A Rancher's Honor. Ann Roth

      Regardless of the challenges ahead, she wanted a child with all her heart. She wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass by. She grabbed her cell phone and texted the girl.

      Hi, I would love to get together. How about Big Mama’s—my treat. Tell me when and I’ll be there. Looking forward to meeting you,

      Lana

      She’d chosen Big Mama’s Café because everyone loved the restaurant’s food. Less than a minute later, Sophie texted back. Saturday @ 10?

      Gleeful, Lana replied. Sounds perfect. I’m 5’6” and have longish blond hair.

      Sophie texted. I know what u look like from yr profile and the pic in the paper. CU.

      A baby of her own!

      “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Lana cautioned out loud.

      Sophie might decide she wasn’t the right person to raise her child, and allowing herself to imagine otherwise would only set her up for heartache.

      Still, she was too excited to worry about that now, or to read the other emails. She logged in to AdoptionOption.com and checked Sophie’s profile. The girl was sixteen and a junior at Jupiter High School on the far side of town. She had short hair, dyed white-blond with neon-pink streaks and bangs that fell into big, soulful eyes lined in thick eye pencil. Despite the alternative look, she was very pretty, and Lana guessed that the baby would be beautiful.

      “She’s not the mother of my child yet,” she reminded herself.

      Not that it calmed her down. Laughing, she danced around the room while she speed-dialed Kate. After three rings, her friend answered.

      “It’s happened,” Lana said, skipping the usual pleasantries.

      “You have a blind date, too? Ugh. You know that sewing circle my mom belongs to? That’s where it happened. I cannot believe she went behind my back and fixed me up with her friend’s sister’s son. That sounds like a really bad joke, doesn’t it? Too bad it’s real. Save me, please.”

      The whole thing did sound awful. Lana’s mother had her faults, but she wouldn’t set up a blind date without first checking with Lana. Bonus points for her. “You never know,” Lana said. “It could work out.”

      “With the son of the sister of some woman in my mom’s sewing circle? Puh-leeze. You said it happened. Don’t tell me Sly finally found you.”

      “He did, but this is about a baby. Tonight I got an email from a pregnant girl who saw the article on TLD in the paper.” Lana squeezed her eyes shut and squealed. “She wants to meet me.”

      “Wow, that’s great. But back up a minute. Did you say that Sly found you? I knew he would! Why didn’t you phone me?” Kate sounded hurt.

      “Because it happened late this afternoon, and I haven’t had a chance to call until now.”

      “I want details.”

      “Okay, but first let me fill you in about Sophie—the pregnant girl.”

      “Believe me, I want to hear all about her. After you spill on what happened with Sly.”

      Realizing Kate wouldn’t let up until she got the information she wanted, Lana threw up her hand. “All right, but there isn’t much to say. He read my business profile in the paper. That’s how he learned where I work.”

      “That piece was terrific, by the way, and look at the results you’re already seeing. A pregnant girl contacts you and Sly shows up at the day care. Why can’t they run an article about me in the paper?”

      “Start your own business and it just might happen.”

      “I like managing the Treasures Gift Shop at Prosperity Falls just fine, thanks. Back to Sly. What did he say, and what did you say?”

      “He apologized for leaving the morning after without a goodbye.” He’d seemed so sincere and contrite that Lana had almost melted. “And he brought me a copy of the newspaper article.”

      “What a sweetheart. When are you two going out?”

      “He didn’t ask me out,” Lana said. “I never had a chance to find out his last name or anything else about him. He was only interested in kissing me.”

      “Ooh. Did you let him?”

      “Of course not.” But Lana had wanted to. Badly.

      “Are you crazy? If you don’t want to kiss Sly Whatever-his-last-name-is, send him my way.”

      “Ha, ha, ha. I didn’t let him kiss me because he’s only interested in one thing.”

      “I thought you liked doing that one thing with him.”

      Lana gritted her teeth. “You’re not helping, Kate. I don’t want a sex-only relationship. I want more than that.” Especially now, when she just might have a chance at a baby....

      She wanted a relationship based on shared mutual interests and honest conversation, things that formed a basis for something that lasted. True, those very things had failed to hold her marriage together, but that was because Brent had found her lacking.

      “But he’s so darned hot,” Kate said. “And he seemed very into you that night....”

      She was right on both counts. Sly had seemed just as into Lana today, but not in the way she wanted. “If he was that interested, he’d have at least asked for my phone number.”

      “You mean, he didn’t?”

      “Nope. Unfortunately, his attraction to me is purely sexual.”

      “Bummer,” Kate said. “Just once, I’d like to meet a man interested in getting to know me before he tries to jump my bones. You keep saying he’s out there. If he is, I sure haven’t met him.”

      “Yeah, well, I haven’t found my Mr. Right, either.” Lana had thought she had with Brent, but he’d turned out to be Mr. Wrong instead. “Wouldn’t it be funny if your blind date turns out to be ‘the one’?”

      Kate snorted. “Don’t hold your breath. Now tell me about the pregnant girl.”

      “Her name is Sophie, and we’re meeting Saturday at Big Mama’s. I’m treating her to brunch.”

      “How exciting! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Good luck.”

      “Do you think I need luck?” Lana bit her lip.

      “It’s just a figure of speech. Be yourself, and Sophie will love you, like everyone else who knows you.”

      More than anything in the world, Lana hoped her friend was right.

      * * *

      “SO, LANA, HOW long have you and Sly been dating?” Amy asked when she arrived to pick up Courtney on Wednesday afternoon.

      Amy was a great mom, but as Sly had pointed out the other day, she was also a big gossip. Lana was glad that her two assistants had gone home for the day and that only she, Amy and another mom named Sheila were at the day care. “Actually, we’re not dating,” she said.

      Amy lifted a skeptical eyebrow. “Sly sure didn’t stop by yesterday to pick up a child. He doesn’t have kids of his own, or any nieces or nephews that I’m aware of. He said he was here to see you.”

      In the act of helping her four-year-old son with his jacket, Sheila widened her eyes. “You must be talking about Sly Pettit. He was here?”

      Amy grinned. “In the flesh.”

      Wait. Sly Pettit—the rancher who was suing Cousin Tim? Lana tried not to show her shock.

      “What’s wrong, Lana?” Sheila asked.

      “I’m just surprised that you both know him.”

      “We certainly