Page 14 of A Marriage Pact for the Cowboy

She glared at him. “Don’t fall in with his mother. It doesn’t become you.” And why did Maribel seem to be so eager to get to know Eryn? Didn’t the woman realize how far beneath the Sullivans the Ralstons were?

“Aw, Rynie. I want you to be happy. And rich would be okay, too.”

“Dad!”

“Just stating the facts in privacy here.”

“Don’t get any ideas.”

“Did you not notice how that boy kept looking at you?”

Eryn’s skin itched. “He didn’t. This is all something you’ve conjured up in your head.”

“He hung out with you during every event this weekend. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t like you. I don’t know why I need to remind you men know how to avoid women they can’t stand. They don’t seek them out.”

Eryn stared out the truck window. “He was just being nice. Everyone else had friends there.”

“And why don’t you?” Dad’s voice gentled. “Have friends, I mean. You’re so focused on your job that you don’t get out much. I hadn’t realized you didn’t get out at all.”

Tears pricked Eryn’s eyes. “They were all Amelia’s friends, not mine. She was the popular one.”

“She was like a butterfly, that’s true. But she would have been happy to include you.”

Eryn pivoted to look at her father. “Who wants to be a pity project? Not me. And besides, she didn’t want—” Oh, no. She’d never meant to air her problems with Amelia to him. Let him remember his other daughter — his favorite one — the way he’d seen her.

Dad’s brow furrowed as he studied her.

“The road, Dad.”

“I’m paying attention.”

Did he mean to the road… or to her? Eryn didn’t even want to know. “Look, don’t worry about it, okay? It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It seems it matters to you.”

“Nope. I’m all good. That was a rare moment.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.

“Are you sure you’re up for clearing out her bedroom this afternoon? Because we can do it another time.”

Eryn took a sharp breath and then exhaled. “Today is good. I brought home boxes from behind the grocery store last night. Because you’re in an all-fired hurry to get rid of our home.”

“Rynie, that’s not how it is.”

“It’s how it seems. I’ll manage. I just don’t like change.”

“Sometimes change is needed to shake things up a bit.”

She gritted her teeth. Dad needed things shook up? Fine. He didn’t need to drag her along with him.

They’d finally arrived at the farmhouse. Eryn jumped out, popped the trunk on her car, and grabbed an armload of collapsed boxes. “I’m heading in there right now.”

“I thought we might have a cup of tea first.”

“You had tea at the Sullivans’. Don’t wimp out on me, Dad. You started this, and you’re coming in with me from the first minute.”

He took a shuddering breath. “Okay, okay. But I don’t even know where to start.”

“How about you start by stripping the linens and throwing everything in the wash? Then you can dismantle the frame. It will give us room to stack boxes.”

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