the table. She carried a platter and held out a piece of toast with a pair of tongs.
“Thanks, Mom.” Weston held out his plate as she set one on it.
“How about you, Keith?”
“Uh, sure. Th-thank you.”
Eryn blinked. Dad, stammering?
“How about the rest of you?” Nadine looked between them.
“Yes, please,” Maxwell and Paisley said at the same time.
Eryn shook her head and murmured, “No, thanks.” Too much was going on around her for her to absorb. More food in her unsettled gut wouldn’t help.