Page 30 of A Marriage Pact for the Cowboy

“Whoa.” Hoofbeats came alongside, and Maxwell reached for Mirage’s bridle to slow her. “Easy, girl.”

Eryn glared at Maxwell. “Leave her. I’ll stay on. You don’t need to patronize me.”

“Patronize?” His brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“I thought you offered me… never mind.” She urged Mirage faster again. Paisley and Weston were just ahead. They couldn’t be too far up the trail.

“Eryn, wait.” Maxwell came up beside her again. “You think I offered you a job so that your father would take over the farming here?”

“That’s what you said.” She shot daggers at him with her eyes.

“That’s backwards.” He shook his head. “I offered him a job so you would come.”

Her body slacked as her mouth gaped. She only realized it when she began to slip off Mirage’s back.

Eryn was sliding in slo-mo, her eyes widening with panic.

Maxwell leaped out of Nutmeg’s saddle to catch her before she tumbled onto the hard trail. Or, more likely, caught her sneaker in the stirrups. She all but fell into his arms.

“Hey, I’ve got you. Are you okay?” He held her while she found her balance.

“Um, yes. I can’t believe I fell off.”

“I was happy to catch you.” He was still holding her, her long blond hair brushing his arms. And not all the vanilla scent came from the sweetgrass. Some of it came from Eryn, but he could manage not to sniff her, right? Barely.

“I’m sorry.” She straightened and stepped aside. “Wow, the horses are still standing right here.”

“Not much fazes them. They’re used to greenhorns.”

“That’s good, I guess.” She dusted off her jeans, not meeting his gaze. “Sorry about that.”

“Eryn.”

She glanced at him then away. “Yes?”

“You seem startled that I want to get to know you.”

“I guess… why?”

He blinked. “Why wouldn’t I want to get to know you? You’re beautiful. You’re strong. You’re smart. You’re?—”

“I’m not Amelia. That was her, not me.”

“I know you’re not Amelia.” How did Eryn mean that, anyway? She and her twin weren’t the least bit alike in looks or personality, so why would she think he’d be confused as to which was which?

“Everyone liked her.” She snuck him a furtive glance. “You liked her.”

Maxwell scoffed lightly. “When we were 13, but did we ever date? Nope. I never asked her out.”

“But…”

The mares both grazed along the trail and didn’t seem like they were too anxious about this impromptu rest stop. “What kind of ‘but,’ Eryn? I didn’t go out with her or anyone else. I was too focused on finishing high school and getting out of Gilead.” Ugh. That didn’t put him in the greatest light. Still, it was the truth. “I haven’t been involved since then, either. A few casual dates with friends for special events, but my heart has never been involved.”

Until now. But there was no way she was ready to hear that. He was barely ready to acknowledge it to himself. There was something about Eryn Ralston that had snuck past his defenses. He’d pretended he was only helping someone who needed a leg up, but it was more. Way more.

“Never?”

She looked so vulnerable that he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her. Reassure her.

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