Wil didn’t say anything.
She peered at him, waiting for something. But he offered nothing. ‘Anyway, I hope you find happiness with Becky. You deserve to be loved.’ She lifted onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, imprinted his feel and smell on her memory because she knew she’d never have the opportunity to do so again. She wiped the tears from her face with her palms, turned from him with a deep sigh and walked away … again. Emily had done some difficult things in her life, but nothing compared to that moment.
Beside Missy, two chairs had been set up. Becky was sitting in one. Wil strode across the floor in front of all the contestants and sat down, both his feet firmly on the floor. He was so handsome dressed in his trademark jeans, checked shirt and cowboy hat and Emily couldn’t stop tracing his face and body with her gaze. To love someone so much and not be able to be with them was akin to torture. She never wished this on her biggest enemy.
Filming began again and Missy asked the couple about their relationship since the finale. Emily’s heart beat a little faster. Not because she was nervous about what was about to be said, but because the distance and rigidity in both Becky and Wil was unmissable. That was a good sign. Perhaps things were not as rosy between them as Emily assumed they might be.
Wil looked at Becky and smiled apologetically. ‘We gave it our best shot, Missy, but, in the end, we weren’t as compatible as we first thought.’
Missy frowned and Becky lowered her gaze to her lap.
‘You share those thoughts, Becky?’ asked Missy.
Becky nodded. ‘I would have liked more, but Wil’s heart wasn’t in it. Looking back at that footage, I now see why. He never loved me. It was Emily right from the start.’
‘And what do you have to say about that, Wil?’
Wil met Becky’s eyes, a frown on his lips. He mouthed, ‘I’m so sorry.’ Then turned from her towards the contestants and peered at Emily. He inhaled noisily and blew out his breath. ‘Emily said she should have fought for me, but I’m the one who should have fought for her. I should have gone to the city after her, thrown her over my shoulder and brought her back here to the farm … to our home.’
Emily’s heart stopped. Tears filled her eyes. Was she hearing him right?
‘I guess what I’m saying is that Becky is right. From the beginning it was Emily. And it always will be. I love her with every part of me. Nothing and no one can change that.’
Becky stood, her chair falling back onto the floor behind. Missy flinched, looked to Andrea who was waving at her to stay seated and keep this rolling. Becky ripped her headset off. ‘I’m not sitting here listening to this.’ And marched out of the room.
Emily barely noticed the drama, she was too lost in what Wil had said. She rushed to her feet and nearly slipped as her stilettos slid on the polished cement floor. Too impatient for any sort of hindrance, she hastily yanked off her shoes and threw them away. They landed with a clunk as they hit the floor. Wil stood, watching her and she ran to him. His arms flung out and he caught her in his big, warm, loving embrace.
‘You mean it, Wil?’ she asked, looking up into his face through her watery gaze.
He nodded and kissed her lips. ‘I mean it. I love you so much. So, so much. I only want you, Emily. For always. Forever. You hear me?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Yes.’
All the contestants clapped and cheered as he planted a kiss on her lips, but they faded into the background. Wil was her focus.
‘I love you so much. I want to spend my life loving you.’
‘Here?’ he asked.
She nodded without hesitation, no longer doubting her decision. The answer burned brightly in her blood. ‘Yes. Here. This is where I belong. I know that now.’
His eyes closed and a single tear rolled down his cheek. ‘I’ve dreamed of you saying that.’
‘Now it’s real.’
He pulled her closer to him. ‘Yes, thank God you’re real.’ His hand slipped to cup her arse, the other held her waist and he kissed her as though no one was watching.
GET REAL—THE HOME OF REALITY TV
Catch Me a Cowboy’s biggest surprise left until the last episode
Safe to say, after the reunion episode for Catch Me a Cowboy, which aired last night on the Dream Network, there was not one dry eye in the house. After resident cowboy, Wil Parker, confessed his true emotions for Emily Wolfe (who left the show during episode twelve), the contestants and host, Missy Johnson, were overcome with tears of happiness. And it seems from the reactions on Twitter, Australian viewers fared no better.
RachelQue
Holy freakin’ hell #CatchMeACowboy reunion special had me bawling my eyes out.
MasterMathews
Best. Episode. Ever. Cried and cried. Good to see Wil reunited with his true love. #CatchMeACowboy
Jessie4956
I was fine until Wil got teary, then I lost my shit. #CatchMeACowboy played hard on these heart strings.
TuscanyGirl
I’m signing up for season 8. Wil is a stud with a heart. I want me one of those too! #CatchMeACowboy
But not everyone is happy with this twist. Season seven winner, Becky Brown, is rumoured to have sold her scathing story to Current Affairs Now, earning herself a reported three figure sum.
While Billi Walsh, pregnant ex-wife of Parker, had this to say about the happy couple, ‘Oh please. Wil is predictable as ever, letting some bloody banshee woman carry him around by the balls.’ Seems you can’t please everyone.
Chapter 46
Emily steered her Mercedes off the main highway and along the dusty dirt track that cut through the lush landscape. When she drove under the weeping willows that shaded her path, she smiled. Then as Wil’s farmhouse came into her line of vision in the distance, exhilaration swept over her skin, leaving her tingling.
There was no fear anymore. She loved Wil from her flesh to the marrow in her bones. A love like theirs made any ounce of fear she could have about taking the risk with Wil Parker pale and insignificant. A love like theirs couldn’t be stopped by anyone or anything, let alone pesky fear.
She pulled up in front of his house and climbed out of the car. He was waiting for her on the porch, his eyes a reflection of all the love she had for him. He jogged to her and before she had a chance to say hello, he swept her off her feet and into his strong arms. She burst into giggles. Now she was doubly sure of his strength because he carried her with ease up to the front porch and across the threshold into the house.
When her feet touched the floor again, he kissed her lips for a long moment, tasting her with his tongue, taking his time with hands and lips to reacquaint himself with her. She didn’t mind one bit. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tight, never willing to let him go again. Never, ever, ever. He was hers. For always.
A loud meow echoed from outside. The kind of meow only a Siamese can achieve. Again it greeted them.
Wil pulled away from her, brow furrowed. ‘What the hell is that?’
Emily smiled. ‘That is Fifi.’
‘The cat?’
She nodded.
‘My God, it sounded like a strangled lamb.’
Emily laughed. ‘Oh, come on. She’s not that bad.’
‘I guess we better bring her inside. We’ll give her a few days to get settled before we introduce her to Daisy.’
‘Yeah. That’s probably best.’
They headed back to the car and Wil carried Fifi’s cat basket inside while Emily grabbed a few of the other items she lugged with her in the car. All her other possessions, which she hadn’t already sold, would be arriving by truck at the end of the week. Her apartment was on the market. She believed in this relationship and had dived in head first. No more clinging to objects that represented the past. Wil was her future. That’s all she had to keep her focus upon.
After placing her things on the floor in the living room, they went back to the car for the rest of the luggage.
‘Oh,’ she said o
n their way back up to the farmhouse. ‘I got a call from Rural Real Estate on my way here. They’re keen to get me on board as soon as possible.’
Wil smiled wide at her as he held the front door open with his foot while juggling her suitcase, and let her go inside first. ‘I knew they’d snavel you up.’
Emily giggled. ‘So very flattering, Wil Parker.’
With everything inside, Emily went to Fifi’s cage and unlatched it. Fifi meowed a couple of times, making them both very aware of her presence, and stretched lazily before striding out. She looked up at Wil and meowed again.
Wil crouched. ‘Oh, wow, she’s a gorgeous girl. Aren’t you?’ He lightly clicked his fingers, calling her to him. She sauntered to him and rubbed her chin along his shins, then let him stroke her on the head. Her purrs echoed into the silence.
‘That’s a good sign,’ said Emily.
Wil smiled. ‘A welcome addition to the Parker farm.’ He stood and took Emily’s hand, pulling her to him. ‘Much like her sexy-as-sin owner. I’m so glad you’re here, Emily. I can’t express with words how good it feels to know you’re here to stay.’
Emily peered into his blue eyes and grinned. ‘You don’t need to because I feel the same way.’
‘This is our house now. Our private corner of the farm. Yours and mine. And Fifi’s.’
Emily shook her head.
Wil arched a brow, confusion on his features. ‘No?’
‘No. Not our house. Our home.’
Wil grinned wide and planted a long kiss on her lips. ‘Yes. Our home.’ He pulled away from her and a cheeky expression overtook his features. He nodded in the direction of the kitchen. ‘There’s dishes to be done. And what are you cooking for dinner?’
Emily gasped and Wil burst into laughter. She slapped him on the arse while giggling. ‘Oh, you do have a dirty mouth, don’t you? You did not just say that.’
Wil continued to chuckle as he scooped her into his arms and carried her down the hall towards the stairs. ‘There’s much more important things we could be doing. Certain bedroom activities that require our immediate attention.’
Emily slung her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. ‘Now that, I couldn’t agree with more.’
Thanks for reading Catch Me a Cowboy. I hope you enjoyed it.
If you’d like to know more about me, my books, or to connect with me online, you can visit my webpage jacquieunderdown.com, follow me on Twitter @authoraire, or like my Facebook page facebook.com/jacquie.underdown.
You can also follow me through my publisher’s page here www.escapepublishing.com.au
Reviews can help readers find books, and I am grateful for all honest reviews. Thank you for taking the time to let others know what you’ve read, and what you thought.
If you liked this book, here are my other books: Pieces of Me, Unstitched, Beyond Coincidence, Beautiful Illusion and The Paler Shade of Autumn.
This book was published by Escape Publishing. If you’d like to sample some more great books from my fellow Escape Artists, please turn the page.
BESTSELLING TITLES BY ESCAPE PUBLISHING…
Pieces Of Me
Jacquie Underdown
A story about starting fresh, letting go, and risking it all for love…
For Hannah, Mercy Island is a refuge, a new beginning, and a place to find safety in her own skin. Here, in this peaceful, beachside place, she will rediscover all those pieces of herself her abusive ex stole away. For Bear, Mercy Island is a prison, a backwater, a place he can’t wait to escape. Away, in the city, he’ll chase his dreams and lose the bad memories haunting him.
When Hannah’s home is damaged in an ugly storm, Bear offers his handyman services to repair it—a last job and a pretty girl to pass the time before he heads out. But Hannah is terrified to lose herself in another relationship, and Bear isn’t in it for the long haul.
However, their simmering sexual attraction refuses to be ignored, and just because love isn’t on the line doesn’t mean sex isn’t on the table. A no-strings-attached brief fling to curb the tension and take the edge off. No ties. No emotions. No pain.
But love has a way of coming in the windows, even when you’ve slammed the door, if only Hannah and Bear can stop looking to the past and find hope in their future.
Unstitched
Jacquie Underdown
A new adult story about what happens when you meet the perfect guy at the worst possible time.
Anthea has loved him since her earliest memory, but she has no idea who he is, or if he even exists. But her heart belongs to him, and no one else can ever take his place. That is until she stumbles into Lucas, lead singer of Perennial. He is sexy as hell, passionate, and, most importantly, knows the answers to questions that Anthea has always had.
Lucas knows he is different from other guys – but Anthea is different to other girls. He is drawn to her, craves her, needs her. He also has secrets, secrets that will tear Anthea apart. He needs to share them, but to share them could end their relationship, and Lucas isn’t willing to take that risk. But secrets have a way of coming out, and Lucas can’t stay forever.
Theirs is a passion that is meant to last forever, but time isn’t always quite so linear…
Evan And Darcy
Melanie Coles
Jane Austen gets a little dusty in this outback retelling of a beloved story about a man who learns that first impressions can be wrong when you’re looking for Ms Right.
Wheat farmer Evan Bennet is happy being single until his brother falls for the new girl in town, wealthy hotel owner Claire Bingley. Suddenly finding a girl seems more appealing…unless you’re talking about Claire’s best friend, pretentious lawyer Darcy Fitzwilliam. Her cold manners have Evan seeing red, and when a cute girl with links to Darcy’s past catches his eye, he’s even more determined to dislike her.
When a startling revelation turns Evan’s world upside down and he unexpectedly crosses Darcy’s path again, he’s forced to reassess his opinion of her. But just as he starts to open his heart, a crisis engulfs his family, threatening to destroy any hope of a future with Darcy.
With a cloud hanging over his family, Evan knows his chance of winning Darcy’s heart is gone… until some surprising news and a generous gift leave him wondering if her heart might be his after all.
Copping It Sweet
Anna Clifton
To find out her secrets he’s willing to risk everything — including his heart.
Sara Sullivan has a landlord who wants to evict her, a 1960s Beetle that rarely starts, and a looming exam she’s all set to fail. But none of that compares to the return home of Detective Sergeant Cooper Halligan, her best friend’s brother and the single biggest threat to the secret she’s guarded for years…
Cooper Halligan is happy to be home. But he’s not happy to discover that Sara Sullivan is a permanent fixture within his family, especially when he’s the only one who knows about the sinister marriage lying hidden in her past.
Sara’s crime-boss husband is the prime suspect in the murder of an innocent street kid, and now Cooper’s prepared to do anything to find out what Sara knows.
Connect with us for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Sign up to our newsletter
Share your reading experience on:
The Escapades Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Watch our reviews, author interviews and more on Escape Publishing TV
ISBN: 9781489217363
Title: Catch Me A Cowboy
Copyright © 2016 by Jacquie Underdown
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or
mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises (Australia) Limited, Level 13/201 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2000.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
® and ™ are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited and are used under license to the Publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in Australia, New Zealand, the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries.
www.escapepublishing.com.au
Catch Me A Cowboy Page 28