Page 21 of Her Cowboy Blind Date

He blew out a long breath. The world is your oyster. Mom’s favorite saying, despite her seafood allergy. She’d encouraged him to spread his wings and live the life God had planned.

Sam didn’t want to stay in Gilead. His history with Miley had made everything awkward. He didn’t want to move to the town where Dad’s family lived. Too close to the city. Too far to commute and continue with farm mechanic work.

Uncle Joe kept his gaze on the fence line. “Becky seems like a nice girl.”

“She is, and she’s Cindy’s friend.” He’d spend the weekend reinforcing this fact.

“I heard you took her out on a date a few days ago.”

“We spent an hour at Heavenly Brew. We’re friends.”

His uncle rode closer to the fence. “Something has tried to get through here.”

“The fence is holding.” The ground was freshly dug on the other side. He couldn’t see animal tracks.

Uncle Joe pulled out his phone and took a few photos. “I’ll get one of the boys to check in here on Monday.”

“I can check it Monday morning. My cousins might want the day off.”

“Good point. I’ll send you the photos and map coordinates.”

“That works.” He could ask Becky if she’d like to go horse riding. During lunch, Cindy had filled him in on their dinner conversation last night. Becky claimed to have horse riding skills, and he was curious. The more time he spent with her, the more likely she was to agree to be his plus-one. That was his theory, and he was sticking to it.

“About Becky.” His uncle looked him straight in the eye. “She seems smitten with ranch life.”

“Smitten.” Really? Who used that word to describe a ranch?

“Lori’s description. If you aren’t interested in her, she has ideas of marrying Becky off to one of the boys.”

“Hang on. Who’s talking about marriage?” He wasn’t sure how he felt about the idea of one of his cousins dating Becky. She was cute, and they’d likely fight over her.

Uncle Joe chuckled. “You know what women are like. Becky has cooked up a storm with Cindy, filling the freezer with gourmet food.”

He shook his head. “Cindy set us up on a blind date. Becky is thinking about being my plus-one for Pete and Emma’s wedding.”

“I hope she says yes.”

“Why? How do you know about the wedding?”

“Your aunt talks. We aren’t Miley fans, and Becky would be helpful in keeping her away. A good result.”

“Becky’s going home to Australia in a few months.”

His uncle grinned. “Keep an open mind. Good women who love the Lord aren’t a dime a dozen.”

He nodded. He’d made a mistake in thinking Miley was a woman of strong faith. He wouldn’t make that same mistake twice. Becky had him pinned in the friend zone, and that suited him.

“Becky could adapt to ranch life. Or you could explore Australia. The ranch isn’t your only option.”

Ranch life, and this land, had invisible strings pulling him closer. He could build a future here with support from Mom’s family. Provide a place for Mom to stay when she visited. Build a house where Dad might stay for longer than a few nights over Christmas. He couldn’t picture Becky being happy on a ranch. He prayed God would open the door to his destiny and lead him into a future within His will.

* * *

On Monday morning, Becky sat in a chair on the veranda and pulled on the cowboy boots she’d borrowed from Cindy. She’d meet Sam at the stables soon and join him for a morning ride. During breakfast, she’d declined a serving of grits. Who knew why Sam liked grits, but didn’t like vegetables? She’d enjoyed Canadian bacon and eggs with sourdough toast. A family breakfast that reminded her of home. The whole weekend reminded her of home.

After breakfast, Cindy and her mom began planning an upcoming family birthday celebration. Cindy had aunts, uncles, and cousins all over Colorado and Kansas.

Cindy and Lori had encouraged Becky to make the most of an opportunity to go riding with Sam before returning to Gilead this afternoon. It almost felt like a setup. It probably was a tactic to push them together. She suspected Cindy had inherited her matchmaking streak from her mother.

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