Page 1 of A Miracle for the Confident Cowboy

CHAPTER ONE

Soft Christmas melodiesdrifted through The Local Table. Delicate strands of Christmas lights were strung everywhere. Even the smells emanating from the kitchen proved that everyone was deeply entrenched in the Christmas season.

Sophie groaned. The sound was part playful and part serious. “I really can’t believe I let you do this.” She placed her cheek in her hand as she rested her elbow on the counter and gave her sister-in-law a look. “Blind dates never work out the way we want them to. I don’t care that this guy works at your brother’s ranch, it doesn’t mean he’s a good fit.”

Pippa placed a hand on her hip as she sent a pointed look right back to Sophie. “You’ve been here for five months already and you haven’t gone on a single date.”

“That’s because I’m picky. I’m perfectly fine getting my own?—”

Her friend laughed. “Clearly. So why haven’t you found anyone yet? Besides being picky?” she drawled.

Sophie frowned. “I’m busy. I have a lot going on with my food blog. It’s picked up so much speed that I’m entertaining partnerships.”

Pippa gasped and threw down the towel in her other hand. “You didn’t tell me that. The last I heard was that you signed an agent to help you showcase some of the bigger restaurants!” She leaned forward and pulled Sophie into an awkward hug over the bar. “That’s so exciting!”

“See? I’mbusy. I don’t have the time to dedicate to a new relationship. This is really a bad idea.”

“Well, it’s too late to back out now,” Pippa laughed. “Or are you forgetting the whole reason you’re sitting at the bar right now is because Duke is going to be showing up in about ten minutes?”

Sophie grimaced. Her friend was right, of course. She couldn’t exactly cancel when they were officially in the countdown. She put her face in her hands and groaned again. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Just because she hadn’t been on a date in over a year didn’t mean this one would be bad. She needed to dive back into the dating pool—like Pippa had said.

“You need to relax. Duke is great. I’ve met him. You might have met him. He works with Rob a lot.”

She let out another groan. “I can’t believe Rob agreed to this.”

“It was his idea.”

Sophie’s head snapped up to find amusement twinkling in Pippa’s eyes. “You’re joking,” she said with a flat voice.

Pippa shook her head. “I told him I was going to set you up and he said no.”

“How exactly does that make this his idea?” Sophie asked.

Her friend shrugged. “I told him he could pick the guy or I would.” She leaned forward conspiratorially. “Honestly, I think he wanted to make sure his baby sister didn’t get saddled with someone he didn’t like. Then again, he might not have wanted me talking to any of the guys.” She laughed again. “So he picked Duke.”

Sophie soaked up this information like it was the last remaining body of water in the desert and she hadn’t had a drink in weeks. Rob had been the wall preventing her from dating any of his high school buddies back in Rocky Ridge. He’d always said they weren’t good enough for her but she thought it had more to do with him not liking to share.

Maybe Pippa had softened him up.

“So this… Duke… that’s a strange name.”

“Oh, his name isn’t Duke. It’s a nickname. I can’t remember how he got it.” Pippa turned back to the work she was doing on her side of the bar then she stopped and glanced at Sophie with a strange sort of smile. “Guess what?”

“What?” Sophie hedged.

“I threw a coin in the wishing well for you.”

Sophie rolled her eyes. “You know I don’t believe in that nonsense.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Well, what did you wish for?”

Pippa’s smile stretched wider. “I can’t tell you until it comes true.”

Once again, Sophie made a face. “You’re ridiculous.” She turned away from her friend and let her eyes sweep through the restaurant. “He’s still not here.”

“He’s still got five minutes.” Pippa leaned forward onto the bar again, this time resting on her forearms. “And you know what else? I’m going to put another coin in the well for you just to prove it works.”

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