“You are very tall, but that’s not it. It’s not about your appearance. I know I didn’t get as much time with you as some of the others, but I feel like the time we did spend together was enough for me to see whether or not we had a connection. While I enjoy your personality and appreciate the things you shared with me, I don’t see us moving beyond friendship.”
Brian chewed his lip. He wasn’t in the shot, but he was close and could hear it all. He felt out of place. When it came down to it, he was glad to see Owen go because he wanted them all gone.
“Thanks for a good time.” Owen bent way down and hugged Eva.
“Thank you for being here.” She watched him walk off the set.
Brian stepped back into the studio lights. “Gentlemen, the five of you will continue on this journey with our bachelorette. I’ve been informed that the next leg of the adventure may take a curve. You’ll get details soon. Until then, I wish you the best of luck.” In finding someone else, Brian thought, ashamed of his selfishness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
ONCE EVA AND the men cleared out of the studio, Mike ushered Brian into his tiny office.
“You’re never going to believe this.” Mike waved his clipboard in the air before setting it on his desk. It wasn’t glued to his hand after all. “This is huge. Huge.”
“What’s up?” Brian folded himself into the chair opposite Mike’s desk. It was uncomfortable on the best day.
“You remember Kate, right? Kate Covington?”
Brian raised an eyebrow. Remember Kate? Um, yeah, she was the last woman he dated. The one who ran to Las Vegas to stop his impromptu wedding to a high school sweetheart who suddenly reappeared in his life, only Kate ended up married herself. Their story was long and complicated, but after Kate’s marriage was rendered false, she returned to Omaha and formed a relationship with Brian. They’d been friends for years and co-workers since Kate did the traffic on the morning show while Brian anchored the news. It all fell apart when Kate realized she wasn’t in love with Brian, but rather the man she accidentally married in Vegas. She went back after him and they planned a legal wedding…leaving Brian behind to pick up the pieces of his heart. He’d been gracious about it. He understood in many ways, but the experience made him bitter, like there was no one out there for him. Maybe he should give up on love entirely.
“I recall a former co-worker named Kate, yes,” Brian finally answered.
Mike grimaced. “Oh…yes…I suppose you would. Anyway, she and her husband Chad have been following the show or at least the news of the show since it hasn’t aired yet. They know we’ve been filming around the area and, get this; they’ve offered their land as our next destination.”
Brian shifted in his chair. “Leida Lands, the horse farm in Texas?”
“The one and only. Not only do they want us to tape an episode there, but they said they’d pay to fly everyone down and host all of us as guests at their lodge. It’s an amazing opportunity. I mean, everyone in the country knows the Leida name and about Chad Leida’s legacy. This show could go from local to national in no time flat.” Mike shook his head. “What do you think?”
“It’s an incredible opportunity, for sure, but I can’t go.” Brian drummed his fingers against his knee.
Mike sat up in his chair. “What do you mean you can’t go?”
“Mike, I need to talk to you. Something’s come up. Something…unexpected.”
“Well, go on then, spill it.”
“I seem to have…somehow…I don’t know, developed feelings for Eva.”
“You’re in love with Eva?”
“I don’t know that I’d go that far, but I feel very strongly for her. I’m having trouble balancing it with my hosting duties.”
Mike leaned back and stroked his chin. “What does this mean for the show?”
Of course, it was all about the show. Brian understood. It was Mike’s job to concentrate on the success of Accept this Dandelion. “That's up to you, but I have a proposal.”
Mike waved his hand and Brian went on. “I’d like to go on the show as a contestant.” Brian waited as the silence in the room thickened. He studied Mike’s face and tried to gauge his reaction. He got no readings and had no idea what the man thought.
“Let me get this straight.” Mike stroked his chin. “We chose you as the show’s host and you fell for the bachelorette. Now, you want me to put you on the show in front of all the other men who tried out and didn’t make it….and do what with the hosting position?”
Brian shrugged. He didn’t have the details worked out, but he knew what he wanted and Mike had to give it to him. He had to.
“No.” Mike shook his head. “No way. It can’t happen. Every yahoo in the newsroom would expect favors. You think the weather guy wouldn’t be chomping at the bit to get on the show? He’s been in love with Eva for a year. Nope. It’s impossible. It wouldn’t be fair to Eva or the guys on the show. You missed the boat, Brian. If you wanted that girl, you should have asked her out a long time ago.”
Brian’s shoulders sagged. Mike was right. He missed endless opportunities, but he hadn’t seen Eva for who she was. He couldn't get past her beautiful face and exquisite hair. He assumed she was out of his league. And in many ways, she was. “Well, I’m sorry. I don’t think I can go on with the show.”
Mike’s face turned purple. “You’re quitting? Just backing out? We could have asked anyone, but we asked you. What are we supposed to do? Scrap everything we have and start over?”
Brian searched for a solution, grasping at straws. He was between a rock and a hard place and he squirmed to get himself out of the position. “What about Kate?” he blurted.
“Kate?” The purple in Mike’s face faded two shades.
“Kate used to work here and the viewers loved her. What if you put her in for the Texas episode? She’d make a great host and Eva might confide in her, woman to woman. People would be happy to see a familiar face and learn more about how she’s doing now that she and Chad are married and running Leida Lands together.”
Mike pushed himself back from his desk and closed the three feet separating them. He placed one hand on either side of Brian’s head, bent over, and kissed his forehead. “It’s brilliant.” Mike regained his composure. “What about the rest of the show?”
“There would only be two episodes left after that, right? When you return, there will be two men and a final round and then she chooses.”
Mike nodded.
“Maybe by then, with a little space and some time I…”
“You’re a professional, Brian,” Mike piped in.
“Yeah, I’ll use the break to put my head on straight. I’ll be fine.”
“So it’s settled. We’ll go to Texas. You may as well anchor the news while we’re gone. The viewers miss you. Make sure to get in comments about the show. It’ll start airing next month. We’ll wrap taping when we return and make some TV magic in the editing room.”
Brian sighed. The outcome wasn’t what he hoped, but at least he didn’t have to watch Eva fall in love. She was already close to several of the men. When she returned from Texas, she’d be in love. It was too late for Brian the minute she agreed to do the show. Every step after that pulled her further away from him and toward another man. He needed to resign himself to that fact. If he’d wanted her, he should have asked her out one of the dozens of times she brought an animal on the show.
Mike stood and scurried from the room. “Gotta go, lots to do.”
Brian looked at his watch. The afternoon hours were upon them. And he had to work early the next morning.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
EVA ENJOYED THE flight to Texas. Four men remained including Steve, Cane, Harris and Pete. She could see herself with any of them in one way or another. They had to change planes in Dallas so Eva was able to spend quality time sitting next to each contender. She allowed three of them turns in the seat next to her from Omaha to Dallas and saved Steve for the short flight from Dall
as. She wanted him to help her get into a positive frame of mind. He was always so bubbly and funny she couldn’t help but feel happy any time he was around.
Eva hadn’t seen Brian and wondered if he was on a different flight. Maybe he had to go ahead with the crew. She tried to keep thoughts of him at bay and enjoy the men around her. When they got into the rental van and drove to Leida Lands, the Texas countryside caught her attention.
“This is Mitch’s homeland,” Eva said as they drove by a farm with cattle lining the fence.
“His ranch in Nebraska probably looks similar. Anyone who works there wears a cowboy hat as part of the dress code.” Steve hitched his thumbs into an imaginary belt.
Eva giggled. Steve’s sense of humor never got old. If he wasn’t the one for her, she’d have to find something else about him she didn’t like.
After a long drive down dusty farm roads, the vehicle pulled through a wooden gate with a large hand-carved sign. It read: Leida Lands. They had arrived.
A man and woman stood just inside the gate, one arm wrapped around each other’s waist. The man’s dark curly hair blew in the breeze as the woman adjusted the baseball cap on her head. They waved at the group in the van and Eva returned the gesture. The vehicle came to a stop and the group crawled out.
“Welcome,” the woman said.
“I’m Chad Leida.” The man stepped forward and extended his hand to Eva and each bachelor in turn. “This is my wife, Kate.”
Eva recognized Kate’s friendly eyes beneath the bill of her hat. “I used to love watching you on the news,” she exclaimed.
Kate waved a hand in the air. “I was a disaster, one accident after another. And I’m not talking about traffic, even if that’s what I was supposed to report.”
Eva chuckled. Kate was right. She was well known for her TV misadventures, but that’s why she was so endearing.
“I’m much better suited for the work I do here on the ranch. The animals can’t laugh at me, though sometimes I wonder if they are deep down inside.”
Eva grinned. She and Kate would get along well. It was clear Kate loved what they did on the ranch and she respected the animals they worked with. The pair could exchange animal tales.
Mike had the crewmembers ready with cameras by the time Chad widened his arms. “Welcome to Leida Lands. We look forward to hosting you for the next few days and showing you what we do around here. I hope you’ll enjoy the land even half as much as we do.” Chad placed his arm back around his wife’s waist and she gazed up at him adoringly.
That’s what I want, Eva thought. Their love was obvious and she desperately wanted what they had.
“We’ve worked out a few dates for you during your stay,” Kate chimed in. “Once you’re settled in and we’re all cleaned up, we’ll tell you more of the plans.”
Eva thought Kate was beautiful in casual clothes, but she likely cleaned up even better. She followed the couple to the lodge and got directions to her room. After she dropped off her bags, washed up, and changed her clothes, she wandered back to the great room. Kate lounged in an overstuffed chair by an empty fireplace. Her baseball hat was gone, but her hair was still in a ponytail. Eva approached.
“Hey,” Kate greeted. “I was hoping to see you. Have a seat.”
Eva sank into an identical chair. It swallowed her whole. “Whoa,” she exclaimed as she disappeared into it.
“They’re a little much, I know. But I like to be comfortable.”
“I can’t blame you.”
“After all the years I spent getting gussied up for TV, once I moved here, it was time to lay off and just be me.”
Eva admired her. Here was a woman who wasn’t afraid to be herself, kind of like her good friend, Renee, back in Omaha.
“So…” Kate leaned forward in her chair. “Tell me about the show and the guys. Do you have a favorite? I want the scoop.”
Eva giggled. They just met, but Kate already acted like a girlfriend and Eva couldn’t have been more thrilled. She yearned for girl talk. Between traveling and dates, she’d hardly gotten to talk to any of her friends at home. Even Renee, who would have plenty of good advice due to her own experiences on the previous Accept this Dandelion.
“All the men left have real potential.” Eva shifted her position, trying to fight the chair and losing. “The very moment I know a guy’s not for me, I send him home.”
“That’s best. Go with your gut. Doesn’t it get confusing? I mean, I was trapped between two guys once and I was a basket case.”
“What did you do?” Eva asked. She wanted advice from someone who’d been there.
Kate took a deep breath. “Well, I have to tell you, I screwed up. Yep, made a big ole mess of it all.” She shook her head. “But it turned out pretty well in the end. I was able to mend things with Chad and here I am.”
“So Chad was one of the men?”
“That’s right and Brian Schaffer was the other.”
Eva tried to picture the love triangle. Chad was handsome, but he had nothing on Brian.
“It was awful,” Kate continued. “Brian was my best friend and I wanted nothing more than for him to be the one for me. I thought I loved him for so long that I didn’t recognize real love when it was right in front of me. Turns out I just loved the idea of Brian and me. Once we started dating, I knew it was wrong. And he was so gracious about it. When I told him what I was thinking, he managed to compliment me and look toward his future with the right woman, even though I know he was hurt.”
Eva smiled. That sounded like the Brian she knew. He would do anything for anyone and never wanted to cause turmoil.
“But he is a good guy, the best, really. I’d have been lucky to have him. I hope he finds someone. The right someone, you know? There aren’t many women out there who would be good enough for him. At least, if you ask me.”
“I agree with you wholeheartedly.” Eva fidgeted in the oversized chair.
“I’m sorry, here I am prattling on about my past love life when we should be talking about you. Tell me about the bachelors.”
Eva folded her hands in her lap. “They’re pretty amazing. Steve has this outgoing, bubbly personality and he’s super funny. He also has killer blue eyes. Harris has a natural flair for drama.” Eva filled her in on the “snake” tackling session and the poison ivy debacle. “Pete comes across as a real manly man, but there’s a soft side to him as well. He’s definitely a lot more complex than he appears on the surface. And then there’s Cane. Cane is such a sweetheart. He’s got this gorgeous, dark curly hair and he does everything right, you know? Believe it or not, I actually met him as a teenager. We only recently figured that out.”
“Wow, you’ve got quite the group on your hands. So, what are you feeling towards them?”
Eva shrugged. “That’s just it. It depends on which one I’m with at the time. I genuinely like them all. I just have to figure out which one is the best match.”
“And what about Brian?” Kate asked casually.
“Brian?” Eva frowned.
“Where does he fit in?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean.”
“He didn’t come on the trip and he asked me to fill in as host. You know why, right?”
Eva’s shrugged. “I’m not positive.” She didn’t want to lie and say yes, but she didn’t want to say no and prevent Kate from holding anything back.
“He and I have kept in contact over the years. He’s become good friends with Chad too. When he called to ask me if I’d be the on-air host while the group was here, he told me about you.”
“About me? What about me?”
“Oh, you know, how beautiful you are, how none of the men are good enough for you, how he’s fallen head over heels for you, that sort of thing.”
“He said that?”
Kate nodded. “That and more. He wanted Mike to put him on the show as a contender and when Mike refused, he asked for time away from the hosting position.” Kate leaned forward and lowered
her voice. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but I know Brian and I’ve never heard him sound this way before. He doesn’t tie himself in knots over women. He just doesn’t.”
“He really wanted to go on the show to date me?”
“More than anything.” Kate sat back in her chair and propped her legs up on the fireplace in front of her. “He wanted a shot with you.”
Eva squeezed her fingers together. Brian tried to get on the show and Mike refused. No one asked Eva, but what would she have said? She would probably side with Mike. It wasn’t fair to the other guys involved, but did that mean she didn’t feel anything for Brian? No, absolutely not. The mere mention of his name caused goose bumps to crawl up her arms.
“I’m trying to be an impartial party here.” Kate flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. “But based on the look on your face, you have some thinking to do. Am I right?”
Eva nodded weakly. Kate managed to survive a love triangle. Eva was in something more like a double helix.
Kate stood and took a step toward Eva’s chair. She knelt down before her and placed a hand on her knee.
“Hey, hang in there. Listen to what your mind is telling you, but follow your heart. In the end, if you trust what you feel, you can’t go wrong. You might take a few detours at first, but you won’t lose. I promise.”
“Thanks,” Eva whispered as she placed her hand over Kate’s. Brian wasn’t there to save her from uncomfortable situations, but Kate stood in his place. Perhaps distance was best. It might help Eva sort out her feelings for the host.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE GROUP GATHERED in the main area of the lodge and Kate announced they would have a good old-fashioned campfire cook out that evening. The next day, Eva would enjoy a round of dates including a horseback ride with two men and a picnic with the other two. Then, they would all pitch in and do a little work on the farm. Kate assured them Eva would have a chance to spend quality time with everyone throughout the day.
Everyone was excited about the campfire as Kate led them to a fire pit near one of the horse barns. The sun faded in the distance and the fire glowed, curling smoke into the air.
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