Cheers went up around the room. Cassidy heard some rather rude statements of agreement, making it clear she was indeed the villain.
“Cassidy didn’t do anything wrong.” Evan held up his hand at the mumble of voices trying to dispute his statement. “Let me speak before you judge us.”
Evan glanced at Cassidy, then back to where the other contestants sat in total shock. Each one of them in a state of stunned confusion — mouths hanging open, gaping at the roadside attraction that was her life.
Paige mouthed the question, “You and Evan?” when Cassidy met her gaze.
Cassidy nodded. She had a lot of explaining to do. A wave of relief passed through her as realized she’d finally be able tell Paige about everything. Soon she could talk to Keira again.
“If we deceived anyone because of what we did, it was accidental. We never meant to take someone else’s chance at happiness away. The fact is, Brad was the one who chose who to put in the bottom three each week, not us. He felt something for Cassidy he didn’t feel for the other women, and that’s why she’s sitting here as one of the final two today.”
Chip shook his head. “But she did trick America into thinking they were voting for someone who actually wanted to be here to find love.”
“America watched the show to see two people fall in love. Cassidy did come here hoping to find someone special, perhaps even find the person who might be the one for her. She can’t help it if that person turned out to be her cameraman instead of the bachelor.”
Cassidy stared into the deep blue eyes she’d seen in her dreams. The same eyes she feared she’d never get to see in real life again. Hope stared back at her.
Oh Evan, I’ve missed those eyes, these hands, that gorgeous mouth.
“Cassidy came here to find the love of her life, and that’s what she’s going to leave with.” Evan put his hand on the side of her neck and stroked his thumb in familiar circles along her jaw. She melted into the warmth of his touch.
“I came here to do a job, get a paycheck, and leave. Instead, I found the half of my heart I never knew I was missing. Since the moment I looked into these green eyes of yours, I’ve known I could get lost in them for eternity.”
Evan’s gaze penetrated her with such intensity that she knew she’d never love anyone but him. He’d stolen her heart the minute his lips claimed hers with their first kiss.
“Cassy, I love you, and I have since the moment I saw you standing by the piano that first day at the house. These last few days without you in my life have been miserable.” Evan paused, looking into her eyes. “I just have one question. Do you still have feelings for him?”
She shook her head without hesitation. “No. I only have feelings for one man and it’s not Brad.”
Evan smiled. “I’ve been trying to avoid falling in love because I thought I might end up hurt if something ever happened to you, but I never realized I was hurting myself more by trying to stay away from you. Loving you is worth the risk of whatever the future brings — without you, I have no future to worry about.”
Cassidy tried to remain calm. More than anything she wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and never let go, but she couldn’t. Not yet.
“I have one question for you too, Evan.”
“Anything.”
Cassidy fought to hold her voice steady. “Will you ever leave me again like you did that night in the campsite? Turn on me? Turn from me?” Her body trembled as she waited for his answer.
He sighed, his forehead furrowing. “If I could take back one moment, it would be walking away from you. I’ll never hurt you again, no matter how jealous I am. I promise.”
“Evan, I love you.” Cassidy’s voice broke over the tears she couldn’t stop from falling — tears of happiness. “I’m so sorry for everything. You were right, I should have done things differently, and then maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with. I’ve missed you so much. I can’t imagine a future without you in it.”
Cassidy stared at him, not knowing what else to say. He loves me.
“Kiss her,” a voice shouted from the audience. More voices joined in, calling for them to kiss and make up.
That was all the encouragement Cassidy needed.
She grabbed Evan by the front of his shirt and pulled herself to him, kissing him for the first time with her whole heart, without reservations or guilt or confusion.
As their lips met, she knew Evan was right about everything. She had come hoping for love, and she’d found it in the most unlikely place. Being in love with Evan was more wonderful than she could ever have imagined.
This is where her heart belonged — alongside his, forever.
Evan pulled back and placed his hand over hers on his chest. She could feel his heart beating beneath his shirt, pounding in time with hers. “Careful with those buttons. I didn’t think to bring an extra shirt with me today.”
She laughed. “Don’t start with me, Evan Burke. I’ve learned my lesson about leaving evidence behind.”
“You know, I meant what I said before, about not letting you go once I got you alone.”
“And I meant it when I said I was going to hold you to that statement. Now, shut up and kiss me.”
Cassidy sank into Evan’s arms and kissed him like there wasn’t a national viewing audience watching. She was sure they’d be the talk of every water cooler in the country the next morning, so why not give people something juicy to talk about?
This might not have been the ending everyone expected, but sometimes the best endings are the ones you don’t see coming.
Epilogue
Paige ran her hand over the glossy cover of the tabloid magazine she’d picked up at the grocery store earlier. She couldn’t resist. Seeing Cassidy and Evan’s faces on the cover was still too surreal. And seeing how their love affair had captured the hearts of people everywhere was inspiring.
And heartbreaking.
Of course Paige was happy for them. Cassidy deserved to have a man in her life like Evan, especially after everything that happened with Brad and the show. But didn’t Paige deserve a man in her life, too?
She tossed the magazine onto the coffee table beside one of the many vases of flowers currently filling every flat surface in her living room and kitchen. It seemed every man in a fifty-mile radius had taken it upon himself to help her get over her national television rejection. And all of them had sent bouquets, each with a note attached proclaiming to be the one guy who could make all her dreams come true.
If only it were that easy.
Her friends were no better. They kept reading the cards and picking out which guys they thought she should go out with. She’d played along for the first few weeks, but the novelty had worn off quickly. Now random blind dates didn’t sound so fun. Although, sitting at home — alone — for another Friday night didn’t sound too great, either.
Paige peeled herself off the couch at the sound of her cell phone ringing from inside her purse where she’d left it on the kitchen counter. Probably her mother calling to say hello since she knew Paige would be home and not out on some hot date. Because she sucked. And she was just too afraid of being rejected again.
If these guys had seen her on the show, were they really pursuing her because they wanted to get to know the real her? Or did they just want to see what it was about her that hadn’t been good enough for Brad?
“Hello?” she said, finally digging her phone out of her bag.
“Paige, sweetheart, how are you?”
“Chip? What’s up?” Paige tried but failed to keep the suspicion out of her voice. Sure, Chip had been nothing but nice to her, but she’d seen what he’d done to Cassidy at the finale. Not to mention the lawyers he’d sent after her for breach of contract. If he was calling, it couldn’t be good.
“I wanted to touch base with y
ou and see how you’re getting along now that you’re back to your regular life.”
“Things are a little weird, but I’m doing okay.”
“Great. I’m glad to hear that.” Chip cleared his voice. “So listen. I have a business proposition for you. Turns out that even though you went home in the middle of the show, you stole people’s hearts. I’ve heard you have men coming out of the woodwork for a chance to be with you. So that got me thinking — ”
“Thinking about what?” she interrupted. Chip plotting wasn’t good. Everyone who had any connection to him knew that.
“About having you on another show, of course.”
“I appreciate you thinking of me, but there’s no way I can go back on another dating show. I can’t handle that kind of public rejection again.”
“Well, good news then. It’s not a dating show I had in mind, but something much more exciting. It’s an adventure show.”
“Okay. And you think I’d be good for an adventure show why exactly?” She wasn’t the adventuring type. She was more the stay home, relaxing in the backyard where it was safe kind of girl. How could Chip possibly think she’d be good for an adventure show?
Chip chuckled. “I wouldn’t, exactly. But Cassidy said she’d only do it if you were her partner.”
“Oh.” Now it made sense. Chip wants Cassidy, not me.
As if he could read her mind, Chip spoke again. “It’s not like that. There were polls going on throughout the show and you always rated very high with viewers.”
“Sure, as the person they’d most like to see go home, right?”
“Wrong. As the person they thought should have stayed. As America’s favorite sweetheart. Have you really not been to the website or forums?”
“I try to avoid them.”
“If you had been to the forums, then you’d already know America loves you almost as much as they love Cassidy and Evan as a couple. So when I was planning this new show and thinking about possible crossover contestants, I instantly thought of you and Cassidy. I know you two would make an awesome team and America would love watching you. Wouldn’t you like another chance to show all the guys out there how awesome you are and how stupid Brad is for letting you go?”
Well, when you put it that way. “I guess. What exactly do I have to do?”
“Let’s not worry about all those little details now. I need to go back to Cassidy with a solid yes from you and then we’ll get things rolling. Sound good?”
Paige flopped back onto the couch. Was she really going to sign on for another show because Cassidy wanted her to? Did she have a good reason not to have an all-expenses-paid trip with her best friend? “Sounds like I don’t really know what I’m saying yes to.”
“Great! So you’re saying yes. I’ll get back to you in a few days with more details, proposed filming schedule, and location.”
“Chip, wait,” Paige said, cutting in before he got off the phone. She couldn’t really say yes without knowing all those details up front. That would be ridiculous.
“I’ll be in touch soon.”
Paige stared at the phone as it flickered off. This wasn’t good. She just agreed to some kind of adventurous reality show with Cassidy. She was neither ready to be on TV again nor an adventurer.
This should be interesting.
About the Author
Heather Thurmeier was born and raised in the Canadian prairies, but now she lives in upstate New York with her own personal romance hero (aka her husband) and their two little princesses. When she’s not busy taking care of the kids and an adventurous puppy named Indy, Heather’s hard at work on her next romance novel. She loves to hear from her readers.
~ Heart, humor, and a happily ever after.
Website: http://heatherthurmeier.com
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @hthurmeier
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HeatherThurmeierAuthor
Stuck on You
Heather Thurmeier
Avon, Massachusetts
This edition published by
Crimson Romance
an imprint of F+W Media, Inc.
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200
Blue Ash, Ohio 45242
www.crimsonromance.com
Copyright © 2013 by Heather Thurmeier
ISBN 10: 1-4405-5202-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-5202-1
eISBN 10: 1-4405-5203-7
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-5203-8
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, or locales in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.
Cover art © 123rf.com
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my parents. Thank you for believing that I could do this and never making me feel like pursuing my dream wasn’t important. Thank you for reading my terrible early drafts of each book, for the hour long phone calls to chat storylines and plot holes, and for all the times you’ve talked business strategy with me as I navigate this new career. I love you both. This one is for you, Mum and Dad.
Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
About the Author
Chapter One
Paige Anderson stood on the outskirts of the staging area under a clear blue sky trying her best not to hurl on her new hiking boots. She’d made a mistake. She didn’t stand a chance against teams like Mr. Muscles and Friend — Team Everest, according to the official game team names — or any of the others for that matter.
Speaking of Mr. Muscles, every time she glanced his way — which seemed to be more and more often — she’d catch him staring at her when he was supposed to be engaging in conversation with his teammate. This time when her eyes caught his, she noted his subtle eyebrow raise and a tiny smirk pulling up the corners of his mouth. Combine that with his light brown hair and sun-kissed skin, and it was hard to look away. Not to mention a little twinkle of something interesting in his dark chocolate eyes she couldn’t quite pinpoint but found incredibly intriguing nonetheless. She tried to look away but it was difficult when Mr. Muscles stood there with his arms folded across his chest, biceps bulging against his thin cotton t-shirt.
Poor material doesn’t stand a chance.
She swallowed the sudden urge to comfort the pathetic t-shirt that looked as if it were a single pushup away from tearing and forced her eyes to keep moving. She couldn’t enjoy the man-candy competition fully while her own teammate was still MIA.
Where the hell was Cassidy? She should have arrived yesterday or the day before like everyone else, and yet Paige hadn’t heard from her. Nor had Cassidy answered any of the texts or voicemails she’d left before the show’s producer Chip had confiscated her phone. How were they supposed to survive on an adventure show if they couldn’t even communicate their whereabouts before the show started?
Cassidy and Paige had become fast
friends the year before while on a different reality show — one where they’d both vied for a bachelor’s attention, along with eight other women. Out of all the women on the show, Cassidy was the nicest and most beautiful and it came as no surprise to Paige when not only the bachelor, but also a cameraman, had fallen in love with Cassidy during the show.
Of course, Paige hadn’t made it anywhere near the finale with bachelor Brad. Nope. She’d been sent packing at the third elimination — humiliated and crushed.
Thank God this wasn’t another dating show. No chance of major televised rejection to tarnish the experience. No sexy bachelor to distract her and Cassidy from winning the money and prizes.
Her eyes flickered back to Mr. Muscles again as if to prove her theory wrong right from the start. Damn. He was built to climb mountains. She’d like to climb his mountain.
Yeah, right. In my dreams.
Paige let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding when she spotted Evan, Cassidy’s new fiancé, chatting with a few other cameramen. If Evan was here, that had to mean Cassidy was here too. And when Paige finally found her, Cassidy would get a solid reminder about how you’re supposed to tell your friend and teammate that you’ve arrived in one piece so said teammate doesn’t worry.
“Gather around everyone,” Chip Cormack, the show’s producer said, waving the contestants over. “In a few moments we’ll start filming. After a brief introduction by our host, Spencer Daley, the competition will begin. Now is your last chance to ask any questions you might have after reading the information packet you were provided.”
He paused and looked around the group as if he expected an immediate outburst of questioning to begin. No one said a thing. The packet of information had been very thorough. A list of dos and don’ts for the show, legal obligations and warnings, and health waivers had basically covered everything you could imagine.
Unscripted Love: The Complete Reality TV Romance Collection Page 24