Catch Me A Cowboy (10 page)

Wil grinned wide. He couldn't turn away from her, even when she peered back at the yellow ocean. ‘Unbelievable. Thank you so much for showing me this.'

He met her intense burning gaze again and was speechless for a long moment. ‘My pleasure,' he said, tipping his hat. He was first to look away this time and moved off to talk to the other girls.

They headed towards the field of flowery gold and trotted alongside the crop for a distance before starting back to the farmhouse. Wil chatted with each of the girls one-on-one, getting to know more about the types of lives they had. But he was itching to talk to Emily again and he couldn't understand the intensity of this desire.

He directed the horse to her side. Her long brown hair was blowing in the gentle breeze and she looked so at ease atop Miss Marple now, you'd think she'd done this a hundred times before.

‘You look very calm now.' He grinned. ‘Maybe even enjoying yourself.'

She smiled and those plump full lips did wicked things to his body. ‘You've done a great job with the horses. I haven't felt unsafe once.'

‘I'm glad you trusted me enough to try. It's like all things, I guess, a little time's needed to become familiar and find your bearings. When I got back from university, after spending three years in Melbourne, I found it hard to just stop, you know?'

Emily nodded.

‘I was used to the constant stimulation the city offered and then here, there was a different kind of stimulus. A slow, creeping beauty that was everywhere. I had to learn to stop before I was able to hear the instinct to be physical, to use my muscle and get among the dirt, the sun, the animals, the quiet. I had to feel the earth again and use my body.'

‘So how did you learn to stop?'

He shrugged as he held the reins in his hands. ‘I immersed myself in what this life does offer. That …' he said pointing behind them at the yellow river of flowers, ‘that sensation you got back there was real, Em.'

She blinked and smiled. ‘So much so.'

‘This place is full of that.'

‘Connecting with people is real too … as humans we need it.'

Wil knew Emily meant the connections she had in the city with the people she met in her day to day life. He knew she was trying to make the point that here in the country, those connections were limited. But he didn't agree with that one bit. He'd spent his time in Melbourne, all the people rushing past and not acknowledging his existence as he fled by. He'd experienced the barely-there eye contact when he purchased something from a shop.

‘I agree. Human connection is vital.' He didn't mean the flimsy social connections Emily was referring to. He was talking about a specific connection—the type of connection only a lover can bring. A deep ache throbbed in his chest and to feel it fresh and alive, made him realise then how lonely he had been. How much that type of connection was absent in his life. And reflected back in her eyes, was that exact emotion. Was Emily just as lonely as he was? Perhaps their reasons for agreeing to appear on this dating show, was, at the core, the same.

Wil swallowed hard to loosen the tightness in his throat. ‘One thing I realised was that distance between people can bring them closer together. And that living shoulder to shoulder with many can leave you lonely. This town and the people in it are the closest knit I've experienced.'

Emily tilted her head to the side. ‘Are you trying to sell me this town, Wil?'

He shrugged. ‘I think I'm trying to gauge if you're in the market for buying.'

Chapter 14

Emily and the other contestants were required to complete daily video logs during their time on
Catch Me a Cowboy
. While the other women went on their group dates with Wil, Emily fulfilled her obligation by answering questions and recounting her experiences in front of a camera.

Emily answered as truthfully as she could but knew how the editors would chop, twist and bend her words out of context if it meant portraying her in a certain light. She only hoped they intended that light to be kind.

That evening, the ladies had group filming to do, where they were to sit around and discuss their time on the show to each other while a camera recorded every word. So they planned a barbeque, followed by drinks.

Spaced around the contestants' quarters lounge on bright-coloured couches, they described their dates with Wil, their attraction to him, and their intentions.

Emily's chest tightened and jaw clenched when listening to the others. She pretended to smile and appear interested in their hopes to win over Wil's heart; after all, there were cameras in her face. But deep down, she resented every contestant here.

That should indicate if she were to be rational and honest, that she may be developing emotions—
real
emotions. But she wasn't in the mood for rationality and honesty, not when every person and scenario around her was contrived. So, she continued to see this bitterness, instead, as her competitive spirit bearing its teeth.

Somehow, the girls had managed to choose Regina as the favourite—like she was some well-trained race horse about to embark on the Melbourne Cup with the best odds. Emily inconspicuously rolled her eyes when all the women nodded and agreed. How they came to that conclusion was beyond her. Wil had been skilled at not showing favouritism and did well to share himself around.

Emily wanted to groan out loud to have even phrased her thought in that way—“share himself around”, as though he was expensive caviar they could all enjoy. It always came back to that: her uneasiness with the premise of the show. It harked back to the days of harems and pandered to the male fantasies of multiple partners. Objectification at its finest. This was supposed to be the twenty-first century, a time of growing equality. Emily couldn't deny that she was contributing to the backwards slide of feminism—if there was such a thing to start with.

But, it was too late to back out now. And, besides, she knew what she was signing up for. And what she was here to do. Win!

The next morning, the girls were primped by professional stylists before the group lunch with Wil. Another contestant would go home by the end of the day. After the sensations Emily felt when she mistakenly thought she had been eliminated, she was doubly nervous to avoid that ego-blow again.

Emily wore a red wrap dress and exchanged her heels for boots. Not only were boots miles more practical, but they were super-comfy and smoking hot. Today, she even donned a straw cowboy hat and left her hair to hang long and wavy down her back.

Once again, their seats were pre-designated, and the spare chair left for Wil was no longer at the head, but rather one from the top. The directors had chosen Emily to be at the head today. What was their angle? Or would the women be dutifully rotated so they each got their fair share of the cowboy?

Wil made his way down the paddock to the table. His jeans and checked shirt, accompanied by boots, a belt with a big buckle, and a white cowboy hat were becoming his trademark. Not that she was complaining. Each time she saw him, he stole her breath away.

It was his unassuming swagger. The confidence in the set of his broad shoulders and square, stubbled jaw. He was well-groomed, but possessed a ruggedness that played upon Emily's primal side like fingers at a harp, strumming away until the most delicious melody was produced.

And the more she saw him dressed, the greater the desire to slowly peel off every layer of clothing like it were wrapping paper, revealing the present underneath. After her brief physical interaction with him yesterday, when she had touched his hard shoulders feeling the muscle beneath, and the ease in which he lifted her tall frame up onto that horse, she could tell that underneath those clothes was strength. And Emily was itching to see that strength—naked. Maybe even dig her nails into it.

As he neared, the girls' backs straightened to push those breasts further out. Sad to admit it, but she did the same. Again, she imagined the footage and a smile crept onto her lips. If she didn't find the funny side in all of this, she'd cry, or worse, grow very bitter.

Wil caught her eye as he took a seat and arched a brow when his gaze fell to her semi-suppressed grin. He wore a cheeky smile, but his expression was one of question.

She shook her head and waved his silent inquiry away. ‘It's a long story.'

He cocked his head to the side. ‘Another challenge?'

She shrugged. ‘Not intentionally.' She nearly humiliated herself yesterday with a similar situation. Wil had made a comparison between the horse she was to ride and the scary people she would have to deal with in her job. She had thought of Mike and how he was like a stocky, angry gorilla thumping at his chest. Then her thoughts drifted to what type of animal Wil would be and a muscled, stud bull came to mind. Her fantasy went wild and he was naked, she was on all fours before him as he moved in to mount her. This farm was doing crazy things with her mind, not to mention, her libido. When Wil asked her what she had been thinking about, heat rose in her cheeks. There was no way she'd admit any of that to him.

Wil kept his hat on. After all, it was the middle of the day and their only shade was of the newly blossoming branches overhead. Emily couldn't wait to see this place in the thick of spring.

‘Hi, ladies,' he said, tipping the brim of his hat.

The women replied with smiles and over-enthusiastic pleasantries.

‘Did you enjoy your day yesterday, Wil?' asked Regina.

Wil nodded. ‘I did. Thank you all for your company.'

Emily forced herself not to read too much into that answer because Wil hadn't once indicated, even inadvertently, that he relished in the perverted pleasure of dating ten girls at once. Up until now, he'd been perfectly polite. But was she kidding herself to believe that he would be the only man on the planet who wouldn't be loving his current circumstances? Perhaps he was just really good at concealing it.

Wil discreetly cleared his throat and looked at each of the ladies. Was he nervous? Emily peered closer, trying to discern why. But then he opened his mouth and said, ‘I'm going to start the questions off today because I'm curious about something specifically.'

Emily's belly fluttered.

‘As you know, this farm is my life. It's been in my family for three generations.' He stopped, reached for his glass of water and took a gulp. The cameras squeezed in closer. ‘I also understand that you've all worked hard at establishing careers and friendships and a life in your hometowns.' He peered down at his hands, which he had clasped in front of him, and didn't look up again until he'd finished his next sentence.

‘Could you give that up for love? Could we make that work?' When he lifted his head, he was frowning.

‘Are you asking if we could leave our lives behind for this farm?' asked Regina.

He nodded, shrugged, then shook his head. ‘It sounds …
arrogant
on my part. But, I guess, I need to make it clear that those are the terms.'

Regina nodded, leant across the table and placed her hand on Wil's. ‘We knew those were the terms when we signed up for this. And I'm in a lucky position because my skills could be used here on the farm.'

Wil looked at her hand, then eventually met Regina's gaze. ‘That's good to hear. And what about you other ladies?' He slowly slid his hand out from under Regina's and reached for his glass of water again. This simple act brought tremendous relief for Emily.

The other girls shared the same sentiments as Regina, paraphrasing in their own way that they knew what the terms were, that they loved the farm, and could be rewarded by learning a new way of life here.

Wil turned his blue eyes to Emily. She had attempted to avoid answering his question because she found it hard to lie. Especially to this man who was being nothing but honest and upfront with her. But, at the end of the day, this was a game. A competition. And she had every motivation to win it.

‘From what you said, Em, your career is incredibly important. You earn a good living from it.'

She nodded and said with a weak voice, ‘It is important.'

He nodded slowly. Was that disappointment in his expression? Her heart sank. She shifted in her seat and forced a smile on her face. ‘But I feel the same as the other girls.' The words were delivered with the best acting skills she could muster. Yesterday, while horse riding with Wil, she had wondered what it would be like to wake up to this life every day. And yesterday, among all that aesthetic splendour, she did see herself doing exactly that. But then she remembered the rush of her career, the apartment she worked so hard to buy, and the fast paced city. She had everything on her doorstep—restaurants, theatre, concerts, sporting events. To leave that behind for this
quiet
would send her stir crazy, surely.

His eyes brightened when he smiled. ‘That's good to know.'

That wasn't so hard, was it? To lie through my teeth
.

So why did she feel so guilty?

Emily was no longer nervous about the possibility of going home today. Perhaps it would be the easier option. She wasn't cut out for this. Yes, she had a competitive spirit and gave her best at all things, but she never lied flat-out to someone's face. This show was dragging her down to a new level. One she wasn't proud of.

Emily fell silent for the remainder of lunch. She sat back and watched the other girls talk over one another, interrupt, and fight for Wil's attention. He would glance at her from time to time and she would plaster a smile on her face. But he wasn't stupid and she knew it.

At the elimination later that evening, Regina's name was called out to be the next contestant to go home. Shocked gasps rang out, evidence that nobody was expecting her to be the next. Regina bit back tears as she said goodbye to Wil.

Emily stood by and watched the theatrics, conflicted about the result. On one hand, she was happy to see Regina go because that meant she had secured more time with Wil. And, on the other, she felt guilty because her own intentions were insincere. Then again, she could guarantee that every other girl's intentions were also dishonest.