How to Lasso a Cowboy by Shirley Jump Read Free Book Online Page B

questionnaire,” Sophie said.
    â€œI know. That’s why I did it for you. I’ve known you nearly your entire life, and with your grandmother’s help, we got all those questions answered.” Mildred yanked a folded piece of paper out of one of the pockets of her voluminous skirt. “And you, my dear, are paired with—” she reached over, grabbed the other paper in Sophie’s hand, then held the two aloft, as if they were a matched pair “—Mr. Harlan Jones.”
    Harlan spat out his tea. Was it too late to ask for a refund?
    Â 
    Harlan Jones?
    It had to be a mistake. Sophie stared at the paper for a good five minutes before she accepted the inevitable. She couldn’t very well throw a fit on the stage and refuse to participate—that would get people talking about her all over again. That was the last thing she needed—the town and the media focusing on another debacle in Sophie’s life instead of on her coffees. She saw the reporter from the Edgerton Shores Weekly over in the corner, making notes and interviewing some of the couples.
    So she flashed Mildred a smile, and acted like it was all okay. Then she’d come down off the stage, and hesitated in the center of the room instead of crossing to her “match.” Maybe there was still a way out of this. She’d had enough of living her dating life in public. She headed for the counter, deciding to grab a latte—and delay some more.
    â€œDid I tell you what the committee decided just this afternoon?” Mildred said, coming up to the counter. She grabbed a cookie off the tiered display and plunked down some money. “Sorry you had to leave before you heard the fabulous ideas the other committee members had. Why, come to think of it, it was your grandmother who had this particular lightbulb moment. She called in to the meeting after you left.”
    Sophie slipped a tiny pitcher of milk under the steamer nozzle and waited while the milk heated, moving the container around to heat it evenly. “What idea was that?”
    She’d expected Mildred to say something like they’d decided to run an announcement in the paper that the event had occurred. Or maybe talk a local reporter into doing a little story about how much money they’d raised—not nearly as much as Sophie had hoped, but at least it was a start. Still, at this rate, it would be years and years before they had the community and wellness center finished.
    â€œYour grandma thought it would be a great idea to turn these matches into a media event, and combine it with the week’s Spring Fling activities.” Mildred grinned. “We’ve already got all kinds of local businesses on board for the Spring Fling. All we need to do is twist things up a little. It’ll be a town-wide dating extravaganza.”
    â€œA town-wide dating extravaganza?” All of a suddenthis Love Lottery thing was exploding, getting out of control and becoming a much bigger project than she’d expected. Worse, Sophie was caught in the center of the storm. With Harlan Jones. “I don’t see how that’s going to raise money for the center.”
    â€œWe’ll have the annual dance, and charge a small admission fee. Host a bake sale, and raise a few dollars that way. Oh! I know. A carnival. Everyone loves a carnival.”
    â€œA carnival? How are we going to pull that off?”
    Mildred waved off the concerns. “Don’t you worry. Leave all the arrangements to me, and you do the publicity.”
    Publicity? That meant even more media presence. This was the kind of thing that could bring in outside papers…a good thing for raising money, but Sophie’s worst nightmare. “But—”
    â€œWe need to raise money fast, right? And these events will do that.” Mildred wagged a finger at Sophie. “Every penny counts, you know.”
    â€œI know, but—”
    â€œBut this will be