The Cowboy's Reality Bride Read online

  He took nearly an hour, but finally he finished the last question. Then Nancy took over uploading the video and sending it out into cyberspace. “There. All done.” She turned off the computer and smiled at him. “Now we have to wait.”

  He was no stranger to waiting though he doubted they’d be waiting for anything but a rejection letter.

  5

  Laney took a deep breath before knocking on the door. It was nice to be home. There was a warmth and a feeling of security that resided here, and she could use that right now. She’d run away after high school and avoided coming home as often as she could, but it wasn’t because of her family. In fact, she’d missed her mother. A lot.

  The door swung open and her mother’s shocked expression morphed into a giant grin before she pulled Laney in for a hug. “Laney? You’re here.”

  “I am,” Laney said with a shrug as she stepped fully into the living room and shut the door behind her.

  “I can’t believe it. You haven’t been home in ages. Your work must keep you so busy.” Though said lightly, the words carried a slight disproving tone which Laney chose to ignore.

  “It does or did. Madame Bonavich fired me this week.” Laney hated saying the words, hating admitting failure, but her mother would have gotten them out of her eventually. It was one of her mother’s specialties. She pulled secrets out of people like they were hanging threads. Visible and just waiting to be unraveled.

  “Fired? What on earth for?”

  “I was late with her coffee and then spilled it when an intern ran into me. She doesn’t tolerate mistakes.”

  Laney’s mother’s eyes softened. “That sounds like a terrible place to work. Maybe it’s a good thing you got fired.”

  “Uh yeah.” Laney didn’t really see getting fired as a good thing in any scenario, but she couldn’t deny that she’d slept better the last few nights knowing she no longer had to deal with Madame Bonavich. No more Sunday errands or four-inch-high heels. “Is my room still available?”

  Her mother’s bottom lip folded under the top one and her eyes shifted to the side. “Well, it’s not quite the same. You haven’t been home in a while, remember?”

  Laney didn’t think her mother meant the words as a criticism, but they felt that way nonetheless. She had probably earned them though. She had moved away right out of high school and rarely come home during college. Laney then worked for a modeling agency in Houston for a few years until Myra offered her the job with Madame Bonavich. Once she’d moved to New York, she hadn’t been home since. Until now. “Is there at least a bed still?”

  Her mother flashed a crooked smile. “Sort of.” She continued down the hall to the bedrooms and opened the door that used to be Laney’s room. It had been transformed it into a sewing room. Rows of shelves stocked full of colorful fabric and other accoutrements lined the walls where posters of her heartthrobs used to hang. A sewing machine sat where her bed had been, and a futon was the only semblance of a place to lie down.

  “Well, I guess it will have to do.” Laney tried to keep her voice light but a trickle of hurt coursed through her veins. She shouldn’t care about her old room. After all, she was nearing thirty, she had moved away, and she rarely came home. It would be ridiculous to expect them to keep her room for her, and her mother had always wanted a dedicated sewing room.

  “The futon is comfortable,” her mother said as a way of apology. “I’ve fallen asleep there quite a few times when I tire of sewing. I always mean to just close my eyes for a bit, but when I wake up, it’s a few hours later.”

  Laney dropped her bag on the futon. “It’s fine, Mother. I’ll probably only be here for a week or so anyway.” With nothing more to do in this room and no real place to sit, Laney headed back toward the kitchen.

  “Are you still going back to New York even with no job?” her mother asked following her.

  “Not to New York. My friend, Maryanne, whom you left the message about, offered me a makeup job in California for a few weeks, so I’m heading there first. After that,” Laney shrugged and pulled out a barstool. “I’m not sure yet. I don’t know what the future holds right now.” She plucked an apple from the bowl in the center of the island bar and turned it over in her hands.

  “Tea?” Her mother asked, and Laney nodded. “What about marriage?” Her mother said as she plugged in the electric kettle. The words were said carefully and away from Laney, but the scheming inflection in them was undeniable.

  The hair on the back of Laney’s neck stood at attention. “What about marriage what?” Laney’s words were cautious. Who knew what the intent behind her mother’s question was.

  Her mother turned, an expression that said she had something up her sleeve on her face. “You do want to get married right?”

  “Yes, one day, but why do I have the feeling you aren’t talking about one day?”

  “Okay, don’t be mad, but I kind of did something.”

  Now tiny goosebumps prickled down her back in addition to the raised hairs. “What did you do, Mother?”

  “My friend Nadine has this son- “

  Laney groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “Oh no, tell me you didn’t.”

  “Well, I want grandchildren, and you always seemed too busy to date. I thought a set up date might help. Of course I didn’t know when you might get here, so it’s sort of a future set up date, but I could call her and let her know you’re in town.”

  “Mom, I’m about to go to California for six weeks. I don’t want to get involved with anyone before I go.”

  “Okay, but at least consider it when you get back.” Her mother crossed to the cabinets and pulled out two ceramic mugs.

  “I’ll consider it, but I don’t even know where I’ll be when this show wraps up.”

  “What show is it?” The pantry opened, and two tea bags appeared in her mother’s hand.

  “Some reality show, Marry me a Cowboy or something.”

  Her mother’s eyes lit up. “Do you mean Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” Her mother’s reaction was surprising. She had never been much of a television watcher when Laney lived at home.

  “Nadine and I love that show.” She dropped the bags in the mugs. “The cowboy always seems like the nicest guy, and he’s so handsome. You’ll be doing his makeup?” That glint was back in her eye.

  “Yes, I’ll be doing his makeup.”

  “Maybe he’ll fall in love with you. Wouldn’t that be a surprise?” The tea kettle whistled, and her mother turned it off and poured water into the mugs/

  “Mom, I don’t even like cowboys. I’m a city girl, remember?”

  She placed a mug in front of Laney. “You’ve never dated a cowboy, so how would you know?”

  “I’ve never dated a convict either, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t enjoy that.” Her mother shot her a withering look as she pulled out the opposite barstool and sat down.

  “Are you happy with where your life is now?”

  Laney opened her mouth to answer, but the thought forced her to pause. Was she happy? She’d attended a college far away to start over. She’d studied makeup design hoping to spice up her image so men might notice her more. Then she’d moved to the Big Apple and dated men in suits who had drivers. None of that made her happy, and now she was single, jobless, and back home.

  “No, I guess not, but the man is there to meet beautiful women not fall in love with his makeup artist. Besides, even if I liked this cowboy, he probably wouldn’t like me. Most men don’t. As much as I’ve tried to get past it, I’m still just Brainy Laney.” Brainy Laney. She hated that nickname, but it’s how she thought of herself.

  She had earned the nickname in middle school when she’d received a valedictorian award.

  At first, Laney had been so proud of it as she’d always worked hard for her grades, but then one of the popular boys, Tyson Becker, had begun calling her Brainy Laney. Her mother had insisted that it was because he liked her, but Laney doubte
d that. Tyson got the nickname to stick and it had followed her into and through high school. That, combined with her girl next door image, had been enough to keep her out of the dating pool in high school. No one had even asked her to prom. Either year. She was everyone’s friend, but no one’s love interest. She’d hoped learning the art of make-up would change that, but it hadn’t seemed to yet.

  Her mother’s eyes crinkled in sympathy. “Oh honey, you aren’t just anything. Certainly not just Brainy Laney. Look at what you’ve accomplished.”

  Laney snorted and looked down into her mug. “Yeah, I got fired. Big accomplishment.”

  “No, I mean look at everything else. You were working for one of the biggest names in New York. You are an amazing makeup artist, and now you will get to show off your work.”

  “I don’t even know if they’ll put my name in the credits,” Laney said, “and even if they do, it might not mean much. Madame Bonavich didn’t let her assistants do makeup until they had worked with her a year. Few ever made it that long.”

  “I say you forget about Madame Bonavich. You got fired for a reason and this show obviously has something to do with that, so go enjoy yourself and see what doors open afterwards.”

  Laney watched the light glint off the liquid in her mug. It rippled as if stirred by magic. And maybe it was. Being around her mother always felt a little magical. Laney had often thought her mother a little like Glenda the good witch from The Wizard of Oz when she’d been younger. She looked up with a smile. “You’re right, Mom. I’m going to have fun seeing my old friend and take whatever God sends my direction.”

  6

  Tyler flipped through the envelopes hoping not to find a bill. He hadn’t made as much with this last trade as he’d been hoping to, and he had no more in the bank. Ad, ad, junk, junk. Wait, what was this?

  A plain white envelope with his name hand addressed on it caught his eye. He slid his finger under the back flap and tore the envelope open. Inside was a single sheet of paper. His eyes glanced over it as he unfolded it, and then they bulged. They had chosen him as the bachelor on Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy? But that wasn’t possible. He had entered as a joke. Well, not exactly a joke. Maybe on a whim was a better qualifier. On a whim for Nancy. Still, he’d never actually expected them to pick him. Yet, they had, and being the cowboy paid. The amount listed in this letter would be enough to get him out of debt. At least for the rest of this year. All that remained was meeting the producers and signing the contract, at least according to this letter.

  He wasn’t currently seeing anyone, not since Sierra, so he wouldn’t have to worry about that. And it wasn’t like he wasn’t trying, but he lived in a small town. He was a cowboy who worked a farm and herded cattle. And he didn’t have a six-figure bank account. His last few girlfriends had made it abundantly clear they needed more excitement and more financial security in their life.

  But a contract? He wondered what it might entail. Silence probably. Though not extremely knowledgeable on the reality show aspect, he assumed one couldn’t share the result until after the show ended. That didn’t really matter to him - he had no social media presence and rarely shared his business with anyone other than Aaron - but he wondered if he would have to marry a woman. He knew that was the point of the show, but what if he felt nothing for any of the women they picked? Or what if he proposed and then found out the woman was nothing like she’d portrayed herself? Would they force him to continue with the marriage for ratings?

  Maybe Aaron would know and if not Aaron, then Nancy. She was the one who had gotten him into this after all. Tyler glanced up at the clock on the wall. Dinner time, but Nancy had told him he was always welcome for dinner. Perhaps he could take her up on that offer and get the information he sought. Before he could change his mind, he tucked the letter in his pocket, grabbed his hat and keys, and headed out the door.

  Ten minutes later, he turned off the ignition and stepped out of the truck. Aaron and Nancy lived on a ranch twice as large as his. A sprawling split-level home with a wraparound porch sat at the edge of their large property. Tyler envied the porch just a little. His mother had always been fond of them growing up, and one day he hoped to add one to his own modest house. He raised his hand and knocked on their cheery green door.

  “Tyler? Well, to what do we owe this pleasure?” Nancy asked as she opened the door. Her brown hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail and she wore a flannel shirt and jeans, her favorite outfit from what he could tell because other than when he saw her in church, he never saw her in anything else.

  “Do I need a reason, Nancy?” Tyler flashed his most charming smile.

  “Of course not.” She stepped back allowing him entrance into the spacious living room. “Come on in. Aaron is grilling burgers out back.”

  He stepped over the threshold and removed his hat. His hands gripped the fur-based felt brim, curling it slightly. The beat of his heart thudded in his head, and he shook the sound away. He was acting like he was about to ask out a school crush instead of voicing an embarrassing question to his best friend’s wife. “Thanks, but uh I have something I wanted to ask you.”

  “Oh?” She cocked an eyebrow at him before turning and leading the way into the kitchen.

  “Yeah, um, you watch those dating reality shows a lot, right?” Why was this so hard to ask? His throat felt as dry as the Sahara Desert. Man, this felt even more embarrassing than it had when he had played the scene in his head. The brim of his hat curled even tighter in his nervous grip.

  “I do.” A coy smile flashed across her face as she leaned against the counter. “Why do you ask?”

  “Well, you know that video we did a few weeks ago?”

  “Uh huh.” She wasn’t going to let him off the hook easy.

  He cleared his throat and forced the remaining words out. “Yeah, well I uh wondered if you knew about the process. What’s involved I mean.”

  “Why? Did you get picked?” Her eyes twinkled, and the pitch of her voice rose at the end of her question. It was clear she already knew they had chosen him.

  “Yeah, I did.” His gaze dropped to the floor. If he couldn’t handle the way she was looking at him now, how was he going to handle the viewing nation looking at him?

  A shrill squeal escaped her mouth as she clasped her hands together and did a little jig. “I knew it. I knew you would get picked. You guys didn’t believe me, but I knew.”

  Tyler cleared his throat again. “Right, well, there’s a contract involved, and I wondered if you knew what it entailed.”

  Nancy’s smile faltered as her eyes grew serious. “I don’t, but I’m sure it won’t be anything crazy. You are going to do it, aren’t you?”

  Tyler paused. He hadn’t decided yet, but staring at her hopeful face, he felt like he should, and he could use the money. And really what could it hurt? As long as he didn’t have to marry a woman if the chemistry wasn’t right, then he might as well throw his hat in the ring. Maybe he would even get lucky and find the perfect woman.

  “I suppose I will.” She opened her mouth, more than likely to squeal again, but Tyler held up his hand to stop her. “As long as the contract is decent.”

  “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited. I’m going to call Helen.”

  Tyler shook his head as Nancy ran off and he continued to the back deck. He wasn’t sure he would ever understand women. It was a reality show. Not like they’d cast him in a blockbuster movie or anything.

  As Tyler slid open the sliding glass door, Aaron looked up and smiled. “Hey, man, what are you doing over here? You smell the burgers from your house?” Aaron stood by a large circular barbecue grill. Though gas grills were all the rage these days, Aaron claimed he preferred charcoal and therefore he still had a behemoth of a grill. Tyler had to agree that the charcoal made the meat taste better. At least in his head. Who knew if it was just psychosomatic.

  “Had to come show you this.” He pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed it to his friend.

&n
bsp; Aaron took it, a quizzical expression on his face. His eyes widened though as he scanned the paper. “For real? They chose you?”

  “Hey now.” Tyler feigned a hurt look.

  “I just mean that video wasn’t anything special. It must be your charm and magnetism. So, you gonna do it?”

  “I don’t know. Does it make me seem desperate? I mean that’s what I think when I hear about these shows.” Tyler took the letter back and folded it back into his pocket.

  Aaron shrugged. “A little, I guess, but look at it this way, they will find a bunch of women you would never meet and bring them to you. They’ll pay for a ton of dates, and they pay you. A lot. Worst case, you have some fun and people recognize you on the streets for a time. Best case, you find the love of your life and finally start that family you’ve been wanting.”

  That was true. Tyler supposed it was weird he talked about having a family, but ever since his parents had split and his brother had disowned the family, it had been all he could think about. Unfortunately, his track record with women was atrocious. About the time he started falling for a woman to the point where he could think about proposing, she left him for a more successful man or a more exciting atmosphere. A lawyer, a doctor, one had even left him for an insurance salesman claiming she needed the security his money could offer. Perhaps it was time for him to try something different.

  “I guess you’re right. Won’t find out until you try, right?”

  “Indeed. Hungry?” And just like that Aaron dropped the topic, but it didn’t fade from Tyler’s mind. The meeting with the producers was in a week. He would have to decide by then, and he would have to spend some real time in prayer to make sure this was God’s will.

  7

  Laney pressed her face to the window as the car pulled into the compound. A massive house loomed in front of them. “Is that where we’re staying?”