The Cowboy's Accidental Baby. Marin Thomas

      “Where are you going?” Amelia asked.

      “To the library to do research.”

      “In an hour I’m meeting with the Stampede Chamber of Commerce to discuss other ideas for the town.”

      Lydia hoped her design skills weren’t needed for those plans or she’d be stuck in Stampede forever. “I’ll see you later.” She drove over to the old Woolworth building and parked in the lot. She studied the back of the structure but couldn’t find any trace of Gunner’s graffiti drawing from years ago. The smell of fried eggs and sausage from the Cattle Drive Café followed her down the flight of stairs to the basement.

      The librarian’s desk sat empty when Lydia walked into the room, so she wandered around, searching for books, magazines or journals that would inspire decorating ideas. After striking out, she connected the laptop to the free Wi-Fi and began Googling. Two hours later and suffering from information overload, she took a break to check her email.

      Lydia was in between projects after finishing a redesign of a loft apartment for a newlywed couple in downtown Madison. She’d submitted ideas for a bedroom makeover to Mrs. Higginson two weeks ago but hadn’t heard back. She sent the woman a follow-up email asking if she had any questions or concerns about the ideas, then logged in to SavvyMatch.com—a dating site “for practical people looking for the perfect match.”

      While the site loaded, she thought of Gunner. Her gut insisted there wasn’t an ounce of practical in his DNA. Men like Gunner were so far off her radar they might as well live on the moon. Lydia was searching for a guy who wanted the same things she did. A home in the suburbs, a minivan and at least two kids—because she’d hated being an only child.

      Her profile popped up with three heart icons next to her photo. She clicked on the first heart and Jonathan001 appeared on the screen. He was thirty-four. A construction engineer—his profession complemented hers more than a bronc-busting cowboy’s did. Jonathan had never been married. He lived in Middleton—a suburb of Madison. His hobbies included bicycling, hiking and golf. So far the man was batting a hundred. She pictured Gunner wearing spandex biking shorts and a cowboy hat, and then her imagination switched out the shorts for a pair of salmon-colored golf pants—no way would Gunner be caught dead wearing the outfits.

      Jonathan had a nice smile, but she wished he’d taken off the riding helmet he wore in his picture so she could see if he was hiding a receding hairline. Gunner had a thick head of shaggy hair in need of a trim. Lydia’s gaze zeroed in on the front of Jonathan’s spandex shorts—Mother Nature hadn’t left him well endowed. Gunner probably had more than he knew what to do with.

      Before she opened the second heart icon on her profile page, her stomach gurgled with hunger. She sniffed the air and caught the smell of grilled hamburgers and frying bacon. She checked the time on her phone and was surprised she’d been at the library almost three hours. She collected her things and returned upstairs to the café.

      “Seat yourself, honey!” the waitress called out.

      Lydia slid into a booth and perused the laminated menu.

      “Name’s Dolly. You passing through town or here visiting someone?” The redhead placed a glass of water on the table.

      “Visiting. I’m Lydia Canter.” She offered her hand. “Amelia Rinehart is my great-aunt.”

      “Well, I’ll be. Welcome to Stampede.”

      “Thank you.”

      “Bart’s in the kitchen today and he can’t cook a decent hamburger if his life depended on it. If I were you, I’d order a grilled cheese.”

      “That sounds good, thanks.”

      “Can I get you anything else to drink?”

      “Water is fine.”

      “Be back in a jiffy.”

      Lydia opened her laptop, pulled up the dating site again and studied Jonathan’s image. She considered the men her college girlfriends had married and none of them were sex gods. They were good, decent, caring guys and Lydia needed to keep that in mind when she perused the profiles. She wanted to be attracted to the man she married, but more important, she wanted him to stick by her side through good times and bad.

      “If I’d known you were into spandex, I’d have worn tights today.”

      Lydia glanced over her shoulder, her head almost bumping into Gunner’s nose. How long had he been peeking over her shoulder?

      He sat across from her in the booth. “Is that the type of guy who turns you on?”

      “If you mean educated and mature, then yes.”

      “You can do better.”

      “Really?” She clicked on the second heart icon and spun the computer toward him. “What about this one?”

      Gunner studied the photo, then shook his head. “Nope.”

      “I thought for sure he’d pass inspection because he’s wearing jeans.”

      “You need—”

      “I’m not interested in your dating advice.”

      “You should be. I have a lot of experience in picking out top-of-the-line models.”

      “By top-of-the-line I’m sure you mean brainless.”

      “The ladies I court don’t need brains. They have other assets that endear them to me.”

      Lydia scoffed. “You’re afraid of intelligent, independent women, aren’t you?”

      “I’d love to date a beauty with brains, but those women are too demanding.”

      “And you’re Mr. Laid-Back?”

      “Life’s too short to be serious all the time.” He pointed at her. “Take you for example. You have workaholic written all over you.”

      “I own a business. I have to work hard to stay afloat.”

      “I thought your parents were wealthy. Aren’t they lawyers or judges or something?”

      “Lawyers, and just because they make a comfortable living, doesn’t mean they want to support their grown daughter forever.”

      “Since you’re busy with your—” he nodded to the laptop “—dating business right now—” he flashed a grin “—let’s hold off on the renovations. There’s a rodeo I’d like to enter this weekend.”

      “There’s plenty to do around the property to prepare for the remodel.”

      “Like what?”

      “Empty the Dumpster in the back and arrange to donate the furniture in the rooms to a charity.”

      “That’s a couple of phone calls. Consider that done today.” He waved his hand. “What else?”

      His boyish smile messed with her train of thought and she couldn’t recall what else was on her to-do list, so she changed the subject. “I doubt you’re interested, but we’ve got a theme for the motel.”

      “A theme?”

      “Each room will represent a Western movie.”

      “That sounds stupid.”

      “I was hoping you’d say that.”

      “You were?”

      She smiled. “If you think it’s ridiculous, then I know it’s a great idea.”

      * * *

      “WELL?” LYDIA WRUNG her hands as she waited for her aunt’s opinion Saturday morning. After she’d run into Gunner at the café in town on Wednesday, she’d spent the rest of the week tweaking her designs.

      “Movie-themed rooms.” Amelia adjusted her glasses and peered at the