Page 74 of Marrying Mr. Majestic

We walked the three blocks to her narrow storefront, which was already hopping with the new influx of tourist traffic that had appeared in anticipation of Memorial Day weekend.

Flower boxes lined the sidewalk under the big picture window, colorful chalk paint decorated the edges of the glass with a sale offer, and I noticed a small rainbow flag flying lazily from one of the flower baskets hanging from the eave over the open front door.

Front and center in the plate glass window display was a large ceramic model of the Three Daughters peaks with the Majestic River running between them and out into the valley below. The sun streaming in through the window caught on the blue-green glazing, which somehow looked even shinier in the area of the river. The AdventureSmash logo was stamped into the base with “Majestic Exhibition” and the year engraved below. On a shelf next to the large sculpture sat a smaller display of mini versions of it, fashioned like a Christmas ornament or keepsake medallion hanging from a decorative ribbon.

“Wow,” I breathed. “She’s going to make a killing on those things.”

Silas beamed proudly. “Agreed. I told her she wasn’t charging enough, so she bumped up the price. We both know she’ll discount the hell out of them for locals, but the tourists would definitely be willing to pay out the nose for something that’s a limited collectible.”

We entered the shop to find ZuZu in her element, happily chatting with a customer while wearing a clay-stained apron. Her wheel sat abandoned in the back of the shop with a plastic-covered lump of clay in the center. As soon as she was finished with her customer, I went over and gushed to her about the window display.

“When did you make this? It’s amazing!”

Her eyes lit up. “You like it?”

“Are you kidding? It’s gorgeous. And the keepsakes are brilliant. You’re so freaking talented. How many have you had a chance to make?”

She walked back to the tall cabinets behind her pottery wheel and opened them to reveal stacks and stacks of carefully packaged keepsake medallions next to her usual supply of mugs, bowls, spoon rests, and decorative plates. “I have a ton. Probably way too many, but once I got on a roll making them, it went fast. It was Silas’s idea, actually.”

Silas looked surprised. “Mine?”

She nodded. “I overheard you mention something to Lake and Jackson about partnering with Patagonia for some event merchandise. You mentioned that you’d done a project in business school where you studied the effects of scarcity in a marketing campaign and how limited-edition merch associated with an event becomes highly desired.”

I could tell her praise was making Silas uncomfortable, but those were the breaks. If he was going to be so damn helpful, he could take the praise for it, and I’d enjoy watching him squirm.

Silas hesitated. “Did you ask AdventureSmash for permission to use their logo?”

She grinned. “Yep. I asked Lake for the contact info and talked to Robbie Ryder directly. I got all the necessary paperwork, but I also asked him not to tell you guys about it since I wasn’t sure I would be able to pull it off. But then I told Natana my idea, and she offered to help cover the shop until she had to leave for Lander to help her aunt. There’s still time for me to make more before the exhibition, but I figured even if they don’t sell, just having them on display will help spread the word and build up more buzz about the exhibition.” She shrugged. “And worst-case scenario, we have an exhibition-themed Christmas tree this winter.”

I stepped forward and pulled her into my arms. “I’m proud of you.”

She laughed. “Thanks, but it’s a little self-serving. There’s a ceramics program in San Francisco…” She scraped her lip with her teeth. “It’s a long shot, but if I can get in… well, it’s really expensive.”

Silas opened his mouth but then didn’t speak. Instead, he looked at me as if unsure of how I’d respond.

“I think that’s… something we’ll have to plan for,” I said, doing my best to hide my fear. There was no way a hot summer of selling ceramic keepsakes would ever earn my baby sister enough money to put herself through a prestigious art school. I didn’t doubt her ability to get accepted, but I definitely doubted my family’s ability to pay for it. “But we’ll make it happen. Let me know what you need for the application. If there’s anything I can do to help.”

When we left her shop to make our way back toward City Hall, I got lost in thought, trying to figure out how ZuZu would apply for financial aid. Would my income be considered on her application? Would she be able to claim some of the debt on the ranch since she was a partial owner?

Silas’s voice was so low I barely noticed it at first. “Unclench. You’ll figure it out. She’s determined, and that’s half the battle.”

“Those schools are over fifty grand a year,” I said. My voice sounded a little more panicked than I’d hoped. “And that doesn’t even include travel expenses. But there aren’t any decent programs here in Wyoming, so anyplace would be that expensive, I guess. I don’t see how?—”

Silas grabbed me and yanked me around in front of him before kissing the hell out of me. His large palm cradled the back of my head, which was the only thing that kept me from tripping over my own feet.

I could sense people gawping on the sidewalk nearby, but the kiss was so overwhelming, so enticing and satisfying, I wasn’t sure I minded.

“Gnfh,” I said when he pulled away. “What was that for?”

“To distract you. You were spiraling. Do me a favor and set that stress aside until after the exhibition stress is over, okay? One stress at a time.”

He had a point. ZuZu hadn’t even applied, so there was no sense in worrying about how we were going to pay for it. Yet.

I realized we’d turned the wrong way on Poke Street. “Where are you taking me?”

“Pete’s. I’m in the mood for pizza today. That okay with you?”

I nodded and swallowed, enjoying the lingering taste of him on my tongue. Silas grabbed my hand and held it firmly as we continued toward the pizza place. “Thanks for noticing that. ZuZu’s art piece and the collectibles. I feel like a shitty brother. I had no idea she was doing any of that.”

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