A Cowboy Of Convenience. Stacy Henrie

      “I’ll see you at breakfast,” she said to West.

      He nodded. “Good night, Vienna.”

      “Good night.”

      She was led to a nice room on the second floor of the big house. After hearing the story of Roosevelt and the train robber, she was more than relieved to discover she was the room’s only occupant.

      Thanking her hostess, Vienna shut the door and readied for bed. It felt strange that she only had herself to care for tonight, rather than getting Hattie ready for bed, too. A wave of missing her daughter brought a lump to her throat as she knelt beside the bed to pray. She thanked the Lord for her and West’s safe arrival, for the kind welcome and hospitality of the Eatons, for West’s friendship and for the help of the Kents, who in caring for Hattie had made this trip possible for Vienna. She asked that her daughter would be watched over and that she would know what to do about their future. Then before ending her prayer, she pleaded, as she always did, for strength and courage.

      Vienna blew out the lamp and climbed into bed. But in spite of her travel-weary body and a longing to sleep, her mind was jumping about like a jackrabbit.

      She’d liked what she had viewed of the Custer Trail Ranch in the dusky evening light earlier. The two-story main house, which featured logs on the bottom half and siding on the top, appeared spacious and comfortable, with living and dining rooms on the first floor. A peek into the former had revealed plenty of books for reading and even musical instruments for playing.

      Tomorrow Alec had promised to show Vienna around the grounds—well, her and West both. Overhearing his friend’s invitation to Vienna, West had asked to come along, saying he needed to reacquaint himself with the place.

      Vienna smiled into the dark at the memory. It seemed West didn’t want her touring the ranch alone with Alec. There’d also been that moment at the train station when she’d smiled at Alec and had caught what looked like jealousy in West’s brown eyes. Did he think she liked his friend?

      Alec was nice-looking, with his dark blond hair and blue-gray eyes, and she had appreciated his compliments. But she didn’t fancy him or any other man. A recollection entered her thoughts of how her heart had tripped faster when West had given her a smile on the train and told her that she’d changed.

      That didn’t mean she fancied him again, she told herself as her smile drooped. Her reaction to him likely only stemmed from the old feelings of attraction she’d once felt. He might be handsome, kind and hardworking, but anything other than friendship in their relationship would be strictly business-related. Even if they married for convenience.

      Not for the first time, a shudder ran through Vienna at the thought of being married again—even in name only. How naive she’d been when she had married Chance. She hadn’t really known him and whatever warning signs she might have noticed she’d credited to comparing him too much with West. Then there’d been all the hiding and secrets regarding Chance’s many vices.

      She blew out a steadying breath, rolled onto her side and shut her eyes. Her marriage with Chance was over; it was a thing of the past. And even if she did choose to marry West for convenience, she wouldn’t have to fear that he was keeping secrets from her. She might not know yet what do about her ranch, but she did know West McCall—and he wasn’t hiding anything.