“Those are the rules.”
“And what about the makeup? Who will do it now?”
“We’ve already got calls in for that,” Peter said. “You just let us know your decision and we’ll handle the rest. We will continue to pay you through the end of the show as well.”
Laney nodded and pushed back her chair. “I’ll let you know soon.” She tried to focus her emotions as she walked back to her bungalow. This was a big decision and one that could change her life.
Tyler couldn’t believe he was facing yet another ceremony. He had thought offering to leave the show would keep him from this, but Peter and Justin had presented another option. He didn’t know if Laney would take it, but the fact that he was still in the deliberation room gave him hope she would.
What if she had left? He’d agreed to stay only if she did, so the fact that Justin hadn’t released him gave him hope, but then why hadn’t the ceremony started yet? Maybe Justin was telling the women. If they all agreed to stay, Tyler would have to send two home tonight. He took the moment to go over them in his head.
During the first group date, Cassidy had stood out. She hadn’t vied for his attention like some of the other women and she’d been comfortable on the back of the horse. At lunch, she’d ordered a burger and not a salad like most of the other women further endearing herself to him. He didn’t mind a woman ordering a salad if that’s what she wanted, but he was tired of women ordering salads to lose weight.
Michelle C. had stolen his focus on the second group date. She was fearless, not caring if she got hit or dirty. Her moves had put the other women to shame. He’d had a chance to talk with Erica and Peyton at dinner and they were both spunky and fun, but the rest of the women he hadn’t had much time with nor had they stolen his focus. How would he choose the two women to send home?
“Sorry I’m late,” Justin said as he opened Tyler’s door. “Are you ready for the ceremony?”
“I’m assuming since there is one that Laney agreed to become a contestant?”
Justin shrugged but said nothing. Tyler supposed he would find out shortly. He followed Justin into the living room where the eleven women stood. Confusion covered all their faces as well. Justin continued past them to the table at the front of the room where ten little hats sat.
“Welcome ladies and Tyler. Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering why the ceremony is so late tonight.” A few of the women nodded and looked around at their fellow competitors. “Well, since Tyler is so clear on what he doesn’t want, we’ve eliminated more women than we usually do by now. We’re afraid if he keeps this up, we might not have enough episodes to fill the season, so we decided to make it a little more interesting. We are bringing in someone Tyler has appeared to be attracted to-”
“What? That’s not fair,” Rachel spoke up. “We’ve been competing all week. It isn’t right to bring someone new in.” The other girls nodded in agreement.
“I understand how you ladies feel but remember we’re all here to try to find Tyler a wife. However, we thought about you ladies when we made this decision.” He picked up a hat. “Should you decide to leave and not accept Tyler’s hat, that is understandable. However, should you decide to stay, you should know that this new girl will not be allowed one of the solo dates before we go to Tyler’s ranch, Tyler won’t be able to send women home during a date from here on out, and there is a special surprise for those of you who decide to stay. We’ve left you the details in your room, but you can’t read it until you accept the hat.”
The girls looked to Tyler, but he simply shrugged. This was news to him, and he wasn’t sure he liked some of the requirements they had added, but if it meant Laney was staying, he would go along with it.
“Do we at least get to know who the woman is first?” Kanina asked.
“Afraid not. The woman will arrive after the ceremony, so you will find out tonight. Those of you watching at home will have to wait for next week, I’m afraid.” Justin’s smile looked anything but apologetic as he stared out at the women and the camera. “Shall we get started?” The women looked at each other, but as none walked out, Tyler was fairly certain that was their way of agreeing. “Fantastic. I’ll just take this for the mystery woman,” Justin indicated the hat in his hand, “and Tyler can give out the rest. Looks like only two of you will be going home tonight. Tyler?”
Tyler nodded though he wasn’t sure he was ready. He picked up the first hat and glanced around the room. The women smiled at him with nervous anticipatory smiles, but one face was missing. Laney was not in attendance, and Tyler wasn’t sure if that made the process easier or harder. “Cassidy.”
She smiled and stepped forward accepting his hat and stepping to the side.
“Michelle C.” The process continued until he had just one hat left. He looked at the three remaining women. Lila had her eyes closed and her lips moved slightly as if silently praying, Jade stared down at her feet, but Debra N stared directly at him. This was the part he hated the most. Though he wasn’t sure he could see a future with any of these women, sending them home felt like rejecting them personally, and he’d had enough of that in his life to know it affected them. “Jade.”
As she smiled and stepped forward, he saw Lila cover her face with her hands. He had made her cry, and he hated himself for it.
“Lila, Debra, please take a moment and say your goodbyes.”
Lila walked over to him, her makeup already streaking down her cheeks from her tears. “I thought we had a connection. We just needed more time. Was this about earlier? I’m really sorry.”
Tyler looked to Justin for help, but the man seemed content to watch the display. “I’m sorry, Lila. You will find your perfect man someday.” His empty words did little to console her, but she nodded and shuffled away.
Debra was a little more composed. She hugged him lightly and wished him luck before exiting the room.
Though he knew he had to toast and celebrate with the women, Tyler wanted nothing more than to disappear to his room or go find Laney. Justin had said she would be joining, so, where was she?
Laney took a bite of her ice cream and stared down at her Bible. She’d have to go join the other women shortly, but she wanted to enjoy her last meal in the quiet. She still had no idea of what would happen once she was in the house. Maybe the women would be civil, but Laney wasn’t counting on it.
The kitchen door opened, and she smiled up at Maryanne. “The ceremony over then?”
“Yep, whenever you’re ready. Are you sure you want to do this? I mean I know you like him; I could tell the first day, but what if he turns out to be-” she bit her lip to keep from saying the words.
“Another Dallas Nixon?”
“I wasn’t going to say it.”
“He’s no Dallas, Maryanne. I had a crush on Dallas for four years and he never gave me the time of day. Tyler has already shown more interest than that.”
“I know, but what if he changes when you’re a contestant?”
“I don’t see that happening. Tyler seems like the real deal. He offered to walk off the show for me. To be honest, I’m much more worried about Justin.”
Maryanne’s face scrunched in confusion. “Why Justin?”
Laney shook her head. “I don’t know. He had this look on his face when he suggested this. I have this feeling he’s going to try to sabotage it somehow. I just don’t know how.”
“Justin’s harmless. He’s vain and annoying but harmless. If you trust Tyler, then I’m sure it will be fine. Speaking of which, are you ready?”
Laney nodded and placed her bowl in the sink. Then she closed her Bible and tucked it in her bag before following Maryanne out of the kitchen and into the main house. She could hear the hum of conversation as they approached the living room, and Laney took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
The conversations stopped as Laney and Maryanne entered the room. “Ladies meet your number ten.” Maryanne squeezed her arm before turning and leaving the room.
Laney smiled out at the women, but a sea of severe faces stared back at her.
“She’s the number ten? The bonus better be worth it,” one woman said before exiting the room.
Laney sought Tyler’s eyes across the room. The other women surrounded him, but he smiled at her and flashed a wink. Laney smiled back. It wasn’t much, but that wink would have to be enough for now.
18
Laney was looking forward to the date even if it would be a group date. She’d been in the main house for nearly a week and most of the girls avoided her or gave her the cold shoulder - not that she blamed them - but she needed to talk to someone.
* * *
Sitting alone in the room while Tyler went on two solo dates and another group date had been torture, and she couldn’t even commiserate with Maryanne. Plus, the women made sure to brag about how great the date had gone when they’d returned. Laney had no idea if it was truth or not, but it was still hard to listen to. She’d spent a lot of time reading and praying, but God hadn’t given her any grand revelations and her fears that maybe this had been a mistake were still alive and well.
* * *
Laney stared at the clothes in her small wardrobe. Justin had said dress casual, but that could literally mean anything, and she hadn’t always been privy to what Tyler’s dates would be even as his makeup artist. She decided on a pair of Capri pants and her favorite Toby Mac t-shirt. At least she would be comfortable whatever they threw at her.
* * *
“Time to go,” Cassidy said sticking her head in the door.
* * *
“Thanks.” Cassidy had been the nicest one to her so far although even that had just been civility.
She followed Cassidy out of the house and to the limo where Erica and Kanina were waiting.
* * *
Maryanne and Justin also stood outside the limo. Laney wanted to sit next to her friend just for a friendly word of encouragement, but she thought that might make the women dislike her even more, so she didn’t. She flashed a small smile and climbed in the limo allowing the other women to sit closer to Tyler.
* * *
“Are you ladies ready?” he asked as the door shut. He glanced to each woman, but Laney thought he stared the longest at her. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen him since the ceremony.
* * *
“What are we doing?” Cassidy asked.
* * *
“Something I haven’t done in ages.” Tyler’s lips pulled into a mischievous grin. “It involves music and wheels.”
* * *
Music and wheels? Were they going to an arcade? Some games had steering wheels, but Laney couldn’t remember if there was music. It had been ages since she’d been to an arcade. Or perhaps a go-cart track? Again wheels, but she didn’t remember music.
* * *
Her heart sank when they pulled up to a roller-skating rink. Laney hadn’t been on skates in years and that was mainly because she had no coordination on them. She fell more often than not or spent the time clinging to the rail. For a second, she wondered if Justin knew of her lack of coordination and had planned the whole thing, but surely that was silly.
* * *
“Cool, I haven’t been skating in years,” Kanina said.
* * *
Cassidy laughed. “I’m on a roller derby team so this is old hat for me.”
* * *
Of course, it was. Laney knew Tyler had connected with Cassidy, and she began to wonder if maybe Cassidy wouldn’t be a better match.
* * *
“I always loved skating, especially the couple’s skate.” Erica put her hand on Tyler’s thigh and smiled up at him as she spoke. Laney wanted to slap her hand away, but she tucked her hands under her lap and gritted her teeth. She could get through this date.
* * *
“You okay?” Maryanne asked softly as they made their way toward the door of the rink.
* * *
“I don’t skate,” Laney whispered back quietly. Maryanne’s eyes widened in realization, and she offered a sympathetic nose scrunch before hurrying ahead to set up.
* * *
Laney was the last one to approach the counter and ask for her skates. She hated having to ask for shoes in her size. More than one person in her life had told her she had big feet for a girl, especially since she wasn’t extraordinarily tall. “Size ten please.”
* * *
Sure enough, the kid manning the counter looked at her, raised an eyebrow, but thankfully said nothing as he turned to the massive shelving unit that housed the roller skates. He plucked a pair and handed them across the table to her.
* * *
Laney tried not to think about how many other feet had been in the skates as she took them over to the table Tyler and the other girls were at. She wasn’t generally a germaphobe and she knew they sprayed them but still they were rental shoes and they were old. People had been putting their smelly feet in these skates for decades. Who knew if they had athlete’s foot or some other foot fungus that might survive through whatever the employees sprayed in them.
* * *
She took off her shoes and slid her feet in. The sole was knobby and worn and the laces were uneven. Laney was only able to lace her left skate three quarters of the way up. She hoped it would do. Breaking an ankle would be embarrassing to say the least.
* * *
“You okay there?” Tyler’s voice was warm and inviting. It surprised Laney that he had stayed by her. Cassidy, Erica, and Kanina were already out in the rink looking as if they skated every day.
* * *
“I’m not very good on skates,” she said as she tried to stand. One foot slipped forward while the other slipped back and her body lunged forward. She grabbed onto Tyler’s shirt to keep herself from falling and his arms stole around her in support. “I’m sorry.”
* * *
“Don’t be,” he said with a smile, “just the fact that you are trying is amazing.”
* * *
“Tyler come on. Let’s see what you got.” Cassidy curled her finger at him in a ‘come hither’ gesture as she skated backwards across the rink. Effortlessly it seemed.
* * *
“Go on,” Laney said when Tyler looked back to her. “I’ll make it out there eventually. Just save me a skate.”
* * *
“You got it.” He flashed her a wide smile, made sure she was steady on her feet, and then zipped off toward Cassidy.
* * *
How could she be the only one with zero coordination on skates? Laney tried to push off, but she could feel her balance tilting again. She grabbed the table until she centered herself then decided to step instead of skate her way to the rink. It was slow going, but she finally made it there. She grasped the rail as if it were a lifeline and pulled herself along it. The cold metal felt clammy against her hand or was that her hand that was clammy?
* * *
“Guess we’ll see who Tyler favors now, huh?” Erica asked as she skated by Laney. Laney shook her head and continued inching around the rink.
* * *
“Okay, all you couples. Grab hands and let’s do our first couple skate,” a voice said over the loudspeaker. The lights went dark and spots began circulating around the floor. Great. Now, she had to try to skate in the dark. As she turned to see who Tyler was choosing for the first skate, her hand hit something slimy on the rail. She jerked her hand back sending her balance off. Laney saw her skate fly up in the air and had just enough time to find that odd before she fell backward, and the world went dark.
Tyler watched Laney fall as if in slow motion. Her hand jerked up with such force that her body arched backward. Her right leg lifted in the air followed by the left, and her arms flailed but not in a way to break her fall. The first thing to hit the floor was her butt followed by her head hitting the rail. That was bad, but when her head bounced off the rail and hit the hard rink floor, he knew she was unconscious. Whether she had blacked out from fear o
r from the concussion he was sure she had, he wasn’t positive, but neither was good.
* * *
“Go find a phone and call 911,” he said to Erica whose eyes had widened to the size of quarters. She nodded and skated off and he turned back to Laney. Tyler was glad to see Cassidy already by her side. As a firefighter, she probably had some paramedic training.
* * *
“Is she okay?”
* * *
Cassidy looked up at him. “I don’t know for sure. She hit her head pretty hard. Have you called an ambulance?”
* * *
“I sent Erica.” He placed a hand on Laney’s forehead surprised at the emotions racing through him. Had he really only known her a few weeks? Her eyes fluttered open and she jerked as if trying to sit up. “Don’t move,” he said even as Cassidy pushed gently on her shoulders. “You hit your head and we need to have you checked out.”
* * *
“It seems I do that a lot around you,” she said softly before her eyes closed again.
The Cowboy's Reality Bride Page 10
