Dandelions on the Road (23 page)

“Mike asked you to fill in?” Eva asked.

Renee nodded. “Brian called in sick and suggested I cover the shoot, but Mike was mad.”

Confusion whirled around Eva’s mind. The last thing Brian said to her was that there was nothing more important in his life then how she made him feel. She hinted that he needed to step up and make a move. And now…nothing. He was avoiding her, plain and simple. She’d be surprised if he showed up for the finale. Mike would probably have Renee fill that slot as well. Or maybe he’d even fly Kate in to take over the hosting job.

Eva sighed, forget Brian. She had two great guys and the choice was hard enough.

Renee stood and Eva shook her head, centering herself on the task at hand. Steve appeared in the doorway and Eva stepped around her chair to greet him.

“Are you ready for this?” Eva whispered into his ear as they hugged.

“Ready? Renee looks harmless. She’s not the grand inquisition, right?” He pulled back with a questioning look in his eyes.

“You’d be surprised.” Eva sat on the couch next to Renee’s chair and pulled Steve down beside her. “Steve, I’d like you to meet my friend, Renee.”

Steve leaned over and shook Renee’s hand. “It’s a pleasure. I feel like I know you already.”

“From the show?” Renee asked.

“I watched every minute. You were entertaining, but, no offense I was watching Eva more than anyone else.”

Renee nodded her approval. “None taken. Let’s get down to business.”

Steve drew in a deep breath and slapped his hands on his knees. “I’m all business, that’s me.”

Eva smiled. His humor showed already.

“What is it about Eva that makes you think she’s right for you?”

“Boy, you don’t waste any time,” Steve replied. “Don’t you want to know my favorite color?”

An eyebrow shot up on Renee’s forehead.

“It’s red, by the way.” Steve chuckled. “Okay, okay. There’s plenty about Eva that I love. She laughs at my jokes.” He reached over and squeezed Eva’s hand. His face grew serious. “I guess I can’t pinpoint it exactly. I mean, there’s the obvious. She’s gorgeous, kind, genuine, but it’s more the way she looks at me, you know?”

Renee glanced back and forth between them. “I think I see what you’re saying.”

Eva smiled. The serious side of Steve was coming through. She knew he had a tendency to rely on humor, but there was a time and place for it. Given the conversation with Renee, he knew when jokes worked and when it was time to be serious.

“What is it about
you
that’s right for Eva?”

“She’s playing hardball,” Steve said to Eva.

“That’s why I hired her,” Eva joked.

“Eva said a number of times that she thinks life with me would make her happy. Honestly, that’s my goal. Whether it’s cracking jokes or being there for her, I want to make her happy. Whatever it takes to do that, I plan on doing it.”

Eva could tell Renee approved. The conversation moved to Steve’s occupation, his hobbies, his family and many other topics. Through it all, Steve sat tall, answered with honesty, and never let go of Eva’s hand. By the time he walked out of the coffee shop two hours later, Renee was smitten.

“He’s so great,” she gushed.

“I told you. I’ve got two wonderful guys left.”

“Do I even need to meet Cane? I mean come on, just pick Steve now.”

Eva smiled. “It’s only fair.”

“Okay, okay. Bring him on.”

The two friends chatted about Steve for a few moments until Cane walked through the coffee shop door.

“He’s here,” Eva muttered.

Renee spun around. Her head whipped back to Eva seconds later. “That’s Cane?”

Eva nodded.

“I can see the problem.”

The women stood. “I’m Renee.” She extended her arm and shook Cane’s hand.

“How nice to meet you in person.” Cane side stepped over to Eva, brushed her hair away from her cheek and planted a kiss on her warm skin. “Hello, Eva.”

“Hi.” Eva felt weak in the knees as she often did around Cane. Their chemistry was off the charts.

The group sat down and Cane laced his fingers through Eva’s.

“So Cane, tell me about meeting Eva for the first time. What did you say? What did you think?”

Cane glanced at Eva. “You’re never going to believe this.” He told Renee the story of their first meeting, many years ago at Adventureland.

“He gave you your very first kiss?” Renee’s eyes were wide.

Eva shrugged. “It seems so.”

“And after this is over, I hope to give her every kiss she wants for the rest of her life.”

“Those are strong words.” Renee changed the topic. “What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a paramedic.”

“Oh, I think I broke a toe the other day, want to take a look?” Renee asked.

Eva made a face, but Cane laughed. “That’s not the type of trauma I’m used to working with, but sure, I can identify a broken toe as well as the next guy.”

Renee removed her shoe and Cane let go of Eva’s hand long enough to inspect the injury.

“Yep, looks broken. You might want to see a podiatrist. There’s not much they can do about toes, but you don’t want it to heal in an unnatural position and give you problems for life.”

Renee slipped her shoe back on. “Enough about me. Let’s get back to you. I want to hear what life would be like for Eva if she chose you.”

Cane cleared his throat and drew Eva’s hand to his lips. “I don’t like making promises I can’t keep, but I promise you Eva would be loved and she’d know it. I’d do my best to make her happy, but above anything else, she’d be cherished.”

Renee blinked and her mouth fell open.

The conversation continued. How many kids did he want? Where did he see himself in five years? Where did he want to live? Did he like the Huskers?

By the time Cane left, Eva’s head was spinning from the rapid-fire questions Renee shot his way. Renee eyed Cane as he gently kissed Eva on the lips and exited the coffee shop.

Renee turned to her friend and slowly sank into her chair. “That,” she said, “is the perfect man.”

Eva agreed. “So what do I do?”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

EVA’S NERVES WERE sky-high. Renee hadn’t been much help in the advice department. She loved Steve and thought he would be a great match for Eva. But then she met Cane and determined he was the perfect man all around. It all boiled down to what Eva’s opinion and she knew it. But what did she feel?

Eva dressed more formally than she had at any other time during the show. She wanted to stay true to herself, as Renee suggested, but this time, she wanted the man she chose to see her at her best. She picked a deep red dress with a sequined bodice and satin skirt. It accentuated the color of her hair and the tone of her skin. Her silver heels were as comfortable as heels got, but Eva’s heart was anything but settled.

She had two great men on her hands and no idea what to do. Was she in love? She wasn’t sure. The taping sessions allowed her to get to know the guys pretty well, but enough to fall in love? Not yet. She needed to examine the options and decide who she
could
love. It was absurd, really. She didn’t want to continue dating two people, but she didn’t want to let anyone down either.

Eva paced the small office. The crew was waiting for the remaining bachelors to arrive. They would stash them in other empty rooms and set Eva up in the studio. Then, the men would come to her one at a time. It was the final elimination ceremony and she had no idea what to do.

BRIAN ADJUSTED HIS favorite tie and buttoned his suit coat. He’d put a lot of time and effort into the finale. If things went as planned, he may be out of a job, but he might win the girl. He smoothed his hair and checked his reflection in the mirror. There was no way to cover the pale glow of his skin. He was nervous as all get out.

Brian left the anchor’s green room and headed toward the studio. He nodded at Mac, who was sticking his neck out to help Brian with his plan. He stopped next to the board operator. “All set?” he asked out of the corner of his mouth.

“Ready to roll.” Mac concentrated on the board set up.

“Thanks again.”

“Anything for love.” Mac shook his head.

Brian walked over to the set, trying to appear calmer than he felt. The decorations were gorgeous. He couldn’t wait to see Eva’s reaction to it. The stone pathway led from one side of the set to the other with pots of dandelions and other brightly colored flowers lining either side. The white wooden arch at the end of the path had dandelions woven through it. Brian wondered if they were real. If so, they would wilt by the time the taping began.

He reached out to touch one when Mike appeared with his clipboard.

“Feeling better?”

“Much.” Brian lied. If anything, he felt worse.

“Let’s do this and get everything into editing.”

Brian nodded. “I’m good to go.”

Mike waved the clipboard. “Bring her in.”

Brian fixed his eyes on the dark hallway to the side of the set. First, he saw a flash of red, then glistening sequins. Before long, Eva stepped into the pool of light and Brian took a deep breath. She was more beautiful than ever. He liked her in everything she wore, but now that he knew how he felt, her beauty had an even deeper effect on him.

He watched her walk down the stone path, taking in the dandelions and detailed decorations. Her eyes sparkled with hope and Brian could tell she was impressed.

EVA STROLLED DOWN the pathway and tore her eyes from the set to place them at the end of the path and the man standing there.

“Brian,” Eva gasped. Her feet stopped beneath her. She stared at his dimple for a few heartbeats before moving forward again. “I heard you were…sick.”

Brian cleared his throat. “That wasn’t entirely true. I’m sorry, I don’t like to lie, but it was for a good cause.”

Eva frowned. This man was one puzzle after another. She thought she knew where he stood when it came to his emotions…and her. But she had been downright wrong. It didn’t matter anyway, it was too late. She had to choose between the two men who were there for her.

Brian took a step, closing the gap between them. “I know this process has been hard on you and I understand I’ve made it worse by stepping in and confusing things further. I’d like to apologize for that, but Eva, I’m not sorry for everything.”

Eva looked up into his eyes. What was going on? Her mind was made up. She knew who she was going to choose. They needed to move on with the ceremony.

“You want a man who will go the distance for you, someone who will walk across the country and make it known that you are the one for him. I want you to know I’m willing to do that.” Brian smiled and removed one hand from her elbow, twirling his finger in the air above his head. When the studio remained quiet, he looked behind him and signaled again.

MAC FUMBLED WITH the knobs in the control room. He wanted to do as Brian asked and roll the footage. There were screens all over the studio and the tape they prepared would appear everywhere, but he didn’t anticipate the computer shutting down on him.

“Blasted color wheel.” Mac cursed. The machine needed an update, big time. But that fact was quickly becoming Brian’s problem. Mac glanced out the control room window. Brian gave the signal a third time but Mac was helpless to do anything about it.

He pressed the computer’s power switch to shut it down completely. He’d have to reboot and it would take a few minutes. Brian would have to stall.

EVA SAW MIKE approach and wondered if Brian was losing his mind. What was up with the waving finger and the increasingly anxious look on his face?

“Okay, Eva, it’s time. Who do you want to see first?” Mike stared at his clipboard and didn’t make eye contact with either of them.

Eva looked at Brian as he dropped his other hand from her elbow and rushed away. It seemed like he had more to say or maybe even something to show her, but there he was, running away again. If he really wanted her, he’d insist on having his say.

Eva brushed away the lingering feel of Brian’s fingers on her elbow and opened her mouth. It was time to voice her decision.

“YOU’VE GOT TO be kidding me.” Brian’s head pounded. “There’s nothing you can do?”

“I can wait for it to reboot and air it in a few minutes. It’s just a few minutes, man. What can it hurt?”

Brian shook his head. Obviously Mac didn’t understand the urgency of the situation.

“You put that footage onto every screen in the studio as soon as the computer is back up, you hear me?” He shook his finger in Mac’s face. He would have to apologize later, but he was in a high stress situation.

“Got it.” Mac turned back to the computer and tapped his toes as the machine slowly shut down. He pressed the button to turn it back on. It chugged and whirred as Brian spun away and stomped into the studio.

Steve skipped down the stone path and Eva let out a nervous giggle. Brian took a deep breath as Mike started the taping. When Steve reached the arch, he took Eva’s hands in his and waited for her to speak.

“Steve,” Eva began, “my life has had constant light and laughter in it these past few weeks and I give you the credit for that. You’ve been nothing but a joy and I’m so honored you came on the show. Whether it was your comedy routine, the way you rode that crazy horse with style or one of the many moments we had alone, I fell for your goofy charm. Aside from your outstanding sense of humor, who you are as a person is really special.”

Steve took a deep breath when Eva paused and Brian held his breath in the shadows. He was supposed to interview the man Eva let down and then the happy couple once she made her decision.

“I could see my life being very happy if I continued dating you.”

Brian rolled his hand beside him.
Come on, come on
. He didn’t know what he wanted to rush more…Eva’s words or Mac in the control room.

“But?” Steve asked with a glimmer of hope in his voice.

“But…I’m sorry Steve, my heart is leading me somewhere else.”

Steve’s face fell.

“There’s nothing I dreaded more than hurting you. You deserve the absolute best and I know you’ll find it. But because I feel this way, I’m not the best one for you.” Steve nodded slowly and leaned over to embrace Eva. Brian was surprised he didn’t crack a joke. He didn’t say anything at all.