The Cowboy's Reality Bride Read online

  “I wondered about that. What do you do for entertainment?” They didn’t let him see the women except for the dates and the ceremony night, and he wondered if they were often as bored as he was.

  “I try to read. They let me keep my Bible though they took all the rest of my books.”

  “You’re a believer then?” He wasn’t keeping a mental tally of Heidi’s qualities, but had he been, she would have gained another check.

  “Of course. God is important to me. It’s getting a lot harder to teach in the public schools where I am now. I mean they haven’t let God in for years, but now… well, let’s just say they allow in almost everything except God, and I teach preschool. I can’t even imagine how much harder it is for high school teachers.”

  Tyler couldn’t imagine either. He rarely watched the news because it seemed like every time he turned it on, he could see how the rest of the world was moving farther away from God. His community was small and most of them attended church, so he felt a little sheltered from the war waging outside.

  He was almost disappointed when the limo pulled to a stop in front of a breathtaking restaurant that overlooked an inlet. They still had the rest of the evening, but once they got inside, there would be the camera and other people watching. Tyler knew it wouldn’t quite be the same.

  He was tempted to hold her hand as they walked up the sidewalk, but the moment with Laney was still too fresh in his mind. He glanced around for the camera. Shouldn’t Maryanne and Laney be here already? Maybe they had told Laney she could skip this one, but there was no way they wouldn’t film this date.

  A host dressed in black slacks and a white shirt opened the main door for them as they approached. “Mr. Hall,” he said with a nod, “if you’ll follow me. We have your table all set up.”

  Ah, so perhaps they had arrived first and would be waiting for them. The lights in the restaurant were dim creating a romantic atmosphere, and Tyler could feel his connection with Heidi growing. They followed the host past the other patrons to a private room at the back. An elegant table for two had been set up with candles adding a little more light to the area. The camera was up, and the lights were on, but there was no sign of Maryanne or Laney. Had they decided to just let the camera roll? Perhaps the producers had thought they would be a distraction, and they weren’t wrong. Even though he was attracted to Heidi, the moment with Laney earlier still played in his mind.

  “This is lovely,” Heidi said placing a hand on his arm.

  He forced his attention back to her. “Yes, it is.” Focus. He needed to focus on her. He owed her that. He owed himself that. With a smile, he pulled out her chair for her and pushed it in after she sat down. A basket of bread and butter sat in the middle of the table, but he noticed she took none. Simply folded her hands in her lap.

  “The chef has prepared a special menu for you tonight. I’ll leave this with you, and the chef will be out soon to take your order himself,” the host said as he handed them a single sheet of cardstock-like paper.

  Tyler scanned the paper surprised to only see six options on it. The appetizers consisted of Duck Pâté en Croûte or Escargots a la Bourguignonne. He wasn’t exactly sure what Duck Pâté en Croûte was, but he knew the other was snails and he had no desire for those. Some steak dish and what he thought was a fish dish were the only entree choices and then there were two for dessert as well. Tyler had never understood the draw of fancy restaurants like these; he preferred places where he could not only pronounce what he was ordering but knew that it would fill him up.

  “This so reminds me of Paris. I’m so glad they chose a French restaurant.”

  “You’ve been to Paris?” Tyler found that surprising on a teacher’s salary. He knew they didn’t make as much as people generally assumed as his mother had been a teacher before she retired. They’d never had the money for exotic vacations even with both his parents earning an income.

  “Oh yeah, I go every year. France and Italy. My parents own a vineyard in Washington state, and we like to travel around tasting wines from different wineries to see what maybe we should add.”

  A cold stone settled in Tyler’s stomach. “So, your family must drink a lot.”

  Heidi giggled. “Well, we don’t get drunk but yeah wine is served at every meal. Why is that a problem? You’re not against drinking, are you?”

  “Morally, no, but I’m a recovering alcoholic. I can’t be around alcohol at every meal.”

  “Oh.” Heidi’s voice fell flat, and Tyler knew what she was thinking. This was a deal breaker. Wine was important to her family, and he would never ask her to give it up, but there was no way he would be able to be around it that often. While he could opt out of the family vacations or dinners, he knew that would cause resentment in the future and tear them apart. Even their shared faith probably wasn’t enough to overcome these obstacles.

  “Yeah, but hey that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a nice dinner, right? Give you a reminder of France before you go?”

  “You’d stay even though you know we can’t work?” Heidi looked at him as if he’d just grown a third eye. He must have gotten a reputation among the women sending them home as often as he did.

  Tyler shrugged. “We have to eat, right?” He picked up his water glass and took a drink.

  “That we do. You know, I wouldn’t have to drink wine with every meal. We could abstain together, and maybe we could find other things to see on the vacations.”

  He appreciated that she was offering a compromise, but he didn’t think she would really be happy if she followed through with it. “Do you think you’d be okay with that? I mean, it would mean breaking from the family tradition.”

  Her teeth nibbled on her bottom lip. “I’d like to think I could try.”

  “That’s sweet, Heidi, but this isn’t something that’s going to go away for me. I don’t drink when I go out, I don’t keep liquor in my house, and I avoid situations where a lot of people are drinking. It’s just too tempting.”

  Heidi picked up a piece of bread and turned it in her hands. “I guess you’re right. I’m just disappointed because I think we might have been good together. Minus this fact, of course.”

  “God has a plan for everything, and I have no doubt his hand is in this. Maybe your perfect man will see you on this show and come into your life.”

  Heidi chuckled at that but picked up her water glass. “I’ll toast to that and to new friends.”

  With a smile, Tyler raised his glass and clinked it against hers, but now that he knew Heidi wasn’t the woman for him, his mind went back to the other woman who seemed to continually pop up there. He had just told Heidi he believed God was in control, but then how did he explain his feelings for Laney?

  16

  Laney glanced up as the kitchen door opened and froze. She had come in here to do her devotional and drown her feelings in a bowl of ice cream, but she had not expected to run into Tyler.

  “Oh, Tyler, what are you doing here?” She didn’t think they would approve of her being in the room with him if she wasn’t doing his makeup. That probably went against her contract.

  “I was looking for some of that.” He pointed to her carton of ice cream. “You mind if I share?”

  The correct answer was neither yes nor no, but leaving the room, especially after their interaction earlier, but her body refused to move. “Um, I guess not.”

  He grabbed a spoon from the drawer and sat across from her. “What are you reading?”

  “I was doing my devotional. I’m in the book of Luke.”

  “You’re a believer too?”

  There was surprise but not condescension in his voice. Still, she answered slowly unsure of where this conversation was going. “I am.” He nodded but said nothing as he scooped up a bite of ice cream. She decided to pry a little. “Did the date not go well?” She tried to keep her focus on the bowl, but her eyes glanced up at him.

  “It started out well. I found out Heidi was a believer too.” A feeling of dread
settled in Laney’s stomach. Was he about to tell her he’d decided Heidi was the one for him? “Unfortunately, it turns out her family also owns a winery and wine is an integral part of their family.”

  “And that’s a bad thing because?”

  Tyler put down his spoon and stared at her. “Do you drink?”

  The question caught her off guard, and Laney blinked a few times as she processed it. “I’m not much of a drinker. I watched my dad get drunk on New Year’s Eve once and he acted so stupid. While I can’t say I never drink, it’s certainly something I could live without. Why do you ask?”

  “Because I’m a recovering alcoholic,” the look he shot her was almost a challenge, “and I can’t be with a woman who drinks.”

  A light flicked on as a piece of the puzzle clicked into place. “Is that you meant about your jaw? Did you get in fights when you were drinking?”

  He ran a hand across his chin and dropped his gaze. “I did. It’s not something I’m proud of, but it’s something I’ve worked hard to overcome. So, I can’t date a woman who surrounds herself with alcohol.”

  “Well, that is understandable.” Why was he telling her this? “I’m sorry things with Heidi didn’t work out.”

  He took another bite as he continued to stare at her. “Are you?”

  The question flustered Laney. What was she supposed to say to that? “I mean, yeah, that’s why you came on the show, right? To find a partner?”

  “And what if I find someone I think would make a great partner, but she isn’t a contestant?”

  Laney’s breath caught in her throat. Was he talking about her? He had to be. There was no other explanation. She wanted to tell him that he should tell her, that he should leave the show and pursue her, but then she thought of the ramifications. He would lose his contract and the money he needed for his ranch. So, she didn’t tell him those things. Instead, she said words she never expected to come out of her mouth. “I think you should focus on finding a partner among the contestants.”

  He opened his mouth as if to protest, but Laney didn’t let him. “I wish you luck, and I guess I’ll see you tomorrow before the ceremony.” She grabbed her Bible and hurried from the room. Tears were already starting to blur her vision, and she didn’t want Tyler seeing them.

  Tyler tried to focus on what Lila was saying, but his mind refused to forget the night before with Laney. She felt something for him. He was sure she did, but why hadn’t she said so. He had given her the perfect opening, and she hadn’t taken it. Then she had barely spoken to him today while doing his makeup. Had he read her wrong? Maybe she wasn’t single, just friendly? But he didn’t think so.

  “You’re a lot nicer than I expected. People told me horror stories about men from Texas - how they dominated their women and carried guns everywhere, but you don’t seem like that at all.” She giggled and placed a hand on his arm.

  Her words grabbed his attention, and for a moment Laney flew from his mind. “What? I mean, I have guns, but they’re to protect my cattle from coyotes and other wild animals, and I have no desire to dominate a woman. I want a partner. Who told you such nonsense?” He was overreacting, and he knew it, but he was upset. Why was he having to feign interest in a woman like this when the woman he wanted to be talking to was back in her bungalow?

  Lila bit her lip and removed her hand as if worried she had upset him. “Oh, that makes so much more sense. Perhaps they were just messing with me. I am a little gullible.”

  “Well, I’m glad I could clarify for you.” Tyler didn’t care at all, but he knew his frustration had little to do with Lila’s misconceptions and more about his issue with Laney.

  “I’m glad you could too. I was actually terrified to go to your ranch.”

  “Why?” Tyler could only imagine what her friends must have told her about ranchers.

  Pink flamed across her cheeks and the dropped her eyes to her hands. “I thought you would make us shoot an animal and cook it for dinner.”

  At this Tyler laughed out loud. “I don’t hunt my food. I raise cattle to sell, and while I have chickens, it’s for their eggs and not their meat. My food I buy at the grocery store like you do.”

  She bit her lip and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I feel a little silly, but I’d never been to Texas and my friends swore they had. Of course I realized not all of Texas was like that, but when I heard you were from a small town, I guess I just assumed. That’s awful, I shouldn’t assume.”

  She looked so dejected that Tyler reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’s okay. We all do it sometimes. I’m just glad you get to go back with the truth.”

  “Me too.” She stared up at him with big doe eyes that almost made him want to give her a second chance, but he was tired of doing the same thing over and over again. In fact, wasn’t that the definition of insanity? Doing the same things again and expecting a different outcome? He had dated too many women who he connected with momentarily but wanted different things out of life, so even though Lila was beautiful and sweet, he knew a relationship with her would never last. And that was what he wanted. A relationship. That lasted. The only problem was that he wanted a relationship with Laney and she seemed unable or unwilling to give it a shot with him. He needed to know why, and he needed to do it before the ceremony.

  17

  Laney looked from Peter to Justin with wide eyes. “You can’t be serious.” The ceremony was scheduled to start any minute.

  “We’re very serious.” Peter leaned back in the large leather chair and crossed one leg over the other. “You were in the meeting the other day. We need to do something drastic especially after he sent Heidi home. She was the focus group’s favorite after the first two episodes. We need a favorite or there’s nothing for the fans to watch.”

  “And you two obviously have a connection,” Justin spoke up. He looked almost giddy, and Laney wanted to slap his plastic smile off his face.

  “Look what you saw the other day-”

  “Was an attraction,” he finished for her, “and I’ve been watching him since. Even if he had felt something for Heidi, what he feels for you is stronger.”

  Laney’s emotions careened around like a roller coaster. They wanted her to be a contestant. On one hand, her heart was jumping up and down at the opportunity. This meant the chance to date Tyler to see if their connection was real. But she’d have to be a contestant. She’d have to be on television. And she’d have to deal with the other women. Laney sucked in her breath. “What about the other women? They’ll hate me. They know I’ve spent more time with Tyler. Why would they even stay?”

  Peter folded his hands and leaned forward placing his elbows on the table. She hated how calm he appeared as if this were the most natural solution in the world. “We’ve thought about that too. The other girls will be jealous, yes, but those feelings will add some conflict to the show. It was lacking after he sent the first two women away. Plus, we have come up with an incentive for them to stay. They’ll have the option to leave when it’s announced you are joining, but for those who stay, we’re going to offer a guaranteed spot on our tropical spin-off series Match Made in Maui that will be kicking off soon.”

  Laney wasn’t sure how many women left were on the show just for the fame, but she could imagine there were at least a few. An incentive of more face time might be enough to keep them around. “And what about me? Is there a bonus for me?”

  “You mean beyond the bonus of getting to date a man you are clearly attracted to?” Justin eyebrow arched on his forehead. It didn’t even create a wrinkle. He must use Botox. Nobody’s face was that wrinkle free.

  She fixed an even stare on him. “Yes, I mean beyond that. As much as I would like to date Tyler, you are asking me to walk into a hostile situation and have our relationship unfold on national television. That’s not always the best foundation for a lasting relationship, so yeah I want to know what’s in it for me beyond that.”

  “A job with us until Talia returns from materni
ty leave.” Her head whipped back to Peter. “And a recommendation from us after that. This is California, Laney, there are a lot of studios and modeling agencies around here that could use your talent.”

  Laney bit her lip. While it wasn’t a guaranteed job offer, it was as close to one as she could get and that meant security and money. Money, especially for someone who had recently gotten fired and had moved all her belongings back to Texas, was certainly appealing. “What about Tyler? Does he know about this?”

  Justin’s lips pulled back into that plastic smile. “This was Tyler’s idea. He came in here just an hour ago to tell us that he wanted to pursue you. He offered to walk off the show and void his contract.”

  Laney stared at the men. Tyler had offered to forfeit the money he needed for his ranch for her?

  “Peter and I happen to think this is a better idea. Everyone wins.”

  Laney wasn’t sure about that. The deal might have a perk for everyone involved, but she could also see about a dozen ways it could go incredibly wrong. Still, a chance with Tyler and the money was quite appealing. “Can I have an hour to pray about it?”

  Justin chuckled and leaned back. “You two really are perfect for each other.”

  “What do you mean?” Laney asked.

  “I mean that’s exactly what he said when I laid out the option for him.”

  Laney’s heart leapt in her chest, but she mashed her lips together to keep from smiling. She’d guessed he was a believer after their conversation the previous night, but she was glad for the confirmation. Perhaps that explained some of their chemistry. A love for the Lord combined with common roots of both being from Texas made their connection make sense. “Good, then I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll pray about it and let you know my decision in an hour.” She turned to Peter, “I assume I’ll have to move out of the bungalow and into the house?”