Page 62 of A Marriage Pact for the Cowboy

“I’m sorry. I’m not used to Nadine being my aunt yet, but that’s whom you meant.”

“Right. Sorry.” Keith chuckled. “She seems really nice.”

Maxwell managed not to grin. “I’ve found the same thing.” He was going to make Eryn’s dad strive for every word, though. “What do you think of her, Eryn? You’ve been working with her for over a week.”

“She’s teaching me to make sourdough bread!”

“There you have it.” Maxwell chuckled. “The highest praise possible. Her bread is amazing… another reason I’m not moving back to Chicago any time soon. She’s spoiled me.”

“Oh?” Keith’s eyebrows rose as he glanced between Maxwell and Eryn. “I didn’t realize you still thought of Chicago as home.”

“I don’t know that I do, but it was home for the better part of a decade, and I’ve kept my condo there. I’ve had to rely on some of my suppliers even now, since all the options I’m accustomed to aren’t at my fingertips here. Other than that, Montana is growing on me.”

“I was hoping you weren’t pulling a bait-and-switch on my daughter. She’s been through enough.”

“Dad!”

Maxwell reached for Eryn’s hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. “No, sir. I’m quite attached to both Montana and to your daughter.”

A flush shot up Eryn’s cheeks, and she looked down.

“But you’ve kept your condo?” Keith looked between them. “I feel it’s my duty as her father to make sure you’re not toying with her.”

“I would never.”

“Dad, I’m right here. Don’t talk about me as though I’m not.”

“Rynie, I know you’re taken by this guy, but you don’t have a lot of experience to judge him by. Dave was?—”

“Dad!” Eryn shot to her feet, dropping Maxwell’s hand. “Just because I’m not Amelia doesn’t mean I’m gullible.”

Just who was Dave?

“Amelia?” Keith’s brows pulled together as he frowned. “What does she have to do with this? She’s not part of this.”

“She had a crush on Maxwell when we were all kids.”

“I didn’t know you two confided in each other.”

Wait, what? Maxwell had figured that the twins hadn’t been all that close, but if her father assumed they wouldn’t have talked about boys they liked, it had to be worse than he’d thought. But maybe it had been obvious. Amelia’s fixation on Maxwell had lasted well into high school before she figured out she might as well date other guys, since he wasn’t asking. He’d even turned her down for the Sadie Hawkins dance their sophomore year.

Keith shook his head, looking confused. “That’s not what I meant.”

“It doesn’t matter what you meant. You don’t need to announce to anyone, let alone Maxwell, how little I’ve dated.”

“I’m sorry, Rynie. I didn’t mean it that way.” He grimaced into his teacup. “You know, I think I’ll just go to bed. I don’t know if it’s the altitude or the early mornings around here, but I’m about done for.”

“I should head out, too.” Maxwell rose as Keith did and reclaimed Eryn’s hand. Whatever mood they’d built during the stroll from the lodge was well and truly gone. Bryce had ruined dinner… okay, maybe Maxwell had done that himself by being late. And now Keith’s seemingly well-intentioned comment soured this moment.

Keith’s gaze lingered on his daughter for a moment, solidifying Maxwell’s realization he was the third wheel and needed to give them time to clear the air without him overhearing any more. Then Keith disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door.

“Hey.” Maxwell turned to Eryn and slid his hands around her waist. “Don’t worry about your dad. I think a father’s job to take care of his kids never ends.” Not that James Sullivan was that sort, but Maxwell could see the tendency in most of the men he knew. He dropped a gentle kiss on Eryn’s lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” Her gaze ricocheted off his as she bit off a sigh.

Man, he hated to leave her like this, but what could he do? She needed to convince her dad she was an adult capable of making her own choices. Given their family history, that would likely take more than one conversation, and Maxwell couldn’t do anything to help.

He hated having his hands tied. He was a guy who made things happen.

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