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

wrong, Maya used her ankle as an excuse to leave early. On their way out, they were invited to a picnic for that afternoon and included the whole town. Aunt Patty seemed excited about going. Maya smiled with her, but didn’t say yes. She needed to get home and regroup.
    Seeing Jackson with another woman had affected her to an extent she couldn’t comprehend. It upset her. How had her heart already laid claim to the man. She barely knew him. As she went down the aisle, Jackson saw her and their eyes met, but Maya quickly looked away, pushing herself outside, desperate for some air.
    On the drive home, she was quiet. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to take any pictures of your place yet. If you have time to show me around, I’d love to get started tomorrow.” Maya smiled at her aunt.
    “No rush, sweetie. We can take it slow.” She kept her eyes on the road, but produced a huge smile. “But, I can’t wait for you to see it. I think you’re going to love it.”
    Her aunt’s smile was infectious. “I’m sure I will.” She crossed her arms, staring out the window. In the distance were the mountains, all vibrant greens and colorful flowers. She had an urge to go hiking, but knew that wouldn’t happen any time soon. She turned back to her aunt. “I usually like to take a lot of pictures. The more I take, the more likely it’ll be that I can get the flawless image I’m looking for. Will you be all right with me moving things around? For example I might move a chair, a pillow, or a picture frame? Or would you prefer I leave things as is and go with that?”
    “Do whatever you need to do, Maya. I’ve seen your photos and trust your instincts and artistic vision. What I’m looking for are photos that tell potential guests that my bed and breakfast will provide the perfect place for pampering, romance, bliss, an adventure, and luxury. I want them to feel like royalty without the huge price tag. Luxury on a budget.”
    Maya nodded. “What I’m hearing is your bed and breakfast is magical and I need to bring it to life with my pictures.”
    “Can you do that?”
    “Yes, I can.” Maya felt confident she could and was looking forward to starting. “Is the restaurant up and running?”
    “The chef and his staff are usually there during the day trying out and refining recipes.” She pulled off the highway and onto their street.
    Maya noticed for the first time that it had a street sign. “Palace Street. Did you have to buy that? Is it official?” Maya thought that was neat and would get a picture of that as well.
    “Yep, it all became official at the last town meeting.” She drove past the extraordinary Palace and around to the back, past the barn, and the pond to the cottages where she parked in front of hers. “Why don’t you get some rest and I’ll come by right before the picnic to see if you want to go.”
    “Sounds like a plan.” Maya kissed her aunt on the cheek before getting out. As she started up the steps she noticed a box with the bright yellow bow around it. She glanced over at her aunt, thinking it was a present from her, but her aunt had already gone inside. She picked up the box and took it inside, placing it on the counter. There was a card under the bow. She pulled it out and opened it. It simply said, Use these to protect against snakes.
    Maya searched both sides of the card for a name, but there wasn’t one. The handwriting could be male or female. She set the card aside and opened the box. Inside was a pair of butter yellow cowboy boots. The leather was soft and the white thread had been stitched into daisies with a bumblebee near the toe of each boot. They were beautiful. She instantly knew they were from Jackson and wondered how he’d been able to have them made so quickly. Tears threatened as a lovely warm feeling enveloped her.
    The man really did have a lion heart.
    Once she returned home, she tried to rest, but it didn’t happen. Maya tossed and turned. Her thoughts