Chapter Nine
Tyler made a pot of tea and poured mugs for Josie and Eric. After delivering them, he settled in front of the television with his own tea, frustration stalking his mind.
Susan was here in Clare, but he hadn’t managed to glimpse her since the gala day. Three days of snatched chats and texts. A couple of emails. Now it was time for another episode of the reality show and he thought he might explode if he couldn’t see her, touch her. Kiss her.
“What is wrong with you?” Eric asked. “You got ants in your pants?”
“He’s been like that for days.” Josie’s eyes gleamed with secrets and Tyler was glad she wasn’t sharing her opinion, at least not to his face. “Maybe you need a change of routine? When are you going to go on your date with Susan?”
What he needed was a good hard fuck, and only one woman would solve his problem. But how did he get his hands on Susan?
He could hardly bring her here to the farm, and he couldn’t take her to a motel room without causing speculation. The downside of country town life—eyes everywhere.
His cell phone buzzed and he straightened, pulling it from his pocket.Phone sex at ten. Are you up for it?Lust ran a path directly to his dick and he shifted, careful to make his move casual.
The opening credits forFarmer Seeks a Wiferan across the screen, and Tyler took a moment to reply.Hell, yeah! It’s a date.
“You look happier,” Josie said.
Tyler lifted his head to discover Eric and Josie staring, their expressions a hairsbreadth from nosiness.
“Shush, the show is starting,” Tyler said.
“Katey keeps mentioning a bracelet and Susan in the same sentence. I thought I’d ask Susan if we could buy supplies and make bracelets at Katey’s birthday party. Maybe she could teach the girls a dance or two as well. I’m sure that would stack up well against pony rides,” Josie said.
“Sounds good. Did you still want me to do face painting?”
“Yes, I think so. It’s good to plan indoor activities at this time of the year. If the weather is fine, we can move outside. We’ll play it by ear.”
“I’ll ask Susan,” he said, his attention on the television screen.
“Give me her number,” Josie said. “I’ll ask her.”
And there went his only viable excuse for contacting Susan. On screen, Nolan was teasing the two blondes—Jasmine and Lucy. There was lots of flirting and eyelash fluttering before the scene shifted to a shared dinner.
“Who is Nolan going to choose?” Eric asked when the show went to a commercial break.
“Not Susan if your mother has anything to do with it,” Josie said. “The most awful rumors are circulating in the supermarket. I know they’re false because I spent time with Susan at the gala.” Her innocent gaze swung to Tyler. “I liked her very much. What do you say, Tyler?”
Tyler shot Josie a narrow-eyed stare. She was yanking his tail and doing an excellent job of ramping up his angst. “I think she’s sexy, a lot of fun and Nolan should watch out or some other local will snatch her from under his nose.”
“Well,” said Josie. “Are you interested in Susan? I thought you had a special friend up in Auckland.”
“You know it’s Susan. Shush, the show is starting again.” Tyler fastened his attention on the screen, his breath catching on seeing her. She spoke candidly, not shying from hard, soul-searching questions.
“She’s gutsy,” Eric said. “I like what I’ve seen of her too.”
“I like the fact she doesn’t resort to girlie tricks with Nolan,” Josie said. “She’s straight and true to herself. She doesn’t deserve the slurs your mother is casting on her character.”
Tyler remained silent, digesting her words of country life. A potential problem. He’d talk her round. His mind moved on to his mother and her dirty tactics. As a kid, he’d tried to be good, yet his attempts had never been enough. His mistake in getting a girl pregnant had given his parent a reason to toss him from the family home, and his father and brother hadn’t offered support.
“Ooh, look!” Josie cried. “We’re on the telly.”
The camera had caught him laughing with Susan while Josie grinned like a woman in a toothpaste ad in the rear of the shot. His stomach bottomed out. Everything he felt for Susan shone on his face. He was certain Josie would recognize his open emotion, since she knew him well. Hopefully, everyone else would miss his reaction.
He tensed, waiting for his in-laws to tease. The ribbing didn’t come, and his breath eased out in silent relief. Maybe his feelings for Susan weren’t as transparent as he suspected.
Onscreen, the camera cut to Hailee. “Next week, our farmers will choose their favorite two girls. Tune in on Thursday to watch the farm antics and learn if your favorite girl reaches the next stage of the competition.”
