Page 15 of Grimm County Wishes (Grimm County Lawmen #4)

“ Y ou’ll have a series of group dates with one-on-ones mixed in.

At the end of each date, Shane, our host, will pull you away to set up for the night’s elimination.

We’re calling it the arraignment. Get it?

” Lindsey snorted as she looked up from her laptop.

She was the show’s producer and apparently a genius at reality shows, having already won three Emmys.

“I guess,” Al said, cocking his head to the side. “That’s usually when a suspect pleads guilty or innocent. I’m not sure it totally fits for a contestant elimination.”

Lindsey waved her hands in the air. “It’s fine. The average viewer won’t care. They just need to hear keywords they’re familiar with from Law and Order or C.S.I . Also, we aren’t using the term contestants. They are women of interest.”

Jeannie’s leg bounced under the table, drawing his attention.

She was seated next to him in a tight-fitting blouse that matched her blue eyes and a pair of ripped jeans that showed glimpses of her gorgeous legs.

Was she nervous? Although she had gone to New York to work on the show, there were probably a lot of new faces in the room.

He slid his leg against hers, offering his silent support.

Her breath hitched, and her body froze. He itched to do more, to reach under the table and stroke her thigh until she relaxed.

“For the ones you want to keep,” Lindsey continued, oblivious to the scene playing out under the table, “you’ll hand them an evidence card.

” Lindsey’s eyes lit up and she lowered her voice, “‘Will you accept this evidence of attraction?’” She snickered as she pushed her glasses up her nose. “I crack myself up with this stuff.”

Al rubbed his hand across his forehead. “That doesn’t make sense.” His eyes darted to Jeannie, who was taking notes again, but without the bouncing leg.

“Oh really?” Lindsey asked. “Which part?”

“Women of interest? That’s just, well, forget it. It’s fine.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But as a deputy, I wouldn’t ask someone to accept evidence. That’s for the district attorney. They present evidence to a judge or jury—not to a person of interest, and never at an arraignment.”

Lindsey rolled her eyes. “And the T-Rex didn’t live during the Jurassic period, but everyone overlooks that because Cretaceous Park doesn’t have the same ring to it. ‘Will you accept this evidence of attraction’ will be the hot new catchphrase, just you wait and see. ”

Al took a deep breath and nodded. He’d always wanted his own catch phrase. “I guess that’ll work. What do I tell the girl I’m sending home?”

Jeannie straightened in her chair but didn’t move her leg from his. “This one’s my favorite.” With her hand over her heart and sad puppy dog eyes, she said, “I’m sorry, but there’s no evidence of attraction. Your case has been dismissed.”

Al laughed. “Okay, that is pretty good. I’ll have to practice so I can say it with a straight face.” A throat cleared at the end of the table, drawing their attention to the show’s host.

“If I might offer a suggestion?” Shane smiled, showing off his vibrantly white teeth. “I practice all my lines in the shower. Well, when I’m alone, of course,” he said, winking at Jeannie.

The fuck did he just say?

Jeannie’s laugh interrupted his angry thoughts. “Then I guess you practice all the time.”

“Feel free to come and check. It’s a big shower. There’s always room for one more.”

Jeannie fanned herself and grinned. “Ahh, my teenage fantasy come to life. A hot shower scene with Shane Ashton.”

“Trust me, baby, I only got better with age. ”

Al slammed his water bottle on the table, and everyone jumped. “Are we done here? I need to get back to work.” He didn’t. He’d taken a few days off to get the show started, but he was done. He felt a bump against his leg and looked over to see Jeannie tapping the word “Chill” on her notepad.

“Just a few more things,” Lindsey continued.

“Filming starts tomorrow. We’ll bring the women to the beach house where they’ll stay for the duration.

Wear your tux. You’ll have a couple of hours to meet the ladies, and then you’ll sit with Shane and talk about your feelings.

The dates will start the following day. Any questions? Concerns?”

“Nope,” Al said, hoping his smile looked genuine.

“Great. We’ll see you all tomorrow. Oh and, Al, remember, as of this moment, you are a single man.

If you are seen with anyone outside of the women of interest, you can guarantee someone will take a picture and post it online.

That will tank the show’s credibility and put us dead in the water.

Which is a huge problem. I’ve got a toddler at home that refuses to potty train. Do you know how expensive diapers are?”

“Uh, not really.”

“Well trust me, they are. So don’t fuck this up. Plus, production will hit you with a fine and you’ll lose that big payday. ”

“Don’t worry, Lindsey,” Jeannie said, crossing her legs and removing herself from his touch. “I made sure to put all the side chicks on notice when we signed up.”

“The fuck are you talking about, Jeannie?” Seriously, what was she talking about? He didn’t have any side chicks. Unless she was talking about herself. But Jeannie was never a side chick. She could have been the chick, but she didn’t want to.

Jeannie gave him a pointed look. “Any woman you’ve been involved with recently knows what’s at stake, and knows that if she cares about you, she needs to stay away.”

“That’s perfect, Jeannie. So glad we have you on board.

” Lindsey stood up and slid the laptop into her bag.

“And don’t be so hard on her, Al. She’s only looking out for you.

Besides, there are ten-ish women of interest headed your way.

We don’t judge, so feel free to use them to scratch any itches early and often.

Honestly, it’s better for us if you do. All that drama is great for ratings. ”

“Ten-ish?” What the fresh hell did that mean?

“Oh now, Al. We do have to leave a few surprises. It makes for better TV.”

Al closed his eyes and drew in a deep sigh. “Whatever, but you’ll have to find that drama somewhere else. I’m no prude, but I won’t hurt my future fiancée by sleeping my way across the screen. ”

“Jesus, Al.” Lindsey flopped back into her seat and pulled her laptop back out and began typing.

“That was perfect, exactly what America wants to hear from their favorite deputy. I’m making a note. We’ll need you to repeat that in your interviews.”

“They all talk a good game in the beginning,” Shane began with a smirk. “But after a few days surrounded by beautiful women begging for your attention, you’ll sing a different tune. They always do.” He walked out of the room with a wave.

“Asshole,” Al muttered, waiting as Jeannie gathered her belongings and stuffed them into a messenger bag.

“Maybe he’s right. He’s hosted a couple of these types of shows. And I helped pick the women. They are beautiful and already in love with you.”

“That’s because they haven’t met me,” he muttered.

“What did you say?” Jeannie asked.

“Nothing.” He glared at her, his frustration peaking. “You want me to kiss and fuck around, then I’ll kiss and fuck around.”

“I didn’t say that!” She held his angry gaze and he saw the same torment in her eyes that had been in his every day since the wedding. She sighed and looked down at her lap. “I think you should do whatever feels natural in the moment. ”

“Is that so?” he asked, reaching over to brush a stray hair from her face. “In that case—”

A throat cleared from across the room and Jeannie jumped back, nearly tripping over her chair.

“Everything okay over there?” Lindsey asked, her eyes narrowing as she removed her glasses.

“Yes!” Jeannie practically shouted. “All good. Just giving Al a few tips on wooing the ladies.” Al’s chest tightened, hating how easily she dismissed their moment.

Lindsey nodded. “Just don’t practice too much. Remember, this is supposed to be unscripted TV.” She laughed as she walked out of the conference room, leaving them alone.

Jeannie looked at him, her eyes filled with sadness. “Al, I—”

He held up a hand. “It’s fine. Let’s just go home.”