Eva shook her head. “She’ll love you without any tricks.”
Cane leaned forward. “Does that mean I get to meet her?”
Eva wagged her finger. “I’m not telling.” She angled her chin to get another taste of his full lips. A noise on the front stairs startled her moments later.
“You’re killing me, just killing me!” Mike barged through the tree house door. “How long have you two been up here alone?” He waved his clipboard in the air.
Eva scooted away from Cane. “Just a few minutes.”
“Want us to reenact everything that happened?” Cane reached over and laid his hand on top of Eva’s. “I wouldn’t mind.” He squeezed her fingers and smiled.
“Pete’s on his way up now. I suppose the moment is lost.” Mike scowled. “Kate’s bringing the picnic. We’ll just have to go from here.”
Eva made a fierce face when Mike turned his back. Cane winked at her.
“Hey guys.” Pete ducked to enter the tree house. The little house suddenly looked much smaller with his large frame filling the doorway. “Eva, I have to ask, did you invite Cane on this date just to have a paramedic handy in case I eat too fast again?”
Eva chuckled. “The thought did cross my mind…”
“Well, I promise you not to eat anything at all if you kick this yahoo out right now.” Pete plopped on the floor next to them.
“Too late,” Kate appeared in the doorway with a picnic basket. “I already packed enough for three.”
EVA WALKED ALONG the fence separating her from the horse pasture. The time had come to let two of the men go. Mike informed her not everyone would travel back to Omaha on the same flight. Two would go that evening and Eva and the remaining two men would stay one more night. It would be less awkward for her, she supposed. Plus, she’d get to quality time with the last two standing. But, it was a hard decision to make.
“What do you think, Little Lady?” she asked as she approached the horse that gave her a ride that morning.
The horse threw her head back. Eva knew if Little Lady could speak, she would tell Eva exactly what she thought. In her own way, she let Eva know her feelings about Harris.
“Okay, I can take a hint,” Eva said. “But what about the others?” She was fairly certain she knew what to do, but she was afraid of making a mistake. She continued to walk down the fence, petting every horse within reach. She missed her job and the animals she worked with. She was excited to get back home.
She walked to the open field nearby where Mike, Kate, the four remaining men, and the crew waited for her. Her bright yellow sundress blew in the breeze, but her cowboy boots kept her feet firmly planted on the ground.
“Looks like everyone is here. Let’s roll.” Mike slapped his clipboard against his leg and the camera operators stood at attention and got to work.
Kate smiled and held her hand out to Eva who joined her and laced her fingers through Kate’s. “It has been my pleasure getting to know you during your stay at Leida Lands,” Kate began. “And I have enjoyed learning more about each of the men you brought as well. I’m glad I already found the man of my dreams because I don’t know how you’re going to make this decision. Gentlemen, you are welcome to return to Leida Lands any time. We’ll welcome you with open arms. However, Eva can only keep two of you here now. In the end, there will only be one. Eva, we chose this field because it is filled with dandelions already. You can pick them yourself. When you’re ready, we’d love to know who is moving on.”
Eva squeezed Kate’s hand and released her. Kate took a few steps back and Eva had a fleeting thought about Brian. Kate was a nice woman, but she missed his protective presence. She bent over and plucked a dandelion near her foot.
“Being here has been a dream. I love animals and visiting Leida Lands gave me a chance to bond with horses in a new way. Thank you, Harris and Steve, for enduring the eccentricities of your horses on our trail ride this morning.” Eva pictured Steve’s horse scratching its bottom on the nearest tree and Harris’ horse stopping for a snack. “And thank you, Cane and Pete, for joining me in that special tree house for a picnic this afternoon. I’ve never eaten in a more unusual or enjoyable location.” Eva was able to steal private moments with both men and it all went very well. Pete even took small bites and chewed thoroughly, though he still let the occasional burp fly.
“I knew this process would be hard. I care for each of you and I don’t want to hurt any of you. But when the show is over, I will be with one man so I have to do what I have to do.”
She held the flower up under her nose. “Steve,” she called.
Steve rubbed his hands together and flew toward her, stopping one foot in front of her. Eva laughed as her yellow dress blew not from the breeze, but from his motion. “Steve, you’ve brought light into my life unlike anything I’ve ever known. I love to laugh and laughter is never absent when you’re around. Will you accept this dandelion?”
Steve stared into her eyes. She’d never seen him look so serious. “Eva, I want nothing more than to make you happy. Of course I will.” He closed his fingers around her hand and pulled her in for a hug. He kissed her cheek and took the dandelion with him when he turned away.
Eva took a deep breath. Steve’s reaction told her she was on the right track. She had a lot of fun with him and she wanted that to continue, but he had a serious side she could tap into and enjoy as well. She bent and picked a second dandelion. She twirled the weed between her fingers and pushed her hair over her shoulder. Eva took a moment to look at each man. She saw hope in all their eyes and she hated to see that change to disappointment.
“Cane.”
The worry on Cane’s face changed to pure joy as Harris and Pete’s expressions fell. Cane walked toward her slowly, allowing her to enjoy the glee in his features.
“Cane,” Eva continued when he stood right in front of her. “You’ve made me feel unbelievable. That’s the best way I can describe it. I simply can’t believe how I feel when you’re around. I would like for you to accept this dandelion today and move on with this process. Will you?”
“I’ll accept it as long as you promise me that you’ll catch me.” Cane leaned over and spoke into her ear. “I’m falling for you and I need you on the other side to catch me.”
Eva nodded as he pulled back and looked into her eyes. His warm palm curled around the dandelion as he kissed the side of her mouth, lingered briefly, and returned to the other men.
Kate stepped back to Eva’s side. “Pete, Harris, I’m sorry. You have a flight out in two hours. Say your goodbyes and pack your things.” Kate tripped over a rock in the field as she made her way into the background. Eva sighed. Kate hadn’t changed from her bumbling TV traffic days.
Eva opened her arms when Harris approached and gave him a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Harris.”
“It was the horse, wasn’t it?” he asked. “She ruined it for us.”
Eva tilted her head back to look at him. “I think she felt something wasn’t quite right between us and wanted us to understand it and move on.”
Harris nodded. “Darn you, Little Lady,” he said with a clenched fist in the air. “Darn you!”
Eva chuckled at his dramatic flair.
“Good luck to you, Eva. You deserve nothing but the best.”
“Thank you.” She turned and watched him walk back to the lodge.
Pete lumbered toward her, his head hanging.
“Oh Pete.” Eve rushed forward and met him in the middle. “You’re such a good guy in so many ways. I really enjoyed the time we spent together, except maybe when you were choking,” she amended. “There are many qualities in you that I could see myself appreciating over the years. I just have a gut feeling that you’re not the one. I really can’t explain it any more than that.”
Pete shrugged and hugged Eva. “It’s okay, I understand. It was a long shot, but I had to take it.”
Eva smiled. His sweet, soft side came through again. She liked it and it was hard to let him go. When he pu
lled away and began walking to the lodge, her attention turned to Cane and Steve and she forgot her sadness. The two men flanked her and she felt warmth radiating from her heart. She was going to find “the one” in this process. She knew it.
BRIAN PACED HIS home. The email from Kate said things were going well and two bachelors were on their way back to Omaha. That meant Eva had only two men left. She and the two remaining contenders would return the next day and Brian would step back in as host. But it wasn’t his hosting abilities that he focused on. It was his feelings. They hadn’t dimmed during the separation from Eva. If anything, they had grown stronger.
He had to find a way to tell her the two men remaining shouldn’t stand between them. Even if there were still twelve left, they couldn’t stop him. He knew what he wanted and it was Eva. She may turn him away, but not before hearing him out.
CHAPTER THIRTY
EVA RAISED HER chin to the sky. The early Texas sun felt good. The group would go home later that day. Two men remained on the show and that morning, she was ready to see what they were made of.
Eva had lot of dirty jobs in her line of work. Her media appearances made her position look simple and fun, but as a host home to numerous pets, she dealt with plenty. Plus, when she was at the office, it wasn’t beneath her to clean kennels and groom animals. She wanted a man who was capable of standing beside her through grime and dirt.
She adjusted the straw hat on her head and wiped her hands on her jeans. Here they came. Steve wore sunglasses, covering his beautiful blue eyes and Cane hid his curly hair beneath a baseball cap. Eva hugged each man, kissing him on the cheek. She was getting used to Mike’s gruff orders to begin taping the moment they were all together.
As soon as Kate took her spot, she spoke. “Good morning, Eva…gentleman. Congratulations to you, Cane and Steve. You are officially the final two men in Eva’s life.”
Eva enjoyed watching their reactions. Both looked proud of their status.
“Today we’re going to put you to work to earn your keep here at Leida Lands.” Kate sported a mischievous grin. “We have a number of chores that need to be done and none of them are glamorous. Who wants the first job?”
Steve stepped forward and raised his hand without hesitation. “Me.”
Kate nodded. “Our farm hand, Bob, will show you how to muck stalls. You can take the west half of the barn while he does the east, sound good?”
Steve made a face. “I wouldn’t say good…” He put his hand back down by his side.
“Eva, I’d like your help grooming a few horses and you can check up on the men.”
“I’d like that,” Eva agreed.
“That leaves Cane.” Kate stroked her chin. “Hmm, what to have dear Cane do…” Kate paused and let Cane stew for a moment. “We like to keep fresh hay along the fence for the horses. We often use a tractor, but it broke down the other day so all we have is a wheelbarrow.” She pointed to a red wagon nearby. “Move that hay and spread it out along the fence.”
The hay stood several feet taller than Cane.
Steve leaned over. “Trade you?” he asked conspiratorially.
“I’m not sure.” Cane shook his head. “It’s hard to tell which will be more challenging.”
“I’ll take that as a no.” Steve threw his hands in the air. “Your loss. I wanted to muck anyway. Muck, muck, muck, at least it’s fun to say.”
Eva giggled as Steve followed Bob into the barn. Kate handed Cane a pitchfork and Eva noticed his shirt strain over his back as he stabbed the pitchfork into the stack of hay.
“Come on, the horses are just over here.” Kate jogged over to several mares waiting nearby, their coats dusty from the morning. She handed Eva a brush. “Just run it down their coats like this and be firm. They like it.”
Eva slowly brushed the horse, running her hand down its coat after the brush and speaking in soothing tones.
“Down to two, huh?” Kate asked over the side of her horse.
Eva paused and glanced at the barn, wondering how Steve fared inside. “Yeah and they’re both incredible men.”
“Seems like it. So…how do you know they’re as good as it gets?”
“What do you mean?” Eva stopped her methodical motion.
Kate moved to the other side of the horse. “There are a lot of other guys out there. What makes you so sure one of those two will make you happy for the long haul?”
Eva’s mind did a double take. “I guess I like to think they came on the show for a reason. Something led them here and for one of them, meeting me was what they were meant to do.”
Kate nodded. “Ah yes, fate sure can be fickle. Take my marriage, for example. I ended up in the wrong place at the right time when it came to meeting Chad. Did you know I actually ran to Las Vegas with hardly a dime to my name to stop Brian from getting married?”
Eva had heard the rumors. Brian’s high school sweetheart appeared and he got swept up in the moment and ran off to Vegas to marry her, only to realize she wasn’t the right one once they joined hands.
“I interrupted the wrong wedding,” Kate continued, “but I ended up being in exactly the right place. I often wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t stormed into that chapel.” She shuddered. “I’m so glad I did. Best mistake I ever made.”
“I know we haven’t known each other very long,” Eva said, “but I’ve been isolated since this show started. If you see something in either of the guys you think makes them wrong for me, please tell me. I won’t be upset. Actually, I’d be grateful for the insight.”
Silence settled between them as they stroked their horses. After a long pause, Kate spoke again. “It’s not that I see anything wrong with them,” she said. “It’s just that I wonder what might have happened if Brian had been allowed to join the show as a contestant.”
Eva remained silent, pondering the possibility.
“Brian would do anything for anyone, it’s just the way he is. But when he talks about you…I don’t know…I hear something different, something deeper. I got the feeling he would swim an ocean for you and then ask you what mountain you wanted him to climb.”
Eva narrowed her eyes and peered at Kate around her horse. “Then why isn’t he here? Why didn’t he fight harder? Mike told him no so he just gave up?”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
Eva put her brush back in the nearby bin. “Is it okay if I check on the guys?”
“Be my guest.” Kate grabbed Eva’s wrist before she left. “Keep an eye out for the right man, even if he seems to be in the wrong place.”
Eva turned and took in the sight on the other side of the horses. Cane had removed his shirt and sweat glistened across his muscles. She knew he was fit, but wow, she had no idea he had such an amazing physique. She tried to keep her blush at bay when he spotted her, put down his pitchfork, and wiped his face with the abandoned shirt.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
“I got a few loads over to the fence. Maybe a dozen more and I’ll be done.”
“Thanks for doing this.” She reached out and touched his arm.
“At this point, you could ask me for anything and I’d be willing.” Cane bent down and stared into her eyes.
Would he swim an ocean for me? She wondered. Kate said Brian would.
“I better let you get back to it. I’m going check on Steve.”
Cane picked up his pitchfork and tossed another load into the waiting wheelbarrow. “I’m going to get this done and then track you down.”
“You better.” Eva smiled. She could have watched his arm muscles flex and toss hay all day long.
She tore herself from the intriguing view and entered the barn.
“Whoa, slippery little devils, aren’t you?”
“Steve?” she called.
Steve’s head appeared above a stall door. “Over here, but I wouldn’t come much closer if I were you.”
“And why’s that?” Eva dared to take steps in his direction.
> “Things are getting a little dicey in here.” Steve swung the stall door open and revealed his new look.
“Whoa.” Mucking the stalls definitely got the best of Steve.
“Bob didn’t tell me the fastest way to get the ‘muck’ out of the stall was to wear it, but I decided to give it a go anyway.”
Eva covered her mouth with her hand. Steve was a mess, but he was a good sport.
“Oh Steve, I’m not sure they’ll ever hire you as a farm hand.”
“Well, seeing as you don’t live on a farm, I can’t say I care much.”
Eva grinned. Steve wore his sunglasses atop his head and she caught sight of his twinkling eyes.
“I’d offer to help, but it looks like you have a handle on it.” Eva chuckled.
“Oh yeah, I got this.” Steve waved his hands in the air. “You just go roll around in that dandelion field over there and pick a whole handful of those weeds. I’m going to deserve a nice bouquet, you hear me?”
Eva giggled as she exited through the barn door. Once outside, she leaned against the wooden wall. Two incredible men, and they both wanted her. Surely she could decide. One of them had to be perfect for her at the end of all this…right?
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
TODAY WAS THE day. Eva was returning to Omaha. Her flight landed mid-afternoon, but Brian didn’t do anything cheesy like meet her at the airport with a boom box on his head. She had to be exhausted from the trip so he let her go home and settle in. Then, he ambushed her later that evening.
He stood outside her door with a daisy bouquet clutched in his hand. He raised his fist to knock, but the door flew open before his knuckles met the wood.
“Brian.” Eva looked surprised. She wore a bright blue tracksuit and held keys in her hand.
“I’m sorry, are you going somewhere?”
“Renee asked me to come over. You know, to debrief before tomorrow.” Her eyes flicked to the daisies.
Brian held them out. “These are for you. You said you preferred daisies to dandelions in your interview.”
“I-I did, you’re right.” Eva took the flowers and turned back into the house. “Come in. Renee said she’d be home all evening. I’m in no rush.”
Dandelions on the Road Page 17