Claiming the Rancher's Heart

“Great.” Anna smiled. “We’ll see you at eight.”

With their business concluded, the two women turned and headed for the door, admiring looks following in their wake.

“Should be interesting,” Seth said.

“What?”

Seth grinned. “I knew you weren’t listening.”

It wasn’t the smile that worried Josh; it was the gleam in Seth’s eye. A sinking feeling filled the pit of Josh’s stomach. “Tell me.”

“Anna wants me to round up some more guys for the survey,” Seth said. “Most ranchers from the area will be at the dance tonight. I promised I’d ask around.”

A rush of relief flowed through Josh. For a second, he’d let his imagination soar. “So all we have to do is recruit?”

“That’s all I have to do,” Seth said. “You have a different assignment.”

Josh stilled. Why did he have the uneasy feeling the other shoe was about to drop? “Which is?”

“You’re escorting Stacie to the dance.” Seth motioned to the waitress for more coffee. “When the guys see how good your match turned out, Anna figures they’ll want one of their own.”

“This doesn’t feel right.” Stacie stared in the mirror and frowned. Dressed in blue jeans and a long-sleeved shirt with pearl snaps, she looked more like an extra in a Hollywood Western than a stylish twenty-first-century woman.

“I knew it.” Anna’s gaze dropped to Stacie’s feet, to the Tony Lamas they’d picked up in town. “I thought you should have gone up a half size—”

“They fit fine.” Stacie hastened to reassure her. If boots were indeed de rigueur for country dances, she’d found her fashion statement. The pink crunch goats had been the prettiest the Montana Western store had to offer.

“O-kay.” Anna tilted her head, confusion clouding her blue eyes. “If it’s not the boots, what doesn’t fit?”

All the misgivings that had been plaguing Stacie since she first heard Anna’s plan surged forth. “Me. Josh. This going-to-the-dance-together bit. I don’t want to do it.”

Anna’s eyes widened as though this was the first she’d heard of Stacie’s misgivings. Which didn’t make sense, considering they’d been having this discussion off and on since Anna dropped the bombshell in the café. Frankly she’d been stunned when Josh agreed to the plan. When he’d taken her home after their first—and only—date, it had been clear to both of them that a romance wasn’t going to work.

“I thought you liked him.” Anna sounded hurt. As if Stacie was dissing her friend.

“I told you before…Josh is a wonderful guy.” Stacie dropped on the bed and heaved a heavy sigh. “But he’s not the man for me. And this—” she fingered the collar of her cowgirl shirt “—this isn’t me.”

For a moment Anna didn’t say anything. Then she sashayed across the room, the rhinestones in her jean skirt glittering in the light. Once she reached the bed, she plopped down next to Stacie. “I’m not saying you have to stay in Sweet River and marry the guy. Just go to the dance with him. Have some fun.”

“Going as his date just seems so…” Stacie struggled to find the words that would convey her feelings without insulting her friend.

Anna met her gaze. “Deceitful?”

Stacie nodded, relieved that Anna finally understood. “We were matched, but we aren’t a couple.”

“I believe,” Anna pressed a finger to her lips, a contemplative look on her face, “you’re thinking too hard.”

Stacie blinked, stunned. It was the type of dismissive response she usually got from her family…as if she were too stupid to understand. She expected it from them, not from her roommate.

She lifted her chin, but when she met Anna’s gaze, there was no condescension in the liquid blue depths.

“Why do you think most of the guys filled out the survey?” Anna asked when she remained silent.

“Because your brother made ‘em.”

“Good answer.” Anna smiled. “Why else?”

“Because they’re lonely and looking for their soul mates.”

“Perhaps,” Anna conceded. “Why else?”

Stacie shifted under Anna’s expectant stare.

“Marriage or even a long-term relationship isn’t really what Lauren’s study is about,” Anna explained.

“It’s not?” Stacie couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice. Though Lauren’s dissertation topic wasn’t fixed in her mind, she’d been sure the bottom line was matchmaking.

“You and Josh have a lot in common, right?”

Stacie thought for a moment. “I like to cook. He likes to eat.”

Anna’s lips twitched. “What else?”

“We both love animals,” Stacie added, warming to the topic. “And he’s easy to talk to.”

“You enjoyed his company,” Anna said matter-of-factly. “He enjoyed yours.”

Stacie nodded. She couldn’t deny it. In fact, when Josh had driven her home that night, he’d taken the long way, giving them more time to talk. He hadn’t been uncomfortable, despite what happened. And though he hadn’t kissed her again, the look in his eyes had told her he wanted to…

“Some guys are looking for a wife.” Anna stood and moved to the mirror, pulling her long blond hair up in a ponytail before letting it drop back down. “But a lot of them would be satisfied with simply meeting someone who enjoys their company. Someone to go out with and have a good time. Someone to be their friend and take the edge off their loneliness.”

Stacie took a moment to digest Anna’s words. She thought back to her evening with Josh. She’d had fun and knew he had, too. Maybe that was enough.

“Okay. I’ll do it,” Stacie said reluctantly, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake. “I’ll do it. But I refuse to wear a hat. And square dancing is absolutely out.”

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