“But what if I’m wrong? What if I choose the wrong woman? I mean this is marriage we’re talking about.” Carl ran his hand across his chin as he paced the floor.
Justin tried not to roll his eyes. It was the same story over and over again. Every bachelor except Tyler and Kurt, the other one who had married his contestant, had said almost the exact same thing. They all believed they were making a choice that would affect their life but really only affected their next four to six months. Normally, Justin would say nothing, but today he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. “No one lasts on this show, man. It doesn’t matter who you choose.”
Carl’s mouth opened and closed then opened again. He look like a fish trying to get off a hook. His pacing stopped for a moment as his hand ran through his hair. “Are you saying this won’t last? No matter what?”
Justin shrugged. He shouldn’t have said that. Peter would eat him alive if he found out. But he was tired, he wanted to sleep, and the truth was that nearly no one did. “People have, but not many.”
Carl crossed the room to stand in front of Justin. His eyes gleamed with a desperate intensity. “What did they have? What made them different?”
That was the million dollar question now wasn’t it? If Justin knew what kept them together, he could help Peter find similar couples in the future. If matches made on the show actually stayed together, it might skyrocket their viewing. Although Justin wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not. On one hand, it might get him the exposure he wanted and a hosting role on a more popular show, but on the other, if the show grew too popular, he might not be able to leave.
None of that mattered to Carl who still stared at him with those dopey, hopeful eyes like the puppy who waits at the door for you to come home, but he had no words of wisdom for the cowboy. Didn’t he know divorce rates were nearly sixty percent? It didn’t matter if you met on a reality dating show or church, the numbers were almost the same.
Church. Huh. Justin hadn’t realized it at the time, but thinking back now, he was almost certain the other couple who had lasted possessed a similar belief in God to Tyler and Laney. Surely that was coincidental though. His parents had been regular church attenders and they had still divorced. In fact, his father was on his third or fourth wife by now.
Justin shook his head to clear the wandering thoughts. He clapped a hand on Carl’s arm and flashed his pep-talk smile. “They trusted their heart and didn’t let fame go to their heads.”
“Fame… . right.” Carl nodded as he spoke, but Justin knew he was more focused on the fame than the letting it go to his head part. Carl was certainly no Tyler. It was obvious from the first meeting that he was on the show to get noticed.
He’d shown up with an extra tall hat and a thick southern drawl that wavered in its consistency - thicker when the women were around and barely noticeable when it was just the two of them. In addition, he had a wink for every woman in the room. He’d locked lips with at least three of them the first night, and unlike Tyler, he had made use of the overnight dates. For a man who seemed so worried now, he had certainly appeared flippant throughout the process.
“It’s time. You ready?”
* * *
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A Free Story For You
Enjoyed The Cowboy’s Reality Bride? Not ready to quit reading yet? If you sign up for my newsletter, you will receive Once Upon a Star, the love story of Blake and Audrey, two of my Star Lake characters, right away as my thank you gift for choosing to hang out with me.
Once Upon a Star
A high school crush….
Blake was a nerd in high school. Never noticed. Looked over. So, it was no wonder that Audrey paid no attention to him, but now that she’s back in town…
Audrey left Star Lake to pursue acting, but when she ends up pregnant and alone, she finds herself forced to return home.
Can Blake show Audrey a new side? Will she trust him enough to stay?
Read on for a taste of Once Upon a Star….
Once Upon a Star Preview
Audrey tried to peek around the nurses leaning over the silver table, obscuring the view of the thing she wanted to see most.
“Are you ready, Mom?” The head nurse, a kind, older woman with just a touch of gray in her dark hair, turned to Audrey, a tiny blue package in her arms.
Mom. The word had never applied to her, and she wasn’t sure it fit. Was she ready? Probably not. Would she ever be completely ready? Probably not. But that didn’t change reality. She tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear and nodded.
“Here’s your son.” The nurse held the swaddled bundle out to her. Audrey opened her hands, unsure of what the nurse wanted her to do. The nurse’s face softened and her warm brown eyes sparkled. With one hand, she adjusted Audrey’s arms to place the tiny bundle in them. “Hold him like this.” She demonstrated the proper technique. “You always want to support his head.”
Audrey nodded, trying to keep her arms from shaking. She was afraid to breathe, afraid to move, but mostly afraid she’d drop the infant, so she kept her eyes glued to him. Would he shatter like a piece of glass? The image sent a shiver down her spine. She didn’t want to find out.
The nurse’s eyes twinkled as she watched Audrey adjust and readjust her holding position. “There is a bassinet here.” She pointed at a clear plastic tub that looked like a large shoe box on top of a wheeled table. It didn’t look comfortable to Audrey, and she wondered how a baby slept in it. “If you want to take him walking, you need to put him in the bassinet, okay?”
“Do I hold him the rest of the time?” As much as she was enjoying the baby in her arms, what happened when she needed to sleep or use the bathroom?
The woman chuckled. “You hold him as much as you want and put him down when you need a break. We’ll come in every few hours to check on you, and we’ll show you how to change his diaper and dress him. You’ll be a pro before you know it. Don’t worry.” She patted Audrey’s arm like her grandmother used to when she asked a silly question, and then the nurse walked out of the room, still smiling and shaking her head.
Audrey’s eyes dropped to the sleeping baby. His shock of dark hair reminded her of his father, the olive-skinned Italian who had charmed her with his fast tongue. She hoped it was the only trait Cayden would get from him. The world didn't need another heartbreaker. “I have no idea what we'll do, Cayden, but we’ll figure something out.”
Blake turned the glass on the countertop and glanced up at Max who leaned against the back counter, arms folded across his chest as if he were waiting for the answer to a question. The green of his plaid shirt matched the faded ball cap turned backwards on his head. “Sorry, did you say something? I’m distracted; it’s just getting close to Christmas, and I miss Connie.” A vision of the day she left popped into his head.
Blake opened the door, expecting to see Connie on the other side in her Sunday best. The church service started in half an hour. Though Connie stood there, his smile faded as he took in her jeans and t-shirt. There was no requirement of the patrons to dress up, but Connie always wore a dress or skirt. "What's going on?" Blake asked.
Connie bit her lip and her eyes fell to the ground. "I wanted to say goodbye."
"Goodbye?"
"I can't stay any longer, Blake." Her eyes lifted to meet his, and he saw the shimmer of liquid in them. "I hoped I could make a life here, but I'm a city girl. I miss the lights and night life. I miss the excitement."
"But, we were discussing marriage last week." Blake struggled to make her words compute in his brain.
"I know," she nodded, "and that's what got me thinking. The thought of living the rest of my life here is depressing, so though I love you, I have to say goodbye." She leaned in and pecked his cheek before flashing a sad smile and walking back to her car.
With a heavy heart, Blake watched her drive away before shutting the door and leaning against it. His brain tried to make sense of he
r departure.
* * *
“I get it,” Max said, leaning forward and dispersing Blake’s memory. “It’s not the same, but you’re welcome to spend Christmas with Layla and me.
Blake offered a half smile. “I’ll consider it, but it’s your first Christmas together. You’ve been in love with that woman since I’ve known you and I don’t want to be a third wheel. Besides, I'll probably hit the Christmas Eve service at church and spend the day with my mom. She’s been lonely without my father around.”
Max shrugged and turned back to the kitchen to finish serving the lunch crowd.
Blake took a bite of his hamburger, but while he knew it was delicious—Max was known for his burgers—it held no taste in his current mood. He fished a few dollars out of his wallet, laid the money on the counter, picked up his coat, and walked out the door.
The McAllister development where he worked sat a mile up the road, but as he still had fifteen minutes remaining on his lunch break, he decided to walk through downtown. His own house resided on the quiet outskirts of town, so other than hanging out with Max at The Diner, he didn’t spend much time in the downtown area.
Blake pulled his coat tighter as the winter air bit through the heavy wool. Star Lake generally received one or two good snowfalls every winter, and though Christmas was still a few weeks away, the chill in the air made him believe the first snow was coming.
He didn’t mind the snow, but he enjoyed it more when he had someone to share the experience with. Curling in front of the fireplace alone held little appeal.
Audrey shoved the last item in her suitcase and pushed down on the bulging bag as she tugged on the zipper.
“Where are you going to go?” Desiree asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Desiree was Audrey’s roommate, and the two were about as different as night and day. Where Audrey was pale and blond, Desiree had darker skin and long dark hair.
“The only place I can,” Audrey said with a sigh. “Home.”
The thought held little appeal. Her wealthy parents had given her access to her trust fund at eighteen, and Audrey had opted to move to LA to try her hand at acting. At first, it had been fun. She’d found a few jobs and been in a few commercials, but then the jobs had become fewer and farther between, and after she ended up pregnant, they had dried up completely. Now all the money she had saved was almost gone.
Desiree’s nose scrunched in disgust. “You'd go back to that tiny town, why?”
“I haven’t had a job in months Dez, my savings have run out, and I can’t go to work without someone to watch Cayden. If I go home, I can get help from my parents until I get back on my feet.”
At least she hoped they would help. They hadn’t been too happy when she decided not to go to college, but she didn’t think they would turn their grandson away, even if they didn’t want to help her.
Desiree shrugged and flicked her hair behind her bony shoulder. “Nothing in the world would make me return to my crappy hometown.”
Audrey knew Desiree’s home life had been rough, but while she hadn’t wanted to grow up under her mother’s thumb, it hadn’t been a bad childhood. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be back, but I wish you luck.”
After a quick hug, Audrey picked up Cayden’s car seat, slung her bag over her shoulder, and left the apartment she had called home for the last few years.
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The Story Doesn’t End!
You’ve met a few people and fallen in love….
* * *
I bet you’re wondering how you can meet everyone else.
Star Lake Series:
When Love Returns
Once Upon a Star
Love Conquers All
Heartbeats Series:
Where It All Began
The Power of Prayer
When Hearts Collide
A Past Forgiven
Sweet Billionaires Series:
The Billionaire’s Secret
Brush with a Billionaire
The Billionaire’s Christmas Miracle
The Billionaire’s Cowboy Groom
The Lawkeepers series:
Lawfully Matched
Lawfully Justified
The Scarlet Wedding
Lawfully Redeemed
Lawfully Pursued
Still Small Voice series:
The Still Small Voice
A Spark in the Darkness (coming soon)
Stand Alones:
Love Renewed
Blushing Brides Series:
The Cowboy’s Reality Bride
The Reality Bride’s Baby
The Producer’s Unlikely Bride
Her children’s early reader chapter book series:
The Wishing Stone #1: Dangerous Dinosaur
The Wishing Stone #2: Dragon Dilemma
The Wishing Stone #3: Mesmerizing Mermaids
The Wishing Stone #4: Pyramid Puzzles
The Wishing Stone Inspirations #1: Mary’s Miracle
To see a list of all her books
authorloranahoopes.com
[email protected]
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About The Author
Lorana Hoopes is an inspirational author originally from Texas but now living in the PNW with her husband and three children. When not writing, she can be seen kickboxing at the gym, singing, or acting on stage. One day, she hopes to retire from teaching and write full time.
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Did you love The Reality Bride's Baby? Then you should read The Cowboy's Reality Bride by Lorana Hoopes!
Lights, camera…love?
Cowboy Tyler Hall never thought he'd be a contestant on a reality dating TV show, but after his latest breakup, he decides to audition. At best, he finds the woman of his dreams. At worst, he spends some time away from his ranch and meets some new people. But what he hadn't bargained on was falling for the one woman he can't have.
Laney Swann has been trying to re-invent herself for years. But now, as a fabulous makeup artist, she can use her talents on the hot new reality show in town. What she doesn't expect from her new job is to get hit by a thunderbolt of desire when she sees Tyler for the first time. Laney is tripped up when she sees Tyler for the first time. Handsome, rugged, and the perfect gentleman, she realizes she needs to become a contestant herself to have a chance with him. But there are rules – she's an employee, he's the talent. It could never work. Right?
When Tyler attempts to prove to Laney he's all in, she's not sure she can believe him. He's getting paid to fall in love, after all. Laney has to decide to open up her heart, and possibly get it broken, or give up on Tyler completely.
But this cowboy isn't going down without a fight…
Find out in this sweet and funny romance that will steal an afternoon from you. This is the first book in the multi-author Blushing Bride series. Each book will be standalone but have the common thread of brides and weddings running through them. Be sure to grab your copy of this newest Christian romance from best-selling author Lorana Hoopes and pay attention for a special offer at the back of the book!
Read more at Lorana Hoopes’s site.
Also by Lorana Hoopes
Blushing Brides
The Reality Bride's Baby
The Producer's Unlikely Bride (Coming Soon)
The Cop's Fiery Bride (Coming
Soon)
The Soldier's Stalwart Bride (Coming Soon)
Heartbeats
Where It All Began
The Power of Prayer
When Hearts Collide
A Past Forgiven
The Heartbeats Collection
Second Chance With You
Love Renewed
Star Lake
Once Upon A Star
Love Conquers All
Star Lake Romance Collection
When Love Returns
Star Lake Three Novel Boxed Set
Sweet Billionaires
The Billionaire's Secret
A Brush with a Billionaire
The Billionaire's Christmas Miracle
The Billionaire's Cowboy Groom
The Cowboy Billionaire (Coming Soon)
Sweet Billionaires Romance Collection
Texas Tornados
Run With My Heart (Coming Soon)
Love on the Line (Coming Soon)
Touchdown on Love (Coming Soon)
The Lawkeepers
Lawfully Matched
Lawfully Justified: A Bounty Hunter Lawkeeper Romance
The Scarlet Wedding: A Sage Creek Saga