‘Seriously!’ came a high-pitched squeal from among the losing group. ‘You’re making me go home over them?’ Amber pointed to Emily and the girls standing around her. The camera zoomed in on Amber, not willing to miss a moment of her tantrum. ‘I’m one hundred times prettier than all those girls put together. This show is rigged. It has to be.’ She grabbed her breasts and pushed them up closer to her chin. ‘Who in their right mind could resist these? They’re state of the art, grade A breasts.’
Emily bit down on her lip to stop herself from laughing. If Amber wasn’t going to win the show, she was going to make an impact with her exit. New determination brewed in Emily’s blood. If her being here and making it further in the show meant that girls like Amber lost, then that was an incentive to keep going.
‘What are you smiling at, Grandma?’
She met Amber’s glare and drew a deep breath in. All these ridiculous comments about her age were wearing thin. But she wasn’t going to get roped into this childish display of bad sportsmanship by replying. Not with the cameras recording her every reaction. Emily had her job to get back to after this show was over and her reputation must remain intact. So, Emily rolled her eyes and looked straight ahead, only to meet the gaze of Wil. Heat spread across her cheeks.
Missy addressed the losing group, letting the women know they could take a few moments to say goodbye. Amber calmed enough to stand with the rest to thank Wil as they left. They each gave him a kiss on the cheek while Amber took the opportunity to shove her breasts against Wil’s chest and whisper something in his ear. Wil pulled back, his eyes wide.
Emily giggled; she would love to know what was said.
The final ten contestants were allocated their rooms for the night. Emily unpacked her gear into the small cupboard and drawers. Her sleeping quarters was no bigger than her walk-in robe back at her apartment in Melbourne. But she didn’t mind; it was cosy. She showered and changed into her pyjamas, wrapped her dressing gown around her, and decked her Ugg boots. The temperature had dropped over the evening.
She snuck outside through the back door and headed a distance away from the living quarters. The farm was still, quiet, aside from the chirp of cicadas and crickets. A layer of dew covered the grass.
Tugging the gown closer around her body, deflecting the chill in the air, she rested her back against the trunk of a tree. She pulled her mobile from her pocket. They were forbidden to have any form of technology while here, all phone calls out needing to be logged. But Emily had bought herself a second phone and snuck it in her luggage. There was no way she’d last two months without technology. She only hoped that in the middle of nowhere there was reception.
Looking at the screen, she noted the single bar of reception. Please be enough to make a call. She dialled Xanthi’s number and she answered immediately as though she had the mobile beside her, waiting for this call, which Emily had no doubt was the case.
‘Tell me all about it. What’s the cowboy like? Oh my God, I’m so excited!’
Emily ran through the day’s events, leaving nothing out, barely taking a breath between sentences.
‘I’m so glad Amber was eliminated. Seriously, what a bitch. I’m amazed she didn’t get booted after she tripped you,’ said Xanthi.
‘The directors want as much drama as possible, so that sort of stunt was perfect.’
‘For them. What about you? How humiliating.’
‘I know, right?’
‘But Wil sounds like a darling.’
Emily thought back to that moment when she met him up close for the first time and her heart warmed anew. ‘He’s surprisingly thoughtful.’
‘He seems it. And he sounds unbelievably hot.’
‘He’s definitely the sexiest cowboy I’ve ever seen.’
Xanthi laughed. ‘Have you ever met a cowboy before?’
‘Well, no, but if I had, Wil would still be the sexiest.’
‘Now I’m ridiculously jealous.’
Emily giggled but soon sobered. ‘Do you think he’s too good to be true?’ She blew out a long breath. ‘I can’t bring myself to trust him, because, in the back of my mind, I keep thinking that the type of guy who would go on a show like this wouldn’t respect women.’
‘You’re on the show too, Em. Does that mean you don’t respect yourself?’
Emily wrinkled her nose. ‘Of course not. I’m just someone whose life was hectic and this was an opportunity to get away from it all.’
‘Maybe it’s the same for him too. Have you thought of that?’
She hadn’t. The only thing she considered was those firm stereotypes in her mind about the country, and cowboys, which so far had turned out to be far from reality. ‘I hope you’re right, Xanthi.’
There was silence on the other end. Emily pulled the phone from her ear and looked at it, frowning. Two bars of reception were visible on the screen. Emily pressed the phone to her ear again and in a short moment Xanthi’s voice sounded again. ‘Are you there?’
‘Yeah, sorry. You cut out. What were you saying?’
‘It kinda sounds like you might like this guy.’
Emily closed her eyes and rested her head back against the tree. ‘I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I don’t know what’s real and what isn’t.’ It had been one long, bizarre day. The circumstances she was enduring with these other contestants was surreal, she couldn’t trust her emotions. There was no way of knowing if what Wil was saying and doing was staged, or if his reactions were off-the-cuff and genuine.
‘You have a natural intuition about people. Trust that.’
Emily sighed. Her eyes were starting to burn from exhaustion. ‘You’re right. I do know people.’
‘Exactly.’
‘Anyway, I better go before they wonder where I’ve gotten to. Thanks for talking.’
‘Keep me up to date.’
‘I’ll try my best.’
Emily snuck back to the sleeping quarters, turned off her phone and hid it away, before tucking herself into bed. Tomorrow, Wil was taking them on small group dates and if she wanted to be her best so she could win this competition, she needed a good night sleep.
Chapter 13
This morning was the start of group dates. Even that designation made Wil feel ridiculous. No wonder feminists deplored shows like this. But he was determined not to let it become quite so cringe-worthy. Until he saw Emily and heat flooded his body.
Emily had ditched the high heels for the sexiest pair of knee-high cowboy boots—tan leather with flower patterned stitching. She wore them over a pair of jeans, which she accompanied with a pink hoodie. And he, big loping Neanderthal he was, wanted to tear those clothes right off her until she wore nothing but those boots.
He shook his head and noisily exhaled. He had to get a grip. It was day two of filming and he was already fantasising about one of the contestants.
The morning was cold, the grass covered with a thin layer of ice that sparkled in the sunshine. Emily, along with a beautiful veterinarian Regina, and a hairdresser Maya, met Wil in the living room of his farmhouse.
‘Good morning, ladies,’ he said with a wide smile.
‘Good morning,’ they all chorused.
‘So what are we going to do today?’ asked Regina, flicking her long black hair over her shoulder.
Wil grinned at Regina. ‘I’ll show you.’ He led them down the hall, outside through the back door, then down to a fenced paddock that held his four horses.
Wil laughed when he saw Emily’s face. Her lips were parted and there was terror in her widened eyes. ‘Not your thing, Emily?’
She half-nodded, then shook her head. ‘I’ve never … so big … might fall…’
Wil threw his head back and laughed loudly. She was adorable. A small smile crept onto her own lips and it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Without meaning to, his gaze slid down to her boots then back to her face, and his mind swamped with all the things he could do to her while she was wearing nothing but those boots.
> A brow arched, and he said, ‘You’ve got the right footwear on today. Very nice, I might add. And you have nothing to worry about. I trained these mares myself.’ He held out his hand for her, looking into her honey-brown gaze. ‘Do you trust me, Em?’
Emily’s mouth opened then shut. Eventually, she said, ‘Yes.’
Okay, that was the answer he was hoping for though it came a fraction too late. But, all in all, they barely knew each other, so what more did he expect at this stage?
He took her hand. ‘Good. You’re hopping on first.’ He laughed when he looked back at her reaction. ‘There you go again shaking your head. You must deal with people scarier than a mild-mannered horse?’
A blush crept over her cheeks, and her lips curled just before a laugh burst through.
Wil smiled, loving the transformation on her face. When she exploded into a fit of giggles, he laughed along with her. Her laugh was husky and exuded warmth. This woman was intriguing.
After a long moment, he leant in close to her ear and asked, ‘What the hell were you just thinking about then?’
Still grinning, she shook her head. ‘You’ll never know.’
He arched a brow. ‘Is that a challenge?’
‘Not in the least. That thought shall forever remain private.’
He licked his bottom lip and smiled. ‘If you say so.’
He glanced down at his hand, which was still gripping hers and recognised how they had managed to creep politely into each other’s space. A pulse of electricity arced between them.
Emily’s smile vanished and she took a step backwards. She straightened taller and smoothed her hair with her free hand. Wil understood then—she was reluctant to get close. Unlike his encounters with the other contestants, who were more than willing to touch or compliment him, Emily was holding back. He didn’t know if it was a little of the proverbial “wanting what you can’t have”, but it made him determined to know her more.
Wil cleared his throat, looked at the other two ladies and smiled. Lost in Emily, they had escaped his attention, and he didn’t want to be seen playing favourites. He had resolved to be fair with all the contestants.
‘You two are next,’ he said.
He pulled Emily’s hand, leading her into the paddock and towards Miss Marple. She was already saddled. After reluctantly releasing his grasp, he took the reins, shifting the horse around so it stood side-on to them both. He bent down and clasped his hands together, so Emily could use them as a step.
‘Right foot here, left foot in the stirrup, then throw your leg over.’ He looked into her eyes as he said that, realising the double entendre, and he was certain he saw a blush creep over her cheeks. He couldn’t help the smile that followed.
Emily took a deep breath in, looked up at the horse, then back to Wil.‘You’ll be fine, Em. I promise.’ These horses had been with Wil since they were foals and had never been mistreated. They had the most beautiful nature and were social. His nieces and nephews, along with their friends, rode them often.
She nodded, glancing again up at the saddle, then pressed her hands to his shoulders for support. The hard contact of her palms and the heat from her body had his flesh flaming. She lifted her foot and he braced himself to lift her, but she dropped it back down to the dusty ground. ‘I’m heavy,’ she said.
He laughed. ‘Far from. Now stop procrastinating.’
Hands still on his shoulders, Emily lifted her foot, pressed it into his hands and stepped up until her left foot was level with the stirrup. She reached for the saddle and pushed her foot into the stirrup. Wil gripped her hips and hoisted her up until she could lift herself over the top of the horse and was seated with both legs resting in the stirrups on either side of Miss Marple.
She smiled down at him, as though triumphant in her feat of courage.
Wil patted Miss Marple’s flank and lifted the reins up to Emily.
Her eyes were wide. ‘Will that make her take off?’
He shook his head. ‘Not without your say so first. Just hold ‘em loosely.’
She nodded and took the reins.
Wil helped Regina and Maya onto horses. He grabbed the reins of another and led her to the paddock gates. He opened the long timber gate wide then mounted his own horse.
With quick instruction on how to hold the reins and gently press their heels into the horses flank to get them moving, they were clopping out of the paddock. With a steady walking pace, Wil following beside them, they headed along the green fields.
The sun’s warmth penetrated his skin, cutting through the chill in the air. From on top of the horse, he knew the ladies had a good view of the farm. It stretched for kilometres in all directions—endless green fields and paddocks. They clopped past fences where big grazing cows lazily watched or chewed on grass. Tall trees with wide trunks and branches that sprawled like gnarled limbs dappled the landscape. Little yellow and purple flowers grew here and there. The sky above was blue and wispy clouds floated through it. The turning of spring was the most beautiful time on the farm and he was grateful the ladies could share it with him.
After some distance, Emily’s grip on the reins loosened and she’d developed a natural rocking movement that complemented the horse’s gait. Every now and then, she would smile, letting Wil know, without words, that she had started to enjoy herself. His shoulders relaxed to see that because he wanted her to have fun today.
They trotted up a small elevation and when the girls came down the other side of the hill, Wil waited for their reactions. This is what he wanted them to see. All three ladies gasped when they saw the enormous sea of bright yellow canola flowers. Wil directed his horse to stand behind Emily. As he watched her gazing at the field of colour, he noted the glossiness to her eyes, and damn if her reaction didn’t make his own throat tighten with emotion.
‘It’s something else, ha?’
Emily looked across at him and quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks. ‘I’ve never seen … absolutely breathtaking … oh, my.’
Wil grinned wide. He couldn’t turn away from her, even when she peered back at the yellow ocean. ‘Unbelievable. Thank you so much for showing me this.’
He met her intense burning gaze again and was speechless for a long moment. ‘My pleasure,’ he said, tipping his hat. He was first to look away this time and moved off to talk to the other girls.
They headed towards the field of flowery gold and trotted alongside the crop for a distance before starting back to the farmhouse. Wil chatted with each of the girls one-on-one, getting to know more about the types of lives they had. But he was itching to talk to Emily again and he couldn’t understand the intensity of this desire.
He directed the horse to her side. Her long brown hair was blowing in the gentle breeze and she looked so at ease atop Miss Marple now, you’d think she’d done this a hundred times before.
‘You look very calm now.’ He grinned. ‘Maybe even enjoying yourself.’
She smiled and those plump full lips did wicked things to his body. ‘You’ve done a great job with the horses. I haven’t felt unsafe once.’
‘I’m glad you trusted me enough to try. It’s like all things, I guess, a little time’s needed to become familiar and find your bearings. When I got back from university, after spending three years in Melbourne, I found it hard to just stop, you know?’
Emily nodded.
‘I was used to the constant stimulation the city offered and then here, there was a different kind of stimulus. A slow, creeping beauty that was everywhere. I had to learn to stop before I was able to hear the instinct to be physical, to use my muscle and get among the dirt, the sun, the animals, the quiet. I had to feel the earth again and use my body.’
‘So how did you learn to stop?’
He shrugged as he held the reins in his hands. ‘I immersed myself in what this life does offer. That …’ he said pointing behind them at the yellow river of flowers, ‘that sensation you got back there was real, Em.’
She blink
ed and smiled. ‘So much so.’
‘This place is full of that.’
‘Connecting with people is real too … as humans we need it.’
Wil knew Emily meant the connections she had in the city with the people she met in her day to day life. He knew she was trying to make the point that here in the country, those connections were limited. But he didn’t agree with that one bit. He’d spent his time in Melbourne, all the people rushing past and not acknowledging his existence as he fled by. He’d experienced the barely-there eye contact when he purchased something from a shop.
‘I agree. Human connection is vital.’ He didn’t mean the flimsy social connections Emily was referring to. He was talking about a specific connection—the type of connection only a lover can bring. A deep ache throbbed in his chest and to feel it fresh and alive, made him realise then how lonely he had been. How much that type of connection was absent in his life. And reflected back in her eyes, was that exact emotion. Was Emily just as lonely as he was? Perhaps their reasons for agreeing to appear on this dating show, was, at the core, the same.
Wil swallowed hard to loosen the tightness in his throat. ‘One thing I realised was that distance between people can bring them closer together. And that living shoulder to shoulder with many can leave you lonely. This town and the people in it are the closest knit I’ve experienced.’
Emily tilted her head to the side. ‘Are you trying to sell me this town, Wil?’
He shrugged. ‘I think I’m trying to gauge if you’re in the market for buying.’
Chapter 14
Emily and the other contestants were required to complete daily video logs during their time on Catch Me a Cowboy. While the other women went on their group dates with Wil, Emily fulfilled her obligation by answering questions and recounting her experiences in front of a camera.
Emily answered as truthfully as she could but knew how the editors would chop, twist and bend her words out of context if it meant portraying her in a certain light. She only hoped they intended that light to be kind.
That evening, the ladies had group filming to do, where they were to sit around and discuss their time on the show to each other while a camera recorded every word. So they planned a barbeque, followed by drinks.
Catch Me a Cowboy (Wattle Valley, #1) Page 7