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“We’re going to find him. I can feel it,” my father said.
I shook my head, my guilt quickly replaced by anger. “And then what? He’s probably spent all the money.”
“Maybe so,” Dad said. “But he’ll be sitting in jail and not out living the high life on whatever’s left of everyone’s money.”
And that made me remember why I’d been nervous to talk to them. “Not to change the subject, but Mom, Dad…I need to tell you about that job because it’s amazing money and it doesn’t require me to take off my clothes.”
And with that, I had their attention, and I had to fight to keep from fidgeting on the stool. I cleared the frog in my throat and said, “I’ve been asked to host a TV show.”
My mother’s eyes lit up—but of course, Dad immediately looked unsure.
“What kind of TV show?” he asked.
“Well,” I said, twisting my hands together. “It’s going to be kicking off a new network, mainly geared toward women, but they’re hoping to pull in some male viewers as well.”
“Like on HGTV?” Mom asked.
“The way they described it is, it won’t be a network that shows you how to make your grandmother’s apple pie, but will teach you how to build the house your grandmother lived in. It’s more of an empowering thing, with the motto that women can do and be anything. Which is kind of strange, considering the show they’re starting with.” I’d argued that point with Jack and Travis, pointing out that a dating show was no way to empower women, but I, at least, liked the fact that the females held some cards in their hands. If they wanted to go home, they could at any point, and there was a strict no-sex policy…though the latter sounded like it was a condition of the guy who’d be dating the women, and not so much a condition of staying on the show.
“I like it!” my mother said with a smile.
“Okay, I’m on board with that. What’s the show about?”
“It’s going to be a social experiment on dating. And the dates will be shot live, so everything is more organic and real. But I do believe the dates are planned out in some way for logistical reasons.”
“Dates?” they both said.
“I’m just the host…not the one doing the dating. But the premise is that there will be one guy, and he’s local to Montana. His name is Hunter Shaw.”
My father gave me a surprised look. “Brock Shaw’s son?”
“Do you know him?” I asked.
With a shake of his head, Dad replied, “I don’t know Hunter, but I met his father years ago. He rode a benefit rodeo that aided the hospital where Robert worked. From what I remember, he was a nice guy. Last I heard, he’d retired at a pretty young age to raise his family and work on his folks’ cattle ranch.”
I nodded. “That’s what I understand, as well. I mean, I googled Hunter to find out about him. He’s big in team roping, one of the best in the country at the collegiate level. Anyway, they asked him to be the guy who’s matched up with like twenty or so different women. At first when they asked me, I said no, but then they offered me a pretty good sum to host for just two months, with some promo work to be done in November, and…I couldn’t turn it down. That money will pay off several of your debts.”
They both stared at me with dumbfounded expressions before my father stood and made his way around the island toward me.
“Kipton, it’s not your job to figure out a way for us to get out of debt.”
I was about to argue when he kept going.
“Nor is the debt your fault.”
Standing, I looked at my beloved father. He was still so handsome. At forty-nine, his hair was liberally sprinkled with gray. He was fit because he worked out every day, and the warmth in his pale blue eyes always made me feel safe and loved.
“Daddy, I know…but I don’t have to think it’s my fault to want to help. This is easy money. All I have to do is host, and besides, it’s something to add to my résumé, so there’s that.”
He shook his head. “What about school? You said it was for two months.”
“There are some days in November, but I’m not worried about those. Then a few more weeks before and after winter break that I’ll have to study remotely. But I already talked to my advisor, and all of my classes already offer online learning, so I’m golden there.”
It was my mother’s turn to walk over to me. “A dating show, though, Kipton? I thought you hated stuff like The Bachelor.”
“I never said I hated it. And besides, this isn’t the same.”
I spent the next few minutes explaining to my parents what the show was about and how it would work. Mom started to make up a small charcuterie board for us to snack on while my father asked a million-and-one questions about Swipe Right.
