Chapter 15
Chapter
Fifteen
M axwell?”
His name sounded sweet on Eryn’s lips, even if she asked it tentatively. “Yes?”
“I was wondering…” She twisted her hands together.
He waited, holding his smile in place. It took a moment.
“I want to talk to some of the artisans in Jewel Lake, but I’m not sure.”
“Certain about what?” he asked, when the silence had lingered too long.
“I don’t have the authority to speak on behalf of the ranch. Or of the gift shop.”
“You’re asking them questions about availability, right? Gathering information?”
“Right, but…”
Light trickled in. “Would you like me to come with you?”
She nodded, biting her lip and barely meeting his gaze. “I know you’re super busy, though.”
“My crew doesn’t need me hovering every minute. I could take a day off. How about Monday? You might want to call ahead and set up appointments. Not everyone has gallery hours in October.”
“I can do that, but it’s only a half day, since I work in the kitchen in the morning.”
“Ask Nadine for the entire day off. That would give us time to meet more artisans.”
“I shouldn’t ask.”
“I can, if you won’t. She’ll be happy to let you go, you know.” Especially if she suspected something was brewing between them. “Your pay won’t be docked for time off.”
Eryn blinked. “But it should be.”
“It’s all ranch business.”
“But…” She shook her head. “This is all new to me. I know I’ve been here over a week, but it’s so different.”
“I get that.” Working for Grandfather again after eight years on his own had been quite an adjustment for Maxwell, as well. He could see how Eryn might not be sure of her place. “You’re doing great with Echo, by the way.”
Eryn’s cheeks pinked. “She’s wonderful.”
“She follows you around like a puppy.” Maxwell chuckled. “But that’s not today’s topic, sorry. Will you ask Nadine, or shall I? Because I’d like to take you for lunch in town between appointments. And…” Was she ready? Only one way to find out. “And dinner. Maybe a movie, depending on what’s playing.”
Her gaze flew to meet his. “Like a…?”
“Not just like a date, but actually a date.”
“Oh.”
Not a resounding response, but better than he’d expected. “I meant what I’ve said before. I want to get to know you better, and I think — I hope — you might be a tiny bit interested in that, too?”
“Maybe?”
Maxwell touched her arm. “I’m not sure what I’ve done to make you so hesitant, but I’ll take the maybe. Because I’m in.”
“I thought you’d probably forgotten all that by now.”
He let his fingers trail down to her hand before tangling them with hers. “Not a chance. I just didn’t want to scare you and make you shy away.”
A tiny smile poked at her lips. “Like Echo.”
“Sort of like her, yes. But far more important than any horse could ever be.”
“Don’t let Weston hear you say that.”
Maxwell chuckled. “Pre-Paisley, you’d be right, but I think he’s come around to realizing human relationships supersede equine. At least one human relationship.”
“He and Paisley are cute. They’re so different from each other.”
“They really are. I don’t know if she told you, but she chased Weston down for well over a year before she caught him.”
“She told me.”
Maxwell laughed. “Of course, she did. Paisley has no trouble talking to anyone about anything. If I didn’t want to spend time with you so much, I’d suggest that you take her to Jewel Lake to visit artisans. She’d love it.”
“She would.” Eryn’s eyes searched his.
Her fingers were still twined with his. He squeezed a little. “I’m not giving her the chance. Not this time.”
“Okay.” Eryn straightened and tugged her hand free of his. “I’ll ask Nadine and get back to you.”
“Sure. You can catch me at mealtime, or you’ve got my number.” Not that she’d used it since arriving at the ranch. “I look forward to spending the day with you.”
“Thanks. Do you know if my dad is doing okay at his job? Weston says he’s fine when I ask.”
“Then he’s fine. Are you worried about him?”
“All of this…” Eryn’s gesture seemed to take in all of Sweet River. “It still seems like a dream sometimes. Like I’ll wake up and find myself in my old bed back in Gilead. Only, that was going to end, either way.”
“It’s not a dream. Or, if it is, I’m in it with you, and thankful to be there.”
“That’s good.” But she sounded tentative.
“No one’s going to take this opportunity away from you and your father, Eryn. You’re here, secure, until or unless you choose to go elsewhere.” He waited until her gaze met his. “And I’m hoping and praying that never happens.”
“Amelia…”
Why did she keep bringing up her twin’s name? Maxwell didn’t care about Amelia. They’d only been kids when they’d had their brief moment. It hadn’t lasted long and certainly hadn’t been deep. What 13-year-olds knew anything about real love, anyway? Not a single one.
I love you, Maxwell.
Yeah, well, he hadn’t said it back. Not like she wanted. He’d never said those words to anyone besides his mother. His relationship with Dad certainly wasn’t based on interchanges like that. A thump on the back and a thumbs-up was as affirmative and mushy as Dad got. As for his brothers? Ha! Not a chance.
“Amelia thought you were pretty cool.”
Maxwell blinked himself back into the moment as his mind raced, discarding several responses as quickly as they flitted through. He posed in a weightlifter’s muscular stance. “I was pretty cool. For a scrawny kid.”
As he’d hoped, Eryn grinned at that. “Yeah, you were.”
Wait, what? “You noticed me back then?”
The pink tinge returned to her cheeks. “It was hard not to.”
“Huh. I never knew.”
“Because you barely knew I existed. It’s okay. I was used to it.”
He studied her face. “Your sister was a force to be reckoned with.” And there was more going on than he’d realized. Maybe having a twin hadn’t been all he’d assumed.
“She was. I, um, should get going. Echo is probably wondering where I am.” Eryn turned away.
Maxwell caught her arm. “Eryn? As you know, I hadn’t seen Amelia since high school. But you have depth that she never had, unless she acquired it later.”
Eryn looked at where his hand rested beside her elbow. “Amelia didn’t do deep.”
His hunch appeared to be correct. He wouldn’t push now, but he’d keep watching for the clues he’d likely missed earlier about the twins’ relationship. It seemed it hadn’t been sunshine-and-roses. Maybe Amelia was responsible for Eryn’s hesitant nature. That seemed to fit, but he couldn’t be sure.
“She might not have matured, but I guess that’s neither here nor there anymore. I’m sorry — it seems she died without having grown beyond that.”
Eryn’s nod was more like a sharp jerk of her head.
There was definitely more to the story than he’d ferreted out yet, but he had time. He might be quick and decisive in his renovation business, but he could be patient.
He could at least try to be.
Making cold calls was exquisitely painful, but Eryn took a deep breath and punched in the first number. She’d picked the potter, because the woman had already sold her work at the ranch, and Maxwell said she went to the same church.
“You’ve reached Trinity Kennedy at Bayside Kiln. How may I help you?”
“Hi, I’m Eryn Ralston, calling from Sweet River Ranch.” She took a deep breath and read the script she’d prepared. “I’m creating a business plan for the gift shop here. I know you’ve sold some of your pottery here in the past few years, but there isn’t any onsite now, and I’d like to see your line and talk to you about it, if you have time? I’ll be in town on Monday.”
“Monday…”
Eryn heard some tapping.
“Monday at four should work, if that’s all right? My studio is in Agate Bay.”
Good thing Maxwell would be driving. He’d know how to find that, right? Because Eryn had no clue, and her car was too ancient for GPS. “That sounds great. I can’t wait to meet you on Monday.”
“Same! See you then. Also, I’m glad to hear someone is taking on that gift shop. It needs it.”
Eryn agreed, tapped to end the call, and took a few deep breaths. That hadn’t gone too badly, but then, Trinity hadn’t precisely been a cold call. Cold for Eryn, but not for the ranch.
Echo nickered and nudged Eryn’s shoulder.
Eryn turned and wrapped her arms around the filly’s neck. “Hey, how did you know I needed a friend?”
An equine sigh misted down Eryn’s back.
“Not talking about it, huh?” She laughed, feeling some of the tension dissipate. Had Maxwell realized how therapeutic hanging around Echo would be for Eryn? She’d thought it was for the filly’s sake, but she was beginning to wonder if he’d been more perceptive than she’d given him credit for.
Should she be offended that he thought hanging around a horse would be helpful to her? Hmm.
But then Weston often rode out surly and returned at peace. Several of the other staff members had come through the stables the past few days, and Eryn had noticed the same thing from them. Maybe not grumpy like Weston, but tense… and then soothed and smiling upon their return, whether it was twenty minutes or two hours later.
So… if that’s what he’d been thinking for her, she couldn’t be annoyed. It seemed a time-tested technique. She should get Dad riding, but he was keeping pretty busy with Joseph preparing the cattle for the upcoming winter. Still, didn’t Dad need a break, too?
Eryn patted Echo’s mane one more time and turned back to the makeshift office. Next up: Aurora Glassworks. Hopefully this artisan would be as nice as Trinity had been.
And then there were five more, including an indigenous woman up near Saint Ignatius who created items from sweetgrass. That might be farther than Maxwell would want to drive on Monday, though. But maybe she should call the woman first and see if they could come in the morning? That would leave the afternoon clear for Jewel Lake artisans.
Eryn reshuffled her notes and tapped in Kaya’s phone number.
The woman seemed hesitant at first but warmed to the idea of meeting Eryn and considering placing some of her products in the gift shop, so long as she could maintain creative control of her display.
Eryn gladly agreed as they set up a meeting time. Then she jumped to her feet and shook out her hands before approaching Echo with a curry brush. A few minutes grooming the filly would settle her enough to make another phone call or two.
Yeah, Maxwell had known what he was doing, pairing them together.
Voices came from the corral, and Eryn glanced toward the open doors as Weston and Darrell entered, leading two horses.
“Hey, Eryn.” Weston almost managed to smile. “How’s our favorite girl today?”
There was absolutely no doubt he meant Echo. “She’s good.”
Weston circled the horse, running his hands over her back and withers, before meeting Eryn’s gaze again. “Want to longe her?”
“Longe?” Did he mean…?
“Run her in easy circles for exercise like we did the other day when you were here.”
“Me?”
“Sure. Why not? There’s not much to it. It just takes a little time and attention.”
Maybe she’d find herself on the stable’s payroll. The thought was a little enticing, honestly. But, as Maxwell had commented, the employee was the same, regardless of which part of the resort she worked. No doubt, the areas that required specialized knowledge paid better, though. She wouldn’t qualify as a stable hand under those stipulations.
She cast a glance at her phone list. They could wait an hour, right? “Sure. I’d like to learn to do that with Echo.”
Weston tipped his head toward the doors. “Bring her along, then. Meet you in the round pen.”
“Come on, Echo. Want some exercise? I bet you’d rather run up the trails than in circles, though.”
Wouldn’t anyone?