Page 3 of Her Cowboy Blind Date

Sam nodded. “A good thing you did. Thanks again, and have a good day.” He waved goodbye to the maintenance guy and headed for the door. His truck was parked a few blocks up the street, and he welcomed the fresh air after being trapped indoors.

His phone rang and he glanced at the screen. Cindy. He’d better take the call or she’d be calling him back all afternoon.

“Hey, Sam.” Cindy’s bright greeting boomed in his ear. “How’s your day been?”

“Good, but I’m running late for my next job.” He headed along the sidewalk, waving to the people he knew along the way. Talking to Cindy would help him reach his truck faster than having to stop and talk to half the town.

“That doesn’t sound like you. What happened?”

“Nothing much.” He refused to tell his cousin about the pretty girl in the elevator, adding more fuel to Cindy’s matchmaking ideas. Pretty girl was probably in a relationship. He should forget he met her. That would be the sensible way to handle their brief encounter. If only he was feeling sensible.

“You still there?” Cindy asked.

“Yeah, I’m crossing Main Street a block from my truck. Is there a reason you’re calling?”

“There is a reason.” Cindy coughed and cleared her throat. “Have you given any more thought to my blind date suggestion?”

“Seriously, Cindy. Can you let it go?”

“No, I can’t. You have that wedding to attend on Easter Saturday. Miley will be there with Matt — her new husband.”

Her words were jarring and headache inducing. He’d been out of town with Dad’s family for Thanksgiving weekend when Matt and Miley had tied the knot.

“Sam, are you listening to me? You can’t avoid Miley now she’s Pete’s sister-in-law.”

“Yeah.” Sam let out a long breath, and sucked in another deep breath, quickening his pace. He didn’t need to be reminded over and over that his high school sweetheart had married Pete’s older brother. Sam had tried to decline Pete’s invitation to be a groomsman. Tried and failed. He hoped Pete would listen and understand why it would be awkward.

“Sam, are you ignoring me?”

“Calm down.” Cindy’s harping was worse than Mom’s, who’d dropped a few dozen hints on his need for a wife and Mom’s need for grandbabies during their Christmas and New Year break at the ranch. The downside of being an only child — all the pressure for grandchildren fell on his shoulders. Between Mom, Cindy, and his aunt, he’d been relieved to end his twenty-fifth birthday family celebrations and drive home to Gilead, alone. “Pete and Emma’s wedding is three months away —”

“And that time will fly by fast and you won’t have a date for the wedding.”

“Cindy, it’s not going to happen. I’ll go to the wedding by myself. It’ll be fine.”

“Nothing about this situation is fine. A girl on your arm at that wedding will stop the tongues wagging and smooth over the situation. You’ll show the world you’ve moved on, and everyone will be happy.”

Everyone except Sam. He couldn’t start dating any of the single girls at church in good conscience, knowing he was moving to the ranch. His new plan to either transfer to a new job in Colorado or set up his own farm mechanic business would mean working away from the ranch for long stretches of time. A wife didn’t figure in his plans. “This mythical girl you keep talking about isn’t going to suddenly turn up in Gilead at the right time. I think you’re dreaming.”

“I know you’re wrong because I’ve found the girl.”

“What? You’re joking, right?”

“No. I’ve been sounding her out and I think she’s perfect for you.”

“I don’t want to get married —”

“Who’s talking about getting married? She’s our age, and she’s smart and attractive and fun to be around.”

He reached his truck and beeped it open. “If that’s true, then why isn’t she in a relationship? She sounds too good to be true.”

“She’s a city girl from Sydney, Australia, and she has a fabulous accent. And I know you love listening to Aussies talk.”

That was a truth he couldn’t deny. “What’s an Aussie girl like her doing in small-town Kansas?”

“Studying at Gilead Bible College with me. She’s in my dorm, and we’ve become good friends.”

He opened the door of his truck. “Good for you, Cindy. This is a bad idea —”