Page 68 of Her Cowboy Blind Date

“I’m here now.” She accepted the bottle of water Sam had collected on her behalf. This man. In little ways, he did big things. “I detoured to chat with Logan.”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s doing fine. He updated me on the situation in Australia.”

“The situation you don’t want to talk about.” His mouth flattened in the direction of a frown, the only clue that Sam wasn’t happy.

“Can we talk at the ranch?” The moment of truth.

“Okay.” He glanced at his phone. “We’re on. Let’s get moving.”

His one-word answer gave her hope, deflating her anxiety like a limp balloon. She valued his gift of time.

The performance commenced, and she switched into autopilot, working with Sam to move the props on and off stage. They made a good team. Could their teamwork transition into a lasting marriage?

She could recite many of the actors’ lines. She’d watched them give their all and woo the audience. She prayed the audience had eyes and ears open to Jesus. She prayed her own focus would remain on Jesus. Something she’d failed to do after the Logan story had dropped.

Sam was polite, but he was more reserved than usual. He’d taken a mental step back from their relationship, and it was all her fault. She’d pushed him away and had to bear the consequences. She didn’t know if she could navigate a future with Sam.

Becky switched her attention to the play. The Good Friday scenes at Calvary played out on the stage. She let her tears flow. She was broken. She needed salvation. She needed Jesus. She prayed for peace and His timing to work through her issues with Sam.

The performance wrapped and she found a supply of tissues backstage. The crew would start packing up the auditorium tomorrow morning. She wasn’t required to attend and looked forward to sleeping in. Mel had messaged her, wanting to talk tonight. She waved goodbye to Sam and walked back to the dorm with Cindy.

Cindy chatted nonstop, unaware of Becky’s tense situation with Sam. Becky had dodged the potentially awkward good night kiss moment with Sam outside the dorm. She had the wedding tomorrow. Sam needed her support at the wedding. No time for moping and feeling sorry for herself.

She gravitated to her cozy chair in her room. She was emotionally attached to her recliner. Maybe Sam could take her chair to the ranch when she moved out of the dorm. He could keep it. The thought of moving home was bittersweet. If only she could live in two places at once.

Becky checked the time and called Mel. She wouldn’t miss time zone math.

Mel’s face filled the screen. “Hey, lil sis. Are you okay?”

“You’re sounding like Logan.”

Her sister raised her eyebrows. “Does he call you lil sis?”

“No. He asked me tonight if I was okay.”

“Were you?”

She shook her head. “I followed him into an empty wardrobe room and we talked.”

“Bek! What are you thinking?”

“Huh. What now?”

“Hiding in a closet with Logan where people will assume you’re doing anything but talking. Are you trying to kill Dad?”

Her mouth gaped. “Is your rant over?”

Mel nodded. “You can walk into trouble without trying.”

“Without thinking is a better description.” Her impulsive tendencies might be linked to anxiety. Something to consider in her next therapy session. “I guess I haven’t made the best choices.”

“You think? Mum is baking. Dad’s driving her mad because of you and Kelly.”

“What’s Kelly done now?” She hadn’t heard from Kelly in weeks. No photos. No emails. Not even a one-word reply to her last text message.

“I don’t know the details. I think she needs money, but Dad’s run out of patience.”

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