The Farmer's Perfect Match Read online

  ‘Glad to hear it. But there’s a big difference between loving an idea and living the reality.’

  What could she say to that? It was true. And the drama it would provide when the girls arrived was what Perfect Mate was depending on to keep its prospective TV audience tuned in week after week. That and the inevitable emotional interplay of the characters.

  ‘Don’t go selling yourself short, Adam. There’s something very appealing about fresh air and space and a simple lifestyle.’

  His responding smile warmed her. ‘It’s nice to have someone appreciate my little bolthole here.’ Then his handsome features sobered. ‘But I’m just facing facts.’

  She let the rim of the glass of water linger at her mouth as she examined the man across from her. This farmer was proving to be an intriguing character, the ideal choice for this, their debut series. Perceptive. Charming. Add to that the eye-candy quotient and he was the ideal package for their project. A project that could make or break her.

  Which was why she had to ignore this ridiculous attraction, why she could not let herself get distracted. Even if everything about this handsome farmer made her weak at the knees. She didn’t do good-looking and charming. Once bitten …

  So nothing was going to happen between them. End of story. She was a woman on a mission: to prove herself following that rather unfortunate lapse in professional judgement of twelve months ago. Her mundane life as a production assistant on Sunup was the price she’d had to pay to keep a job at the station at all. Only her father’s grudging intervention in his capacity as a producer at WAB had prevented her from being sacked outright.

  She cringed inwardly, reminded of the embarrassment of it all, but refused to let negativity take hold. Things were definitely looking up for her. With Perfect Mate being a Ewan Sinclair Production, Neil Blake had had to get her dad’s okay on her involvement in the series. The fact that he’d agreed to it had to be a positive. And now, not only would she be working with her mentor, but she’d be learning firsthand about editing in the field.

  This was her best career opportunity yet. She couldn’t afford to screw up. Not again.

  Adam lifted his glass of water in a toast. ‘Here’s to the next seven weeks.’

  Evie smiled and clinked her glass against his. ‘The next seven weeks.’

  Eyes on the prize, she reminded herself with a soft sigh. The job is what this is all about.

  * * *

  Whenever Evie wasn’t eyeing him directly with that intent way she had about her, Adam studied her in return. Hopefully without her being aware of it. She was so engagingly unselfconscious, the last thing he wanted was to disrupt the ease that had developed so naturally between them.

  ‘Any questions for me?’ The knack she had of coming to the point was something he could get used to.

  He wanted to ask her about herself—where she called home, if she had a boyfriend—but found himself saying something else instead. ‘How’d you get this job?’

  ‘My usual role is behind the scenes on the station’s morning show. This gig’s different. It’s my first reality series.’ The self-satisfied grin left him in no doubt as to how she felt about that. ‘I’ve never interviewed anyone before.’

  ‘Well, I’ve never been interviewed, so I guess we’re even.’

  ‘We’ll work it out. Courtesy of Neil, the boss, I got a quick lesson on interview technique on the plane up here.’

  ‘Left that a little late, didn’t you?’

  ‘This was a last-minute job for me, and I mean last-minute.’ Her hazel eyes lit up with enthusiasm as she talked. ‘I only found out I had it a couple of days ago. The guy I’m replacing had some sort of family emergency and Neil said I was the first person he thought of to take his place.’

  ‘So you haven’t met the girls? The contestants?’

  She shook her head, setting her long ponytail swaying. ‘No. And even if I had I couldn’t give away any inside info.’

  ‘I’m willing to beg.’ He gave her his best hangdog look.

  She laughed her deep-throated laugh, as sexy as her husky voice, and his reaction was instant and unstoppable. He shifted in his chair. It’d been over a month since he’d been this close to a woman, and even then it had been the girls at the retirement home. The pinpricks of sexual awareness stabbing at his groin were inevitable; he was a man, Evie was a woman. If there was one thing he’d learned living out here it was that there was no denying Nature.

  A resigned sigh escaped. Problem was, this particular woman was not meant for him. He’d signed a contract to actively pursue an exclusive relationship—possibly resulting in a marriage proposal—with one of the two women arriving here in a few days, and he was nothing if not a man of his word.

  Still, he couldn’t believe his luck, getting to spend the next seven weeks with someone as friendly and gorgeous as Evie. It was her vitality that took her beyond attractive and right on up to beautiful. Although, those sparkling hazel eyes and the generous mouth turned up in a constant smile, yeah, well, they helped too.

  A spin-off from her gung-ho enthusiasm might mean that she attacked her job with all the subtlety of a great white shark, but he could appreciate her motives. Nothing like passion for your work. He knew all about that. His job was his life.

  ‘So, no heads-up about what they’re like?’

  ‘Only stuff you’d know already. That from the questionnaire you and the prospective contestants filled out, the production team narrowed it down to two girls. One who matches what you said you’re looking for, basically someone with the same interests, and another who’s your complete opposite. Although both share your relationship values.’

  ‘Won’t my supposedly perfect mate have a distinct advantage?’

  ‘Not necessarily. Once you meet these women, get to know them, you might decide a partner who brings an unexpected quality to the relationship is what you’re actually looking for.’

  She made it sound so simple but unease prickled his spine. This was his life they were talking about, and right about now the decision to put his future in the hands of strangers was real in a way it hadn’t been before today.

  Every time he’d got to thinking about why he had taken up his mother’s nomination of him for the show, he’d managed to rationalise it. This job he lived for necessitated an isolated existence, and an opportunity to bring women here might be the only way he’d ever meet a partner. He was a red-blooded, thirty-year-old Aussie male who wanted—needed—a family to call his own. If he didn’t meet someone soon, May might not ever get to see the grandchildren she so desperately wanted.

  Added to that was an unbearable emptiness that seemed to be eating at him lately, carving a great aching void inside. A hollowness that had him wondering at times if it was possible to wither and die from sheer loneliness.

  But now that his involvement in the show was a reality he didn’t know what to feel or think, other than wishing fervently that someone else was in these boots. Unsure how to put his oversupply of concerns into words, he sat and tapped his thumbs. When he looked up, Evie was quizzing him with those arresting hazel eyes.

  ‘You having second thoughts?’ she asked.

  Had he been that easy to read? ‘No … yeah … I don’t know. Maybe.’

  She gave him a soft smile. ‘You sure about that?’

  The attempt at a laugh strangled in his throat.

  ‘You know,’ she went on, ‘I reckon you’d be nuts if you weren’t worried. This is a big deal and the ramifications for you are enormous.’

  He nodded. There she went again, coming straight to the point. And making sense.

  ‘But—’ she leaned forward in her chair, ‘—the payoff is finding the girl of your dreams. That’s got to be worth a little soul-searching and tribulation, right?’

  Suddenly he was acutely aware of a thrill of anticipation pulsing through his veins. For the next few weeks he’d have a houseful of people staying with him and, after living alone for the last two years, having
company twenty-four-seven could be … fun. He slowly nodded agreement.

  ‘So what’s your biggest worry?’ she asked.

  Biggest worry? Where did he start? Expressing feelings had never come easy.

  ‘Living way out here, I …’ He stopped. Working things out in your head and speaking aloud at the same time was damn difficult. He tried to regroup. ‘Like I said before, women are scarce out here, so I haven’t had a … a lot to do with females, especially over the last couple of years.’

  She raised a questioning eyebrow.

  That hadn’t come out like he’d intended. Geez, what must she be thinking?

  ‘Don’t get me wrong, I—I’ve dated girls in town,’ he stammered, anxious to assure her he wasn’t totally clueless. ‘But I’ve never felt …’ He paused and coughed. ‘I guess I’m worried about how I’ll figure out who to choose.’

  Her face softened. ‘You’ll work it out as you get to know them.’ There was reassurance in the voice, encouragement in her eyes.

  She sounded so certain he was almost convinced. But that wasn’t all that worried him.

  ‘What if I’m not attracted to either of them?’

  The shake of her shoulders was immediate and dismissive. ‘I’ve seen photos. You’ll be attracted, trust me.’

  He was more intrigued than offended by her words. ‘Do I really come across as that shallow? Only interested in looks?’

  She flashed him an apologetic look. ‘I didn’t mean to imply that.’

  ‘What did you mean then?’

  Her eyes flared. ‘There isn’t a man I know who doesn’t adore a beautiful woman.’ She shrugged her slim shoulders. ‘Fascination with physical beauty. It’s the way the world works.’ There was absolute certainty in her voice.

  ‘You believe being physically attractive somehow equates with … what? Some sort of right to be loved?’

  She nodded. ‘In my experience.’

  He heard the tight rein she held on her voice, sensed the inner tension radiating from her, as subtle as the traces of her flowery scent. The seriousness was telling. She’d been hurt.

  ‘If that’s your experience, I guess I’m a little different to every man you know.’

  Her quiet gaze was incisive. ‘Maybe you are.’ Then she stiffened, as if she hadn’t meant to speak out loud. ‘Anything else worrying you?’

  He twirled the hat in his hand. There was something gnawing at his mind. ‘What if I like them both?’

  ‘You signed a contract to pursue a relationship with one girl for three months, for a follow-up show to be done. Choosing one over the other might be difficult, but it’s essential to the program.’

  He took a deep breath. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. What if I can’t do it?”

  Her hesitation was momentary. ‘Let’s not worry about that now. You’re going to have the time of your life.’

  She reached out and her warm fingers made contact with his forearm.

  Zzzzt!

  A jolt of sensation, a mind-dazzling shock of awareness. He breathed in sharply. She jerked her arm back like it had been scorched, her face as stunned as his must be.

  Not just him then.

  Silence reigned.

  ‘Static electricity out here is something else,’ she said, finally.

  Wordlessly he waited for the hammering of his heart to subside, a burning eagerness for more of the same still pulsing through his veins.

  ‘Wicked,’ he managed.

  She laughed again, a low-toned chime. ‘In the Garden of Eden?’

  ‘That’s where it all started, isn’t it?’

  Her mouth widened again. ‘So they say. Any more questions?’

  Just one. A niggling doubt clawing its way up out of his subconscious where he’d hoped it had been laid to rest years ago.

  He stood, suddenly restless. Tried to swallow, found a lump in his throat. Did he really want to go there? No. But he needed to ask. And if he hid behind flippancy, then her answer might not be as frightening.

  He forced himself to smile. ‘What if neither of them like me?’

  Was his forced casualness as obvious to her as it was to him? He shoved his clenched fists into his pockets.

  She stared at him, blinking several times, as if his words didn’t make sense to her. ‘Are you kidding? You’re a good-looking guy, Adam.’

  He shrugged off the flattery. ‘I’m not fishing for compliments. These girls might not subscribe to your theory that looks alone make someone attractive.’

  ‘True. But you’re also a sweetie. And,’ she smiled as she gestured out at the sweeping panorama of the unspoilt coastline, ‘you live in Paradise. What more could a girl want?’

  Simple praise but, coming from this woman, he’d give a lot to believe it meant something. That she wasn’t just being nice because it was her job to keep him happy.

  Her scent wrapped around him, the thrill of her proximity throbbing in his veins. She liked him. Thought he was sweet. And while there was no way he’d act on his undeniable attraction to her, if someone as lovely as Evie Sinclair believed he was worthy of being loved, there might just be some hope for him yet.

  In spite of what he knew to be the truth.

  CHAPTER

  2

  March 12

  Transcript: Interview with Adam Armstrong

  Location: Veranda

  (Start interview)

  Adam: Are you taping already? Where’s Cam?

  Evie: He set up the gear then went off to get location shots. All I had to do was press that button.

  Adam: You wouldn’t even know it’s going.

  Evie: Yeah, it’s pretty unobtrusive. Okay, I’ll start with some easy questions.

  Adam: (Worried look) Why don’t I believe you?

  Evie: This is that small talk you asked for, to get the ball rolling.

  Adam: (Guarded nod) Okay.

  Evie: Who’s your favourite singer?

  Adam: Keith Urban.

  Evie: Favourite actor?

  Adam: Russell Crowe.

  Evie: Favourite movie?

  Adam: Gladiator.

  Evie: What particularly appealed to you about that movie?

  Adam: (Shrugs) The story.

  Evie: Come on Adam, we discussed this. Full sentences, please.

  Adam: (Guarded expression/wriggling/long silence) Um … I guess I liked the way Maximus found that strength inside himself to carry on … despite everything he cared for being ripped away.

  Evie: Good! Keep it up.

  Adam: (Relieved look) Really? Phew.

  Evie: Let’s talk about your job.

  Adam: (Instant grin) Has to be the best job in the world. I live by the beach. Spend every day in the open air. I’m my own boss.

  Evie: Great. Tell us what you actually do.

  Adam: Essentially I’m a farmer, an underwater farmer. On my pearl farm I help Mother Nature produce beautiful, perfectly round gems.

  Evie: I didn’t realise she needed help.

  Adam: (Animated speech) Oh yeah. Natural pearls are often small and oddly shaped. Buyers look for flawlessness in expensive jewellery. Seeded pearls are almost always perfect.

  Evie: Seeded?

  Adam: A tiny bead of mussel shell is placed inside the oyster shell. It causes an irritation that the oyster covers with layers of nacre. That’s the silvery substance pearls are made up of. (Hands demonstrate process)

  Evie: Fascinating.

  Adam: (Passionate response) It is! Wait till I take you out to the pontoon. You’ll see where it all happens.

  Evie: I’m looking forward to it. It’s hard work, yeah?

  Adam: (Nods) It’s not labour-intensive, but it is time-intensive. Paradise Pearls is a one-man operation and the shells need regular cleaning and turning, so I’m pretty much on call every single day.

  Evie: How does a one-man operation compete with the big pearling companies based up here?

  Adam: There are several small operators like me, making a living by sellin
g direct to local jewellers. (Face shining with pride) And I ensure my pearls are top quality.

  Evie: You sound very proud of yourself.

  Adam: (Beaming grin) I am.

  Evie: What are you hoping to gain on a personal level from the next few weeks?

  Adam: (Silence/pensive look) I’m hoping to find a partner … a life partner.

  Evie: So you are genuinely looking for love?

  Adam: (Uncomfortable laugh) I wouldn’t be putting myself through this if I wasn’t.

  Evie: Meghan and Christine arrive in a couple of days. It must be every guy’s dream to have to choose between two gorgeous girls.

  Adam: Don’t know about that. I’d settle for one gorgeous girl who’ll see me for who I am … and like me in spite of it.

  Evie: I don’t think you have any worries there.

  Adam: Really?

  Evie: Really. Describe your perfect woman for me.

  Adam: Perfect woman? Hmm … Legs that just don’t stop. Long, dark hair. Hazel eyes, more green than brown. A few sun kisses across the cheeks.

  Evie: Very funny.

  Adam: What?

  Evie: You just described me.

  Adam: I did? Wow. Maybe you’re my perfect mate?

  Evie: A pity I’m not in the running.

  Adam: Isn’t it.

  Evie: Moving on, what can you offer the woman of your dreams on a personal level?

  Adam: You want me to talk about myself?

  Evie: Uh huh. Describe yourself.

  Adam: A bloke can’t talk about himself like that. I don’t want to come across like I’m full of myself.

  Evie: I’ll start you off. You seem like a genuine, caring, intelligent guy. Repeat those words, then add a couple more of your own.

  Adam: (Rubs hands on legs/embarrassed expression) You’re really putting me on the spot … um … here goes. I’m genuine. I’m caring. I like to think I’ve got a good sense of humour. And I’m a … hard worker. How’s that?

  Evie: It’s a start.

  Adam: (Relieved look)

  Evie: Now I’d like to talk about your family.

  Adam: Why? What’s that got to do with anything? (Fidgeting)