Summary

Charlotte has been the victim of her best friends random adventures since they were kids, but when she signs them up for a reality TV show, she’s not prepared for the adventure that lies ahead. With the cameras always rolling, will she embrace the adventure, or will it finally be the one that pushes her over the edge?

Chapter 1

Charlotte

Everyone has at least one of those friends in their life that will make questionable decisions and sometimes those decisions leave you questioning their sanity. Well, for me, that friend’s name is Vivian and let me tell you, her latest questionable decision is a doozey.

This woman has signed us up for some unbelievable things in the past and I’ve always gone along for the ride, being the true ride or die friend for her that I know she would be for me…but this?! The latest “adventure of a lifetime”…it’s insane! Pure madness!

“So…don’t hate me…but…I did a thing…” Most people would hear someone say this and think they’re about to have someone confess a once in a lifetime error in judgement…but not Viv…this is a sentence I hear, at minimum, once a week.

“Shit…do I need to bring valium or bail money?” And Viv, that saucy bitch, has the nerve to roll her eyes at me as if that isn’t a valid question when facing one of her plans!

“Neither…or…I don’t know…maybe both? I signed us up for something, you know, kind of on a whim…but in my defense, I didn’t think we’d get accepted!” So, when she says “on a whim”, that’s kind of how she does everything in her life, so it’s not something new, not even close.

“And what, pray tell, have you forced me into this time?” She gives me a sheepish smile, but rather than answer me with words, you know, like a damn responsible adult, she pulls out her phone, unlocks the screen then hands it to me.

Now, I was prepared for some shady shit, but…what…the…actual…fuck?! She signed us up for some reality romance challenge tv show?! This shouldn’t surprise me, it really shouldn’t, but…it totally does! I mean…what the hell?!

“You’re joking…right?” She shakes her head and I watch as her smile is threatening to fall while she waits…hopes…for a more positive reaction from me.

“It’s only for just under three weeks and it’s at a ranch! Like, a real ranch! In Montana! Oh, and all travel expenses are paid for! It’ll be like a vacation where we get to meet hot guys!” Of course, she would fail to acknowledge the fact that this entire “vacation” would be filmed, choreographed and probably even scripted to appeal to the target audience.

“I don’t know…” I really don’t know why I bother…this is where my protest starts and, as expected, she doesn’t even let me finish.

“Please, Letti! Please! You have to go with me!” Her puppy dog eyes and pout are in full effect now…just great.

“I really don’t…” And now she’s holding my hands as she cuts off yet another attempt to shoot her down. We both know this song and dance all too well. We know the outcome and yet still, I have to put up some kind of resistance, right? I can’t give in too easily.

“I swear, if you don’t have fun, I’ll take dish and laundry duty for a whole month!” And now we’re negotiating. See? We have a system.

“Three months.” She does her weird slow blink thing, the one she does when she’s carefully debating on whether or not to agree with something, but I know she’ll agree…she always does.

“Deal!” After making Viv sit down and explain every excruciating detail to me about this damn mess she’s dragging me into, I go to my room and start making a list of everything I need to pack for the flight that leaves in two weeks.

The time has flown by and in what feels like the blink of an eye, the day has come. Working from home doing web design made it pretty easy to get the time off and with Viv’s brother keeping an eye on our apartment while we’re gone, there’s nothing to hold us back…accept my strong desire not to go through with this insane plan of hers.

With our flight leaving at seven in the morning, we left our apartment at three thirty to give us time in case we hit traffic on the way…which we didn’t…meaning I could’ve slept for another hour. After a six hour flight that was filled with a lot of people who proved to be too damn energetic in the early morning for my taste, we finally land and waste no time exiting the plane.

“Montana doesn’t really look much different from Milwaukee.” I roll my eyes at Viv and her tone of sheer disappointment.

“You do realize that this is just the airport…in the middle of a city, right? The ranch isn’t going to look like this. Please tell me you knew that…” That earns me another dramatic eye roll, but I honestly don’t know if she’s even aware of what a ranch actually looks like. For all I know, she probably doesn’t know anything beyond the fact that there are cowboys there.

“Yes, I do know that. I just thought that Montana was supposed to be some lush, green paradise, not…this.” She waves her hands around at the city landscape out the windows with a look that’s a fair mixture of disgust and disappointment.

“Again…we’re in the city right now. Ranches aren’t located in the city. Now, where the hell are we supposed to meet the people for this damn show?” She shakes off her disappointment and slaps that damn obnoxious smile back on her face before taking my hand and dragging me to baggage claim.

“They said to meet near the café by baggage claim after we gather our things!” And so, we fetch our bags then head to the little airport café to meet with some guy from the network who’ll be transporting us to some random ass ranch in Montana.

When we arrive, the guy is easy enough to spot with his ridiculous suit and sunglasses perched on his severely slicked back hair while three other women stand around him, other contestants I presume.

“Are you two here for the ranch trip?” His question has me arching my brow as I study the other three women who are certainly not dressed for a trip to a ranch…a runway maybe, but certainly not a ranch.

“Yes! I’m Vivian and this is Charlotte. It’s so nice to meet you all and we’re so happy to be here!” I have no doubt they can all see it written all over my face…I’m not happy to be here…not even a little.

“Alright, you were the last two we were waiting for, so we can head out front where the car’s waiting. As I informed these lovely ladies, my name is William and I’ll be handling transporting you all to the ranch and helping get you settled in. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them on the drive there.” He gives a tense smile then leads us out of the airport to passenger pickup. Being that this whole parade of insanity is for a reality tv show, it’s not really a surprise when I see the limo waiting for us, but I can’t help thinking that a limo is far from practical since we’re going to a damn ranch!

“Is it true that there are going to be ten contestants?” One of the women, a leggy blonde thing with big hazel eyes, asks as soon as the car starts pulling away from the airport.

“Yes, well, there will be ten female contestants and ten male contestants, but after the first round, two of each will be eliminated. After that, there will be one elimination per round until only two contestants remain.” Now, as you already know, none of this was my idea. That being said, I have not one damn clue about this stupid show, or what the whole point of it even is.

“Okay, for those of us who were forced to come here by our obscenely and recklessly spontaneous friend, can you tell me what the objective is? Is this like the bachelor where there’s one guy that all ten women will be throwing themselves at, or is this more like speed dating where we all get to try on different guys?” Several of the girls chuckle, but it’s a pretty damn valid question, isn’t it?!

“I’m glad you asked…Charlotte, was it?” I give a stiff nod while he just flashes me a greasy, Hollywood smile. “It’s more like the bachelor meets the amazing race. Once we’re at the ranch and everything’s been situated, you’ll get to meet the ten male contestants and after dinner, all of the contestants will sit down and write the name of their top rated choice from the opposite group. If the man you chose happens to choose you, then you’ll be paired up for the challenges, but if not, the remaining contestants will be paired up randomly.

“All of the challenges will be completed with the contestant you’re paired with and the team with the highest points at the end of each challenge will receive a prize while the two teams with the lowest points will be up for elimination in the first round and every round following, the one team with lowest points will be eliminated. Candice will be explaining things in more detail once you ladies have settled into your cabin.” This…sounds…ridiculous! Well, maybe I can get lucky enough to be knocked out in the first round…or at least I can hope I am.

The rest of the four hour drive to the ranch is filled with the chatter of the girls getting to know each other while I stick to watching the scenery out the window. When we pull onto the dirt road, you can feel the excitement of the others as they’re probably envisioning what kind of wealthy, gorgeous men we’ll be meeting while all I want is a strong cup of coffee and fresh air untainted by the horrendous mixture of overpriced body sprays and overused hair products that have been filling the limo for the last four hours.

“Okay, ladies! The other five women are already in your cabin, so let’s go make the introductions before Candice arrives to go over everything with you!” William leads us away from the car and toward a large log cabin that reminds me more of something you would see at a kid’s summer camp…and as soon as we step inside, that’s pretty much what it is!

“I see the rest of the competition has arrived. Hi, I’m Megan, but you can call me Meg. This is Julia, that’s Janice, the red head over there is Becky and the brunette is Tisha.” Megan, or Meg, may be ‘making introductions’, but her eyes are assessing every damn one of us as if she’s sizing us up and it’s…fucking weird.

“Hi, I’m Penny!” The ‘innocent’ looking girl from the limo with the dark blonde pixie cut is the first of our little group to speak up.

“I’m Hannah.” The leggy bottle blonde announces with a tone of complete disinterest.

“I’m Shaylee.” That would be the girl with auburn hair who looks too damn much like a stripper.

“I’m Vivian and this is Charlotte.” I shoot a sharp glare at Vivian, but I’m honestly not too bothered by her introducing us, though I have no intention of making friends with these women, most of whom look to be a bunch of uptight, catty bitches wrapped in Prada and Gucci.

“Alright, Candice is here, so I’ll let her go over the rules and restrictions with you.” I hadn’t even noticed the woman who walked in looking like a damn CEO in her perfectly tailored pant suit…on a ranch! I guess it’s showtime…

Chapter 2

Noah

How the hell did I let my brother talk me into this shit? It was bad enough that I let him convince me to let them film some stupid reality tv romance show on our family’s ranch, but how could I let him talk me into participating in the damn thing?!

Agreeing to letting them film the show wasn’t too difficult, not when they offered us enough money to cover the expenses of running the ranch that we’ve been struggling to keep afloat…but me being a contestant…that’s still a damn mystery.

“So, this is your ranch…and you’re a contestant?” This damn muscle bound moron, Brock the body building personal trainer…and yes, that’s his real name…fucking Brock…has been following me around for damn near an hour now, asking stupid questions like we’re best fucking friends. News flash…we’re not.

“Yeah, bout sums it up.” He does some stupid head bob that I think is supposed to be a nod.

“Does that mean you get some special perks?! Do you get, like, first choice on the hotties or something?” What…a…moron! Fucking perks? Really?! He acts like I want to be here!

“No, no perks.” There’s that ridiculous head bob again.

“I can’t wait to see all the fine specimens they have lined up for us.” He rubs his hands together and licks his lips…because that’s not creepy as fuck or anything. I’m sure these women will love being stared at like they’re a damn steak being dangled in front of a starving dog.

“Alright! All of the contestants are now in their cabins, so let’s go over the rules and restrictions! My name is William and I’ll be the one handling the men’s group, so if you have any questions or concerns, come find me. Rule number one, there will be no physical altercations allowed. If you’re caught fighting, you’re gone.

“Rule number two, you will be personally responsible for any property damage you cause. Lastly, rule number three, every contestant will be responsible for helping with cleaning and maintaining a sanitary living environment for the duration of filming the show. This ranch will be left just as clean as it was when we arrived here.

“Now for the restrictions! First of all, we already collected all cell phones, tablets and other such devices. You will be permitted to make phone calls once per week on Thursdays, but they will be monitored. You can’t discuss the show in any capacity to anyone who’s not on this ranch!

“If you’re caught with any non-sanctioned devices in your possession, you’ll be removed from the show, no questions asked. You already gave the network’s contact information to your next of kin, so if there’s an emergency, they can reach us and we will inform you immediately.

“This is a chance to meet new people, make connections and maybe even find the holy grail…love. We know that this setting can also spark drama, cause tension and can be difficult for some to handle. While we are looking for that excitement that draws in the viewers, we don’t want to cause emotional and mental stress for our contestants.

“We have a counselor on set at all times, so if you need someone to talk to, let me know. There are cameras set up pretty much everywhere…in the cabins, around the property and camera crews will be following you all around as well, so bear in mind that your actions will be caught on camera one way or another and everything recorded is subject to being edited and used for the show as we see fit.

“I know it’s going to be difficult, but you need to act like the crew isn’t there, try to act normal. Alright, any questions?” Everyone shakes their heads, most of them just eager to get on with meeting the women who they seem to view as a damn buffet, not human fucking beings.

“Alright! Candice is bringing the ladies out to the communal grounds, so let’s go make some introductions!” We all file out of the cabin, the ones usually reserved for the ranch hands, and head to the open field that they transitioned into some kind of hang out space with a large tent that has couches and chairs inside of it as well as a fire pit outside of it with several chairs positioned around it.

I can see the group of women standing to the left side of the tent and it’s almost laughable to see how some of them are dressed. Most of them look like they’re ready for a magazine photo shoot, not life on a ranch.

“Candice, ladies, let me introduce you to our male contestants! This is Brock, he’s a personal trainer and a hopeless romantic.” I damn near scoff, but I manage to bite it back. The prick doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body from what I’ve seen, but what the hell ever.

“This is Josh and he’s a veterinarian by day, Casanova by night. This is Paul and he’s our resident fire fighter. Next up is Mike who’s a doctor. Here we have Luke, a small town attorney, then there’s Oliver who’s an accountant. Over here we have Ethan who loves a beautiful smile, but that might be because he’s a dentist!

“We also have our own professional athlete, one some of you may recognize from his three seasons playing for the Sentinels, Kevin. We, of course, have ourselves a college professor, James, who teaches English and last, but most certainly not least, is our very own, country born and bred, cowboy, Noah!” I feel like livestock being brought to auction and…I fucking hate it.

“Thank you for the introductions, Will. Gentlemen, allow me to introduce our female contestants. First up, we have Tisha! She’s a fashion designer who’s waiting for her big break. Next, we have Megan, a cosmetologist who dreams of one day working in Hollywood!

“Our third female contestant is Penny, an elementary school teacher by day and bartender by night! The fourth contestant is Shaylee and she’s made her living as a dancer!” I can see the look everyone has when she announces Shaylee’s profession and we’re all clearly thinking the same thing…she’s a damn stripper!

“Our next contestant is Hannah and she currently works as a barista, but dreams of one day opening her own café! These two lovely ladies are Janice and Julia, twin sisters who both work in real estate and have recently started flipping houses! Our eighth female contestant is Becky, a law enforcement officer from Chicago with a fiery personality!

“Our last two contestants have been best friends since they were children and joined the show together, this is Vivian, a dental hygienist, and Charlotte, a web design specialist!” Of all the female contestants, only two even have me remotely interested. Penny, who seems shy, far too shy to be on a damn reality tv show, and then Charlotte.

When Candice introduced Charlotte and her friend, I didn’t miss the vicious glare Charlotte gave her best friend, her entire posture relaying the fact that she doesn’t want to fucking be here.

“Now that we got the introductions over with, feel free to mingle and get to know everyone. There are refreshments in the tent and dinner will be served at seven.” The second Candice and William walk away, the men gravitate toward the women like sharks that scented blood in the water, but I just head to the cooler and grab my ass a soda.

“So, you’re the cowboy. I have to say, you’re one fine ass man.” Becky, the cop, is clearly a little…aggressive in her pursuit. Listen, ladies, no decent guy is going to like that shit!

“Um…thanks?” She gives me a thorough once over and licks her lips, reminding me too damn much of Brock’s creepy ass. After staring at me for far too long without me showing any interest, she gives me a creepy as hell smile then walks away, moving on to the next piece of meat.

This messed up meet and greet continues for over an hour before I manage to slip out of the tent, needing a break from the insanity of being drooled over and gawked at. It seems I’m not the only one who felt overwhelmed though. Sitting in one of the chairs that was by the firepit, but is now about fifty yards away from the firepit and the tent, is Charlotte.

“Not making any meaningful connections in there?” She turns her head to face me and my steps falter when I see her up close for the first time. She’s a small thing, maybe only five foot five, but she’s got a curvy body, black hair that hangs to her damn waist, pale porcelain skin and her eyes…they’re like grey storm clouds and they’re fucking mesmerizing.

“Shit, is that what we’re supposed to be doing in there?! I must’ve missed the memo. Here I thought it was a competition to see who has the shittiest pick-up lines.” She gives me a cheeky grin as I close the distance and lean against the fence post a few feet in front of her.

“Not the way you usually meet guys, eh?” She lets out a soft laugh that has me smiling because that shit sounds beautiful.

“Nope. I generally don’t meet guys, I stumble into them or accidentally back up into their car at the grocery store.” I’d think she was joking, but something in her expression, maybe it’s that damn smile of hers, it makes me think this is actually a thing for her.

“Okay, now I’m curious. Are these methods of meeting guys that have been tested and proven?” She nods her head, her smile widening slightly.

“Oh, yeah. Thoroughly tested. My first boyfriend was during my junior year of high school and I met him when I was leaving class and accidentally hit him in the face…with the door. He had a bloody nose, so I helped him to the nurse’s office. We dated for almost a year after that.

“Then there was my first boyfriend after high school that I ran into, literally, when I took a corner too fast while running through the halls so I could make it to my class on time.

“The most recent one was the boyfriend whose car I backed up into with Viv’s car when I was leaving the grocery store. Instead of exchanging insurance information, he gave me his phone number.” This woman is something else, but I have to admit, she’s intriguing.

Chapter 3

Charlotte

Vivian managed to force me to stick it out in the tent for almost an hour, but as soon as she was distracted by the vet, Josh, I dipped out, dragged one of the chairs by the firepit over to the fence at the edge of the field and sat down. I just needed a minute…or an hour…to process and come to terms with the fact that I’m stuck in this shit…for a minimum of two days, but possibly longer.

I didn’t expect anyone to come looking for me, but even more so, I didn’t expect anyone to stumble across me while trying to make their own escape from the madness, but one did…Noah…the sexy as sin cowboy. I’ve never actually met a cowboy before, but I have to admit that talking to him is a lot easier than talking to all the other attention starved twats in that tent.

“Damn, so it seems your method of meeting men works, but it looks like the long-term results aren’t the best since, if they were, you wouldn’t be here.” I nod in agreement, enjoying his playful smirk and lighthearted tone.

“Nope, sure aren’t. I’m starting to think that dating a guy I met under disastrous circumstances is like walking into a relationship that was bound for destruction from the very start. On the bright side, each one of them taught me valuable lessons in life, so I can’t really say I regret any of them.” I take in his thoughtful expression and give myself a moment to really look at him.

He’s probably close to six foot two, has a muscular body, dark brown hair and the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. When you add in his chiseled jaw, straight nose, full lips and the stubble on his chin…this man is dangerously good looking.

“That’s a good way to look at it. So, what kind of lessons did these guys teach you?” I don’t know why it’s so easy to talk to him, but it truly is and, in spite of everything, I’m enjoying this moment with him.

“Well, the first one taught me not to trust blindly, that even someone with seemingly good intentions can betray your trust without even blinking. The second taught me to never be afraid to stand up for myself and that it’s not selfish to expect your partner to respect you or make the same sacrifices for you that you willingly make for them. The third, now that one was a big lesson. He taught me to never settle for someone who doesn’t nurture my heart, body, mind and soul.” He seems surprised by my answer, but not in a bad way.

“Those are some pretty good lessons.” He gives me a smile that could damn near set me on fire, as if my answer to his question earned that damn smile.

“How about you? Is this the way you pictured yourself meeting women?” This man, this cowboy, full on snorts out a laugh that has me chuckling in amusement.

“Hell no! This whole thing was all my brother’s doing. I agreed to let them use our ranch to film their show and somewhere between me agreeing for them to use the ranch to now, that prick signed me up as a damn contestant too.” God, I feel for the poor guy!

“It’s okay, I’m only here because Viv signed me up without telling me until after we were both selected. She does this shit all the time though. Once she signed me up for bungee jumping without telling me until we were already at the site, another time she took me on a plane ride only to tell me after we were in the air that we were parachuting out of the damn thing…and then there was the time she dragged me along for what she promised would be a relaxing day at the beach…that was when she pushed me into learning how to surf. While many of her spontaneous adventures from hell are absolutely awful, a few of them ended up not being too bad.” I don’t think he was expecting me to just word vomit all of that out, but he’s still got that damn smile on his face.

“Wow, I haven’t done anything like any of that. You’ve lived quite an exciting life, Charlotte.” He’s not wrong, but I’ve never been one for the life of excitement and thrills.

“Too damn exciting. Vivian is a thrill seeker through and through, but me…I like peace, quiet and routine. I work from home, create web sites, handle program codes and hit the gym four times a week. I don’t like being spontaneous because I like to always have a plan. Viv and I are seriously polar opposites and yet, our friendship just…works.” I offer a casual shrug because, well, it’s the truth.

“Well, I can understand that. My life is nothing but a steady routine, so this whole damn reality show thing is really screwing with my head. So, I know this may sound forward, but would it be alright with you if I choose you tonight to partner up with?

“It’s just that, if I’m stuck doing this shit, I’d rather be paired up with someone who doesn’t make me want to ram a hot poker through my ears every time they open their mouths.” I can’t even be upset because, honestly, I feel the same.

“You know what, yeah…I’ll choose you too. It would be nice not to be paired up with someone who’s restricted to the vocabulary of a drunk frat boy or a gym junkie with more muscles than brain cells. Even if we get eliminated in the first round, at least we won’t have to suffer through the first challenge with shitty partners.” That smile, god that smile, it could end wars!

“Sounds good to me.” I’m not excited to start the challenges and have every little thing we do be caught on film, but maybe being paired up with Noah will make this whole thing suck a little less.

“Okay, everyone. It’s time to head in for dinner. You’ll be eating in your designated cabins and will be separated from the opposite sex until after dinner when we’ll meet back up to figure out who your partners will be!” I stand up and give Noah a sad smile as I release a heavy sigh.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you after dinner.” He gives me the most adorable smile and nods his head.

“See you then, Charlotte.” This man, this infuriatingly gorgeous man, grabs my hand and raises it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on my knuckles before letting go and heading off for the men’s cabin while I head off to the hell of my own.

“Oh my god, Letti, I saw you with that cowboy! Tell me everything! I’m sure if you want to call dibs on him, none of us would mind!” It always amazes me how Viv can conjure up something huge out of something small. Sure, Noah and I had a surprisingly nice conversation and plan to choose each other as partners for this shit show, but she makes it seem like we’re seconds away from marching to the damn altar!

“Speak for yourself! I was trying to talk to Noah, but your little friend hogged all of his time! You can’t really think he’d settle for someone like her when he can have someone like me! Hell, that’s like settling for spam when you have the option for prime rib.” I can tell Viv is getting pissed, but she didn’t see the way Noah cringed when we heard Megan’s voice while we were talking…but I sure the hell did.

“Cool, good luck with bagging the cowboy there, may the odds be in your favor, or some shit. Now, can you retract your claws and take some Xanax or something? Shit. Talk about sounding desperate and slightly psychotically possessive over a guy you’ve never even spoken to. That’s like some Hollywood stalker level shit right there.” Megan gives me one last cold glare before storming off while Viv and I both burst out laughing.

Once our dinner is brought in, the girls break off into small groups while they eat, but Viv and I end up dragging Penny over to sit with us when we see her sitting alone. It turns out, she’s quite a lively woman once she warms up to you and is honestly like a perfect mixture of me and Viv crammed into one little woman with a pixie cut.

We barely manage to finish eating before Candice comes in and hands us a sheet of paper that has our names on the top and a pen clipped onto it, instructing us to write our choice on the paper, fold it and slip it into the slot on the box that’s mounted on the wall by the door. It takes only ten minutes for everyone to complete the task and then we’re being herded out to the communal area to meet with the guys so our partners can be assigned.

“Okay, all of you were asked to write down a single name and place it into the locked box in your cabin. When I pull your card, if the person you wrote down chose you as well, you’ll be paired up and can go wait by the firepit. If not, you’ll take a seat on the couch and wait for the other groups to be paired off.” We all stand there, watching as William unlocks both boxes and Candice pulls out the papers from the women’s box while William grabs the men’s. They begin looking through them, setting some together on one side of the table, while the others are stacked on the other side until they’ve gone through them all.

“The first contestant up is Josh.” Josh steps forward with his hands clasped behind his back as he waits to hear if he got lucky and was paired with who he wanted to be, or if he gets stuck being paired randomly.

“Josh, would you like to tell everyone who you chose for your partner?” God, they’re really dragging this out! I don’t miss all the cameras and the crew watching this mess take place from the openings of the tent.

“I chose Vivian.” He glances over at Viv with a shy, but admittedly adorable smile that has her cheeks flushing bright red.

“Well, congratulations! Vivian also chose you as her partner, so will you both please move over to the chairs around the firepit?” Josh holds his hand out for her and she seems more than happy to take it as he leads her away.

“Next up is Brock. Now, Brock chose Julia, but I’m sorry to say, you weren’t the partner she chose. Please take a seat on the couch.” This ridiculousness goes on as Paul is paired with Penny, Ethan is paired with Tisha, Kevin is paired with Shaylee and then they call Noah’s name.

Chapter 4

Noah

“Alright, Noah, it looks like you chose Charlotte to be your partner. Charlotte, would you like to tell us who you chose?” Oh, this saucy little bitch. So far, of the eight men who’ve been called, only five were chosen by the person they wrote down on the damn paper and I can’t help the way my body tenses up as I wonder if Charlotte really did choose me, or if I’ll be stuck sitting on that damn couch with the others. I take a deep breath as I turn to face Charlotte and I sure the hell don’t miss the sharp glare she gives Candice before delivering her answer.

“I chose Noah.” When she shifts her eyes to me, I know she can see the relief I feel which seems to automatically bring a smile to her beautiful face.

She doesn’t even wait for Candice to tell us to move our asses to the firepit, she just walks over to me, grabs me by the wrist and pulls me the hell out of the damn tent. We sit down next to Penny and Paul, making ourselves as comfortable as we can with the damn camera crew that’s filming us like we’re going to do something crazy and Oscar worthy.

“Man, I didn’t think that would be so uncomfortable.” Paul is the first one to break the tense silence, but it’s exactly the opening we all needed to just breathe.

“They made it way more suspenseful than it needed to be. I mean, couldn’t they just call out the people who were lucky enough to choose the person who chose them and move the hell on?” The others nod in agreement with Penny’s comment, everyone thinking the same damn thing.

“Got to keep everyone in suspense if you want to up the ratings.” Kevin’s tone is one of pure annoyance, but the fact that the star athlete who’s lived his life in the spotlight hates it actually amuses me a little. No other groups join us which sucks for them since they’ll be stuck with a random partner, but it’s great for me since I got Charlotte.

“How do you think they’ll pick the partners in there?” We all look up when Vivian speaks, but not a damn one of us has an answer.

“Draw straws maybe?” We all laugh at Josh’s suggestion that’s delivered with a casual shrug. The others start talking, getting to know each other, so I turn my attention to Charlotte to find her already looking at me.

“You looked less than thrilled when she called you up.” Her comment earns a soft, nervous chuckle from me, but she’s not wrong.

“Not a fan of being in the spotlight. I’m glad you picked me though.” She reaches over and places her hand over mine, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze as she flashes me a soft smile.

“I told you I would. So, any idea what our first challenge might be?” I shake my head then surprise us both when I flip my hand over underneath hers and wrap my fingers around her hand, my large digits damn near swallowing her entire hand.

“Not a clue, but whatever they throw at us, I think we can handle it.” I further emphasize my declaration with a firm squeeze of her hand and a warm smile.

“Okay, for those of you who correctly chose your partners, you won’t be returning to your cabins tonight with the others. The fact that you chose each other shows you made real connections during the meet and greet, so as a reward, you’ve all been upgraded to individual cabins.

“You and your partner will share a one bedroom cabin that has a king sized bed and a couch, just in case you aren’t comfortable sharing. During your stay in these individual cabins, you’ll be supplied with groceries and tv’s with streaming services to relax and watch movies together during your down time.

“The contestants who did not choose their partners correctly will remain in the segregated cabins, but will have a chance to win a place in one of the induvial cabins by ranking in the top five on the first challenge. Your things have already been moved to your new cabins, so go ahead and explore when you’re ready!” William’s tone is nothing but fake enthusiasm, but it seems we’re all more than ready to get away from the camera crews and unwind.

I already know what the individual cabins look like, since they’re the cabins we rent out to tourists, but seeing the glint of excitement in Charlotte’s eyes as we make our way to our designated cabin has me smiling the whole damn way.

“So, I’m guessing that with this show being filmed on a ranch, we’ll be doing challenges that will involve some typical cowboy shit. I should probably warn you that the closest I’ve ever been to livestock is the petting zoo at the county fair when I was a kid and I did ride a cute little pony named Bubbles…once…when I was five…and I might’ve cried the entire time. For the record, I’m no longer scared of ponies…I don’t think.” Dear god, this woman is too damn adorable!

“Well, if they have us doing anything with horses or livestock, I’ve got you. I did barrel racing, bull riding and even rode the broncs for two seasons in the rodeo circuit. I can rope and herd, so the ranch basics should be pretty well covered.” She genuinely seems relieved and the smile she gives me…that shit should be illegal.

When we reach our cabin, I hold open the door for her and watch as she takes it all in, her eyes dancing with excitement as if she’s at a five star resort rather than a one bedroom cabin on a ranch where her every fucking move is being filmed.

“So, are there really cameras in all the rooms in here?” I follow her gaze and easily spot the small camera in the corner of the room.

“All the rooms, but the bathroom. You can have the bed and I’ll take the couch.” I step inside and close the door, but stop in my tracks when I see the confused look she’s giving me.

“Are you fucking crazy? There’s a very real possibility that you’ll be carrying my ass through these challenges, so no…you get the bed and I’ll take the couch. Besides, I think you and I both know your tall ass isn’t going to fit on that couch.” She gives me a pointed look while gesturing to the couch that’s definitely close to a foot too damn short.

“What kind of man would I be if I let a beautiful lady sleep on the damn couch?” I see that look in her eyes, the one that tells me she’s not about to give up anytime soon.

“The kind of man who won’t need a chiropractor and a bottle of muscle relaxers to be able to function in the morning.” I fight back the urge to roll my eyes, but my smile easily shows my amusement and I decide to offer a compromise because there’s not a chance in hell that I’m letting her sleep on that damn couch.

“Look, it’s a king size bed, so we’ll share. I promise to be a complete gentleman.” She narrows her eyes at me then looks back at the couch for a second before nodding.

“Alright, deal. They said they already had all our shit brough over, right?” I nod and point down the hall.

“Should be in the room.” She leads the way down the short hall and pushes the door open to reveal the fairly spacious bedroom that, indeed, has our bags sitting neatly against the far wall.

“Well, sharing a cabin with you is a massive improvement. I was fairly sure that being stuck in a cabin with Megan would’ve turned this romance reality tv shit into a damn murder mystery real fast.” I can’t even help it, I fucking laugh and I’m not even sorry.

“I’m pretty sure we’d be facing the same issue if I had to stay in that cabin with Brock. I can’t believe William called that prick a hopeless romantic when all the asshole did from the second he showed up is talk about how hot the girls would be and how much he couldn’t wait to get lucky. He’s damn sure hopeless, but romance isn’t in his vocabulary.” She tosses a cheeky smile at me over her shoulder then slowly walks over to the ensuite, flips on the light and gives herself a minute to inspect everything.

“Please tell me you aren’t one of those guys who leaves his facial hair scattered all over the counter and in the sink…” She gives me a deadpan look that makes it damn hard not to laugh…but I manage…barely.

“No, Charlotte, I’m not a monster. I really hope you aren’t one of those women who covers half the damn counter in make up and hair shit while leaving bras hanging off the towel rack.” She slaps a hand over her chest and tries to look offended, though I can see the corner of her lip twitch.

“I can’t believe you would dare think such a thing! Not only do I not wear makeup, let alone own any, but the only hair shit I use is shampoo and conditioner, thank you very much! As for bras, they’ll stay either on me, or in my suitcase, so you’re in the clear there.” I love that she, so far, seems to be pretty low maintenance.

“What about when you sleep at night? Do you need noise like a tv or radio?” She shakes her head without hesitation.

“Hell no. I live in the city, sure, but I usually sleep with ear plugs. Before I moved there, I lived in a small town and I always preferred to sleep with the window open so I could hear the crickets.” God, could this woman be more perfect?! Does she have any fucking flaws?!

“Where did you live before moving to the city?” We slowly make our way back to the living room and both take a seat on the couch as we continue getting to know each other.

“I lived in a small town in southern Georgia with a population of less than a thousand people.” I’ll admit, that definitely isn’t the answer I was expecting.

“And where do you live now?” Her nose scrunches up as if the answer leaves a bitter taste in her mouth before she even speaks it.

“Milwaukee. I never planned to be there for so long, but then Viv moved up there with me and we made plans to move after she finished college, but she ended up landing her dream job, so…we just stayed.” It’s impossible to miss her disappointment, her expression making it clear she’s not thrilled with her current home.

“If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?” I know it’s considered rude to ask a woman their age, but something tells me she’s not the kind of woman to be bothered by such a thing, which she only further proves by flashing me that amazing smile of hers.

“I don’t mind. I just turned twenty-three. How about you?” She definitely is younger than I thought she was, but she’s damn mature for her age.

“I turn thirty in two months.” She doesn’t so much as blink when I lay it out for her, clearly not giving a shit about the nearly seven year age difference.

“You mentioned that your brother signed you up for this. Is he your only sibling?” She turns so that her back is resting against the armrest and her right leg is bent in front of her, making it so she’s completely facing me.

“Yeah, it’s just my brother, Dane, and my parents on the ranch with me, but my parents live in their own house on the back acres while Dane and I stay in the main ranch house. Do you have any siblings?”

Chapter 5

Charlotte

I won’t lie, finding out I get to share a cabin with Noah, it was unexpected, but I’m pretty damn happy about it, especially since it means I’m not sharing a cabin with Megan. I’m not expecting anything to come from this, but getting to know him makes this whole mess more tolerable.

We’ve been sitting here for almost twenty minutes, just asking each other question and learning more about each other, but then he asks something I’m almost hesitant to answer…

“Yeah, it’s just my brother, Dane, and my parents on the ranch, but my parents live in their own house on the back acres while Dane and I stay in the main ranch house. Do you have any siblings?” I take a deep breath, a sad attempt to prepare myself for the look of pity that I’ve grown so accustomed to getting from people when I tell them about my home life before the city.

“I did. I had an older brother, but he was with my parents when they wrecked their car…none of them survived. I was only five, so my grandparents raised me and then once I started kindergarten, I met Viv and she became like a sister to me.” Instead of pity, He gives me a sad smile and reaches over, taking my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“That sucks, but I’m glad your grandparents stepped in to take care of you and I’m glad you had Vivian. Alright, let’s cover some basics. What’s your favorite color?” I can’t even fight back the laughter that bubbles out of me, but I’m damn thankful for the change of topic.

“Well, it’s kind of a tie between blue and green, but I like the blue the sky turns right before night settles in and my favorite shade of green is that dark, vibrant green that the trees turn right before summer. What’s yours?” I’m trying so damn hard to focus on our conversation, but with his hand still holding mine and the realization that his eyes are the exact shade of green I was just describing have my mind a little frazzled.

“Blue. Favorite food?” The normalness of this entire conversation while taking place in such an unusual situation while being recorded for use in a damn reality tv show is strange, but I’m not hating it.

“That’s a tough one. I’m kind of a food fanatic. As long as it doesn’t have seaweed, raw fish or vital organs, I’ll eat it. How about you? Favorite food?” I don’t know if it’s intentional, but his thumb is now gently rubbing circles over my knuckles and I have to say…it’s a little distracting.

“Steak…definitely steak. Shit…it’s almost eleven!” Damn! Time definitely flew by, but I blame the good company. We both take turns getting changed in the bathroom and I’m starting to regret only packing sleep shorts and t-shirts to wear for bed, but in my defense, it never occurred to me that we might be sharing cabins with the opposite sex!

When I walk out of the bathroom, I don’t miss the way his eyes widen before he quickly turns around, grabs his clothes and hurries into the bathroom. I quickly slide into the bed on the left side and pull the blankets over me just as he steps out wearing a white tank top that hugs his muscular torso and a pair of grey sweatpants that sit too damn low on his hips. He slides into bed and turns off his lamp before pulling the blanket up to his waist.

“Goodnight, Noah.” I guess I didn’t expect him to respond, but when I feel the bed shift and feel his fingers brush the loose strands of hair away from my face, I swear my heart stutters like a damn idiot.

“Goodnight, Charlotte.” He retracts his hand, but I swear, I can still feel these obnoxious tingles where his fingertips grazed my skin and I’m damn sure that I won’t be falling asleep anytime soon.

I slept…for a few hours at least…probably not long enough for whatever bullshit they’re going to put us through today, but oh well! Between my nerves being wrecked by Noah and the anxiety over what the hell they might make us do for the upcoming challenge, what little sleep I did get was far from restful.

That’s likely why I woke up just as the first morning light started peaking beneath the curtains, but that’s okay…it just means I get enough time for an extra cup of coffee, or three, so it’s fine…everything’s fine…I’m fine!

I manage to get three cups of coffee in before I hear Noah moving around in the bedroom and have just poured my fourth cup, yes I said fourth, and am finishing the piece of toast I made to settle my stomach when he walks out of the room wearing a pair of dark blue jeans that I’m fairly certain are illegal in several states, a black t-shirt that’s tucked in with a dark brown leather belt fastened by a very typical looking, larger than average belt buckle. He has on the standard, dusty cowboy boots and in his hand, because my mind isn’t already on fucking overload, is a white Stetson.

“Good morning, Charlotte. How long have you been up?” I glance at the clock on the microwave, as if that’ll give me some of my damn sanity back, then shrug my shoulders.

“Good morning and about two hours, I think? How did you sleep?” Oh, great, there’s that panty dropping smile! Is this guy trying to kill me?!

“I slept like a rock. Did you have trouble sleeping?” If only he knew!

“A little. I’m freaking out a little about this damn challenge. I may not have a problem failing, but doing it on national tv gives it a different edge that I’m not exactly excited for.” And of course, he laughs. Don’t get me wrong, that laugh is absolutely delightful, but this isn’t a laughing matter.

Maybe he’s not bothered by this since he lives on a damn ranch where he doesn’t have to worry about running into hordes of people who may have witnessed his failure after it’s been aired on tv, but in the city, I won’t be so lucky.

“We’re not going to fail, Charlotte. Like I told you, whatever they throw at us, we’ve got this.” He’s so confident, so damn sure of us that I almost believe him…almost. I slip back into the room to take a shower and thirty minutes later, we’re heading out to meet with the others in the communal area to wait for Candice and William so we can all find out what our first challenge is.

Arriving at the ridiculously large tent that looks extremely out of place on this beautiful ranch, I can’t hold back my smile when I see how happy Viv looks as she sits with Josh, holding hands and being cute as hell while Penny and Paul sit next to them looking like the perfect couple, but it’s the angry look on Megan’s face as she sits next to Brock, both of them looking pretty damn miserable, that has me smiling.

“Good morning contestants! I’m sure you’re all excited to see what your first challenge will be and it’s going to be a fairly easy one to warm you all up for the challenges ahead. For today’s challenge, we’re doing a scavenger hunt…on horseback! Instead of collecting items, each team will be given a digital camera and you’ll have to capture a picture of each of the items on your list.

“There are twenty items in total and you’ll have two hours to locate and photograph each item then you’ll return here where Will and I will review your photographs to ensure you got every item on your list. The team who collects photographs of the most items on their list will win a special prize that will be announced after you all return!

“If you’ll please follow Will, he’ll take you to the stables where you’ll be given your cameras and can meet your transportation for the challenge!” I’m fairly certain that Candice received no less than twenty eye rolls and probably close to as many glares for this little announcement, but we all reluctantly get up and follow her instructions, well, Noah seems much less reluctant, but he is a cowboy, so the idea of riding a horse for two hours is likely not an issue for him.

“This sounds easy enough. I’ll help you with mounting up and I can lead the way once we get our list and see what all we need to get pictures of.” Okay, so maybe we do have this…if I can manage to avoid getting killed by a giant ass horse.

After being given our cameras and the list of the items we have to find and photograph, we all get to meet our horses while Noah and Josh are the only ones who look like they aren’t about to shit themselves. Unlike Noah, Josh struggles a little with mounting his brown horse, but lucky for me, Noah helped me up onto my horse before mounting his and we were off to start our search before any of the other teams we fully mounted and ready to go.

Due to the nature of this challenge, we have drones following us rather than an entire camera crew, which is less distracting, but equally annoying. We’ve already managed to photograph thirteen of the twenty items and it’s only an hour in, but man is my ass hurting!

“How the hell do you do this? You’re probably on a horse most of the damn day when you work, yet I’ve been on one for an hour…an hour…and I feel like my ass is about to fall the fuck off.” Noah bursts out laughing, one of those deep, rich, full belly laughs that makes my heart stutter like a damn fool.

“I’ve been riding since I was a kid, so I just got used to it, I guess. Aside from your sore ass, you holding up okay?” He slows his beast down until mine is trotting right beside him.

“Yeah, aside from the ass thing, this is actually pretty damn amazing. Oh, shit! There! Does that mountain up there look like a howling wolf to you?!” One of the many items on our list is Wolf Peak which states it’s a mountain range that resembles a howling wolf!

“Sure the hell does.” I snap the picture then let him lead the way once again. It takes us fifteen more minutes, but we get the last six pictures, each item was located at the lake. We turn around and head back with Noah convincing me to push my horse to move faster…which was a mistake.

“Shit! I think the shocks on this one are bad!” The horse’s rough, bumpy movements are certainly not doing my ass any favors, but at least Noah seems to be entertained by the whole thing. We reach the stables where two men take our horses so we can head back to the communal tent…and find that we’re the first group back!

“Congratulations, Noah and Charlotte! Your team is the first to make it back, so hand Will your camera and list so he can verify that the pictures cover all the listed items. You can have a seat by the firepit or on the couch while we wait for the others!” It seems Noah has the same idea as me because we both turn at the same time and head for the firepit, the furthest seating area from Candice and Will.

Chapter 6

Noah

“You did really good out there, Charlotte.” Considering I knew from the get go that Charlotte is a city girl, I was truly impressed that the worst thing we ran into were her hilarious comments about her ass hurting and even then, she never gave up and kept on smiling.

“Thanks. You did good too, Noah. I’m sorry if I whined about my ass a lot.” I can’t even help it, I let out a loud, full belly laugh because this woman is too damn adorable!

“Don’t apologize, Charlotte. I had a good time and you’re running commentary on your sore ass was funny as hell. How’re you feeling now?” I can tell just from how she’s shifting in her chair that she’s still pretty damn sore.

“I feel like my ass fought a war…and lost.” I go into the tent to get us both a bottle of water then return to sit with Charlotte while we’re left waiting until fifteen minutes before the two hours is up before finally seeing any of the others.

Penny, Paul, Josh and Viv join us with Kevin and Shaylee coming in fourth, Ethan and Tisha in fifth, Oliver and Julia place sixth, Brock and Megan unfortunately finish in seventh, Mike and Becky make it in eight, though they look to be seconds away from killing each other, Luke and Janice come in nineth with James and Hannah coming in dead last four minutes after the two hours ended.

“Alright, Will is reviewing the photographs as we speak, but as promised, let me tell you what the team with the highest points will win! Our top ranked couple will be enjoying an afternoon at the lake tomorrow that will end with dinner under the stars!” A lot of the teams actually look relieved to not get the win on this one, but I’m more than okay with spending some more one on one time with Charlotte and if her smile is anything to go by, she seems to be feeling the same way.

“Our first place team who got all twenty items on their list is Noah and Charlotte! Congratulations to both of you! Tomorrow at two, you’ll meet William out here to receive the instructions for your special date under the stars! Now, the two teams with the lowest points were Mike and Becky with only six items found then Luke and Janice with only two items located.

“Unfortunately, this is the end of the road for the four of you. Please return to your cabins and pack your bags. The rest of you can go to your cabins or stick around here for refreshments.” One look at Charlotte and I can tell she’s pretty well over this crap for the day, but it damn well isn’t helping that one of the camera guys keeps crowding her to get different angles of the two losing teams as they storm off to their cabins.

“Hey, want to head back to our cabin? I’ll run you a bath to help ease your aching backside.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her which has her unleashing the most beautiful, unrestrained laughter as she nods her head. I stand and offer her my hand to help her up then, without letting go, I lead her back to our cabin.

Sure, there are cameras in the cabin and it really sucks, but at least there aren’t other people in there too, so maybe she’ll be able to relax a little bit. As promised, as soon as we reach our cabin, I run her a nice, hot bath then leave her to unwind while I search the kitchen for something I can make her for lunch.

“Oh my god! You’re officially my favorite person in the world right now…just don’t tell Viv.” Charlotte was in the bath for around half an hour, but it was just long enough for me to throw together some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches which just finished cooking less than two minutes ago.

When she rounds the corner to the kitchen, she stops in her tracks and stares at the two plates with a look on her face that I really hope is surprise.

“I take it the bath helped?” She nods her head, but her eyes never leave the two plates on the counter.

“You made lunch?” Yeah, that’s definitely surprise.

“Well, I figured you’d have to be hungry by now. Shit, do you not like grilled ham and cheese? I can make something else…” Why the hell am I panicking over a fucking sandwich?!

“No! I…god, I haven’t had a grilled ham and cheese since I was a kid. I just…I didn’t expect you to cook for me, but…thank you, Noah.” The sweetest damn smile lights up her face and I feel instant fucking relief. I grab both plates then gesture to the small dining table with a tilt of my chin and she quickly takes a seat before I set one of the plates in front of her.

“You want something to drink? They put a pitcher of lemonade in there and there’s water, tea and soda.” I swear, the way she’s looking at me right now, you would think no one’s ever just catered to her, taken care of her, because she looks too damn shocked that I made her a damn grilled cheese and asked what she wants to drink!

“Um…lemonade would be great, thank you.” I get us both a glass of lemonade that, much to my absolute surprise, is pretty damn good. She’s quiet while we eat, but it’s not an uncomfortable quiet, so I just let it be. When we finish, she insists on doing the dishes, so I head to the living room to find something on tv while I wait.

“You know, I’m pretty pissed that Megan and Brock are still here. I was so damn sure they’d be one of the teams getting the axe today.” Her sweet voice as she walks out of the kitchen to join me has me smiling, but I have to agree with her statement.

“Yeah, it’s pretty disappointing, but there’s always the next challenge. So, what kind of movies do you like?” God, I hope like hell she doesn’t say some shit like romcoms or reality tv, though that would be a little ironic right now.

“I’m not too picky. I like horror, thriller, action, comedy…just…no romance please.” She gives me a sheepish smile, almost like she expected her answer to bother me, but it’s just another thing about her that’s too damn perfect.

We end up settling for a Netflix comedy movie with Adam Sandler, but Charlotte barely makes it fifteen minutes in before she falls asleep. I know it probably makes me sound like a creep, but for the rest of the movie, I spend more time watching her than I do the damn tv. It isn’t until the credits are rolling that her stormy grey eyes open and she gives me an adorable, though apologetic smile.

“Shit, I didn’t mean to pass out on you. I swear I can usually watch a movie like a damn adult, but I think that horse shook all the energy right out of me.” I’m pretty sure I haven’t laughed and smiled this much since I was a kid, but around her, it seems to be a regular thing.

“It’s fine, really. What did you want to do tonight? I think the others were talking about hanging out by the firepit, or we can stay in and watch, or even sleep through, some more movies.” I honestly don’t want to go sit with the others, not when there are still so many contestants left that irritate the shit out of me, but if she wants to go, I know damn well that I’ll go with her.

“Actually, I think I’d rather just stay in tonight, but if you want to go, we can can.” Thank…god!

“I’m one hundred percent with you on that. I was kind of hoping you didn’t want to go, if I’m being honest. What do you think of our big prize?” Why do I feel like some stupid teenage kid talking to his damn high school crush instead of feeling like the grown ass adult I am?!

“Well, if it weren’t for the damn cameras, I think it would be pretty romantic, but even with the cameras, it’ll be the most romantic date I’ve ever been on. What do you think about the whole thing? Was it the kind of prize you were expecting?” I don’t even know how to process that this, a staged date being filmed for a damn reality tv show, will be the most romantic date she’s ever had. The guys she’s dated before must’ve been real pricks.

“I agree that it’d be better without all the tv crew people, but if I’m going on this ridiculous date, I’m glad it’s with you, Charlotte.” I won’t lie, the way her cheeks flush and her breath hitches is officially one of my new favorite things.

“Me too, Noah. For the record, since you made lunch, I’m making dinner. Oh, god…you don’t think they’re going to give us something like sushi for the picnic, do you?” The fact that she almost looks terrified that they might, it’s pretty damn amusing.

“I doubt it, but if they do, we’ll boycott the whole damn date and come back here where I’ll make us some real food.” And just like that, she’s smiling again. No promise of me doing something extravagant for her, simply me offering to make dinner and she looks like I just offered her the world.

“How about we make dinner together if they screw up our date?” Fucking…perfection!

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Charlotte.”

Chapter 7

Charlotte

Shit! Holy…shit! This can’t be happening…and yet…shit! I came here against my will with every intention of this being just another one of Viv’s shitty messes that she just had to go and drag me into…but…shit!

As I lay here in this king sized bed, staring at Noah while he sleeps peacefully…I realize that something completely unexpected has happened. I think…hell, I’m damn near certain…that I’m falling for the damn cowboy! Shit! Maybe it’s just a crush? I can’t be developing real feeling for him this quickly…right? Oh, hell…Viv will never let me live this down!

Of all the unexpected things that could’ve happened on this absolutely insane adventure my best friend forced me to go on with her, I never thought that this would even be a possibility! I mean…it’s not a bad thing…right?

Noah is sweet, funny, considerate and, well, he looks like a cowboy god! Sure, it’s completely unexpected, but maybe, just this once, Viv knew what she was doing when she signed us up for this shit show. There’s no way that what I’m feeling is love, certainly not yet, but it’s something more than I should be feeling for someone I’ve practically just met!

“Good morning.” Shit! Of course, he would catch me staring at him while he sleeps like a damn creep! Oh, but that raspy morning voice…yum!

“Good morning. I was just about to get up and make coffee and breakfast.” He flashes me the sexiest damn smile, like me making sure he has breakfast and some heavenly caffeine is the most amazing thing in the world! Okay, I guess the caffeine is pretty amazing.

“Sounds good. I’m going to take a quick shower, but if you want, I can help with breakfast after.” Why does the idea of cooking breakfast with this man…this god…make my stomach do summersaults and my heart stutter like a damn idiot?!

“Okay. I’ll get the coffee going then.” I have no doubt that I’m blushing and smiling like a fool, but I can’t even help it…especially not when he looks at me like that…like I’m something precious…something worthy of not only showing appreciation to…but something worthy of being loved. Nope…this isn’t love…this is…strong like? Shit!

“You’re a saint. I’ll be out in under fifteen minutes.” He flashes me that damn smile of his then climbs out of bed and disappears into the bathroom, seemingly unaware of my current existential crisis. I haul ass to the kitchen, wanting to make damn sure this cowboy…my cowboy…has coffee as soon as he’s out of his shower.

The mundane task is just what I needed, it gave me a few minutes to clear my head without his smell, his smile, without him clouding my thoughts and you want to know what I figured out? I, one hundred percent, am, in spite of how crazy the idea of it is, falling for him and there’s not a damn thing I can do to stop it.

Oh, and the way my heart damn near stops beating the second he rounds the corner to the kitchen wearing a pair of jeans that hug his toned muscles and his bare chest still glistening from his shower while his dark brown hair is falling over his forehead…yeah…that’s an image that’s forever seared into my brain.

“I was thinking bacon, eggs and toast?” I really hope he didn’t catch the way my voice came out a little higher pitch than usual, or the way I spent a few seconds too long appreciating the view.

“Sounds perfect.” Working alongside Noah to make breakfast while our arms keep brushing up against each other and we have to squeeze a little too close together to move around each other in this small kitchen, is the most blissful kind of torture. By the time we’re sitting down to eat, I’m fairly certain that a dozen cold showers couldn’t erase the heat that’s flooding me.

We finish eating quietly then work together to clean up the mess before I slip into the bathroom to take a shower before we have to leave. I don’t know what kind of outfit is suitable for a date under the stars, so I settle on a pair of light blue skinny jeans and a burgundy satin blouse with a V cut that shows just a hint of cleavage.

I keep my hair down, my face bare of any makeup then slip on my black ankle boots before leaving the room to join Noah as we ready ourselves to leave for this special date that will no doubt be televised when the show airs, making what could be a beautiful, romantic moment turn into something cheapened by the network and it’s need to boost its ratings.

“Well, it’s time to head over and get this date started. You ready?” I give him a smile that’s clearly not convincing since he’s now frowning down at me.

“As ready as I can be. It would be a lot better if we weren’t doing this whole thing with an entire camera crew in tow.” His expression softens and he offers a soft smile as he takes my hands in his.

“I’ll tell you what, when this whole shit show is over, I’ll make it up to you with a real, proper date…no cameras…no rules and restrictions…just you and me.” And just like that, he has me smiling like a fool, my stomach is doing those crazy summersaults and my heart is beating like a damn war drum.

“I’ll hold you to it, cowboy. Alright, let’s do this.” He shifts his hand so he can lace his fingers with mine then we make our way to the communal tent to get this party started.

The crew the network arranged to transport us consists of six people, two riding in the front of the SUV we’re in and the other four following behind us in a truck as they take us to the spot they chose by the lake. I’ll admit, when we get there, it’s set up beautifully and if it wasn’t for the crew, it would definitely be romantic.

“Damn, this might be hard to top.” I look up and take in the wide green eyes of my gorgeous cowboy, finding myself unable to fight off my smile.

“Can I let you in on a little secret?” His eyes lower until he meets my gaze and his hand gently squeezes mine, the hand that hasn’t let go of mine for more than mere seconds since we left our cabin.

“Of course you can. You can tell me all your secrets, Charlotte.” He backs up his statement with a soft smile and another gentle squeeze of my hand.

“The only part of this that matters to me is the fact that I’m here with you. The rest of this is nice and all, but I don’t need all of this. It doesn’t take all this fancy shit to make me happy, Noah.” He bends down then presses his lips to my forehead and that shit makes my heart damn near stop beating for a second, as if the stupid organ is afraid that the act of pumping blood through my veins might be enough to shatter the perfection of this moment…but then the guy holding the camera instantly ruins my moment when he gives me a thumbs up, as if everything we’ve said was just some ploy to give them a scene to draw in viewers, rather than it being a private moment where I’m baring my soul to a guy I genuinely care for. Noah must sense the shift in my mood because his big hand squeezes mine again and he gives me the most heart melting smile.

“You’re amazing, you know that? Come on, let’s go for a walk.” I don’t even have to think about it before I let him lead me toward the lake where we spend the next hour walking along the beach while we resume our talk from the other night, getting to know more about each other which only further solidifies my already growing feelings for this gorgeous man.

The date, even with the crew being present, was as close to perfect as it could get. Sure, knowing we were being filmed was nerve wrecking at first, but Noah helped keep me distracted enough to actually enjoy my time with him.

We returned to our cabin just before eleven to find a memo taped to our fridge from Candice, letting us know the second challenge takes place at ten tomorrow morning. While it was enough to make me nervous as hell once again, Noah swept in and distracted me…again…when he curled up with me on the couch and threw on a horror movie that I don’t think either of us stayed awake to finish.

We’re all standing here, the remaining contestants, in a field with a large metal gated coral set up with several calves roaming around inside. I won’t lie, those baby cows are freaking adorable, but the amusement I feel over the look of horror of Megan’s face far outweighs the desire I have to go hug one of the cute little guys, barely. We’re all standing here for nearly fifteen minutes before Candice and William finally show up to get this challenge underway.

“Good afternoon, contestants! I’m sure you’re all wondering what we’re doing out here and I’m sure you’ve all noticed our little friends in the corral. Well, today we’re going to be practicing our roping skills! Each group needs to work together to rope the calf that has your names painted on it. It may sound easy, but I promise you…it’s a lot harder than it seems.

“Just in case it’s not challenging enough for you, you’ll only have ten minutes to accomplish this task! Now, everyone go to the bin that has your names printed on it and collect your gloves and rope!” I hadn’t even noticed the plastic bins sitting further down the fence, but Noah and I are the first to make a move to find ours while Megan, Brock and Tisha complain about how it’s unfair that my partner is a damn cowboy. Once we regroup with everyone having their gloves and rope, William steps forward.

“Candice explained the challenge to you, but what she didn’t mention is that this is a two part challenge. The points you get from roping the calves will account for only part of your score today. The second part of the challenge will consist of a quest to test your ability to navigate the trails at Foster Cove.

“As each group finishes roping their calf, they’ll be transported to the start of the trail, given a map and a pack which contains water and a few snacks, then each group must use the map to navigate the trails until they reach the finish line. Alright, it’s time to show us what you’ve got!”

Chapter 8

Noah

Seeing the way Charlotte’s face lit up when she saw the calves in the holding pen was priceless, but of course Candice and William had to go and ruin it with their shit. I have no doubt we’ll ace the first part of the challenge, but I don’t know how well Charlotte will handle the rough terrain for the second part. I decide to focus on one thing at a time, so I take Charlotte’s hand and lead her through the now open gate with the gloves on my hands and the rope held in my firm grip.

“You’re not going to hurt the little guy…right?” Seeing her so worried about the animals is adorable, but I don’t hesitate to reassure her.

“Nope, won’t harm a hair on the little guy’s head. You have my word, Charlotte.” She visibly relaxes and takes a step back, giving me room to get to work. It takes me two minutes to separate our calf enough to have room to work my magic and only one minute later, I’ve successfully roped the little bugger.

I let Charlotte help me remove the rope from around his neck, getting a good laugh out of her hugging the calf and even going so far as to kissing the little guy’s head, then we hurry out to where the crews set to transport us are waiting with eight side by sides. I help Charlotte climb on then hop in beside her and then we’re off to the trails.

“These maps look like they were drawn by toddlers with ADD! Is that supposed to be a symbol for a river…or is it warning us that there are snakes in the area?” We’ve been out here for about twenty minutes and so far, none of the other groups have shown up, though I’m sure they’re probably not far behind. She’s also right about this stupid map.

“I have no clue. Alright, so the map says we’re supposed to follow the path to the north until we reach the fork. We should be getting close.” Aside from her amusing remarks about the poorly detailed map, Charlotte has managed to surprise the hell out of me. She hasn’t complained, slowed down or even seemed bothered by the trek through the forest. If anything, she actually seems to be enjoying it!

“Oh! There’s the fork in the path! Now it says to take the path to the left and continue to the babbling brook? Fucking really? Can’t they just call it a stream?” She really is just too damn adorable! We quickly take the left path and our pace is close to a jog which has us reaching the stream in only ten minutes, but that’s when we hear two familiar voices closing in behind us.

Were it anyone else, we probably wouldn’t have stopped to wait for them, but it’s Vivian and Josh. When they come around the bend and spot us, Vivian runs up and throws her arms around Charlotte which has both women laughing while Josh and I watch in amusement.

“Damn, you two are just making a clean sweep! Awesome job roping the calf, Noah!” Josh is genuinely happy, but that just makes me pause to think. When I look over at Charlotte, I’m pretty sure she’s thinking the same thing as me.

“Well, this part of the challenge is yours. We already won the first one, so you two get your asses moving. We’re going to give you a head start so you’ll have enough points to take this one.” Josh tries to protest, but after Charlotte threatens to toss him in the stream, he gives up and takes off with Vivian while Charlotte stands there with a victorious smirk on her beautiful face.

“Hopefully the date they win is a good one.” She looks up at me and nods in agreement.

“Luckily, Vivian doesn’t get weirded out by being followed around or having her shit be recorded. She live streams damn near everything in her life as is. We should get going. I can hear some of the others coming.” She surprises me when she takes my hand, acting like it’s not surprising that she initiated the contact unprovoked, and pulls me along down the trail. We reach the end seven minutes after Josh and Vivian which William tells us puts them two points ahead of us.

By the time we’re all back at the ranch and they’ve announced that Vivian and Josh took first place, everyone is exhausted. Charlotte and I were disappointed when they announced that the team being eliminated was Ethan and Tisha, meaning Brock and Megan are still here.

After having Vivian and Penny practically beg us to join everyone at the firepit tonight, Charlotte and I head to our cabin to shower and make dinner before we go out to meet with the others. By the time we reach the tent, everyone but Megan and Brock are gathered around the firepit, so we quickly make our way to the two chairs between Penny and Vivian.

“Wow, I was starting to wonder if you two might’ve been too busy getting down and dirty to hang out with the rest of us.” Vivian’s comment has Charlotte’s cheeks flushing as she rolls her eyes at her friend.

“We’ve just been enjoying getting to know each other. I thought was kind of the point of this whole thing.” Charlotte’s tone is definitely issuing a challenge and Vivian’s reaction as she lowers her gaze makes it clear she’s going to admit defeat.

“You’re right, Letti. Noah, you better be treating my girl like the queen she is. Letti…it’s really nice to see you so happy.” She gives Charlotte a soft smile that’s easily returned.

“Thanks, Viv. For the record, Noah has treated me very well. He’s quite the gentleman.” She flashes me a warm smile then reaches over and takes my hand which makes Vivian’s smile widen. This is a lot to take in for me, especially since I haven’t dated anyone in over five years.

We spend the evening talking and laughing around the fire while Mike and Becky inform us all that Megan and Brock aren’t getting along so well which, of course, the camera crew recorded from several different angles.

It’s nearly ten when Charlotte and I head back to the cabin, but not once did she let go of my hand, not while we were visiting with the other contestants and not even as we walked back to our temporary home.

We walk through the door and I can tell she’s lost in thought, but just as I tug her hand to pull her toward me so I can ask her what’s wrong, she makes my brain short circuit when she grabs my shirt with her free hand and stretches up on her toes while pulling my lips to hers.

This is the softest, sweetest kiss and I can tell she’s unsure of herself, likely waiting for me to pull away, but instead, I release her hand and wrap one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders, anchoring her to me as I happily deepen the kiss.

Our lips mold together and our tongues caress and explore until we’re both pulling back to catch our breath, our eyes immediately find each other as I watch the most stunning smile light up her face.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to do that.” She unleashes a soft, brilliant laugh while her arms snake around my neck, holding me as if she’s afraid to let go.

“If it’s half as long as I’ve waited, then I apologize for not doing it sooner.” I can’t believe that not only am I partnered with this beautiful woman, but she’s standing here, in my arms!

“I think I need a shower.” She takes a step back and my hold on her reluctantly loosens, but she doesn’t give me a chance to let go of her. She takes my hands in hers and leads me to the short hall, into the room then into the bathroom where she quickly shuts the door.

“Charlotte…we don’t have to rush into anything.” I don’t want to stop, I really don’t, but I also don’t want to let her think she has to do this to keep me interested. Shit, I really hope that’s not what she’s thinking! God, there are things I really need to tell her, but the only thing my mind can focus on is the lust and hunger in her eyes!

“Do you want this, Noah? Do you want me? Here’s the thing, I want this and I want it with you. I know it seems fast and if you want to slow down, or if you aren’t wanting to take things further yet, I’ll respect that…but if you want this, shut the hell up and show me.” I don’t answer with words, they aren’t necessary and I doubt I could form a coherent response if I tried.

I slowly start removing my clothes and she quickly joins in. We barely give ourselves a moment to appreciate the view before we collide, our heat and passion burning hot enough to set the world on fire.

Chapter 9

Charlotte

Noah…is…a…god! That man had me moaning and screaming his name yesterday and even after getting a good night’s sleep, wrapped in his arms, I can still feel the delicious ache that serves as a reminder of our passionate tryst in the shower.

I’ve never been impulsive, never been quick to jump into being intimate, but here I am…only having known Noah for a matter of days! It’s not like I regret it, not even a little, but even with everything we’ve learned about each other, there’s still so much we don’t know. Oh, shit…what if he regrets it?!

“What are you thinking so hard about so damn early in the morning?” His raspy voice is so damn sexy and the way he pulls me tighter against him, it almost eases my worry.

“I was…shit…I was worrying that you might wake up and regret this whole thing.” Sometimes I’m too damn honest, I really am, but I refuse to prolong my suffering by dragging things out. If he does regret it, it’s better to get it out there now so I have time to process things and come to terms with it before we have to go meet up with the others tomorrow.

“Hey, look at me, Charlotte.” I roll onto my side and tilt my head so I can see those gorgeous green eyes that instantly lock with mine.

“I don’t regret a damn thing…not you…not the things we’ve done…none of it. Do you regret it?” My head is shaking before he even finishes speaking.

“No! I don’t regret it.” The smile that declaration earns me has my heart racing only to have it skip a beat when his lips crash into mine. With today being the day that Josh and Viv are going on their date, Noah and I decide to stay in our cabin so we can just relax together.

With how comfortable I am around him, I managed to almost forget about the cameras, the game show and all the bullshit challenges that lie ahead because when we’re together like this, it’s impossible to think of anything else but him.

After the most amazingly relaxing day yesterday, we woke up this morning to a loud knock on our cabin door. We were both more than a little surprised to find Candice standing there, informing us that there’s an important announcement that will be delivered at the communal area in an hour. We both rush to get ready and show up just as the others are making themselves comfortable, but I notice we’re missing a few contestants.

“The reason we’re meeting so early today is because we’ve been forced to make some changes. Last night, Oliver and Julia both were sent home for violating the rules. We considered all of our options and have decided to remove the challenge that had originally been planned for today and will be moving up the next challenge and are extending its duration.

“Instead of a one night camp out, you’ll be spending the next three nights camping with your partner. Your score will be determined by your ability to successfully set up your camp, start a fire and how well you work together.

“Each team will be sent with wearable cameras as well as a digital video recorder, but the camera crews will be present as well. Your supplies are already packed and contain everything you need for the three night adventure.

“Now, this single challenge is making up for two induvial challenges, but at the end, we will only be eliminating one team, so work together, focus and most importantly, have fun!” They pair each group with two crew members who will handle filming our little adventure while supposedly remaining out of the way then we go back to pack our clothes before they take us to our destination.

Each group has their own location, apparently separated by no less than two miles to ensure we complete the challenge with only our partner.

“Have you ever been camping before?” Noah’s question is a valid one with me living in the city and having told him so little about my life before it.

“Quite a few times with my grandpa when I was a teenager. As long as there aren’t any bears, mountain lions or other wildlife that may try to turn me into its dinner, we’re good.” He bursts out laughing and even Kyle, the crew member driving the truck we’re in, laughs at my answer.

“Well, nothing like that out here. Thank god you’re not one of those girls who’s afraid to get dirty.” Noah gives me an amused grin then grabs my hand, lacing his finger with mine. He holds my hand for the rest of the drive which takes nearly thirty minutes, but when we get there, I’m stunned by how beautiful, lush and green the scenery is.

“Oh…my…god! This is beautiful!” We climb out of the truck and I swear, it only makes the colors seem more vibrant.

“It’s a perfect place to camp. If you want to gather rocks to make the firepit, I can get the tent set up.” I give Noah my best ‘you must be joking’ look then shake my head as I grab the pack with the tent and sling it over my shoulder.

“No, we will set up the tent and then we can both work on the firepit. I’m not a delicate flower…I can help.” If my response surprised him, he doesn’t show it. He simply smiles, grabs the other pack then takes my hand and leads us further into the forest. We settle on a mostly flat clearing in the trees, quickly getting our tent up and the firepit made before rolling over a small log that we plan to use to sit on.

“I think we did pretty damn good, don’t you?” We both look around our little camp and I have to admit, I’m quite proud of our work.

“That we did, cowboy. So…now what do we do?” Noah, ever the gentleman, shows me that they packed us fishing poles in his pack and after a little searching, we find a stream with plenty of decent sized fish swimming around.

It take us a few hours, but we return to camp with four fish and Noah takes on the responsibility of gutting them and showing me how to remove the scales using a rock. Once our dinner has been cooked and eaten, we spend some time near the fire before crawling into our tent and curling up together before quickly finding sleep.

The three nights in the woods went by rather quickly, though I can safely say that I don’t think I’ll be able to eat fish again for a while. When we reach the ranch, the crew informs us that we have one hour to shower and change before we have to meet back at the communal tent, so Noah and I all but sprint back to our cabin where we shower together, you know, to save time and conserve water…because we’re thoughtful like that.

We’re dressed and heading to the ugly white tent with fifteen minutes to spare and we find Vivian, Josh, Mike, Becky, Penny and Paul already there waiting.

“You two look like you faired a lot better than the rest of us.” Josh’s tone almost sounds amused, but he can’t hide how tired he is.

“We did alright. I think Charlotte would be happy if she never sees a damn fish again, but other than that, I think we had a good time.” I nod my head, both confirming his thoughts about the fish and the fact that I did, indeed, have a good time.

“We had to come back early.” Mike sounds pissed and Becky simply hangs her head in shame, but I don’t think the rest of us are all that surprised since Becky hasn’t worn a single ranch appropriate outfit the entire time we’ve been here and looked thoroughly disgusted with both the horses and baby cows, so I can’t imagine she would handle camping very well.

“Where are the others?” Paul is scanning the area, obviously picking up on the four missing members just like the rest of us did.

“Well, I saw Kevin and Shaylee when we got back, but they looked…unhappy. I haven’t seen Brock or Megan though.” Becky speaks in a soft voice, almost like she’s afraid we’ll lash out at her, which is so out of character for the hard ass cop.

“Alright, I’m sure you’ve all noticed that we’re missing two groups. Unfortunately, Shaylee was injured and will be unable to continue, so she and Kevin have both been sent home. Brock and Megan will be joining us soon, but they’re both being treated for poison ivy. As for the winners of this round, the team with the most points is Noah and Charlotte!

“For this round, the prize is a four night all expenses paid trip for two to the Grand Sentinel Hotel Resort. You’ll both be given the full spa treatment, you’ll be able to dine at any of the five restaurants located on the property and will be given tickets to attend one of the evening shows of your choosing!”

Chapter 10

Noah

I can see how envious the others are of this supposedly luxurious prize, but I’m relieved to see that Charlotte looks anything but happy with it. I’d have no problem pampering the hell out of her, but the fancy resort and spa shit sounds awful. As soon as Candice and Will take off, Charlotte looks at me with a furrowed brow.

“That…is the shittiest prize ever. Couldn’t they just give us a steak dinner instead?” I pull her into my arms, loving that she’s once again proved just how damn perfect she is.

“Well, what if we pass it on to Penny and Paul? They haven’t won anything and Penny definitely looks like a girl who loves that spa shit.” When she pulls back and looks up at me, her smile damn near takes my breath away.

“I love that…I say we do it!” The second my head dips down and my lips meet hers, we’re met with a chorus of ‘awws’ from the others that has Charlotte smiling against my lips, but she doesn’t pull away.

This is something I never saw coming when My brother told me I’d be a contestant on the show. Falling in love wasn’t even an option in my mind, yet here I am…falling for a girl who’s more amazing than anyone I’ve ever met. Now I just have to hope like hell that we can make things work when everything comes out in the end.

The last six days consisted of two more challenges that resulted in Mike, Becky, Penny and Paul being sent home. With only three groups remaining, I know I’m running out of time to explain things to Charlotte, to explain everything and confess how I feel, but fear of her choosing to leave after she knows the truth has stopped me.

As if it isn’t bad enough that I have all that on my mind, Megan has been acting suspicious as hell and keeps giving me these weird looks. Tonight is the second to last challenge and when Candice announced it’s going to be a game of truth or dare, I was instantly hit with a sense of dread. Charlotte and I have just made it to the communal tent where the ‘game’ is set to take place and the others are already waiting.

“Alright, now that we’re all here, let me explain the rules. You were each tasked with creating four truths and four dares earlier. Will has made sure the cards are shuffled, so you’ll each take turns selecting the person you wish to challenge then the challenged will choose either truth, or dare. The challenger will draw a card from the corresponding pile and the challenged contestant will either have to accept, or forfeit.

“Forfeiting your turn is an automatic loss. The game will continue until either one of the teams is eliminated, or until all of the cards have been used, in which case the team with the lowest points will be eliminated. Is everyone ready?” That sense of dread I mentioned, well, it’s amplified tenfold now, but I still find myself nodding as I grab Charlotte’s hand, seeking her silent reassurance that we’re going to be okay. The first up is Vivian and she doesn’t even hesitate when she chooses Megan.

“Megan, truth or dare?” There’s no denying it, Megan knew she was going to be targeted, but she seems oddly calm.

“Dare.” Vivian grabs a card from the dare pile and rolls her eyes when she reads it.

“Your dare is to give your partner a lap dance for two minutes.” I totally get why Vivian rolled her eyes, but Megan jumps right up and performs like an uncoordinated monkey. Not even Brock seems impressed by her little show. When her time is up, I see the wicked glint in Megan’s eye as her gaze settles on me.

“Alright, my turn. I challenge Noah. Truth or dare?” Charlotte gives my hand a firm squeeze, but it does nothing to ease the churning in my stomach.

“Truth.” I watch as she grabs a card from the truth pile and her evil smirk has me instantly on edge.

“Is it true that you’re keeping a secret from your partner?” This…bitch! What the hell is she playing at?! I know I can’t forfeit and I know that lying will result in forfeit, but so does she. I could strangle her!

“Yes.” It took far too long to answer and then the single word is practically hissed out through my clenched teeth. Charlotte’s hold on my hand loosens, but she doesn’t let go.

“My turn. I challenge Brock. Truth or Dare?” I know that the cards were put in a specific order and I already know that Brock and Megan will be leaving after this challenge. While I was supposed to make sure the game was drawn out to ensure the entertainment of the audience, I can’t do it.

I need to end this now. All of this, it’s all part of the plan…the script that assured the show will receive the ratings needed for it to take off. It’s all part of the deal to save my family’s ranch…but none of us were counting on Charlotte.

“Dare.” I grab the card from the pile, already knowing what it says and already knowing he won’t fucking do it.

“The card says your dare is to french kiss a contestant of the same gender for sixty seconds.” As was written in the script, he shakes his head, refusing without hesitation.

“Fuck no, nope, not happening! I’m not kissing a guy!” He gets up and, without even being told to, he takes off for the cabin.

“Well, unfortunately your team has been eliminated, Megan. Please return to your cabin and pack your bags.” Megan still has that wicked grin on her face and I just know she’s not done fucking things up, not when Candice is looking at me like she wants to crucify me for screwing up her fucking plans.

“No problem…but…I think Charlotte has a right to know that she was nothing more than a pawn here. She should know she’s been played by not only the network, but by Noah too. Well, you all have fun now, bubye.” She does an obnoxious finger wave before practically skipping off, leaving me there with Charlotte who’s officially released my hand and is looking at me with eyes that are already brimming with tears and I haven’t even said a word yet.

“What was she talking about, Noah?” I try to reach for her hand, but she jerks her hand away, making it damn clear she wants the truth and she wants it now.

“I’ll tell you everything, but please…I need you to listen to all of it, okay?” She nods her head, though barely, and wraps her arms around herself as if she’s preparing to hold it all together before she even hears what I have to say.

“When the network approached me and my brother about the show, Dane saw it as an answer to our problems. Our ranch has been struggling for a few years now and it just kept getting worse.

We agreed to letting them film the show here, but then they made us a deal, if one of us participated as a contestant, they’d pay us enough to keep the ranch running for an entire year. Dane couldn’t do it because his fiancé would’ve lost her shit, so he volunteered me.

“This whole thing, the challenges, all of it, was staged…everything but me choosing you as my partner. That was the one thing I did that they weren’t expecting. I was supposed to pick a partner, one who would give them the drama and shit to boost their audience’s interest, put on a show of getting close to them, cause a few fights and give the cameras some scripted shit, but with you…it wasn’t scripted.

“Everything with you was real, Charlotte. I was supposed to pretend to get close to a female contestant, but instead I started falling in love with you. I should’ve told you, I know I should’ve, but I was afraid you’d leave me without letting me explain, that you wouldn’t believe me.” Her expression isn’t giving me a damn thing, but my heart clenches when the first tear falls.

“The show…the challenges…all the time we spent getting to know each other…it was all a fucking lie. God, it was all on fucking camera! What about…shit…was screwing me just an added perk for you? Lie to the naïve, shut-in city girl, make her fall for you, save your ranch and get laid as a bonus?!” She’s screaming by the end, her tears now steady streams and her entire body is trembling.

“No! God, the show, the ranch…none of that had anything to do with the things we did. What happened between us, I never would’ve used you like that, Charlotte!” A heartbreaking sound that’s half sob, half laugh escapes her as she takes a step back, putting more distance between us and that small action fucking kills me.

“But you did use me, Noah! God, how could I have been so stupid! I should’ve known this was too good to be true, but I was blind and stupid. Well, my eyes are wide the fuck open now. You used me, you manipulated me and I’m fucking done! Vivian, Josh, congratulations, you both win because I’m leaving.” She storms past me for the cabin and when I turn to follow her, desperate to make her see she’s wrong, Vivian’s voice stops me.

“You need to stay away from her. She needs time to breathe and sort things out and you’ve already caused enough problems. Candice, keep your damn prizes and I hope this show tanks in the ratings and ends up cancelled!

“You’re a heartless, soulless bitch and if I didn’t think it would upset Letti, I’d give you the ass beating you so desperately deserve!” She stretches up and kisses Josh on the cheek then rushes after Charlotte while I’m left standing there like the piece of shit I am and Candice, that evil bitch, couldn’t fucking look happier if she tried.

Chapter 11

Charlotte

I can’t believe I was so stupid! This was a reality tv show for fuck’s sake! Why do I find it so damn surprising that it was all an act?! I can’t believe I was falling for him when it was nothing more than a job to him…I was a job to him! I feel like a fool and I hate that it hurts so damn much. He doesn’t deserve my tears, yet I can’t get the damn things to quit falling as I pack the last of my things.

“Letti? I got our phones from William and checked the flight schedule. There’s a flight leaving in seven hours and we’re getting on it. We’re going to go home and put this whole mess behind us. I’m so sorry, Letti!” I know what she’s doing…I know that tone…she’s blaming herself, but this one…it’s all on me.

“Thanks, Viv.” I can’t even turn around before her arms are wrapping around me from behind which only makes my tears fall more violently.

“Come on, sweetie, let’s get the hell out of here.” She helps grab my duffel bag while I carry my overnight bag then she wraps her arm around my shoulder and pulls me away from the cabin…away from Noah…away from the cameras, the lies and the bullshit.

It’s been a week and I wish I could say I bounced back and got back to my old life when Viv and I got home…but I didn’t. It’s been a week of me only half focusing on my work, having random crying fits and hiding away in mine and Viv’s apartment.

While I had expected the pain to ease as the days passed, it only seems to have intensified. I hate this…I hate crying, I hate feeling hurt…I hate that I let myself give into the lies and, most of all, I hate that no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to hate him.

Unlike me, the shell of my former self wallowing in my misery, Viv has been talking to Josh every single day and they have plans to meet up this weekend. It sucks that this whole thing ended the way it did, but at least one of us came out with something to show for it, something good.

I’m happy for her, I really am, but every time I see how happy she is, it just reminds me of how happy I thought I was…for two whole weeks. It’s okay…or at least it will be…eventually.

“Hey, Letti! Josh just called and he’s heading this way. It’s a nine hour drive, but he’ll be here around six tomorrow morning. Are you sure you don’t mind him staying here? I don’t mind getting a room for us while he’s here.” She’s made this same offer multiple times now, but I keep telling her the same thing…

“No, I really don’t mind, Viv. It’s fine…really it is.” I force a smile that I know she won’t buy, but it’s the best I can do right now. It’s not that seeing them together will hurt me, but I know that seeing him will remind me of Noah.

No matter what, I refuse to let that bastard’s lies keep me from being happy for and supporting my best friend. She gives me yet another hug, one of the many she’s already given me today, then heads to her room, probably to clean the damn thing. At least that’s something good that’ll come from having Josh stay here. Vivian isn’t a slob, but she’s a lot messier than me…a whole lot messier.

I managed to get lost in my work, the familiar codes and programs not offering their usual comfort, but it does manage to pass the time. I can’t help that I’ve spent the last week thinking about the time I spent in Montana and not just the parts with the show, but the location…the beautiful scenery.

Those thoughts keep bringing me back to what I talked to Noah about…about how my home here in the city was supposed to be temporary. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I can’t keep living here.

The project I spent the whole day yesterday and all night last night working on took more than twice the time it should’ve to finish, but I did manage to finish it…less than twenty minutes before Josh arrived. Seeing the way he embraced Viv when she opened the door, it warmed my heart and made it ache all at once.

I did my best to visit with him after he arrived, but then he started telling Viv about his new venture with helping vaccinate animals on some ranch…I think I knew he was talking about Noah’s ranch, but appreciate the effort he was making to not come right out and mention him. Once he slipped, making it undeniable who’s ranch he was discussing, I politely excused myself and retreated to my room where I proceeded to cry myself to sleep…yet again.

Josh stayed with us for four days and the evening after he left, I finally sat down with Viv and told her about my plan to leave the city. I guess I had expected her to be upset because when she squealed in excitement, it startled the hell out of me. I really didn’t see it coming, but it turns out…she wants to leave too.

I guess during his visit, her and Josh talked about her moving to his hometown which is only a two hour drive from Noah’s ranch, but the fact that it’s a small town with beautiful scenery at every turn, it more than makes up for the all too close proximity to the man who broke me.

After sitting down and working out the logistics, like the fact that she refused to make the move if I wasn’t going with her, we both came to an agreement then spent the night getting started on packing up anything we won’t absolutely need over the next few weeks.

It’s been four weeks and three days since my life went to shit in spectacular fashion, but it seems like life is finally settling down and I’m finding myself more than a little excited to leave this life of chaos for something more peaceful.

We’ve just loaded up everything we own into a moving truck the size of a damn bus and while I should probably be nervous about this huge change, I can’t bring myself to feel anything but excitement. For once, it’s not Viv instigating or pushing me. This time, I’m a willing participant in this insane, fairly impulsive adventure. With our favorite road trip playlist blasting through the speakers, two coffees and enough bottles of water to last us a week, we pull away from the place that’s been our home for far too long, ready to embrace this new stage of our lives.

We pulled into Polson a few minutes before eight in the morning and Josh was already sitting on the porch of the cute three bedroom, two bathroom house he helped get us into with next to no notice. Apparently, it belongs to his aunt and she’s been trying to rent it out for months.

By nine, he has four of his friends here, helping haul everything inside while Viv and I are left to direct them on where to take everything, not that I mind. It isn’t until everyone leaves and Viv heads to bed to rest up after driving all night that I finally have a minute to just let it all sink in. I finally left the city. I finally took a step toward finding my happiness.

Those thoughts, however, bring me right back to the frustrating cowboy that, for a brief time, made me feel happier than I have in ages which brings me right back to crying alone in my room until I’m too damn exhausted to keep my eyes open.

“Wake up! We’re done moping around, damn it. We’re in a new town with tons of new places to explore, so let’s get to exploring!” While most people would find it annoying to be woken from their restless sleep by an overly enthusiastic ball of energy, I can’t even be mad. The fact that Viv refuses to let me wallow in my misery when we’re surrounded by so much beautiful scenery just makes me smile.

“Alright, I’m up. At least let me have a cup of coffee before we go exploring.” She flashes me a bright smile and nods her head.

“I’ve got it covered. I went to the coffee shop on Maine St and got us each a coffee, yours has six shots in it.” I…love…her!

“Cool, give me five minutes to get dressed then.” She slips out of my doorway and I can hear her skipping her happy ass down the hall while I rush to throw on a pair of leggings, a tank top with a built in bra and my trainers before heading out to the living room.

Our exploration today consisted of walking the hiking trails at one of the parks, sitting by a stream and for the first time since we put the whole reality show thing behind us, I open up to her…about everything. Sure, I was a mess of sobs, tears and snot…full on ugly crying…but by the end, I felt lighter…not necessarily better, but I could breathe a little easier.

Maybe, just maybe, I can turn this whole mess into another learning experience that I’ll look back on someday and smile.

Chapter 12

Noah

It’s been a whole fucking month since Charlotte walked away from me. After she left with Vivian, Josh hunted me down and sat me down so we could talk. He had me tell him everything that happened, all the shit that makes me look like an even bigger asshole than I feel.

He told me that Vivian agreed to continue seeing him, to see where things go, so when I asked if he could just check on Charlotte whenever he talks to Vivian, he agreed without hesitating. I know he could see how wrecked I was and I have no doubt he pities me and that’s probably a large part of why he agreed, but I’ll take it.

So, for the last four weeks, Josh has been keeping tabs on the girls and, just to torture myself further, I’ve been having him tell me everything he finds out. It kills me every time he tells me how broken and depressed Charlotte is and I hate that I know it’s my damn fault. Every conversation with him has been the same…until two weeks ago.

“Hey man, how’s it going?” Josh is out at the ranch, administering vaccines to the new cattle we brought in before we introduce them into the herd.

“Been working nonstop, just trying to keep myself busy. How’s everything with you?” I hate that he knows I’m really just asking what he knows about Charlotte, but if it bothers him, he never shows it. I like Josh, he’s a great guy and he’s proving to be one hell of a friend, but I don’t want him to think I’m just keeping him around to use him for information.

“I’ve been good…real good, actually. I helped Viv rent a house in Polson and I’ve spent the first week after I was last out here helping get it ready for her to move into.” Shit…she’s not leaving Charlotte alone with how bad she’s been handling all this, is she?!

“What about…” He doesn’t let me finish, thank god.

“She’s staying with her. Viv refused to move unless Letti agreed to come too. Hell, Letti ended up bringing up moving before Viv could even bring it up!” That earns a half-smile from me. Sure, I’m thrilled that she’ll be living closer, but what good will it do me if I never get the chance to fix the mess I made?

“How long till they move in?” I don’t doubt that he can see how much this is killing me.

“Well, they kind of…already did. They got in yesterday which is why I had to push my trip out here back by a day.” Fuck! So, the woman of my fucking dreams is only a two hour drive away, but there’s not a chance in hell she’d be willing to see me. This…is…torture!

“Oh, that’s good. I’m happy for them.” I mean…what the hell else can I say?!

“Look, I know how fucked this whole situation is. You told me what happened and while you had good reasons to do the show, you have to understand how she feels. She started falling for you and then found out that the whole show was pretty much scripted. It makes sense that she fel lied to and like you manipulated and used her.

“When I drove out to visit Viv after it all went to shit, she fucking hated you for hurting Letti, but after I talked to her and explained what you told me, she said that she thinks Letti just needs some time. Maybe she’ll come around.” Even Josh doesn’t seem so confident in what he’s saying, but who knows, maybe Vivian was right…or maybe Charlotte will never want to see me again…who knows.

“I fell for her, Josh…that wasn’t part of the script and I didn’t do it for ratings or money. Hell, Candice kept harping on me for not starting arguments and shit with Charlotte because she thought the romance angle wasn’t exciting enough, but I refused to do it.

“I know I got into the whole thing for money, but the minute I talked to her for the first time, none of that shit mattered anymore.” That look of sympathy in his eyes guts me, but I did this shit to myself. If I had just told her the truth in the beginning, we might’ve been able to get through this.

“This is fucking ridiculous. You love her and she clearly loves you because if she didn’t, she would be so fucking wrecked over this shit. Alright, next week on Friday is the county fair and Viv is making Letti go with her.

I work that day, so I’ll be meeting them there at five. Get your ass to Polson, be there at five and meet me in the damn parking lot. We’re going to put a stop to this shit before it gets to a point where there’s no way to fix it.” I’ll give it to him, he’s one determined bastard, but can I really do it? Do I deserve a chance to fix this?

If you couldn’t guess, I agreed to Josh’s plan, as crazy and reckless as it is. Making it to Friday was a challenge, but I kept myself busy by working my ass off at the ranch. If nothing, the barn and stables have never been so clean.

Now I’m here, sitting in my truck in the parking lot for the fairgrounds while I wait for Josh to show up. I’ve had to force myself to wait because all I want to do is get the hell in there and find Charlotte. It’s five minutes past five when I see Josh’s SUV pull up and I’m out my door and speed walking my ass over to him before he even gets his door open.

“You ready to do this?” God, am I? I feel kind of ready…but kind of nauseous and every damn nerve ending is on fire.

“No, but I need to do it before I give myself a million reasons not to.” I’m sure his smile is meant to be reassuring, but nothing can reassure me right now, nothing but her. He pulls out his phone and fires off a text before leading me to the entrance where he pays for both of us to get in.

We make it to the front of the vendor stalls before I spot Vivian walking toward us and while she gives me a curious look, there’s something in her expression that has my stomach churning.

“Hey, Josh. Hey, Noah. I didn’t realize you were coming…” Her tone doesn’t really hint at her being surprised, but something is clearly bothering her.

“I know it might’ve been a bad idea for me to bring him here to surprise her like this, babe, but you know they need to work through this. They’re both miserable and the only way to fix it is for them to work shit out.” And now she looks even more nervous!

“Um, I know…but…Letti’s doctor appointment today…things are…shit…she’s a fucking mess, Josh.” Now even Josh looks nervous and worried, but all I can do is stare at her, hoping to find the answers to my unspoken questions in her eyes, but she’s giving me nothing.

“Doctor appointment? Is something wrong? Is Charlotte okay?” I tried to be patient and wait…I swear I did, but each passing second felt like a fucking lifetime!

“It’s…complicated.” I see her eyes filling with tears which now has my mind playing through every damn worst-case scenario while Josh pulls Vivian into his arms, trying to comfort her even though he doesn’t seem to know what the hell’s going on either!

“Okay, where’s she at now?” She takes a deep, stuttering breath as she pulls away and looks at him with glassy brown eyes.

“She’s been at the little park over by the river since shortly after we got here.” I know exactly what little park she’s talking about and it’s just outside the fairgrounds, so I don’t wait to hear anything else before taking off and damn near sprinting my ass there.

It’s easy to spot her when I reach the opening to the fence around the park, finding her sitting on top of a picnic table by the stream, facing away from me. I slowly make my way to her, pretty much treating this like I would if I were approaching a scared animal. I make it to the table and she doesn’t so much as turn around.

“Charlotte…” One word…her name…is all it takes to make her breath catch before her shoulders shake softly as she begins sobbing, her hands raising up to cover her face. I move to stand in front of her, desperate to see those stormy grey eyes I love so damn much.

“Charlotte, can we please talk? Or even if you don’t want to talk, can you at least listen, let me say what I need to? If you’ll let me say what I need to, I’ll leave…if that’s what you want…” She slowly drags her hands down her face, her pale complexion, red rimmed eyes and the dark circles beneath them have my heart clenching. She doesn’t speak, I’m not even sure she can right now, but she does give me a subtle nod.

“I’m an asshole, I know that. I went on that damn show to earn money to save my family’s ranch and I agreed to Candice’s terms. I agreed to choose a partner that would make it easy to give them the drama they needed for ratings.

“I was supposed to choose a woman who would be easy to piss off, argue with and all I had to do was feed into the drama then the ranch would be saved. It sounded so fucking simple, so easy…but then I met you. I know Candice was wanting me to choose Megan, but the second I talked to you, I couldn’t do it. All I wanted from that first conversation on was to get to know you.

“Candice was constantly cornering me every chance she got, bitching at me for not starting arguments with you, not giving them the shit they needed to up the drama factor for the show, but I just couldn’t do it, not to you. Then…god…then there was that moment…and the shower…I knew the game was over the second you kissed me.

“I didn’t care about the show, or Candice’s demands…all I cared about was you. I know you hate me and you have every damn right to, but…I’m in love with you, Charlotte. These past four weeks have been pure hell without you.

“Please…I know I have no right to ask, but do you think you can give me a chance to prove that this wasn’t all just some script for a damn tv show? Can I have a chance to prove to you that we are real?” She stares out at the water behind me, but then she moves…she doesn’t speak…but she reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a white envelope then hands it to me.

“Whether or not we were real…that is and it fucking terrifies me.” While part of me is scared shitless to see what’s in this envelope that could have her saying she’s terrified, the bigger part of me pushes me to open the damn thing and pull out…lab reports? What the fuck is this? I scan the entire page, trying to make sense of what the hell the results show until I hit the bottom…holy shit…

“You’re…holy fuck…you’re pregnant?!” The way she winces tells me that wasn’t the response she was hoping for and I’m sure it sounded more shocked than thrilled, but I am shocked…but I’m also fucking over the moon…but is she happy about it? I want to wrap my arms around her and scream it to the world, but if she’s not happy, that might only make shit worse.

“Yeah, seems that way.” Her voice is barely a whisper and I should be patient, she deserves that much…but I just can’t do it.

“Are you happy? Are you okay with this?” Before she even opens her mouth to speak, I see the softest smile on her face and her hand moves to rest on her still flat stomach which has my foolish heart filling with hope.

“Yeah, I think I am. Look, I know this isn’t something…” Fuck…that! I don’t let her finish, not a fucking chance! Before she can get the rest of that thought out, I crash my lips into hers, silencing her and praying like hell that she can feel all the shit I’ve failed to get across to her.

It happens slowly, starting with a slight tilt of her head then one of her small hands raising up to grab a fistful of my shirt as she pulls me closer to her. I damn near whimper when she pulls away, but then she presses her forehead to mine while she tries to catch her breath.

“I fucking love you, Charlotte…I love both of you. Please…can we give this a try? Can I have one chance to make this right?” The moment of silence seems to stretch on forever before she lets out a soft sigh then pulls back and locks those beautiful stormy grey eyes on mine.

“How about we discuss it over dinner? I’m in the mood for steak.” Her lips slowly curl into a stunning fucking smile that knocks the breath right out of me, but I manage to nod.

“Yeah, steak sounds fucking amazing.”

Epilogue

Charlotte

One Year Later…

So, a lot has happened in the last year. The show was aired three months after Noah and I made up and, as Viv predicted, it tanked…hard. While my social media accounts were flooded with people telling us how cute we were together and how they were cheering for us from the very beginning, it seems having us be the ultimate power couple, a title given by the viewers, wasn’t enough to save the ratings, especially not when the truth got leaked about how the network tried to manipulate the contestants for ratings.

Noah and I went on our first proper date the day he showed up at the fair and things moved pretty fast from there. Within a month, I was practically living with him on the ranch, so a week later, we decided to make it official.

My grandparents flew out as soon as I called to tell them I was pregnant and, no surprise, they fell in love with Noah right away. They ended up staying for two weeks and Noah decided to gift them one of the guest cabins so they would always have a place to stay…they moved into it permanently two months later.

Vivian moved in with Josh a few months after I moved out of the house and last month he proposed to her in the cheesiest way possible…complete with a ‘Will you marry me?’ message flashing on the giant screen at the rodeo. I couldn’t be happier for them both and I really mean that…though part of it is because now Josh gets to be the victim of all her random, spontaneous adventures instead of me!

Four months ago, Noah and I welcomed our son into the world, Caleb Matthew Olsen, named after my father and Noah’s. My life, the one that is now filled with beauty, peace and pure happiness, has changed so much in only one year.

I was a contestant on a reality tv show, fell in love, had my heart broken, finally left the city, had my broken heart mended, had all my family move close enough for me to see them every day and gave birth to the most beautiful baby boy in the world.

It’s hard to believe that this adventure, this crazy, unbelievable and extremely unexpected adventure led me here. It took surviving the script and seeing the unfiltered moments to truly find happiness, even if it was in under the most unlikely circumstances. It took the craziest experience in my life to guide me to where I was meant to be…to bring me home.