Page 48 of Her Cowboy Blind Date

She chewed on the beef and their conversation topic. Her thoughts on Solomon and his lust problem hadn’t changed. There were parallels between Solomon and Logan. Both men were rich and influential. Logan had women throwing themselves at him, but that didn’t mean he had to engage and indulge their desire for intimacy. He’d chosen celibacy during his recovery. He acknowledged that women were a temptation that could derail his sobriety.

Becky swallowed her mouthful of stroganoff. Slowly. Buying time. “I’m too busy with the play.”

“Okay. What about you, Cindy?”

Cindy shook her head. “I’m good. I’ve already passed that subject.”

He turned to Becky. “After Easter, we could talk about our essays.”

“Probably not.” Definitely not. When would he listen? “My schedule is pretty full.”

Cindy folded her arms across her torso. “Becky is dating my cousin. They spend a lot of time together, and that will likely continue after Easter.”

Corey drank his iced tea, his cheeks ballooning.

Becky widened her eyes. She’d be cranky if he sprayed a mouthful of soda across the table.

He swallowed, his face flushed. “Are you serious about this guy?”

She nodded. “Sam is the only guy I’m interested in dating.” It was the truth.

“Will you change your mind?” he asked.

“No. I don’t know if we can be friends if you have a problem with Sam.”

Corey’s flushed face deepened into fire engine red territory. “I like you, Becky. A lot. But I accept we can only be friends.”

“Thank you.” This conversation with Corey was hard work. She prayed Corey would direct his romantic interest elsewhere. Find someone suitable for him.

Sam was the man who’d captured Becky’s interest. The man she thought about kissing, until she remembered why that was a bad idea. But she could dream about a happily-ever-after with Sam, even if it was unlikely to happen in real life.

* * *

The following week, Sam pressed end on a phone call from the hospital ER where Mom worked. She’d complained of a headache and collapsed during her shift. Her blood pressure had spiked, and they were running tests. Please, Lord, help the doctors work out what’s going on with Mom’s health.

Fridays were usually his shortest workday. He’d started work at a ranch near Gilead early this morning, knowing he had enough maintenance work to keep him busy until mid-afternoon. He’d call his boss and reschedule the routine work at Walker Ridge Ranch. Mom needed him.

He headed for the stables and spotted a familiar face. Noah had scored the role of Loginus, a centurion in the play. Sam explained his family situation to Noah and returned to his truck. He repacked his tools, double-checking he hadn’t forgotten anything. He was thankful he’d packed a boxed lunch this morning and could make the ninety-minute drive to the hospital without a food detour.

He switched on the engine and called Dad. No answer. The hospital had said they’d tried Dad first, since he was Mom’s first emergency contact, and couldn’t get through to him. Dad was on a new med that he’d claimed made him sleepy in the mornings. Maybe he’d slept through the phone calls.

Sam turned onto the highway and drove back toward Gilead. Of course, the ranch was on the side of town that was furthest away from Mom. The minutes ticked by and he hit traffic as he navigated his way through the busy town center to the hospital parking lot. At least he found a parking space that accommodated his truck.

He collected his lunch from the passenger seat and walked to the ER entrance. The lady at the reception desk directed him to an exam room. It was empty, the bed missing. A nurse let him know Mom was having scans done.

Sam made himself comfortable in a plastic chair and started on lunch. Better to eat now, in case Mom was feeling nauseous.

He sent Cindy a short text. Within seconds she called him.

“Sam, what’s happening?”

“Mom’s having tests. Can you let your parents know?”

“Of course. Mom will probably drive over and stay with your folks. Is your dad with you?”

“No. He’s not answering the phone.”

“I hope he’s okay.”

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