Catch Me a Cowboy (Wattle Valley, #1)

by Jacquie Underdown

  The young attendant hid a grin. ‘Problem with the ex?’

  Wil stared at him, his eyes narrowed.

  The attendant held his hands up. ‘Just asking, mate.’

  Wil finished paying, stormed back to his car, not giving Billi another moment of his time. Starting the engine, he sped off up the road, banging the steering wheel with his palm. He hated himself for still being angry about all this. It was the pregnancy that threw him off. It shocked him, made him feel emotions he didn’t want to feel. Brought everything they had crashing back, and then some. He slammed the steering wheel again. Get a grip, Wil. It’s been three years.

  And it had been three very long years. He’d had relationships since then. Nice, pleasant, but never long lasting relationships. He was over Billi. No doubt about it. But he would never forgive her. The anger roaring through his veins, making his limbs twitch, was a testament to that.

  He dialled his brother’s number and let it ring over the Bluetooth connection in the car.

  ‘Hey, what’s up?’ said Alec, filling the car with his deep voice.

  ‘You’ll never guess who I just saw.’

  A deep breath. ‘Oh, man. Judging by the scathing tone, I’d have to guess: Billi.’

  If Billi had simply cheated on him—fine. But to then go after a share of the farm his family had worked for three generations was something else entirely. And even that may not have been a problem if she was reasonable about it. After all, she had been his wife for three years and was entitled to something, but half the entire family farm was absurd. And to lie through her teeth like she did, to say that he was the one who had been having an affair, just so her case was stronger, had cut him to the bone. He had never known betrayal until Billi.

  ‘She actually smiled and expected me to be okay with everything that had happened.’

  ‘Rotten to the core that one.’

  ‘And pregnant.’

  Silence. ‘Oh, mate. I’m … sorry.’

  Wil gripped the steering wheel hard until he felt it might snap beneath his hands. ‘Fuck! I hate that she angers me like this still.’

  ‘It still angers me, and she was your wife.’

  Wil groaned.

  ‘But she’s history. I know it’s hard, but try and let her go. She’s not worth it. And look on the bright side. In a little less than a month, you’re going to have twenty drop-dead gorgeous women vying for your heart. Let Billi chew on that for a while.’

  Wil rolled his eyes. Alec had been practically panting, ever since he was told Wil had made it onto the show. ‘Yeah, well, that’s yet to be seen.’

  ‘Soon enough, lover boy, and you won’t know what hit you.’

  Chapter 7

  Monday morning, Emily met her new clients in a café in the city. She had only spoken to them over the phone, and this was their first face-to-face meeting. She was not going to let the fact that they were young newlyweds make her jealous, nor compromise her professionalism. At the end of the day, it was Emily’s unfaltering professionalism that made her successful. Her personal issues were not allowed to make an appearance while she was working.

  ‘Good morning,’ she said, standing and smiling as the couple were ushered over to her by the maître d’. She held out her hand and shook both of theirs. They were a gorgeous couple and obviously in love by the way they kept one arm around the other. Both in their mid-twenties, Donald was an up-and-coming IT professional and Michelle was an accountant for a multinational. They were, in Emily’s language, Young and Upwardly Mobile. Or, in other words, young with money to burn.

  ‘So lovely to meet you both. Take a seat, and let’s chat about the perfect home I’m going to find for you.’

  They sat and drank coffees while Emily confirmed their budget, locations, and home must-haves. She already had five great apartments to show them today, but she liked to meet clients beforehand to get to know them better and earn their trust.

  ‘So you are newly married?’ she asked.

  Michelle beamed as she nodded, then rubbed her nose against Donald’s. ‘Yes, seven blissful weeks.’

  ‘Where did you go on your honeymoon?’ She kept her tone light and fizzy.

  Donald answered, ‘To the Maldives. It was incredible.’ He looked at Michelle and a silent glance passed between them. Okay, okay, Emily knew what that cheeky glance meant—they had heaps of steamy sex and lots of orgasms. They didn’t have to rub it in. But Emily wasn’t going to let that get to her, she was the professional here.

  ‘Wonderful,’ interrupted Emily, possibly louder than needed. ‘Show me the ring,’ she cooed, in her best I’m-so-damn-excited-and-not-the-least-bit-jealous voice.

  Michelle held out her left hand and Emily had to squint so she wasn’t blinded by the diamond that dripped from Michelle’s finger. She was amazed Michelle was capable of holding her arm up; it was the size of a tennis ball. Perfect clarity. ‘Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. And you picked this out yourself?’ she asked Donald.

  He nodded smugly.

  She winked at him. ‘Nice work.’ All the while she was telling herself that she would soon be the benefactor of such a ring and a smug husband, so no use feeling envious.

  ‘All right. I think we’re ready to start looking for your home.’

  Michelle squealed as she hugged Donald’s arm, then smiled so wide Emily thought her face was going to burst. Exactly what she’d expect from a gorgeous, successful, twenty-five-year-old, who was about to go hunting for her dream house with her husband, who had bonked her silly during their honeymoon in the Maldives. If Emily was going to be truthful about that, she would admit that it grated on her a little, but she was still holding strong. She gritted her teeth and forced a tight smile onto her lips. ‘Follow me.’

  The first two apartments were in walking distance from the café. The next three she would drive them to in her car. But she had a feeling the first apartment was going to be The One. She wasn’t like other agents who showed substandard properties first up, then progressed to those that were far superior and, coincidentally, above their budget. No, she was always upfront and produced her best results early. That way, no one’s time was wasted and trust was maintained. People were tired of sales games.

  They stopped outside of a heritage building in the heart of the city. It had been recently restored and converted into four luxurious three-bedroom apartments. The best quality fittings, flooring and fixtures were used throughout. Unlike Mike, the developer of this building was realistic, and valued quality as well as his local reputation.

  Emily unlocked the front door of the foyer and led them to the apartment’s personal lift. It had full security and opened directly on the level-four apartment. They rode it in excited silence to the top. The doors opened and Emily gestured the couple to enter first. She didn’t want to block their first glimpse of this magnificent home. The floors were marble, the ceilings high and fitted with exquisite, intricate lighting. All the appliances were top of the range. And best of all, was the outdoor/indoor entertaining area—a rare treat in the city.

  As she walked the couple through each room, she pretended to ignore their excited gasps and arm squeezes, which they were trying their hardest to hide. It was perfect for them. A pang of jealousy struck so deep then, she had the urge to ruin it for this happy couple. She could pretend it was well above their budget and destroy all their dreams. She shook her head and held back an angry groan by biting down on her bottom lip.

  I’m turning into a monster. It was completely inappropriate to be thinking such thoughts, not to mention plain evil. Envy was fine, but sabotaging someone else’s happiness was absolutely wrong. My God, I really do need to take a break before I do something stupid.

  ‘Everything okay?’ Michelle’s sweet voice snapped Emily out of her reverie.

  She looked at her and smiled. ‘Fine. Sorry, I was daydreaming. About the time when I purchased my home. It was a defining moment in my life.’

  ‘Did your husband help, or did he leave
it up to you, considering your expertise?’ asked Donald.

  Emily swallowed down her pride and levelled her tone. ‘Um, I’m not married actually. I bought the property on my own.’

  ‘Oh,’ said Donald apologetically, while Michelle lowered her gaze as though it was shameful for a thirty-year-old woman not to be married. That’s how she was interpreting their expressions, but her perceptions were slightly skewed at the moment.

  ‘It was a magical moment, as it will be for both of you,’ she said, through gritted teeth, though she couldn’t control the shakiness in her voice. ‘So, what do you think of the place?’

  The happy couple looked at each other, rubbed their noses together for good measure, before looking at Emily with big smiles and saying, ‘We love it!’

  Of course they did. This was why Emily earned the big bucks. She knew what people wanted before they did. If only she was as skilled in the husband-finding department.

  On the way home, later that evening, a call came through her car’s Bluetooth.

  ‘Good afternoon, Emily speaking.’

  ‘Am I speaking with Emily Wolfe?’

  ‘Yes you are,’ she said, glancing at the digital clock—4.54 pm.

  ‘This is Rachel Walsh from the Dream Network. I’m calling about the Catch Me a Cowboy game show you applied for.’

  She narrowed her eyes and indicated to take the next left. ‘From where, sorry?’

  ‘Dream Network. I want to talk about your application for Catch Me a Cowboy.’

  ‘Catch Me a Cowboy? I’m sorry, I’ve no idea what you are …’ Then the lightbulb flashed. The dating show Xanthi had mentioned—she must have gone ahead and entered Emily behind her back. ‘Oh, right, sorry, yes. I just had a mind blank.’

  ‘I’m happy to announce that your application has been successful and we’d like to meet with you next weekend, along with the other applicants, to see if you qualify to move on to the next round.’

  ‘Right. Great.’ She had no intention whatsoever of meeting with them and was not setting foot anywhere near a show with a title as degrading as Catch Me a Cowboy. Xanthi was going to get an earful over this stunt.

  ‘I’m going to forward all the information through to the email address you provided.’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Great. Lovely to talk to you, Emily, and we look forward to meeting you next weekend.’

  ‘Thanks. See you then.’ Not.

  She hung up and dialled Xanthi at the next red light.

  ‘Hey there,’ came Xanthi’s cheerful voice, accompanied by burps and squeals in the background from her young children.

  ‘Don’t hey there me. You entered me into the dating show?’

  There was a long silence, except for the cries, farts and bangs. ‘I may have accidentally spent seven hours putting together an application and filling out psychiatric evaluations on your behalf.’

  ‘The Dream Network just rang to tell me I’ve made it to the next round.’

  ‘Yessss!’ she squealed and Emily pictured Xanthi fist-pumping the air. ‘I knew my marketing skills would come in handy. Real Estate Agent to the Elite Seeks Tree Change and Sexy Farmer to Boot.’

  ‘You didn’t,’ hissed Emily, her fists squeezing so hard on the steering wheel her knuckles were turning white.

  ‘I did. And you can thank me later.’

  ‘I’m not doing it.’

  ‘You damn well are. I didn’t spend hours at the computer with whiny kids crawling all over me, just so you could turn this opportunity down—’

  ‘I didn’t give you permission to do that—’

  ‘I don’t care. It’s done. And you need a husband. And you’re not going to get one buzzing around town in your Mercedes, helping other people create their dream lives while ignoring your own. You’re doing it.’

  ‘I’m not.’

  ‘The doctor said you need to take a break. A couple of months in the country will be the perfect place. So stop being a spoiled sport and accept the amazing opportunity you have.’

  ‘It will never work. I already hate whoever this cowboy is. I can’t respect a man that goes on a dating show.’

  ‘You’re going on a dating show, does that make you a hateable person?’ asked Xanthi.

  ‘Well, no, because I was tricked into it.’

  ‘So you are going to go for it?’

  ‘I didn’t say that.’

  ‘Yes, you did,’ she squealed excitedly. ‘Once again, I’m a little jealous.’

  ‘Of what. Being lined up like a prized cow alongside other prized cows?’

  ‘Don’t be so pessimistic.’

  Emily shook her head as she rounded the next corner. ‘I don’t like the country. I like Manolos, designer dresses and concrete as far as the eye can see.’

  ‘Oh please, you wouldn’t know what the country was if it jumped up and bit you on the arse.’

  ‘That’s another good point—snakes. I hate snakes. And insects. And mud. What if I’m allergic to grass?’

  ‘You really have had a sheltered life, haven’t you?’

  ‘Is that such a bad thing?’

  ‘Yes. It is. Get out there and live a little. You said yourself that the love games are over. You know you can’t keep going on the same old dates with the same type of man and expect that you’re suddenly going to get a different result. It doesn’t work that way, Emily. You have to try something different if you want a different outcome.’

  A shudder shook through Emily as though Xanthi’s words finally struck on something inside her that she always knew, something deep and profound, yet wasn’t willing to acknowledge. An ancient pain presented itself as an aching lump in her throat. She swallowed hard, not willing to confront it just yet. But the message that accompanied it didn’t go unheard. If Emily was serious about changing her behaviour when it came to relationships and finding herself a husband, then she needed to try something different.

  How she had been approaching dating in the past produced the same result—one she didn’t want and one that didn’t work. And it would be insane for Emily to continue down that path. Catch Me a Cowboy was certainly a different approach. But it was also a huge risk—emotionally, financially. Although, Emily knew firsthand from her career experience that the biggest risks had the potential to offer the greatest rewards. And in every crevice, slope and surface of her body, Emily wanted a love that was, above all else, rewarding. She deserved that, didn’t she?

  ‘Are you still there?’ asked Xanthi when the silence stretched on for too long.

  Emily nodded, not willing to use her voice yet because her emotion would be evident. She wiped at the tears that had snuck onto her cheeks and blew out a long breath. ‘Yes,’ she said, the word tight and sharp in her throat like a ball of glass.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Fine,’ she said.

  ‘Are you going to do it?’

  An intuition, some hidden guiding force, was pushing her to say yes. But Emily ignored it—always one to give all matters due consideration before she jumped in. ‘I’ll give it some thought.’

  Saturday morning, Emily followed the directions emailed to her and arrived at Dream Studios on time. She met with the receptionist, was ushered through to a large waiting room, and was seated beside thirty other women—gorgeous, manicured women. Every last one of them.

  Cowboy was going to be one lucky man.

  She hated him already.

  Emily turned to the blonde, busty beauty beside her. She was barely twenty-five and had a magnificent, but obviously cosmetically assisted, pout. ‘Hi, I’m Emily,’ she said with a smile.

  Busty Blonde looked her up and down and didn’t attempt to hide her mocking smile. ‘A little old, aren’t you?’

  Emily narrowed her eyes, her mouth twisted in horror. ‘I beg your pardon?’

  The girl peered back at her and offered her best patronising grin. ‘I said, aren’t you a little old? Or is your hearing aid not turned on.’

  ‘I’m thirt
y,’ Emily said, then regretted it because she shouldn’t even be acknowledging this kind of sledging.

  ‘Exactly.’ Busty Blonde crossed her legs in the opposite direction and focused her attention elsewhere.

  Emily’s heart thudded harder. She squeezed her hands into tight fists on her lap. It was hard not to let Busty Blonde’s snide comment anger her, and her desire to lash out and slap her smug face was difficult to subdue. But she understood now, loud and clear. Catch Me a Cowboy was a competition, a sport, and that comment was a well-executed attempt to throw Emily off her game.

  She could run out of here crying and buy up all the latest anti-ageing creams, or she could use that attack as fuel to keep going. With age, came wisdom. And Emily was old enough to know that if Busty Blonde was being that rude, it indicated the girl’s insecurity, but also, and this was most important, that she thought of Emily as a threat. Which may just mean Emily had a shot at winning this.

  Her anger morphed into excitement. Her competitive spirit stirred in her veins and sparked in her blood. Competition was what Emily did better than anything else. Playing sport to the best of her capabilities was what she thrived on. She didn’t become the best in her industry without it. And she certainly didn’t become a millionaire by twenty-seven without knowing how to play the game.

  She decided that she was going to be a contestant on Catch Me a Cowboy, and she was going to try her hardest to win. Not because she agreed with the concept of the show, or wanted to win the heart of a so-called cowboy—who she had doubts she’d even like, let alone fall in love with—but because she wanted to smile smugly at Busty Blonde when she took the main prize. She was going to represent every woman no longer in their twenties looking for a semblance of representation in this world. And she was going to represent … hard!

  Her husband-finding project would have to be put on the back burner for a couple of months. But, who knows, the break from reality and dud dates might give her a new perspective.