Her Cowboy Distraction - Carla Cassidy (HRS #1711 - July 2012)

Series: Cowboy Cafe (Book 1) 

The Cowboy on her Bucket List
She'd been watching the handsome rancher for a while, just a lone cowboy eating pie with an empty chair beside him. One night, Lizzie Wiles, Cowboy Café 's feisty new waitress, went over and dared to interrupt his tortured solitude. Daniel Jefferson seemed shocked by her boldness as he buried himself in guilt over his wife's mysterious death. Lizzie tried to penetrate his gloom, but in the end, found herself falling in love. Having plans to leave town, she didn't want to think of these consequences. Worse, someone really wanted her to disappear - now! Attacked and warned to leave, Lizzie had every reason to go...but she had one undeniable reason to stay. 

Good book.  I liked Lizzy and her cheerful attitude.  She was able to talk to anyone, keep things upbeat, and maintain a happy face.  Daniel's self-contained misery called to her, so she plopped down and started talking to him.  He was so shocked that he left the cafe, but came back the next night as he couldn't get her out of his mind.  It was the first time anyone had been able to get through to him, and he found himself drawn to her vitality.  He began to look forward to his visits to the cafe and invited her to his ranch for a ride.  When she was attacked, he took her to stay at the ranch so he could protect her.  Lizzy was attracted to Daniel, but had no intention of staying in town.  She was planning to move on in a couple weeks, so didn't want to risk a relationship.  But she did find herself falling in love with Daniel.  When she was attacked again, he realized he loved her, but didn't know how to get her to stay.  Daniel also realized that she had relieved his guilty feelings over his wife's death, but also that Lizzy had issues of her own that she needed to overcome.  I liked the way it was resolved in the end, with Lizzy discovering what she really wanted.  I'm also looking forward to more books in the series and seeing who killed the waitress, and what the sense of danger is that Mary is feeling.