Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Epilogue

      Chapter One

      He was the one.

      Megan Ford nibbled on her bottom lip as she stared at the dusty cowboy leaning against the feed-store counter. She’d heard Mr. James, the store owner, call him by name, confirming his identity.

      Richard Astin.

      Her mother’s friends had recommended him.

      If she weren’t so desperate… But she was. Time was of the essence.

      “Well, hello, there, Megan. What can I do for you?” Mr. James called out, having finally seen her in the dim shadows of the store.

      “Good afternoon, Mr. James.” She remembered he’d gone to school with her mother and treated her as if she were a favorite niece even though she’d only met him a month ago.

      The cowboy turned around to glance at her, and she sucked in a deep breath. He might appear tired, dirty and down-at-the-heels, but he was good-looking. Maybe he wasn’t as perfect for her plans as she’d thought. But she didn’t have any other candidates.

      She stepped forward and extended her hand to the stranger. “I don’t think I’ve met you. I’m Megan Ford.”

      “Sorry, I should’ve introduced you,” Mr. James said. “This here is Richard Astin. We call him Rick. He’s got a smart little spread outside of town.”

      She smiled politely. “How nice.”

      His eyebrows raised over his warm brown eyes. “Yeah. Are you ranching in the area?”

      She shook her head. “No, I’m a nurse. I work for the doctors.” She didn’t need to give their names. Dr. Greenfield had been the only doctor in the west Texas town of Cactus for a number of years. He’d recently taken in a partner, Samantha Gibbons. She’d married one of the local men last summer.

      The cowboy didn’t look terribly interested in her history. Even better.

      Turning back to Mr. James, the cowboy finished his business and started to go, tipping his hat at her as he strode past.

      She wanted to grab his sleeve, to stop his departure, but she certainly didn’t want to conduct a conversation in front of Mr. James. That would never do.

      With a quick nod in the older man’s direction, she followed Richard Astin outside.

      “Mr. Astin?” she called out. He’d covered a lot of territory in the two minutes he’d been out of her sight and was now standing at the door of an old pickup.

      “Yes, ma’am?”

      In the sunlight, though his gaze was shaded by his cowboy hat, the strong planes of his face were visible, making Megan hesitate. He wouldn’t be easy to manipulate.

      She drew a deep breath. It was now or never. “Could I have a word with you?”

      RICHARD ASTIN stared at the pretty woman on the porch of the feed store.

      Not another one.

      He’d thought he was safe here in Cactus. The eight months since he’d moved here had been the happiest of his life. The good people of Cactus took a man at face value…and left him to live in peace.

      Well, most of them. The Matchmakers weren’t quite as good about staying out of a man’s life. But he’d found them amusing. The four women had gotten their sons married, with children on the way. Then they had started looking for fresh bait. But lately they’d left him alone.

      “Yes, ma’am? Talk to me about what?” He didn’t budge. She could come to him. Maybe there was another dance and the ladies had sent her over to lure him to it.

      His left eyebrow was raised as he recognized distress on her face. Those blue eyes of hers appeared wary and she was nibbling on her full bottom lip.

      She took one step toward him, and stopped. “It’s…it’s personal.”

      He dipped his head down so she wouldn’t see his grin. He wondered which matchmaker had put her up to approaching him. He’d have to tell them that she didn’t know much about flirting.

      Looking up, he said, “Can’t be too personal. We just met.”

      “Could I buy you a cup of coffee?”

      Now she was tempting him. He’d never learned to make good coffee. The instant kind he made each morning was only a mockery of the fragrant coffee he loved. “Where?”

      His question seemed to throw her. She should’ve planned better. He could give her pointers, from his past experiences, but why help the enemy?

      “At the drugstore?”

      He deliberately looked at his watch. No point in letting her think she’d roped him in. “I’ve got five minutes to spare.”

      Her chin rose. “Then we’d better walk fast,” she retorted and turned on her heel to head down the sidewalk in the direction of Brockmeier’s Drugstore.

      Rick chuckled under his breath. At least she had some spirit. She’d been so hesitant at first, he’d thought she was timid.