Page 96 of Cowboy Seeks Husband
WEEK SIX
The Final Horseshoe
Walker tugged athis tie. All those weeks of filming, and it had never felt more constricting than it did now.
“So who are you going to choose?” Tessa asked as she leaned against the counter. All innocent like he didn’t know she was hiding something behind her back. He glanced at the table where Dad sat bent over a plate.
“Whoever Andy tells me to pick,” Walker said, trying not to sound too dejected. It was the last week.
Tessa pursed her lips and hummed innocuously as she pulled a stack of papers from behind her back. “Actually, I went through this last night. Just scanned it quickly.” She walked over to him and shoved a particular page under his nose. He peered at it, recognizing the contract. “It clearly states the show can’t force you to choose a certain person once you’re in the final week.”
“Oh.” Walker shrugged and slipped into his shiny dress shoes. “That doesn’t really help since I don’t want to pick either of them.”
Tessa grinned, eyes twinkling. “Ah yes, but it also says they can’t actually force you to choose anyone. As soon as the show ends, your time is your own again, and only if you choose someone would they require you to film a few extra segments of your life with them. If you choose no one, you’re free as a bird.”
“Thanks, Tessa. I knew that already, but it sort of makes for a crummy ending to the show, doesn’t it?” Walker said glumly.
Behind him, Dad grunted. “Can you do an old man a favor and come eat some of this heifer food? I swear to God if I have to eat another carrot I’m going to turn orange.”
“It’s good for you,” Walker said. Out of solidarity, they’d all been eating healthier, and he didn’t mind it, really. Dad gave him the stink eye. “I gotta go.” He kissed his worried-looking step-mama on the forehead. “Time to go be fake one last time.”
“Think of the money,” Tessa said, but she sounded as sad as he felt.
“Yes, the money,” Walker agreed. “It’ll be good to go into hurricane season in a more secure place financially. And then there’s the barn you guys will be living in. You’ll like it once it isn’t crawling with suitors and cameras. And me? I’ll have this whole place to myself.” He swallowed hard. Strange. When had he ever thought that someone might live here with him? He’d never really imagined he’d find a husband, had he? On reality TV? But then he’d never imagined meeting Roan. He cleared his throat and winked at her, then turned to Dad and squeezed his shoulder. “Enjoy your dinner.”
Dad grumbled something unintelligible, but Walker knew it was more posturing than anything else. He’d been taking his insulin and paying more attention to his diet recently, and choosing his chores more wisely. Walker couldn’t ask for much more.
When Walker stepped onto the porch, he sent a brief thought to Roan, wondering how he was getting on. If his mom was okay. “Last time,” he muttered to himself. “This is thelast timeI have to sell my soul, and then I’m coming for you, little lion.”
Then he stepped into the humid evening and aimed for the Range Rover waiting for him.
Walker suffered through the last of the interviews with Luke, pretended to be pensive on the back porch as he stared into the setting sun for the cameras, and finally came face-to-face with Chad. They’d set up a fake stage beside the barn with lots of plants that wouldn’t survive a week in Louisiana, but Walker nearly swallowed his tongue when Chad appeared in an honest-to-God white fucking wedding suit. Oh God, Chad was really working his last opportunity to be on the show. Trying to make an impression, Walker supposed.
“Chad,” he said as the tanned man beamed up at him. He eased a tense breath through his mouth. Thank fuck Molly had given him a speech to rehearse. “You are a wonderful person, and I feel so honored to have met you. You were a bright light throughout the whole show, and I enjoyed every minute I spent with you, but I can’t ask you to marry me.”
“Oh.” Chad brought a hand to his mouth and ducked his head. His shoulders shook a little, but Walker noticed there were no actual tears. Not a bad actor, then, but not the best either.
“You’ll find someone who deserves you,” Walker told him sincerely. “And whoever he is, he’ll be getting a really special guy.”
When Chad looked at him, his smile was genuine, and his eyes did shimmer a little. “Thank you,” he whispered. “That means a lot. You’re a great guy, Walker. You deserve to be happy too.”
“And cut. Well done.”
“Thank God. Someone get me out of this suit. It’s torture.” Chad turned the emotion off like a faucet. But Walker couldn’t help but agree with him about the suit. Unfortunately, he still had Mike to deal with. Chad began to walk away, but turned around suddenly to look up at Walker. “Have you heard from Roan?”
“No,” Walker softly said. “I haven’t. I mean, I’m not allowed—”
“I know, I just thought… He really cared about you. It wasn’t fake, you know.”
Walker swallowed hard and nodded. God, he wanted to get out of this suit, get into his car and on that plane. Soon.Soon.
Chad gave him a small smile. “If you ever do talk to him, and I’m betting you will, please tell him we’re all thinking of him. It wasn’t the same after he left.”
Walker smiled. “It wasn’t, was it?”
Chad gave him a shrewd look and was on the verge of saying something more when a producer came up to him to help him out of the dreaded suit.
“You need a break?” Andy called out. He was on set for the final shoot, wearing a shiny, silver T-shirt and matching gray and pink floral shorts. He was obviously feeling generous now that the show was wrapping up.
