“He’s describing Susan,” Josie whispered.
“He didn’t hesitate saying yes when I asked if I could take Suzy out on our date.” Tyler stared at the screen. What the fuck game was his brother playing? “Susan likes Clare, but I think she’s missing Auckland and her friends.” Which was a problem for him. He couldn’t leave Clare, not after Eric and Josie had done so much for him. Eric needed his help on the farm and Katey would start school in a few months.
No, his roots were here in Clare.
Somehow, he’d have to persuade Suzy that life in Clare was an attractive proposition.
The scene changed on the television screen. Eric let out a guffaw.
Tyler found himself grinning. So that was Mr. Blue.
“Oh my,” Josie said, her voice emerging in a weird squeak.
On screen, Suzy lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. “Doctors invented vibrators to cure hysteria. Maybe you should have a treatment. It might help your viperous tongue.” In the startled silence that followed, she snatched up Mr. Blue and stomped from the room.
“Oh my.” Josie flapped her hand in front of her face. “I do like that girl.”
The next segment was an interview with Suzy. Tyler stared at her familiar face, his heart aching. Damn, this was one battle he had no intention of losing. His parents might have deserted him, Rebecca hadn’t believed in him enough to fight for their marriage, but he didn’t intend to fail a third time.
“What happened after you stomped out of the kitchen?” the cameraman asked.
“I had a tantrum and threw Mr. Blue at the wall. He made a dent.”
“Damn, I wish I could have filmed that.”
“I broke Mr. Blue. If you’d been present, I might have aimed my wrath elsewhere.” Suzy stared right into the camera, and Tyler found himself smirking when she didn’t blink. “Now I’ll have to find a replacement.”
“Nolan seems to prefer women with dark hair,” the cameraman said, his slyness coming through in his tone as he shifted topic. “You might have the real thing soon.”
“Mr. Blue didn’t try to boss me around,” Suzy snapped, her cheeks full of color and her eyes flashing. “He did exactly what I wanted.”
Tyler couldn’t help but stare because she was beautiful in her anger. He made a mental note to go shopping online for more sex toys. He’d had a couple of things delivered already. A vibrator would make a great addition. His lips curled as he fought a smirk. He was man enough to cope with a faux penis.
“You go, Suzy,” Josie said in approval.
“Hey,” Eric said, but he was grinning.
The camera flashed back to Nolan, who was now with Suzy and the other two women.
“I had a big problem narrowing my choice down to two women,” Nolan said. “Jasmine, Lucy and Susan are wonderful and they all possess qualities I admire in a woman. Jasmine has a sense of humor and loves family. She enjoys the country and likes animals. Lucy also has a great sense of humor. She gets on well with my family and friends and enjoys living in the countryside. Susan is funny and makes me laugh. She’s also a great cook and is always helping others.” Nolan patted his tummy. “She’s a really good cook.”
“We’ll have Nolan’s results after a word from our sponsors,” Hailee said in her bubbly voice-over from the studio.
“I can’t stand the suspense,” Josie said. “Does he pick Suzy?”
Tyler gave a curt nod, heartsick at the acknowledgement.
“Damn.” Eric sent Tyler a sympathetic look, his brow furrowed. “If that’s the case, then why did Nolan agree to let you go on a date with her?”
“I didn’t give him an option,” Tyler said. “I told him if he didn’t permit our date I’d create a ruckus like he hadn’t seen since our mother kicked me out of home.”
“Go you,” Josie said, her eyes containing pride and approval.
The show started again.
“Please tell us your two choices,” the cameraman said to Nolan.
“As I said this was a difficult task, but after weighing the pros and cons, I decided to pick Lucy and Susan.”
