Page 51 of A Marriage Pact for the Cowboy

Trinity shrugged and laughed. “I don’t want pity purchases. I want people to buy my pieces because they connect with them. I don’t sell retail from the studio, so I rarely meet the final owners. In my early days, I relied on craft fairs and the like, but I’m grateful I was well enough established when I moved back to Jewel Lake to continue selling direct to galleries along the coast, where I used to live.”

Wow, this woman had moved after blindness had set in?

“I’m glad I came back here at my brother’s invitation,” Trinity went on. “Caleb helped me out a lot. You may have met him? Dale says you were in church Sunday, and my brother leads worship there. Anyway, Caleb helped set up my studio in his garage, which was a huge help, but then I met Dale, and the rest is history.”

How could this blind woman look so serene in the sight of… bad choice of words, Eryn. Even in your own head. But still, Trinity seemed completely at peace with her lot in life. She had a beautiful studio and home along the lake that she couldn’t see clearly, but she radiated peace.

Where Eryn had second, third, and eighteenth thoughts for everything, always worried about the next thing. Could she find the kind of acceptance and joy Trinity had? Trinity had every reason to be a nervous Nellie, but Eryn was still in first place. Not a race she should aspire to win.

“What does your husband do?”

“Dale and his brother own Communication Location downtown. They sell all kinds of electronic games and gadgets. His brother is a professor over in Butte, so he and his family only live here in the summertime and take over the business for a while so Dale gets a break.”

“That sounds nice. Family can be amazing.” Not that Eryn would know, though the Sullivans seemed to make it all work.

“They really can.” Trinity smiled. “But the family of God is even better. I hope you really connect in with Creekside Fellowship now that you live here. There’s nothing like building relationships with fellow believers.”

“Thank you for that encouragement.” The other woman was right. Eryn should stop massaging that chip on her shoulder — after all, no one here but Maxwell knew Amelia at all — and settle in as though she intended this to be her lifelong home. It might even be true.

Chapter

Seventeen

It had been an amazing day, watching Eryn come into her own as she chatted with the artisans she’d selected for the gift shop. She might think there was a chance her proposal to Sweet River’s board might be rejected, but Maxwell knew it wouldn’t be. Not only because no one else wanted the job, but because she was clearly capable of taking on the challenge.

He pulled into the parking lot at the Chuckwagon Bar & Grill and grinned across the cab at her. “Ready for dinner?”

Eryn bounced a little on her seat. “So ready. It seems a long time since food.”

“That’s because it was.” He laughed and jumped out of the cab. They’d had lunch in Missoula after visiting the candy maker, who was thrilled to be a supplier and even offered to design wrappers specially for the ranch gift shop.

Maxwell opened the passenger door. It had taken most of today’s stops to convince Eryn to stay put until he got to her. He held out his hand to help her descend, then kept a firm grip on her fingers as he shut the door and beeped the locks.

Eryn pulled back. “I’m not dressed for a fancy dinner.”

“This isn’t a fancy place. No worries on that score. They have great ribs and steaks.” His stomach rumbled as though on cue. “Just in time.”

She laughed and fell in step beside him as they crossed to the front door and then entered. The host ushered them to a table tucked into a bay window with a fireplace nearby. Maxwell seated Eryn.

“I love this!” she murmured. “The trees turning color, the carpet of leaves, the little fountain.”

They’d have to request this table for a winter date, when snow would blanket the view and the blazing fireplace would be even more welcome. And again in spring, because weren’t those fruit trees? The blossoms would be lovely.

Maxwell wanted to bring her here in every season, over and over again. He couldn’t picture his future without her in it. They’d only reconnected a few weeks ago, but he was growing certain that he loved her. Was it too soon to know that?

In his mind’s eye, Tate busted a gut laughing.

Okay, maybe not too early, but Eryn wasn’t Stephanie. She wasn’t chasing him back as determinedly as he was chasing her. Not like Stephanie, who’d seen a good thing in Tate and had been all in from the first minute.

Maxwell hadn’t understood his brother’s full, deep dive back then. How could a confirmed bachelor like Tate change his mind with the flick of an on-off switch? Of course, there’d been Jamie. Accepting custody of their young nephew had already rocked Tate’s world, readying him for love and marriage.

Maxwell hadn’t been shaken, not that way. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t completely enthralled with the woman across the little table from him.

She gazed out the window, looking more relaxed than he’d seen before. Her blond hair hung in loose curls, framing her heart-shaped face, and cascading down her pale green sweater.

He reached over and covered her hand with both of his. “You’re beautiful.”

“Me?” Her other hand pressed to her chest as her wide eyes met his.

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