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“I’m not sure if I have to remind you or bachelor number one of this,” Jax began. “But a big piece of meat isn’t an answer.”
I growled. The audience chuckled. What the actual fuck?
Clay opened his mouth to answer, but that was it. I was done. I didn’t want to hear any more innuendo or witty banter. Aspen was mine and she didn’t need to hear anything else about the way they made their beef jerky or whether they liked butter on their cobs of corn or any other twisted shit.
“Do not answer that if you want to keep breathing,” I said to Clay as I hopped from my stool. I strode across the stage.
“Um, bachelor number three, what are you–”
I had no idea what else Jax said after that because I was around the bales of hay and in front of Aspen.
“Fucking finally,” I muttered, tossing her over my shoulder.
54
ASPEN
* * *
All hell broke loose, and I was upside down.
One second, I was asking a ridiculous question, the next Luke came around the hay bales and tossed me over his shoulder. I’d thought it was him, especially based on his responses, but it was official.
Luke was here. Had Georgia known about this? Was this what live TV was like?
“Well, this makes for interesting live TV, that’s for sure, folks,” Jax said. “I think I can say now that bachelor number three is none other than Derek Dashwood from NYC ER.”
Great. Just fucking great. Derek, not Luke.
I felt Luke exhale, then carefully lower me to the stage, keeping an arm around me so I didn’t fall. “Actually, my name’s Luke Graham.”
“Oh, ho! Going incognito? We can stick with bachelor number three if you want, but…” Jax looked to the audience with his huge grin. “I think the secret’s out.”
Luke shook his head. “No, my real name is Luke Graham.”
“Luke, I’m not sure if you know how this game is played, but Aspen picks the cowboy.”
“As long as it’s me,” he said. His gaze roved over my face as if memorizing it. It’d been two days and I missed him. I hated him. I… what?
“Why should our lovely bachelorette pick you?” Jax asked, doing a pretty good job of winging it since Luke had fucked up the show and there was plenty of airtime left.
“Because I love her.”
The whole audience erupted. I freaked. I stared at Georgia, who looked horrified and Mallory who had her hands over her mouth, clearly stunned.
Jax turned toward the camera. “Ladies and gentleman, it seems this show has taken an interesting twist. Derek–”
“Luke.”
“Luke,” Jax corrected. “Is in love with our bachelorette! Tell me, how do you know Aspen?”
Luke looked to me. Ignored Jax. The audience. Everything. “We met last week while I was here on vacation. Fell in love with her the second I saw her.”
He… WHAT?
I was still trying to process what I learned about Luke from the FBI agent, although there hadn’t been any time to think since I was on a fucking stage on live TV. That while he had known meeting me at the bar was planned, it hadn’t been because of my mother.
He hadn’t lied to me. Not once.
