Sorcha Mowbray - Taking Her Chance

Beth Torrence sat back in the aerodynamic Herman Miller task chair. It was one a.m. and her screen looked fuzzy around the edges. Guess I should call it a night, she thought. She reached up to switch her screen off, but an email notification popped up. It was from Soul Mates Dating service. Beths gut clenched. Damn, she had just turned her paperwork in the day before.

Her hand shook, but she opened the email and read.

Dear Ms. Torrence,

I am delighted to tell you that your date has been arranged for two days from now. You will arrive at the Golden Mustang Dude Ranch midmorning, settle in, and maybe go for a horseback ride if you so desire. Your date will join you in your room at sunset. Room service will be at your disposal or, if you prefer, you may go to the dining room to eat. Enjoy and remember to make the most of this chance.

Selena Markam

President and CEO

Soul Mates Dating

Deep breaths. I can do this. Beth shut her computer down and headed home to try and get some sleep. She set the alarm code for the office and walked out of Torrence Advertising. After busting her ass for six years building her business from nothing, she deserved this treat for herself. Soul Mates Dating was the most exclusive dating service around. If Beth hadnt had a client recommend it she would have ended up signing up for one of those cheesy dating sites online. Granted, she had filled in the paperwork at the urging of Sarah, her best friend, after they were halfway through the second bottle of wine on an epic girls night; but deep down, she wanted this. It was time to see if she could date a man without comparing him to the one she had walked away from.

Chance Rogers could have been the best thing that ever happened to her, but shed been too focused on her dream of becoming an advertising executive. The sparks that had flared between them and the sex that followed had scared the crap out of her because, for a brief moment, she could see herself settling down and forgetting her lifelong dream. She could see herself becoming her mother, who had given up everything only to be betrayed by a man who supposedly loved her.

History would not repeat itself, not with her.

Beth pulled into her parking spot and collected her things from the backseat. Shed brought some work home because she seriously doubted that she would be getting any sleep tonight. Between nerves about her date on Saturday and memories of Chance it was going to be a long night.

Chance pulled his truck into the long dirt drive of the dude ranch where he would meet his date. The email from Selena Markam, containing details of his date, had been a surprise after hearing nothing for nearly six months. Could his ideal date have been that hard to find? He wanted a woman who would be independent, sassy, but had room in her life and her heart for a broken-down old cowboy. His leg didnt hurt as bad as it had right after that last accident in the ring-I mean, who enjoyed being stepped on by 2 Tons of Fun? The upside had been that the bull only actually weighed a little over a ton-not two.

Tightening his sweaty palms on the steering wheel, he stopped at the main lobby and checked in. He was a bit early, but they had a room ready for him. He settled in and decided to take a shower to wash the grime of the road off. As usual, he couldnt help but think about the woman he would meet. Elizabeth was all he was given as a name. He wondered if she looked like the girl he requested. The memory of long dark hair and big blue eyes flashed across his mind. It still baffled him how one night of mind-blowing sex could stay with a man for almost ten years. How it could haunt him to the point that all other women came up short, including the jezebel hed married.

Showered, shaved, and freshly dressed, he checked the printout of the email for the millionth time. It gave strict instructions that he should be at her door at sunset. She had one of the little cabins on the outer edges of the property, so it would take him a few minutes to walk over. Tamping down his nerves, which he was mildly distressed to realize were way worse than when he was about to pop out of the chute on 2,700 pounds of bull, he sauntered out of his room and headed toward his chance at a future. One, he hoped, without impossible expectations of some woman whom he had started to believe never existed.

The sun sat low in the sky, casting a deep orange glow over the dusty ranch. This was his favorite time of day back home. The days work completed, what lay ahead included a good meal, a cold beer, and the satisfaction of another job well done. He found her door and knocked.

Come on in, a muffled but feminine voice called through the door.

He took a deep breath and opened the door. Her back was to him, but instantly he could see she was everything he had asked for. Long dark hair hung loose around her shoulders and covered what appeared to be a red sleeveless shirt. A trim waist flared out to a curvaceous ass, which her denim skirt barely covered, that begged to have his hands on it. Her long legs seemed to go on forever despite the red cowgirl boots she wore. His breath rushed out as his cock leapt to attention. Mentally he begged her to turn around. If she had blue eyes he might leap on her straight away and skip the preliminaries.

Hi there, was all he could come up with to say since every drop of blood in his body had departed his thinking head.

She turned around and it was like a physical blow to his solar plexus. He could only liken it to being stomped on by a bull. Elizabeth was Beth. The Beth of his dreams, the woman who got away.

Chance? She looked as stunned as he was by the unexpected turn of events.

Someone had sucked all the air out of the room because Beth was hallucinating. No way could Chance Rogers be standing in her cabin. What are you doing here?

He flinched at the harshness of her question. Im your date. A cautious, lopsided smile curved one side of his kissable lips as he plucked the Stetson from his head and dropped it on a nearby table.

That cant be right. Confusion swirled through her, making her dizzy. My dates name is Aaron. She walked, staggered really, over to her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper. Yep. Right here it says Aaron will arrive at sunset.

Im Aaron. He walked toward her in slow, measured steps. The thud of his boots sounded loud in the quiet of the room. I used my middle name because I didnt want anyone recognizing me.

Who would recognize you? Blown away by the fact that Chance stood before her, she couldnt really follow his train of thought.

Fans, buckle bunnies, the media. This night was meant to be a private thing for me. Only my brother knows where I am. He shrugged and stepped into her personal space, crowding her and making it impossible to think.

So, youre famous. For what? A quick step backward gave her some breathing space.

Bull riding. I hit it big on the PBR tour and picked up a ton of endorsement deals. I retired six months ago, but folks just dont seem to understand that I am not going to ride bulls again.

Oh. I had no clue. Isnt that dangerous? Fear gripped her gut at the notion he had put himself in danger.

Yeah, but only when I wasnt on the bull. He flashed a megawatt smile that made her toes curl and her body overheat.

Wow. So this is real. Youre my date? Her voice squeaked on the last word.

It looks that way. Is that gonna be okay with you, or are you gonna cut and run again? His hands fisted at his sides as he waited for her response.

For a moment, she really wasnt sure what her answer would be. Part of her wanted to flee in embarrassment for what had happened almost ten years earlier. The other part screamed for her to wrap her arms around him and never let him go. She drew a deep breath and allowed her gaze to meet with his. Im not going anywhere, cowboy.