The Cowboy's Reality Bride

by Lorana Hoopes

  “I’m really glad we reconnected,” Maryanne said. “I didn’t think I missed any of you, but now that you’re here, I realize I do. I’ve missed you and the rest of the group. Maybe when this show is over we should try to get the gang together.”

  Laney was just about to agree when a knock sounded at the door. She looked to Maryanne who shrugged but crossed to the door and opened it. “Maryanne, have you seen Laney? I need to talk to her.”

  Peter’s voice sounded almost frantic and Laney stood as Maryanne stepped back. His eyes took in Laney and he hurried over to her. “Oh good, you’re here. I need to talk to you. I know we were only going to have you do Tyler’s makeup, but I just watched the footage from today, and the women need some help. Can you please do their makeup as well for the rest of the show?”

  Laney bit her lip as she thought about what to say. The logical part of her wanted to say yes, of course she could. That was her job after all, but the emotional part of her wasn’t sure she could handle making the women even more beautiful. Even though she knew he was off limits and she had no idea if he was even interested in her, there was this crazy part of her that felt like she was competing for Tyler too and making the contestants even more beautiful would just push her farther down the ladder.

  In the end, her logical side won out and she nodded. “Sure, Peter, I’d be happy to. Just let me know when and remember I need ten to fifteen minutes per woman plus Tyler.”

  “Great, I’ll add it to the production schedule. We’ll make sure we have enough time before the next date. Thank you, Laney, you are a lifesaver.”

  As he hurried out of the room, Laney sank back down in the chair. What had she just agreed to?

  14

  Laney took a deep breath and opened the door to the women’s house. She couldn’t believe she had agreed to do this, but what was she supposed to say? “I can’t do the women’s makeup because I’m attracted to Tyler?” Yeah that would have gone over well. They would probably have fired her on the spot. There had been nothing in the contract about falling for the Cowboy, but Laney also noted that all the other women on the crew wore a wedding ring already. Maybe this was why.

  “Ah, there you are.” Justin stood just inside the door looking like his usual plastic self. Laney wondered if he did his own makeup or if that was his natural look. “I had Maryanne gather the women together. I was just about to tell them about the date tonight. Come with me.”

  Laney followed Justin into the living room where the women sat like an attentive audience. It was weird how they focused completely on Justin, but Laney assumed it was because this was the highlight of their day. With no television, phone, or outside communication, the women must get bored the rest of the day. Most of the live footage she’d watched with Maryanne had been boring. The girls making a sandwich, the girls getting a drink, the girls sitting by the pool. Laney wondered why they bothered filming it at all.

  “Tonight’s date will be an adventure, and I will tell you who is going in just a moment, but you might wonder why Laney is here.” A few of the girls nodded and looked her direction, but most kept their focus on Justin. “Laney is Tyler’s makeup artist. We don’t normally have her do the contestants too, but we noticed on the last take that some of the women’s makeup was less than desirable on HD, so Laney is here to make sure you look your best. Is that clear?”

  The girls nodded, and Justin continued. “Great, so going on tonight’s date is Michelle C, Erica, Bristol, Peyton, Rachel, Jenna, and Jade. Heidi, congratulations, you have the first solo date tomorrow night.” Heidi beamed, and the other girls shot her envious looks. “So, if I called your name, please stay, and if I didn’t, please vacate the room to give Laney room to work.”

  The six women not called stood and left the room, and Laney glanced at the remaining seven. “Okay, let’s start with you.” She pointed to the pretty brunette who sat in the single chair.

  “I’m Erica,” the girl said scooting toward the edge of the chair. “So, what’s it like doing Tyler’s makeup?”

  “Uh,” Laney held up her foundation to try to match Erica’s complexion. “It’s fine. Just like doing anyone else’s I guess.”

  “Is his face soft?”

  “Uh.” His jaw certainly wasn’t as the bump still visible on her forehead proclaimed, but she hadn’t touched his face, at least not in the way this girl meant.

  “Does he talk about us?”

  “Yeah, has he said who he likes best?”

  The girls fired questions at Laney one after the other. They were like rabid fans at a concert. Laney answered as vaguely as possible not wanting to share the piece of Tyler she had access to that the women didn’t.

  “He doesn’t really talk about it much.”

  When it became clear Laney couldn’t or wouldn’t answer any more of their questions, the women ignored her and chatted with each other. Their conversations subtly shifted into catty observations of the women not in the room.

  “I can’t understand why he chose Heidi for his solo date,” one girl said.

  “Yeah, what does he see in her?”

  Laney bit her lip to keep from interjecting into the conversation. She wasn’t supposed to get involved but listening to women disparage each other wasn’t something she enjoyed. Relief flooded her veins when she finished the last woman’s make up. She packed up her supplies and headed out to Tyler’s room.

  Tyler smiled as Laney entered his room, but his smile changed to a look of concern at her pinched expression. “What’s the matter?”

  “Oh nothing. I was just asked to do the women’s makeup as well, and I forgot how catty women can be when they get together.” She pulled out the makeup and set it on the table.

  “Catty? What do you mean?”

  Laney rolled her eyes. “Just talking about the women who had gone on the previous date and poor Heidi who you chose for the solo.” Laney’s eyes widened, and she clasped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I’m not supposed to talk about the women in front of you. Please don’t tell anyone what I said.”

  “Hey,” he put his hand on her arm - she looked so vulnerable at this moment, and his heart ached with her, “your secret is safe with me. Why aren’t you supposed to talk about the women?”

  Her eyes dropped to his hand, and her teeth bit down on her bottom lip. “I guess they think I might influence your decision. As if you cared about my opinion.”

  She turned away, and his hand fell away from her arm, but he wasn’t letting her off that easily. He grabbed her hand and turned her back to him. “I do care about your opinion.” She looked down at their hands and then back up at him. “I’m not sure why I do except that you’re the person I feel closest to here.”

  “I am?” Her voice was quiet. Breathy.

  “Yeah, I mean I’m kind of shut up in here except for when you come over and when I go on the dates, and while the women seem nice, I don’t get to talk to them the way you and I do. Besides, we’re kindred spirits both being from Texas. You know what they say. You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the girl.”

  “I… um,” she pulled her hand out from his grasp. “I should do your makeup.” Her eyes shifted from his and to the table where she rearranged the items she had just placed.

  Right. What had he been thinking? Laney worked for the show, and he had probably just made her uncomfortable. Besides, even if she had been a contestant, she was a city girl, and he knew how well those worked out. He needed to be professional from now on with her. Still, he wanted to know more about her.

  “So, what made you become a makeup artist?” It seemed like an innocent question, but he saw Laney’s shoulders tense as she poured the foundation into the air brush machine.

  “It’s a rather stupid reason,” she said with a forced laugh. “I wanted to learn makeup, so I wouldn’t be invisible anymore.”

  “Invisible? You are anything but invisible.”

  “Ha. That’s nice of you t
o say, but I’ve always been the girl who is everyone’s friend.” The way she emphasized the word friend let him know that men overlooked her. For some reason, they didn’t see her as dating material, and he wondered why. True, he didn’t know her well, but she was funny and sweet and pretty and… He needed to stop that train of thought right now. She was not the woman for him.

  He wanted to say something to put a smile back on her face, but appropriate words failed him, and before any sprang to mind, she was already spraying his face and packing up.

  “All done,” she said, her eyes avoiding his gaze, “have fun tonight.”

  “Thanks, I’ll try.” But he wondered if he’d be able to focus on anything other than Laney’s words. “Wait, you’re not going?”

  She shrugged. “It’s paintball. The point is to get dirty, so they said they don’t need me there to pretty you all up.”

  “Right, well I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  “I’ll be here.” She flashed a small smile before exiting his room, and Tyler sank down into the chair. He needed to focus on tonight’s date and get Laney’s face out of his mind, but that was easier said than done.

  A knock sounded, and his door opened. “You ready?” Justin asked.

  “Yep, let’s do this.” Tyler put on his best smile and followed Justin out of his room. He would get through tonight and re-evaluate his feelings. Surely, he was just feeling closer to Laney because he spent the most time with her. Once he had his solo date, things were sure to change. At least he hoped they did.

  Laney glanced up from her Bible as her bungalow door swung open, and Maryanne blew in, shutting the door behind her.

  “You are never going to believe what happened.” She plopped down next to Laney on the couch and folded one leg underneath her. “I can’t believe you weren’t there, but I’ll try to do it justice. Oh, man, they are going to be so mad. Heads are probably spinning right now.”

  Laney chuckled at the whirlwind that was her friend and closed her Bible. She wouldn’t be able to focus now. “Okay, it sounds intriguing, but you’re going to have to slow down and start at the beginning because I am so lost right now.”

  “It’s Tyler, he’s like no cowboy we’ve ever had.”

  Laney wanted to ask how he was different, but Maryanne had already moved on.

  “So, they went paintballing, right? But, Bristol threw a fit over having to wear the protective gear. Said it wasn’t flattering and would ruin her hair.”

  “And he sent her home?” Laney offered.

  Maryanne threw her hands up in the air. “He sent her home. The men don’t usually send women home on the dates. They usually wait for the ceremony, so we can have a ceremony. If he keeps this up, we may not have enough women to do a ceremony. I’m sure Peter and Justin are freaking out right now about what to do about him.”

  “Well, he obviously knows what he wants or what he doesn’t want anyway.” Laney’s admiration for Tyler grew even more. He didn’t seem to want to play their game and that made him different. And appealing. But she couldn’t act on those feelings. Wouldn’t act on those feelings. He might seem different now, but deep down he was probably like all the other men Laney had known in her life. The kind who said they wanted one thing but really wanted another.

  15

  “Well, you’ve caused quite the stir,” Laney said when Tyler opened the door. He looked incredible in his jeans and plaid shirt and Laney had to force her eyes to stay on his face rather than travel down his body.

  “Whatever do you mean?” His words might have been curious, but his smile was sly as he stepped back and allowed her entrance. He knew exactly what she meant.

  “I mean I just spent the last three hours with the rest of the crew brainstorming how to save this show if you keep sending all the women home early.”

  “Yeah, and what did they decide?”

  Was he smiling? He was. Like a Cheshire cat. He was enjoying this. “Are you doing this on purpose?”

  “On purpose?” A teasing glint appeared in his eyes. “I suppose it depends on what you mean by on purpose. Am I sending women home I don’t see a future with on purpose? Yes, I am, but if you mean am I trying to ruin the show on purpose? No, I’m not. I came on this show for two reasons. Well, three if you count Nancy.”

  “Nancy? Who’s Nancy?” Did he have a woman at home?

  “Nancy is my best friend’s wife. Remember, I told you she convinced me to come on the show.”

  Relief flooded Laney. Oh geez, relief? She needed to get a hold on her emotions. She wasn’t competing for him. “Right, I do remember you saying that. So, what are the other two reasons?” Laney walked past him to seem uninterested though she was hanging on his every word. She put her makeup case down and opened the lid. Look busy. She needed to look busy.

  “One reason is the money. I don’t know if they pay the women, but they pay me, and as much as I don’t like doing things for the money, I need it to keep my ranch going.”

  Something in the sincerity of his voice made Laney turn back to look at him. “Your ranch means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

  “It does. I grew up on a ranch and always knew it was what I wanted to do.”

  “And what about the last reason?” Laney’s breath caught in her throat as she asked the question. She hoped he was looking for love and yet she didn’t. If he was, it meant he probably wasn’t just playing some game like Maryanne said they often did, but it also meant that he might find it with someone other than herself. If he wasn’t, then he wasn’t the man she thought he was. Neither answer really held a win for Laney.

  He took a step toward her, and Laney felt electricity crackle in the air. “I hoped perhaps I might find love. Maybe that’s silly with this being a reality show and not ordinary circumstances, but I live in a small town. Not a lot of fish in that sea. I guess I hoped I might meet someone special here.”

  “And have you?”

  His eyes tore through hers like he was reading every inch of her soul. Laney wanted to close the book. She couldn’t be vulnerable for him, but her feet were glued to the floor, her body frozen in place.

  “I can’t say I’ve found love, but I’ve certainly found something I’d like to explore more.” His gaze felt like a caress on her face sending a streak of fire from her cheek all the way down to the floor. He liked her? But he couldn’t like her. She wasn’t a contestant. It would never work, but she couldn’t deny she felt something for him any longer.

  “Tyler, I...” She didn’t get to finish the sentence as the door opened then and Justin’s voice carried into the room.

  “Laney, I need you to -” Even though they hadn’t been touching when the door opened, Laney knew they looked guilty, and she could tell from Justin’s face that he had seen enough to suspect something, but oddly he said nothing just finished his sentence, “do Heidi’s makeup in twenty minutes.”

  Laney didn’t like the look in his eyes. They gleamed wickedly like an older brother who had just obtained dirt he could use to frame his younger sibling. “Sure, I’ll be there in a bit. I need to finish with Tyler.”

  When the door closed behind Justin, Laney spoke first. “We better get started.” Though the look wasn’t forgotten, she didn’t have time to deal with it or it’s ramifications right now.

  Tyler wanted to discuss the moment. He had wanted to kiss Laney. He wanted to tell her he wished she was a contestant, but the second Justin left, she had become all business again. He didn’t blame her; he’d seen the spark in Justin’s eyes as he knew she had. Tyler was wary of Justin at the best of times, but he was even more wary now having no idea what Justin might do with what he had seen. Would he revoke Tyler’s contract? Fire Laney? Though he needed the money, Tyler wouldn’t be too hurt if they revoked his contract. Then he could pursue Laney himself.

  He waited patiently as she changed his tie and applied his makeup hoping the right words would come into his head, but he kept coming up blank. “Laney,” he began when she finished
and began packing her supplies, “we need to talk about-”

  “We will,” she said cutting him off. Her eyes did not meet his though. “Just not right now. You have your solo date to focus on and I have to go do her makeup.” With that, she closed her case and walked out of his room.

  Tyler sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Maybe he should just talk to Justin, tell him he felt something for Laney, more than he did for the contestants. He might lose the money, but he thought he might gain something even greater.

  Tonight, he decided. He would find Justin after his date with Heidi and tell him everything. Laney had said they were trying to figure out what to do with the show. Maybe this would help them. Maybe it wasn’t too late to get another cowboy and new women in.

  Pulling his shoulder back, he left the room. Tonight, he would get to ride with Heidi, so he might as well be waiting by the limo when she arrived.

  “You look beautiful,” he said fifteen minutes later when she emerged from the main house in a stunning green dress. Laney had done a wonderful job on her makeup somehow drawing more attention to her already arresting green eyes. Her red hair lay piled on her head, but a few curly tendrils escaped and coiled by her ears. It surprised him to feel his breath catch a little. How could he feel attracted to Heidi and Laney at the same time? They were completely different people.

  “Thank you. You look handsome as well.”

  He opened the limo door for her. “Shall we?”

  “We shall.” She climbed in first scooting over to leave him room. After shutting the door, he settled in beside her.

  “How is the experience going for you?” he asked. It was a rather dumb and mundane question, but this was one of the first times he had gotten to chat with her without the other women or even the camera around.

  “It’s definitely an experience.” She said the words in a way that left him wondering if that was good or bad. “I grew up in a large family so sharing the house hasn’t been so bad, but that many women together…” She shook her head, and he understood her meaning.