Page 18 of Her Cowboy Blind Date

Sam greeted everyone then pointed at Becky’s face. “Sunglasses at night.”

She grinned. “It beats onion tears.”

“Why not use bagged chopped onion from the store?”

“Nope. I avoid precut. It’s cheaper to chop the fruit and veggies myself, and it’s easy enough.”

He nodded. “I’ll be back soon.”

Lori turned on an oven and set the timer. “Joe and I have a few things to do. We’ll be back shortly for dessert.”

Cindy nodded. “No problem. I’ll watch the apple pie.”

Sam returned indoors and placed a cardboard box on the kitchen counter.

“What’s in here?” Cindy looked inside. “Veggies.”

“Your mom asked me to pick up a few things from Bed of Greens.”

“How thoughtful. Thank you.” Cindy turned to Becky. “Last summer was dry, and Mom cut back on what she grew.”

She nodded. “Thanks, Sam. Would you like to join our big cook up?”

He raised his hands. “I’m not good in the kitchen.”

Cindy chuckled. “What he’s trying to say is he doesn’t knowingly eat vegetables and probably couldn’t even name everything in the box.”

“Oh.” She flipped her sunglasses on her head and narrowed her eyes. “You really don’t eat veggies?”

“I eat fries.” He filled a bowl with a generous serving of beef stew and pulled out a stool at the island.

“Who doesn’t, lol. Fries don’t count.” She scraped a pile of sliced onion onto a plate and started chopping bell peppers.

“They should count.” He ate a mouthful of stew. “There’s vegetables in the stew. I can taste beef, which is what matters.”

Becky shook her head. “You’re missing out. Veggies are delicious and full of important nutrients.”

He shrugged. “Mom isn’t a great cook. Years of soggy and tasteless vegetables turned me off for life.”

Cindy picked out beets from the box. “My aunt has worked long hours nursing for as long as I can remember. No time for cooking.”

“That’s true.” Sam ate another mouthful of stew. “Mom often worked night shift. Box mac and cheese was an easy option.”

Blech. Becky’s stomach churned but she stayed quiet, holding her tongue in check. Who was she to judge? Money hadn’t been a problem at home. Dad’s lucrative career as a surgeon, combined with inherited money, had given Mum choices. Mum chose not to return to work after Zach was born.

Mum had considered homeschooling when Kelly was in trouble and running with the wrong crowd. Becky had factored in homeschooling as a good reason for obtaining teaching qualifications, even if she’d never work in a classroom.

Sam finished his stew, almost scraping the bowl clean. “That was good.”

The oven timer beeped, and they took a break from food preparation for apple pie and ice cream. Cindy’s parents and Sam retired for the night, and the girls continued cooking.

Cindy closed the door leading to the hall. “Now we can talk. Have you made a decision about the wedding?”

She added water to the sink, chose a few potatoes, and picked up the scrubbing brush. “I’m praying about it. I learned a painful lesson last year, and I don’t want to hurt Sam.”

“How is being Sam’s plus-one going to hurt him?”

“He might think he’s happy and doesn’t want a real relationship, but what if he changes his mind?” What if she changed her mind? The tingles that led to trouble bubbled in the background whenever they were together.

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