Most Eligible Cowboy (Peach Valley Romance Book 1) by Carly Morgan

the few pictures where Jackson’s face was in full view. With the sun gone, he was mostly in shadow, except the places where the fire brought him to life. The other guys were talking and laughing, but Jackson had a serious look on his face, like he had a lot on his mind. At the time she’d wondered if he’d been thinking about the ultimatum or his dad’s cancer or both. As he studied the picture, she thought it might be that and so much more.
    “You took this,” he finally asked.
    “Yes,” she whispered, remembering her teacher’s words of wisdom and trying not to interrupt the story he might be seeing. “Do you like it?”
    “It’s amazing. What other pictures did you take that night?” They sat beside each other on the couch. Her heart fluttered as his knee brushed against hers. She swallowed and pulled up her pictures. Together, they went through them and as they did, they talked. It wasn’t about anything important, really. But she felt the electricity her aunt had talked about.
    During their conversation, Maya found out he’d received a degree from the University of Wyoming. That he’d built his house with his own hands. And Jackson told her that he loved pralines and caramel ice cream.
    Around seven o’clock, they paused long enough to warm up some of the ham and tater tot casserole Mrs. Gunderson had brought over. He warmed up the food for them in the microwave, while she made and poured them some iced tea.
    While they ate, Jackson asked her about her life. She kept to the basics. She’d graduated from California Berkley and had worked for a foodie magazine. She thought about mentioning her marriage and the details of her divorce, but doing so would’ve brought up feelings she’d sooner forget, so kept them to herself. Instead she talked about spending time at the beach when she needed a break. She also confessed that she had an overabundant liking for the butter mints usually reserved for weddings.
    “You’re kidding,” he said, taking their plates over to the coffee table.
    She shook her head, laughing, sipping her iced tea. “There’s something about the way the mint starts to melt on your tongue and then it breaks and all of this goodness bursts into your mouth. It’s amazing.”
    “Really?” He smiled, his blue eyes sparkling with interest. “The next time I go to a wedding I’ll have to pay better attention to the mints. The way you describe them, they sound delicious.”
    “They are and you should.” She smiled as she swallowed a bite of food. Full, she set her plate on the coffee table. “I had a whole bag with me, but accidentally left them in Salt Lake City, where I stayed the night before continuing my trip out here.
    “So, you’re out?” His face went mock serious.
    Maya punched him lightly in the arm. “It’s terrible, I tell you. I’ve been heartbroken not to have them.”
    He chuckled and they continued looking at photos. She also told him about the homeless man, Frankie who’d taught her to play guitar. Jackson said he could play a couple of songs and that they should do a duet for the end of summer fair. She thought that sounded fun, but didn’t commit. He needed to find a wife and that meant he might be in a serious relationship by then.
    All the while, the two of them looked at photos. Maya even edited some. She thought he would get bored, but he appeared to like watching her edit, as much as she liked doing it. He even asked questions about why she chose to highlight one part while softening another. His favorite was the one she’d taken where a bumblebee hovered above a daisy.
    “It’s as though I can hear it buzzing while seeing its wings moving, and smell the scent of the daisy,” he said.
    “Then that means I’ve done my job.” Maya stifled a yawn. She was tired. It’d been a long day, but she was having such a wonderful time chatting with Jackson.
    Jackson noticed and glanced at the time. “I had no idea how late it’d gotten. I’ve kept you