Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
Lana made a practice of responding to TLD e-mails by the end of the same day she received them. She usually took care of that chore before leaving work, but thanks to Sly, today she’d been too rattled.
If that wasn’t enough, her father had called to say that Cousin Tim was being sued by his neighbor.
No one in the family had ever been sued, and all of them were upset and banding around their cousin.
They offered to be character witnesses, lend him money for an attorney and whatever else he needed.
He was too proud to accept their money, but said he’d let them know if character witnesses would help.
Still a little flummoxed, Lana stood in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to whistle so she could make a cup of herbal tea.
For days now, she’d tried to push the night with Sly from her mind, without much success.
She assured herself that she’d eventually forget the handsome cowboy who dominated her waking thoughts.
She certainly hadn’t expected to see him again and had been both surprised and elated when he’d shown up at the daycare.
But her feelings had quickly turned to disappointment.
Sly hadn’t asked for her phone number or a date.
He hadn’t asked her a single question or said more than a sentence or two.
In fact, he hadn’t seemed interested in getting to know her at all or wanting her to know anything about him.
Instead, his heavy-lidded expression had told her exactly what he wanted.
More of what they’d shared on that wild night.
Against her better judgment, she’d wanted that, too. The attraction between them was more potent than anything she’d ever experienced, even during her honeymoon days with Brent. To the point that when Sly had moved close to her outside the daycare, her mind had all but emptied.
She frowned. How could she feel so strongly about a man she’d just met? She had no idea what his last name was or whether he really was a rancher, where he worked or anything about his family. Although she had a hunch Amy would fill her in tomorrow afternoon when she picked up Courtney.
At last, the kettle whistled, and Lana pushed Sly from her mind. Tonight she had better things to do than fantasize about the sexy cowboy. She carried her steaming mug to her home office, which doubled as the den.
The only positive thing about his visit this afternoon was that he’d distracted her from dwelling on the lack of interest her profile had generated at .
With input from the social worker, Lana had carefully created the online profile with her photo and other information.
Although many girls had contacted her, nothing had stuck.
The reason why escaped her. Likely because she was single or something else. She had no idea. The lack of any serious interest was discouraging, and she wished she’d waited to share her decision with her family until she’d formed a promising relationship with an expectant mother.
Not about to give up, she decided to check the website tonight after she checked her e-mail.
She sat down and scrolled through her inbox.
There were ten—ten!—inquiries from parents who’d read the profile in the paper and wanted to visit TLD.
Her friend Kate had also e?-mailed, whining about an upcoming blind date her mother had orchestrated.
Several other friends had sent the usual jokes and gossip.
But one e-mail stood out. “Baby,” the subject line read, from Sophie@. Hardly daring to breathe, she opened the e-mail.
I got your name from the AdoptionOption website.
I’m Sophie and I’m four months pregnant.
I’m looking for the right person to adopt my baby.
When I saw the article about you in the paper today and read your online profile at the website, I couldn’t believe it.
You seem to really care about kids, and I would like to meet you. Text me.
The phone number followed.
This was the chance Lana had waited, hoped, and prayed for. Sucking in an excited breath, she jotted down the number with shaky hands.
Yet as badly as she longed for a baby, she had to admit she was also a little scared. Raising a child without a partner was going to be a huge job.
Too antsy to sit, she paced to the window and looked out. Despite the lights from the other town houses and the shade tree in her yard, she could see the crescent moon and the stars studding the sky like diamonds. Tonight they seemed especially bright. She took that as a good omen.
Regardless of the challenges ahead, she wanted a child with all her heart. 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 Cafe 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 blonde 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 read the other e-mails.
She logged in to 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 blonde with neon-pink streaks and bangs that fell into big, soulful eyes lined in thick eye pencil.
Despite the alternative look, she was pretty, and Lana guessed the baby would be beautiful.
“She isn’t 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. As soon as her friend picked up, Lana smiled. “It’s happened,” she 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 bad joke, doesn’t it? Too bad it’s real. Save me, please.”
The whole thing sounded awful, Lana agreed. Her 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, Kate—it could work out.”
“With the son of the sister of some woman in my mom’s sewing circle? Puh-leeze. Your turn. You said, ‘it’s happened.’ Let me guess—Sly finally found you.”
“He did, but this is about a baby. Tonight I got an e-mail 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 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 what happened with Sly.”
Realizing her friend wouldn’t let up until she got the information she wanted, Lana momentarily tamped her excitement down. “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 daycare. Why can’t they run an article about me in the paper?”
“Start your own business and it just might happen.”
“I really like managing the Treasures Gift Shop at Prosperity Falls, 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.”
Kate sighed. “What a sweetheart. When are you two going out?”
“He didn’t mention that. 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.”
“I’ll pass on that. I didn’t let him kiss me because he’s only interested in one thing.”
“But you really 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 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 would’ve 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 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 Wednesday afternoon.
The woman was a great mom, but as Sly had pointed out the other day, she was also a big gossip. Lana was glad her two assistants had gone home for the day and that only she, Amy, and another mom named Sheila were at the daycare. “Actually, we’re not dating,” she said.
Amy lifted a skeptical eyebrow. “He sure didn’t stop by 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 surprised that you both know him.”
“We certainly do,” Amy said with a smirk. “We both used to date him, though not at the same time. I haven’t seen him in a good four years, and he’s still as gorgeous as ever,” she told Sheila. “I’m guessing he’s still a heartbreaker, too.”
Sheila zipped her son’s jacket and directed him to get his lunch box.
“We dated about six years ago. By our second or third date I was head over heels for him. I was sure I’d be the one to snag him.
” She gave her head a sad shake. “Unfortunately, he didn’t feel the same way about me.
I couldn’t even get him to show me his ranch. After a few months, we broke up.”
Amy nodded. “My story is similar. Sly showed me the ranch, but only because I asked. I’d heard his bedroom was off-limits to the women he dated, but I hoped I’d be the one he fell for, the one he’d invite to his bed.
He never did—we always ended up at my place.
I tried everything to make him love me, but no luck.
” She let out a sigh, followed by a shrug.
“I guess I ended up lucky after all. I met and married Jon, and we’re so happy. ”
“Sly has dated a lot of women and broken a lot of hearts,” Sheila said. “Be careful, Lana.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Lana said, but she wasn’t worried. She and Sly weren’t dating, and now they never would.
Not with him suing her cousin.