Farmer Wants a Wife: Love and Friendship, Book 3 (25 page)

No, he’d stay here in Clare. Life would go on and he’d survive.

Susan kept hoping Tyler would drop by to say goodbye, although she understood she’d hurt him. Trust her—she was an abysmal failure when it came to love, relationships. Maybe she’d concentrate on work and find another couple of interests to fill in her loneliness. A heavy sigh emerged and she powered up her laptop to write her final Clare blog post.

Part of me is sad to leave Clare because I’ve met so many wonderful people. The residents of Clare, from age four to ninety, have made me and the rest of the girls welcome. They’ve embraced us and made us a part of the community. The other part of me is excited to get back to my normal routine, back to my friends and the job I’ve come to love.

I won’t have to wear my red gumboots in the city, yet I can’t bear to part with them because I purchased and wore them here in Clare.

I’d like to thank everyone in Clare who has taken the time to speak with us, give us an encouraging word and invited us to share in your community lives. You have a wonderful town and I can see why Nolan chooses to make his life here.

Susan bit down on her bottom lip. Hard. No tears. The decision to leave Tyler was the right one.
Head up and no regrets
. She sniffed and concluded her blog entry.

I’m not sure how the show will end—only Nolan knows the identity of the woman he’ll choose—so don’t try to wrangle the answer from me. I don’t know. I swear!

Make sure you tune in for the final show on Thursday night.

Goodbye, Clare.

Susan

“You’re back!” Julia cried, her voice echoing through the almost empty club. She switched off the music. “Take five, everyone.”

Maggie and Christina turned, broad grins on their faces.

“We missed you,” Maggie said.

“I missed you guys too.” Tears welled at her eyes when she found herself in the middle of a group hug.

“Are you here to work?” Julia asked. “I thought you were going to stay in Clare for a few more days.”

“Jennifer changed the show format and said we could go home.”

“Who won?” Christina demanded. “Who did Nolan choose?” She glanced over her shoulder. “And what about Tyler?”

“I…I…” Susan paused to clear her throat and had to blink extra hard to keep her tears confined. “Nolan picks his winner this week.” She had to force the words past the constriction in her throat. “Tyler…” She trailed off and bit her sorely abused lip. “I might go and grab my dance gear from my locker.” She hurried away before her friends voiced the other questions brewing in their fertile minds.

Behind her silence reigned before Julia—at least she presumed it was Julia—clapped her hands and ordered everyone back to work.

In the changing room, she took long seconds to compose herself, blowing her nose and wiping her eyes. She tied back her hair in a tight ponytail and grabbed the clean set of dance gear from her locker. Hard, physical exercise would help her forget everything she’d given up for the greater good.

Dressed appropriately, she returned to her friends and threw her heart into learning a new routine and reacquainting herself with ones she hadn’t danced for weeks.

“Want to go for a coffee and catch-up once we’ve showered?” Christina asked.

“No, I think I’ll head back—” She broke off abruptly, her brain racing. Better to get this over now. Like pulling a tooth, discussing a breakup was best done quickly. Get out the details and her friends wouldn’t ask more nosy questions. “Okay.”

“Great,” Maggie said. “I’ll ring Connor and let him know I’m having coffee. He might be able to join us.”

Susan opened her mouth to object and then sighed. Her friends were curious. In their position, she’d feel the same inquisitiveness.

“I suppose you’re glad to get a decent cup of coffee again,” Christina said.

Susan let out a laugh that was half snort. “Clare might be a country town, but they’re not the smallest dot on the map. They have two cafés. One is in a bookshop and the other one is part of the bakery. Both places do delicious food and excellent coffee.”

“My shout this afternoon.” Christina gave her a swift hug. “I’m pleased you’re back.”

They settled at a window table, gradually adding more chairs as their group grew in size. When Ryan and Caleb turned up, everyone was present, even though it was a workday.

“What is this?” Susan demanded, sharing her grumpiness around. “An intervention?”

“You don’t seem happy,” Julia said. “We thought you’d be excited about the contest and making it to the final two.”

“Tyler and I broke up.”

“Aw, Susan,” Maggie said. “We’re sorry. We really liked him.”

“Do we need to take a hit out on him?” Caleb asked.

“No.” Susan picked up her latte and took a quick sip, trying to swallow her guilt with the coffee. She’d really liked Tyler too, and that was the problem. After Tyler, anyone else would fall short.

“What happened with the show?” Connor asked.

“I’m not sure yet. The final one airs on Thursday night. I won’t know anything until Thursday afternoon either.”

Talk drifted on to other topics—thankfully—and Susan tried to respond to her friends in her usual manner. Control and normal activities were the secret. Eventually each day would become easier.

She hoped.

The rest of the week crawled, although Susan tried to keep busy. She walked to the bank to grab the change for the coming night.

“Susan!”

Susan turned at the call of her name and frowned at a complete stranger. “Do I know you?”

“I’m Jonathon Harris, a reporter with the Auckland News. This is good timing since I was on my way to see you. Who did Nolan choose? Does he know about your affair with the other man?”

“What other man?”

“I have an eyewitness who puts you with this man after the start of the show, just as the rumors say. My witness swears the man looks like Nolan’s younger brother. Can I have your comment on that?”

“I don’t have a comment,” Susan said.

“Shame,” the reporter said. “The article is going to run in tomorrow’s paper. I thought it would be good to include your side of the story.”

“No comment.” She increased her pace and plunged through the front doors of the bank. Thankfully, the reporter didn’t follow to prod harder at her inner turmoil. A story to coincide with the final show. It couldn’t be that bad, right?

Christina picked up the Wednesday morning paper and let out a gasp.

“A story about me?” Susan asked as she shunted a mug of coffee at her friend. She’d been too chicken to open the paper to see if the reporter had spoken the truth.

“Third page,” Christina said. “A full page story with a picture of you and Nolan and another of Tyler.”

The phone rang and seconds later Susan’s cell phone started ringing.

“Well, I guess everyone is awake,” Susan said, picking up her cell while Christina snatched up the landline.

“Susan,” Jennifer boomed down the line. “If I were in the same room with you I’d kiss your feet. This is the perfect promotion to get people watching the final show tomorrow night. Girl, I’m gonna buy you a bottle of champagne. Hell, I’ll get you a crate. Public interest has been so high in this show, the network has signed for another season, plus they’re willing to consider my pet project. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Not the reaction Susan had expected. “Ah, I’ll see you at the wrap-up filming.”

“Excellent. I’ll get that champagne on ice,” Jennifer promised.

“Okay.” Susan hung up and her phone rang almost immediately.

“Susan, are you all right?” Maggie asked. “I saw the article in the paper.”

“I haven’t read it yet.” Susan’s stomach curled with apprehension, and she discarded the idea of breakfast. “Is it bad?”

“Lots of innuendo. There’s a statement from an anonymous hotel employee. It mentions chocolate, strawberries and champagne. Not much more than the last story.”

“So it’s nothing new.” Relief almost made her dizzy.

“The room attendant positively identified Tyler as the man you stayed with overnight, and one of the wait staff has confirmed you were both present in the restaurant that night. They said you were dining with friends.”

“
Oy
,” Susan muttered when really only the crisp, ripe tones of a good curse would do the job. Oh, how her mother would shake her head if she glimpsed the inner workings of her daughter’s mind. The dancing had come as a shock, so maybe a cursing daughter wouldn’t spring at her mother like a jack-in-a-box.

“Is it going to create problems with the show?” Maggie asked.

“No, my producer is talking about champagne. The only one who might suffer backlash is me. The public love Nolan. I’m not sure how they’ll react to me and Tyler.”

Nolan’s phone started ringing not long after six. His father, always an early riser, must have answered. When it rang again, Nolan groaned and crawled out of bed. After rapidly dressing in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, he padded along the passage. The cool tiles beneath his bare feet startled him even more awake, and he retreated to grab a pair of socks.

“Tea?” his father asked.

“Thanks. Who’s ringing?”

His father jerked his head in the direction of the newspaper. It was spread open on top of the kitchen counter—something to do with the reality show, rather than a cattle problem. He accepted a mug of tea from his father, added milk and sugar and walked over to see what had everyone’s fingers pushing buttons this morning.

“A love triangle,” he scoffed. “People believe this crap?”

“They were seen together,” his father said in a careful voice.

Nolan turned away from the paper and leaned his butt against the counter. It didn’t matter. He’d made his decision and intended to follow through. “I thought I’d shift the heifers down to the creek paddock after breakfast. Do you want to help?”

“I’d like that, son.” His father seemed to have aged in the last week, yet he stood tall with shoulders straight. Nolan could only imagine how the burden of that secret had felt over the years. “I thought I might ask Tyler to go to the pub for a drink.”

“That’s a good idea.” Nolan paused, thought an instant. “Why don’t we go out for a meal together at the pub? Go for Sunday lunch and ask Eric and Josie to come. If we go for lunch, then Katey could attend.” The extra people would help the conversation flow and take some of the pressure off Tyler.

“We could do that?” His father sounded so grateful Nolan felt as if he were the parent.

“I’ll give Tyler a call.”

The sharp squeal of brakes outside the house made them turn toward the kitchen door. A loud thump sounded on the door an instant before it flew open and his mother swept inside.

“Elizabeth,” his father said. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

“No, I wouldn’t. I’m too angry to drink tea.”

Nolan sighed. What was new? His mother stomped around angry at the world.

Her sharp eyes spied the open newspaper on the counter. “I see you already know. That tart. I knew she was bad news the moment she told everyone she was a dancer. She’s been an embarrassment from the moment she bared her bottom on public television. And Tyler.” Her cheeks grew crimson as she wound into full-out temper. “Like his mother. I bet this was a game to him. He’s nothing more than a man-slut, going around getting women pregnant and stealing women who belong to other men.”

“That’s enough,” Nolan said in a sharp voice, the instant his mother showed signs of slowing her tirade. “This is my house, and I don’t want to listen to you insulting Tyler.”

His mother rounded on him, a vein pulsing at her temple. “You’d stand up for him—after what he’s done.”

“This fight is between you and Dad. Tyler is innocent in this mess. None of the problems in your marriage are his fault. He was a kid, and you treated him like crap.” He held up his hand when his mother showed signs of another explosion. “I haven’t been the brother I should have been to Tyler, and I intend to try to make amends. He’s a good man, a responsible one, and he doesn’t deserve your verbal and mental abuse. Stay away from Tyler or you won’t like the consequences.”

“But—”

“I mean it, Mum. If I hear any gossip going around Clare, I’ll take steps. I’ll tell everyone the truth if I have to.”

Elizabeth gaped at him. “You’d stick up for Tyler?”

“He’s my brother.”

“He’s made a laughing stock of you,” Elizabeth snapped.

“Gossip won’t kill me.” Something his mother should take on board.

“You’re taking your father’s side in this,” Elizabeth said in clear disbelief.

“I’m taking Tyler’s side,” Nolan said. “You’re both old enough to take care of yourselves. Dad, do you want to eat before we go?”

“Yes,” his father said.