Page 2 of A Surprise Wedding for the Cowboy

Stephanie Simpson buried her face in her arms wrapped around the steering wheel. That guy she’d nearly sideswiped had followed her all the way here, his scowl meeting her gaze every time she’d glanced in the rearview mirror. Was he the kind to go ballistic? She’d heard stories.

At least he hadn’t boxed her car in when he parked a few rows closer to the hotel. Maybe he hadn’t been following her to get even. Maybe it had been coincidence.

She didn’t much believe in coincidence. Life seemed like a very calculated affair, zeroing in on all the ways to get the best of her. What had she done to deserve that? Seriously? She’d been a good girl all her life. The daughter of a longtime church elder who’d done nothing to reproach his respected name. She’d been in church every Sunday, led the missions committee, and taught Sunday school.

How could anyone be a better Christian girl than she’d been? And to what avail?

She’d been dating the adorable youth pastor and hoping for a diamond… until the new girl in town had caught Eli’s attention and nabbed the ring instead. And Harper was so very nice and had turned into such a good friend that she’d asked Stephanie to be her maid of honor.

Stephanie had thought she could handle it. She could see now that Eli hadn’t ever loved her, not like he loved Harper. She didn’t want a loveless marriage. Although… she sure did want a husband.

She took a deep breath. “God? If You’re listening, is it too much to ask that I could be Harper’s matron of honor instead of maid? You’ve got four months to pull it off.”

Someone tapped on her window, and she jumped in her seat.

That guy she’d nearly run off the ramp.

She’d forgotten to watch out for him, too busy self-recriminating. But… what? He held a toddler in his arms. The little boy’s face was streaked with tears, his eyes puffy, his cheeks red and inflamed. Oh, no. Had she been the cause of that sweet baby’s distress?

Stephanie pushed the car door open as the man stepped back out of the way.

The boy sobbed, his lower lip quivering, as he looked at Stephanie.

She glanced at the man. “I’m so sorry. Poor little guy.”

He shifted the child to his other arm. “Why weren’t you paying attention?” His tone was accusatory.

As it should be. Also, no way was she dumping her whole sordid story on a guy she didn’t even know. How she’d been in her friend Carey’s wedding last weekend, which had only proved to her that she absolutely wasn’t ready to stand up at Harper and Eli’s as though nothing were wrong.

Everything was wrong.

She didn’t still love Eli — much — but it was the principle of the thing.

“Were you on your phone?”

“I—” Her gaze darted to the cell she’d jammed in the mug holder with the message from Robert facing this way. This man would have to have excellent vision to read it, though.

His voice hardened. “You were, weren’t you?”

“I just glanced at a text.” She heard the defensiveness in her tone, but whatever. Montana didn’t have a distracted driving law. Not yet, anyway… but maybe they should. Except then she’d deserve a fine on top of it all.

“And nearly ran me off the road.”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Stephanie wrapped her arms around herself and hunched her shoulders in. “I really am.”

He didn’t seem to know what to do with an apology, starting to speak and stopping again several times before shaking his head.

“Dada.” The little boy patted his dad’s cheek.

Stephanie’s heart melted. The kid was just too cute, all concerned like that. And why did the man flinch at the sweet word? A toddler wouldn’t have a large vocabulary. How special that dada was one of them.

“Mama?” The boy stretched his arms toward Stephanie, nearly twisting out of his dad’s grip as he did so.

“Aw, cute. He thinks I’m his mom.” She tried to smile at the man. Maybe she looked a bit like his wife? Who knew?

“His parents are dead. Both of them.”

Stephanie stumbled back a step. “Oh, no. Poor baby.” Without another thought, she plucked the boy out of the man’s arms. After all, the little guy was still reaching for her. He melted against her, and she rubbed his sweaty back, reveling in the feeling of his little arms around her neck and the warmth of his breath on her neck. “There now. You’ll be okay. You’ve got an amazing person looking after you.” If not his daddy, then someone who obviously cared.

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