A Doctor Blind Date for the Cowboy

Chapter 3-1

CHAPTER 3

The bed and breakfast was easy to find based on the directions Zoey had received in the email from its owner. It was located on Main Street, two doors away from a bustling restaurant with an outdoor patio. The smell of roast beef and coffee wafted out from the restaurant and filled Zoey’s nostrils as she drove past in search of a parking spot.

Her stomach rumbled. She’d only munched on a slice of toast with a cup of coffee in her haste to leave New York this morning, and she’d had nothing ever since. Zoey enjoyed a hearty meal, and thankfully, it didn’t show on her figure. She’d planned to grab some sandwiches from the food section at the grocery store on her way out, but that plan had obviously been thwarted. Now, she was so hungry she could eat a horse. Maybe she’d stop by the restaurant once she’d settled in.

Zoey found a public parking spot two streets over. She paid for a weekly pass, parked her rented car, grabbed her carry-on luggage, and then made her way by foot until she reached the B&B.

The quaint townhouse had a short metal fence encircling it with only a simple sign denoting what it was. Zoey stepped through the gate and walked down a paved walkway until she reached the front steps and climbed up to its entrance. She pressed the bell, noticing the installed electronic keypad, and then heard a clicking sound as the door unlocked. Zoey opened the door, stepped in, and shut it behind her.

It was as if she’d stepped into another world, leaving the chaotic noise from the street behind. Zoey would have bet some sort of soundproofing had been installed in the foyer. The cream-walled interior was much larger than she’d expected and boasted gleaming wide-plank hardwood floors, a high ceiling with exposed wood beams, and a small sitting area adjacent to a long winding staircase.

“Hello!” A young woman in a yellow summer dress with blonde hair wrapped in a bun hurried toward her. A warm smile split her face. “Welcome to Prissy’s Bed and Breakfast,” she said. “How may I help you?”

“Hi, I’m Zoey. I have a room reservation starting today.”

Recognition lit up in the woman’s eyes, and she extended her hand to shake Zoey’s. “Welcome! We’ve been expecting you. I’m Connie. I exchanged emails with you a few days ago.”

Zoey accepted her handshake. She’d expected someone older—Connie didn’t look any older than twenty. “Nice to meet you.”

“Same here. And by the way I’m not the owner.” Connie chuckled. “Don’t worry, everyone always has the same look on their face when they meet me. Miss Prissy is my aunt, and you’ll probably get to meet her later. Is this your first time in Dexin Valley?”

Zoey took an immediate liking to the young lady. “Yes. I had no idea this town existed until a friend pointed it out to me. It’s very charming.” Zoey had noticed the flowering meadows that stretched out for miles on either side of the road and the twinkling streams of water interspersed between them as she’d entered the town. Towering mountains in the background had completed the enchanting picture.

“It sure is. I hope you enjoy your stay here. Why don’t I check you in and then show you to your room?”

Zoey smiled. “That would be perfect.”