The Farmer's Perfect Match

by Marilyn Forsyth

  His infectious enthusiasm, something she’d seen too little of since their arrival here, carried her along with him. This was the Neil she knew. As a rush of curiosity got the better of her, she took the chair beside him to watch the thirty-second grab.

  The starting montage of shots of Adam immediately caught her attention. Cam had done a wonderful job of capturing him in all his different moods—grinning, frowning, pensive, and laughing out loud. She couldn’t drag her eyes away.

  The shots of Meg and Chrissy were equally compelling. They were both gorgeous-looking girls, no denying that.

  It was the next sequence that shook her. Evie’s annoyance mounted with every second she watched. Video from one piece of footage had been paired with audio she distinctly remembered as being from another scene. It was followed by a cutaway to Chrissy, her eyes filled with tears. The scenario was a fabrication, giving the impression of an altercation between the two women.

  ‘So what do you think?’ Neil’s voice betrayed his self-satisfaction.

  Having grown up with a father like hers, Evie knew better than to trample an egotist’s pride. Treading a wary path here was imperative. She kept her eyes fixed on the now-blank monitor screen, not wanting to answer, knowing she had to.

  She attempted to sidestep the question by asking one of her own. ‘We do a teaser each week, right?’

  The trouble was Neil knew her too well. ‘Spit it out.’

  Apprehension pulsing in her chest, she aired her misgivings. ‘It gives a completely wrong impression of what’s going on.’

  All the good humour evaporated as Neil impaled her with a look that made her wish she hadn’t spoken after all.

  He shook his head firmly. ‘Not true. Every word came straight from the horse’s mouth. They said what they said.’

  He was using his clipped tone. Ooh, not good. She breathed in deeply, forcing herself to remain calm, not wanting to say anything to make him more annoyed than he already was.

  ‘Yes, but you’ve paired footage showing one thing with a voice-over related to something else. Is it … fair to do that?’ she asked guardedly.

  He frowned at her, as if trying to fathom her meaning. ‘What do you mean? Fair to who?’

  ‘To Meg, for one. And to the viewers.’

  He slapped his forehead. ‘How stupid of me. Here I was thinking with your background you’d have some understanding of the role of teasers—to get viewers in. Pose questions they’ll want to see answered.’ His tone was bitingly sarcastic.

  She knew that. She wasn’t a complete idiot. Keeping her reaction under tight control was difficult but she nodded. ‘Okay. But does it have to be deliberately misleading?’

  His look held a warning. ‘If it has an overall feel-good vibe, mixed with an element of drama and a bit of conflict, it’s done its job. Now, does it work on that level, yes or no?’

  The intimidating stare made her defensive. ‘I’m not disputing it as an excellent teaser, Boss. I’m asking the questions because I want to learn all I can from the best in the business.’

  She meant every word. Neil was a well-respected force in this field and, despite the confusion his shifting moods were creating on this shoot, his opinion of her still mattered. She should be pinching herself that he’d even given her this opportunity, not questioning his ability.

  His features relaxed slightly. ‘Good. There’s a lot I can teach you.’ He patted her hand, suddenly affable again. ‘Ask away.’

  She smiled back, grateful to have found a way to placate him. Flattery. Men were so predictable.

  ‘What if there is no conflict, no drama?’

  ‘Throw together three interesting strangers, each with their own agenda for being on the show, and you’ve got ready-made conflicting goals. It’s why the producers were keen to get this up and running.’

  ‘So you’ve made it seem like the girls dislike each other because there’s been no overt conflict?’

  He nodded. ‘No conflict, no entertainment. No entertainment, no advertisers’ dollars. No dollars, unhappy producers. Can’t have that.’

  The practical part of her understood that. Both her job and Neil’s continuing reputation for success ultimately depended on pleasing the advertisers. If they didn’t get what they paid for they’d shop elsewhere.

  But her niggling conscience hated the idea of people she liked, people who were coming to mean something to her, being hurt in the process.

  ‘I get what you’re saying but—’

  ‘Look, Evie.’ Neil cut her short with a sigh of dwindling patience. ‘The bottom line is we’re here to make an entertaining program. To do it, we may have to be creative with the truth. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to accept it as the nature of the beast.’

  She couldn’t help herself. ‘But playing with people’s emotions is insensitive. It’s hurtful to them.’

  ‘Exactly why maintaining a professional relationship with the cast is vital,’ he said, coolly remote. ‘Get too friendly and you run the risk of developing a conscience. Can’t afford that in this job.’

  He spoke with the certainty of a man who should know and it wasn’t mere self-justification. Her boss really believed what he was saying. The ruthlessness was a side to him she’d barely glimpsed before. How much his current marital situation had to do with it, she had no idea, but she couldn’t help wondering.

  ‘Besides,’ Neil continued, waving a dismissive hand, ‘they won’t see any of it until after we leave. The cast contracts state that they’re not to view the program while it’s in production and, because of the unusual circumstances, we’ll still be here filming when the episodes go to air.’

  ‘Why can’t they watch?’ she asked.

  ‘The main reason is it’ll make them self-conscious for the rest of the shoot. Around about now they’re getting used to wearing the mikes, starting to forget they’ve got them on and that the camera is capturing everything, too. They’re being more natural.’

  Evie had noticed that. ‘I can see the sense in what you’re saying.’

  ‘I’d like to think everything we just discussed made sense to you.’ He gave her a penetrating look from behind the glasses. ‘Did it?’ It wasn’t a question but a demand for acquiescence.

  ‘It did,’ she said, wishing she meant it, but aware that defying the man her career depended on required strength she didn’t have.

  Yet another inconvenient reality she’d prefer not to have to face, but she couldn’t afford to upset him. Luckily, she was used to walking on eggshells. Open communication had never been a feature of her relationship with her father, either.

  ‘I’m glad we understand each other.’ Neil swung his chair around, returning his attention to the monitor, their discussion over as far as he was concerned.

  Evie dared a final question. ‘What was Chrissy doing in here?’

  Fleetingly, Neil bristled, then he laughed a little too forcefully. ‘Trying to talk me into letting her see the teaser.’

  Evie shook her head. That explained it; she wouldn’t put anything past that woman. ‘You didn’t show her, did you?’

  He gave her a hard stare over the rims of his glasses. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘Silly to even ask,’ she said, before pulling the door closed behind her.

  Her thoughts, as she made her way back to her room, were a mass of contradictions. It disturbed her deeply that she and her mentor, a man she’d always respected, held such different visions for the show. But the sad truth was he was probably right. And wanting success as badly as she did—so bad she could almost taste it—she owed it to herself to make some necessary alterations in her approach to the job.

  This was the wake-up call she needed to wrest back control of the situation. To regain control of her feelings. When had she forgotten that she didn’t do emotional chaos? Well, not any more, anyway.

  Her thoughts, tinged with guilt, flew inevitably to Adam. But only momentarily, before she forced him from her focus. She, too, had a
n agenda for being involved in this show, and thinking of him would only undermine her resolve.

  Changes—big changes—were about to be made.

  CHAPTER

  9

  March 17

  Bitzer’s pitiful get-me-outta-here whine greeted Adam as he elbowed open the rickety wooden door to the shed, a can of dog food in one hand, spoon in the other. ‘I know, I know, fella. But you brought it on yourself. You’ve gotta be nicer to people.’

  In the slice of sunlight that penetrated the dim interior, the sight of Evie inside brought an instant smile to his face. Kneeling in the dirt, seemingly in intimate conversation with Bitzer, she had one arm around his neck. He sat, thumping his tail and gazing soulfully at her, as if he understood every word.

  ‘This is a pleasant surprise.’

  Adam couldn’t conceal his delight. This was the first time they’d been alone since yesterday afternoon in her room. The stirrings that memory reignited were more than a little pleasurable.

  And all kinds of wrong. From the way Evie had studiously avoided him ever since, he guessed she’d come to the same conclusion.

  Maybe it was for the best, but he couldn’t help wishing differently. With his awareness of Evie increasing every day, his heart beating at a hundred kilometres an hour every time they were together, his body had never been on such high alert. She made him feel … alive. It was a good feeling.

  She offered him a guarded nod before returning her attention to Bitzer.

  Adam squatted on his haunches next to her to fill the food bowl. The dog slurped at his face with a sticky tongue before peeling his lips back and emitting a series of little yips of delight in anticipation of eating.

  ‘Thought you’d be busy setting up camera angles and stuff. Word is, you’re in charge of filming the breakfast cook-off to see who goes on the one-on-one date this afternoon.’

  Evie stood and moved away, dusting off her denims. ‘I am. But Neil will still be looking over my shoulder.’ She sounded uncharacteristically rattled. ‘Fingers crossed, everything’s ready to roll. I thought talking things over with my friend here might help me get past my nerves before we start.’

  He glanced up at her. Dressed in faded jeans and a checked shirt, her compact backside now resting against the rusted fender of his dad’s old ute, she looked the quintessential country girl. A natural fit.

  ‘Yeah, he’s a good listener. Like you.’ He couldn’t help himself. Nothing wrong with telling it like it is.

  ‘Doesn’t take much just to listen to what someone has to say.’ Her slim shoulders were tense and one hand twisted nervously around the dark hair caught up in a long ponytail.

  She really was worried about the shoot. He didn’t like to see her like this. ‘You do a whole lot more than just listen, you really hear what I’m saying,’ he said, hoping to reassure her.

  She stared at him for several seconds before her hazel eyes slid away. ‘Listening to you, Meg and Chrissy is my job. It’s what I’m here for,’ she said in a flat voice. Her eyes flickered back to him, as if to gauge his reaction.

  The words were so curt, the tone so different to her usual unbounded enthusiasm, that he wasn’t sure how to respond. This was about more than the weight of responsibility for this morning’s filming. Something had changed. He searched her face for some sign of what may have brought about the transformation. It offered none.

  ‘You okay?’ He gave her what he hoped was a warm smile as he rose to his feet.

  There was no answering warmth in her expression. ‘I didn’t get much sleep last night.’

  So she hadn’t been able to sleep either. Had she been lying awake thinking of what had almost happened between them, as he had?

  ‘Nervous about today,’ she added.

  That answered that.

  He concealed the sharp pang of disappointment with his normal self-control. ‘You’ll be great.’

  ‘I figure I owe y—everyone … a friendly warning. All work and no sleep is enough to make me a force to be reckoned with today.’ She spoke with surprising sharpness.

  This was a side to Evie he had never seen before. If her aloofness was an effort at putting a distance between them, it was almost working. And that, he didn’t want. She was off-limits romantically, he was all too aware of the fact, but her friendship was important to him. Everything about filming this show was daunting; he relied on the easy camaraderie of their daily interviews to get him through each day.

  The situation needed defusing. Quickly. Ignoring the cold shoulder was probably the best option.

  ‘Lucky you don’t need beauty sleep,’ he said, moving within touching distance.

  She backed away and the flare of annoyance across her features brought him to an immediate halt.

  ‘You have to stop flirting with me, Adam.’ As if the look on her face wasn’t enough to betray her agitation, her tone had also become impatient. ‘It makes me look unprofessional and gets Neil’s back up.’

  She stood, hands on hips, stern-faced and staring at him. He’d never seen her so intense, so remote. He hadn’t meant to offend her. Anything but.

  ‘I wasn’t flirting, I was stating fact. You are beautiful.’

  She was. So beautiful in fact, he felt a flush of arousal just being near her. He moved closer again and her frown deepened. Then she straightened her shoulders and turned to face him squarely, the stance challenging any objection he might raise to whatever it was she was about to say.

  ‘You need to be aware, my career means everything—and I mean everything—to me. This program’s success, and Neil’s support, can go a long way in furthering it.’ She eyed him sombrely. ‘He believes the relationship you and I have developed is unprofessional. I need him to know it isn’t,’ she said, all cold formality. ‘Because that’s the truth of it.’

  A knot tightened in his stomach. She was obviously as aware as he was of the need to pull back on their growing attraction, but to deny the attraction even existed … who was she trying to kid?

  He drew in a deep breath, released it slowly. Then he cleared his throat. ‘So what happened between us yest—’

  ‘Don’t!’ A hand shot up to stop him. ‘I’m embarrassed enough as it is and I can’t apologise enough for my lack of judgement.’ She shut her eyes. ‘I—I felt sorry for you.’

  His heart did the strangest thing, contracting as if it was being squeezed like a stress ball. The tightness made it difficult to breathe. Her reason for almost kissing him was because she felt sorry for him? A different man might take comfort from an admission like that but he’d spent too much of his childhood as an object of pity. He’d had no control over that situation, but now, as a grown man, he refused to have anyone feel sorry for him.

  Especially her.

  ‘Don’t ever feel sorry for me,’ he ground out from between gritted teeth. She’d hit a raw nerve and the only way to stifle the pain was to channel it elsewhere.

  Evie eyed him warily, clearly conscious of his censure. ‘I’ll try not to.’

  ‘Do more than just try,’ he warned her.

  Bitzer whined pitifully, his doleful eyes moving back and forth between them, as if he sensed the tension.

  ‘I can see you’re upset with me, Adam.’ For a fleeting moment a hint of appeal replaced the coolness in her hazel eyes. ‘I hope this hasn’t compromised our working relationship. Things could get difficult for me if that’s the case.’

  A thought blasted through Adam’s brain.

  ‘Your boss is behind this, isn’t he?’ he demanded. ‘This change in you.’

  ‘Neil doesn’t decide for me how I choose to operate,’ she said stiffly, but the hesitation before her response was a second too long.

  Why was she defending the man who seemed hell-bent on turning her into something she wasn’t? Adam’s instinct was to smash a fist into the wooden upright beside him, wishing it was Neil’s face, but allowing his frustration to get out would achieve nothing. The words ‘you’re lying’ went unspoken. It
wasn’t only Evie the man had under his thumb; everyone here was, in one way or another, at Neil’s disposal. Adam included, much to his disgust.

  ‘If you say so,’ he finally managed. ‘But take care your loyalty doesn’t cost you more than it’s worth.’

  Her expression was impenetrable. ‘About yesterday … in my room …’

  ‘Did something happen? I don’t remember anything.’

  For someone who despised deception, he was doing a pretty good imitation of it. To distract himself from the uncomfortable thought he bent down and thumped Bitzer’s muscled flank. The dog whined its appreciation.

  ‘So you’ll stop flirting with me?’

  If that’s the way she wanted it, that’s the way he’d play it. He rose to his feet. ‘Whatever you say.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Her eyes wouldn’t meet his eyes but she sounded profoundly relieved.

  ‘Look, I’d better go. I have to wake Chrissy and Meg up,’ he said, aiming for the same rigorous politeness she’d initiated. ‘They’ve got a breakfast to cook and you’ve got a scene to shoot.’

  He watched the shutters come down and she was all remote strength again. ‘I do.’

  Once outside, away from her, it was a little easier to be objective. There was no choice; his growing feelings for Evie had to be curbed. He had to remember the reason he’d signed up for this show in the first place—he’d been empty and alone far too long. It was time for the loneliness to end.

  He hadn’t given a relationship with either of the gorgeous women inside a chance to develop beyond friendship. It wasn’t fair. For their sake, focusing on them, getting to know them better, was the decent thing to do. He felt ashamed it had taken this long to acknowledge the importance of it.

  He also had to be realistic for his own sake. He needed a woman to love, a woman to love him back. Unconditionally. One of the two girls he was about to rouse was supposedly his perfect mate. It was time to find out who that was.

  * * *

  Evie brushed Bitzer’s bristled back with hard, alternating strokes of her hand, allowing the repetitive action to soothe her frazzled nerves. Glad to be alone once more, she breathed in the silence of the early morning and tried to analyse exactly what she was feeling.