CHAPTERFORTY-FIVE
Snow
We follow behind Austin and his date.
“She turned up her nose already,” Shane whispers.
“I know Austin caught that,” Silas mutters.
“He’s not stupid,” I say, shaking my head.
“He’s not,” Axel agrees as we climb up on the fence and take a seat.
And the entertainment begins.
Casey slips on a cowpie and falls face-first onto another. Austin does help her up and wipe her off. I’m sure she smells to high heaven. But ever the gentleman, Austin doesn’t comment.
But she sure does wail about her shoes.
“Who wears heels on a farm?” Axel asks, making a face. “What kind of show did she think she was coming on?”
“She must not have read the description or watched the show. She thought this was a different kind of dating show.”
“She’s still crying,” Afton notes.
And she is. Austin lays down a blanket and she misses, sitting on another cowpie. And then a cow approaches from behind and tries to eat her hair.
“Holy. Shit.” Literally.
Shane shrugs. “It does look like hay.”
“Get it off,” Casey cries. “Why did you bring me out here? This is torture.”
“I live on a farm. This is a family farm. You’ll be covered in cow dung a lot if you’re with me,” Austin states calmly.
“I didn’t think this would be what I was getting into, but I went along with it for a while. You’re crazy.” She picks up the cow dung and flings it at Austin, who doesn’t even flinch.
“Yikes,” Silas hisses.
Casey tries to storm off but can’t because her heels keep sticking in the mud. And then, the sky opens up and pours.
“My hair,” the girl wails, just as both cows and goats approach her and try to eat her hair.
“Oh, God, make it stop.” Axel is laughing so hard, he can barely breathe. Even Sal is chuckling—something he hardly ever does.
“That was epic.” Silas nods as Austin strolls up.
“Guess you won’t see her in the morning,” I tell him.
“Good for me. The rain will be a plus for tomorrow.”
He’s right. The contestants will hate it. And they’ll be muddy and wet.
“Guess we should set the net up now before it gets worse,” Silas grumbles.
“It’s what you get paid to do.” Shane snorts.
“I don’t get paid to do this,” he snaps.