Dandelions on the Road (21 page)

“You better have.” Mike stomped back the way he’d come, leaving the camera operator behind.

“Well, shall we get back to the trail?” Eva asked.

“Do we have to?” Steve replied.

“Maybe not.” Little Lady jerked on the reins, pulling Eva and Steve apart. “Then again, maybe we should.” She jogged to her horse and swung into the saddle. She watched Steve pull Skywinder away from his latest tree and follow her to the trail.

Eva shook her head. First Cane, then Steve. She felt like she belonged with whatever man she was with at that moment. She was going to have to make a decision in due time. For now, she’d just enjoy the attention.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

KATE HELPED HARRIS, Steve and Eva return the horses to their stalls and the group went to the lodge to clean up. After hugging both men and sharing a tender look with Steve, Eva turned her thoughts to the other two bachelors. She knew it was ironic to take Pete on another picnic date, but this time there wouldn’t be sandwiches.

Eva changed into fresh jeans, removed the barrette from her hair and shook it out. Kate gave her directions to the picnic location so she headed that way early. She wanted to see it for herself and have a few moments to decompress. She tromped through the wooded portion of the ranch until she spotted the camera crew. So much for being alone. The tree house sitting above her in a large oak tree was phenomenal.

During the horse ride, Kate told them a little about the house. They built it for the children who came to the ranch. Many of them didn’t have a good home life and the treehouse was something they’d always remember. Eva was certain it was something she wouldn’t soon forget either.

She examined the entrances and chose the rope ladder at the back of the house. She climbed with excitement permeating her veins. She couldn't wait to see inside. As her head came above the last step, she spotted the camera right away. There was no operator in sight, but she still wasn’t alone.

“Cane.”

“Hey, beautiful! Join me.” Cane sat cross-legged on the floor of the tree house. Eva glanced around. It was rugged and beautiful. It had a child-size kitchen set in one corner and various other toys scattered about.

Eva sank to her knees and got lost in Cane’s eyes. “I thought I’d beat you guys here.”

“And I thought if I got here early enough I might grab a little extra time with you.”

Eva leaned against Cane and put her head on his shoulder. “This is really neat up here. I would have loved it growing up.”

“What kid wouldn’t? Speaking of family…what can you tell me about the next step in this process? If I’m to make it farther, who will I meet?”

Eva raised her head and kissed Cane on the cheek. “Nervous already?”

“You could say that. I really want everyone in your life to approve of us.”

“That’s sweet.” Eva adjusted herself on the floor so she could see Cane better. “Actually, I’m keeping my family out of it.”

Cane frowned.

“It’s nothing against you or any of the guys. My parents are really private people and I didn’t want to display them on TV just because I’m doing it myself. It wasn’t fair to ask that of them.”

Cane tucked her hair behind her ear. “You’re a thoughtful woman.”

“But, I do want the final two men to meet someone important to me before I make a final decision.”

Cane leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. Staying near to her face, he asked, “Are you going to tell me more?”

“Remember last season?”

“Who could forget? You were on it.”

Eva smiled and kissed Cane again. When she pulled back, she could barely remember his question.

“Technically, Renee didn’t win the season, but she ended up with Ben in the long run. And she also became a very good friend of mine. I’d love her perspective on the situation.”

“Ah yes, Renee. So all I have to do is make sure I lean over a candle at the wrong time and light myself on fire and I’ll earn her favor, right?”

Eva swatted Cane’s arm. “You’re terrible.”

“Hey, I’m willing to do whatever it takes.” He leaned over and looked into her eyes. “I’m not allergic to lobster like she is, but one whiff of pineapple and I blow up like a balloon.” He puffed his cheeks out. “So bring me an entire pineapple, please. I’ll eat the whole thing, I promise.”

Eva shook her head. “She’ll love you without any tricks.”

Cane leaned forward. “Does that mean I get to meet her?”

Eva wagged her finger. “I’m not telling.” She angled her chin to get another taste of his full lips. A noise on the front stairs startled her moments later.

“You’re killing me, just killing me!” Mike barged through the tree house door. “How long have you two been up here alone?” He waved his clipboard in the air.

Eva scooted away from Cane. “Just a few minutes.”

“Want us to reenact everything that happened?” Cane reached over and laid his hand on top of Eva’s. “I wouldn’t mind.” He squeezed her fingers and smiled.

“Pete’s on his way up now. I suppose the moment is lost.” Mike scowled. “Kate’s bringing the picnic. We’ll just have to go from here.”

Eva made a fierce face when Mike turned his back. Cane winked at her.

“Hey guys.” Pete ducked to enter the tree house. The little house suddenly looked much smaller with his large frame filling the doorway. “Eva, I have to ask, did you invite Cane on this date just to have a paramedic handy in case I eat too fast again?”

Eva chuckled. “The thought did cross my mind…”

“Well, I promise you not to eat anything at all if you kick this yahoo out right now.” Pete plopped on the floor next to them.

“Too late,” Kate appeared in the doorway with a picnic basket. “I already packed enough for three.”

EVA WALKED ALONG the fence separating her from the horse pasture. The time had come to let two of the men go. Mike informed her not everyone would travel back to Omaha on the same flight. Two would go that evening and Eva and the remaining two men would stay one more night. It would be less awkward for her, she supposed. Plus, she’d get to quality time with the last two standing. But, it was a hard decision to make.

“What do you think, Little Lady?” she asked as she approached the horse that gave her a ride that morning.

The horse threw her head back. Eva knew if Little Lady could speak, she would tell Eva exactly what she thought. In her own way, she let Eva know her feelings about Harris.

“Okay, I can take a hint,” Eva said. “But what about the others?” She was fairly certain she knew what to do, but she was afraid of making a mistake. She continued to walk down the fence, petting every horse within reach. She missed her job and the animals she worked with. She was excited to get back home.

She walked to the open field nearby where Mike, Kate, the four remaining men, and the crew waited for her. Her bright yellow sundress blew in the breeze, but her cowboy boots kept her feet firmly planted on the ground.

“Looks like everyone is here. Let’s roll.” Mike slapped his clipboard against his leg and the camera operators stood at attention and got to work.

Kate smiled and held her hand out to Eva who joined her and laced her fingers through Kate’s. “It has been my pleasure getting to know you during your stay at Leida Lands,” Kate began. “And I have enjoyed learning more about each of the men you brought as well. I’m glad I already found the man of my dreams because I don’t know how you’re going to make this decision. Gentlemen, you are welcome to return to Leida Lands any time. We’ll welcome you with open arms. However, Eva can only keep two of you here now. In the end, there will only be one. Eva, we chose this field because it is filled with dandelions already. You can pick them yourself. When you’re ready, we’d love to know who is moving on.”

Eva squeezed Kate’s hand and released her. Kate took a few steps back and Eva had a fleeting thought about Brian. Kate was a nice woman, but she missed his protective presence. She bent over and plucked a dandelion near her foot.

“Being here has been a dream. I love animals and visiting Leida Lands gave me a chance to bond with horses in a new way. Thank you, Harris and Steve, for enduring the eccentricities of your horses on our trail ride this morning.” Eva pictured Steve’s horse scratching its bottom on the nearest tree and Harris’ horse stopping for a snack. “And thank you, Cane and Pete, for joining me in that special tree house for a picnic this afternoon. I’ve never eaten in a more unusual or enjoyable location.” Eva was able to steal private moments with both men and it all went very well. Pete even took small bites and chewed thoroughly, though he still let the occasional burp fly.

“I knew this process would be hard. I care for each of you and I don’t want to hurt any of you. But when the show is over, I will be with one man so I have to do what I have to do.”

She held the flower up under her nose. “Steve,” she called.

Steve rubbed his hands together and flew toward her, stopping one foot in front of her. Eva laughed as her yellow dress blew not from the breeze, but from his motion. “Steve, you’ve brought light into my life unlike anything I’ve ever known. I love to laugh and laughter is never absent when you’re around. Will you accept this dandelion?”

Steve stared into her eyes. She’d never seen him look so serious. “Eva, I want nothing more than to make you happy. Of course I will.” He closed his fingers around her hand and pulled her in for a hug. He kissed her cheek and took the dandelion with him when he turned away.

Eva took a deep breath. Steve’s reaction told her she was on the right track. She had a lot of fun with him and she wanted that to continue, but he had a serious side she could tap into and enjoy as well. She bent and picked a second dandelion. She twirled the weed between her fingers and pushed her hair over her shoulder. Eva took a moment to look at each man. She saw hope in all their eyes and she hated to see that change to disappointment.

“Cane.”

The worry on Cane’s face changed to pure joy as Harris and Pete’s expressions fell. Cane walked toward her slowly, allowing her to enjoy the glee in his features.

“Cane,” Eva continued when he stood right in front of her. “You’ve made me feel unbelievable. That’s the best way I can describe it. I simply can’t believe how I feel when you’re around. I would like for you to accept this dandelion today and move on with this process. Will you?”

“I’ll accept it as long as you promise me that you’ll catch me.” Cane leaned over and spoke into her ear. “I’m falling for you and I need you on the other side to catch me.”

Eva nodded as he pulled back and looked into her eyes. His warm palm curled around the dandelion as he kissed the side of her mouth, lingered briefly, and returned to the other men.

Kate stepped back to Eva’s side. “Pete, Harris, I’m sorry. You have a flight out in two hours. Say your goodbyes and pack your things.” Kate tripped over a rock in the field as she made her way into the background. Eva sighed. Kate hadn’t changed from her bumbling TV traffic days.

Eva opened her arms when Harris approached and gave him a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Harris.”

“It was the horse, wasn’t it?” he asked. “She ruined it for us.”

Eva tilted her head back to look at him. “I think she felt something wasn’t quite right between us and wanted us to understand it and move on.”

Harris nodded. “Darn you, Little Lady,” he said with a clenched fist in the air. “Darn you!”

Eva chuckled at his dramatic flair.

“Good luck to you, Eva. You deserve nothing but the best.”

“Thank you.” She turned and watched him walk back to the lodge.

Pete lumbered toward her, his head hanging.

“Oh Pete.” Eve rushed forward and met him in the middle. “You’re such a good guy in so many ways. I really enjoyed the time we spent together, except maybe when you were choking,” she amended. “There are many qualities in you that I could see myself appreciating over the years. I just have a gut feeling that you’re not the one. I really can’t explain it any more than that.”

Pete shrugged and hugged Eva. “It’s okay, I understand. It was a long shot, but I had to take it.”

Eva smiled. His sweet, soft side came through again. She liked it and it was hard to let him go. When he pulled away and began walking to the lodge, her attention turned to Cane and Steve and she forgot her sadness. The two men flanked her and she felt warmth radiating from her heart. She was going to find “the one” in this process. She knew it.

BRIAN PACED HIS home. The email from Kate said things were going well and two bachelors were on their way back to Omaha. That meant Eva had only two men left. She and the two remaining contenders would return the next day and Brian would step back in as host. But it wasn’t his hosting abilities that he focused on. It was his feelings. They hadn’t dimmed during the separation from Eva. If anything, they had grown stronger.

He had to find a way to tell her the two men remaining shouldn’t stand between them. Even if there were still twelve left, they couldn’t stop him. He knew what he wanted and it was Eva. She may turn him away, but not before hearing him out.

CHAPTER THIRTY

EVA RAISED HER chin to the sky. The early Texas sun felt good. The group would go home later that day. Two men remained on the show and that morning, she was ready to see what they were made of.

Eva had lot of dirty jobs in her line of work. Her media appearances made her position look simple and fun, but as a host home to numerous pets, she dealt with plenty. Plus, when she was at the office, it wasn’t beneath her to clean kennels and groom animals. She wanted a man who was capable of standing beside her through grime and dirt.

She adjusted the straw hat on her head and wiped her hands on her jeans. Here they came. Steve wore sunglasses, covering his beautiful blue eyes and Cane hid his curly hair beneath a baseball cap. Eva hugged each man, kissing him on the cheek. She was getting used to Mike’s gruff orders to begin taping the moment they were all together.

As soon as Kate took her spot, she spoke. “Good morning, Eva…gentleman. Congratulations to you, Cane and Steve. You are officially the final two men in Eva’s life.”