Page 48 of A Marriage Pact for the Cowboy

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?

Chapter

Sixteen

Look at you! You won Kaya over just like that.” Maxwell handed Eryn back into his pickup truck. “And it’s only 10 a.m.”

Eryn grinned as she buckled up, wiggling in her seat in a sort of dance. “She’s so nice, and her products are amazing.”

Maxwell managed to dispel the impulse to lean in and kiss her, right then and there. It wasn’t the time or place, but soon. Maybe even today. He backed away, closed the door, and rounded the truck.

A minute later, they were headed south again. He glanced across the cab and couldn’t help but smile back at the delight still on Eryn’s face. Not that he wanted to pull a Westonish frown. “How do you feel about that gift shop now?”

Her eyes shone. “I can see it all in my imagination already. Do you think it might actually happen?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t it?”

“It’s not like I know what I’m doing.”

---