The Bull Rider's Manager

by Lynn Collins

  A sound caught her attention. Running water. Someone was in the shower. Her shower. She froze. What had happened after the bar? She vaguely remembered kissing Hunter. Long passionate kisses in the back of the limo, hands running all over her body. And then they’d come to her room.

  She stretched out her arms like a cat waking from a long, summer nap. Something sparkled on her hand, catching her attention. A ring.

  She sat straight up and stared at her hand. A diamond ring on her left hand. What had they done? She stared at the bathroom door. Sex with Hunter, although it was probably had been amazing, if she could remember it, was one thing. But marrying the guy? That just went to crazy, koo koo land.

  “Breathe,” she said to herself. “Let’s look at the facts. One, you both were pretty wasted last night. Two, there’s a ring on your finger. And three…” She stopped her list and took the deep breath she’d been telling herself to take. “And three, there’s someone in your freaking shower.”

  She threw herself back down on the bed, covering herself with the covers. Instantly, she regretted the quick movement as her head pounded out the beat of an Elvis tune. “Blue Hawaii,” maybe? A memory from last night hit her – Elvis had married them. And then sang “Love Me Tender” with a melody mix. The guy had actually been kind of good from what Barb could remember.

  Married. She was married. Again. She really had to stop coming to Vegas. Kevin had tricked her into her first marriage, but this one she had no one to blame but herself. And the tequila.

  A knock sounded on her door. Crap, room service? Had Hunter ordered breakfast? She pulled on sweat shorts and a tee shirt. “I’m coming,” she called to the door. She pulled her hair back into a clip she found on the dresser and grabbed up her discarded clothing from the floor. Hunter must have gathered his clothing up before he’d gone into the bathroom.

  “Idiot,” she whispered to the woman staring at her in the mirror. Sleeping with a sponsor was bad. With a potential sponsor, worse. And marrying one? That was just off the charts stupid. Now they’d pussyfoot around each other the rest of the weekend and when Hunter went back home, she’d be toast. The guy had too much class to sponsor the clients of the one-night stand slut he’d just slept with. “Stupid.”

  She went to the door and swung it open. Not even looking at the busboy she said, “Come on in, let me find my purse.”

  “You don’t have to tip me.” Hunter chuckled. “It’s just coffee.”

  She turned back. There in the hallway stood Hunter Martin with a carafe of coffee and two cups. But if he was in the hallway, who in the world was in her shower?

  He walked into the room. “You look like hell. You didn’t have to match me shot for shot. I’ve had a lot of experience with tequila.”

  She sank into the couch, words escaping her.

  He sat the carafe down on the coffee table and poured a steaming cup of coffee. Handing it to her, he poured a second cup and sat down. Hunter watched her, not saying anything. Finally, he grinned. “You’re not a morning person, are you? I figured we needed to talk about what happened last night.”

  “Sorry, I’m just preoccupied. Maybe we could meet for lunch?” Barb sat her cup on the table and stood, hoping Hunter would get the hint. She didn’t know what or whom she’d done last night after coming back to the hotel, but she was afraid she was going to find out. As soon as that bathroom door opened.

  “Sit down. I’d like to talk about the contract. You know I wasn’t in the pro sponsorship camp before this trip, but I’m beginning to see the advantages. I just have a few questions. And we need to make some decisions.” Hunter sipped his coffee, waiting for her to sit.

  “That’s great!” Barb took a step toward the door. “Let me get dressed and I’ll meet you downstairs in the coffee shop and we can talk.”

  Hunter shook his head and stood. “Okay prima donna, you have ten minutes to shower and get downstairs.”

  Barb smiled. “I’ll be there.” She walked toward the door. As her hand reached out to grasp the knob, a voice came from the now open bathroom door.

  “Hey Barbie? I hope you don’t mind I used your shampoo. I forgot mine again.” Jesse Sullivan stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair with one of the expensive towels, in a pair of jeans and nothing else. “Oops, sorry, I didn’t know you had company.”

  Hunter turned and looked at Barb. She felt the blood run out of her face. She couldn’t explain why a man was in her shower, especially Jesse.

  “Jesse Sullivan.” Jesse held his hand out to Hunter. “You must be the sponsor Barb’s been so excited about. You’re in the cattle business right?”

  “Dairy.” Hunter shook Jesse’s hand. Then looked at Barb. “We missed you at the airport yesterday.”

  “What can I say, I’m bad at making connections.” He sat on the couch flipping the towel over his shoulder. “Cool, coffee.” Jesse took a big swig, then looked up at Hunter and Barb. “Was this someone’s?” He held the cup up to Barb, then Hunter.

  “No, I was just leaving.” Hunter took a step to the doorway.

  “I’ll be downstairs in a few minutes.” Barb followed him to the doorway.

  “I forgot—I won’t be able to meet you. I’m heading to the airport. They need me back in Boise.” Hunter refused to meet Barb’s gaze.

  “On a Saturday?” Barb crossed her arms. The guy was bailing on her. Just because he’d found Jesse in her room. Okay, so it sounded bad when she thought it too. She reached out to touch Hunter’s arm. “Look, just give me a second to clear this up. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

  Hunter laughed; the sound hollow. “There’s no chance of that, Barb. I’ll just have my attorney call and get this cleaned up.”

  Barb froze. She watched Hunter walk out the door, slamming it just a little too loud.

  “Jeez, he’s in a bad mood. What’d you do to him last night? Say no?” Jesse was leaned up on the couch, one arm draped along the back.

  Barb focused on the shut door and blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall. Hunter Martin was just a potential sponsor. Nothing more, nothing less.

  Then why did she feel like part of her heart had just walked out the door with him?

  She took a deep breath and turned on Jesse. “What are you doing in my hotel room? In my shower?”

  Jesse shrugged. “By the time I got in this morning, they’d let my room go for last night. I told them we were together and the bell boy let me in. We tried to call, but boy, you sleep hard. Have a little mojo juice last night?”

  “Tequila.” Barb sank into the couch and took the cup from Jesse, finishing her coffee.

  “With that Hunter guy,” Jesse prodded.

  Barb nodded but the movement made her head feel like it was going to split open. She curled her legs up underneath her. “We went to dinner, then the limo was late, so we had a few shots.”

  “Unreliable limo driver. I haven’t used that ploy in a long time.” Jesse took the cup Hunter had left and poured more coffee in both their cups.

  “Ploy? You think it was a trick to get me drunk?” Barb grimaced.

  “Did you wear that black dress of yours? With the do-me heels?”

  When Barb nodded, Jesse laughed. “Of course, it was a ploy. Barbie, I love you like a sister but when you wear that outfit, even I want to sleep with you.”

  Barb kicked her foot at him but Jesse was too fast and grabbed her ankle. “Don’t take your frustrations out on me. So since he wasn’t in the room when I showed up, I guess you came to your senses and said no?”

  Barb thought about last night. She remembered sitting in the bar, laughing. She remembered kissing Hunter – hot, passionate kisses. She remembered stripping her clothes off and falling onto the bed, and then she remembered Hunter gently covering her up with the sheet and kissing her on the forehead. “He tucked me in and then said he’d be back with coffee in the morning.”

  “So you didn’t sleep with him.” Jesse rubbed her foot.

 
“No, I think I married him. But now that he found you in my shower, he probably thinks I slept with you instead.”

  Jesse seemed to ponder that thought. “Could be true.” He leaned around her to check his hair in the mirror. “Wait? You married him?”

  “You have to tell him we didn’t sleep together.” Barb pulled her foot out of Jesse’s hand, wincing at the too quick movement.

  “I don’t kiss and tell.” Jesse got serious for a second. “Are you joking with me? Did you really marry the guy?”

  “I think so.” She held her hand out for Jesse to see the ring.

  “He’s got good taste. How are you going to keep him from divorcing you now that we’ve done the nasty?”

  “But we didn’t.” Barb threw a pillow at him.

  Jesse let out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine, I’ll tell him our relationship is purely platonic. But don’t expect me to tell anyone else. I’m seen as a rodeo god with a hot chick for a manager.”

  “Jesse Sullivan, you better not be telling people we’re sleeping together.” Barb narrowed her eyes at her bull rider.

  “I’ve never said that. But I can’t be held responsible for what other people think.” Jesse smiled. “Especially when it comes to me and you.”

  “Idiot,” Hunter muttered.

  The hotel clerk looked at him, eyes wide. “I’m sorry, sir, sometimes these computers take a little time to finish the process.”

  “No, I mean, I’m sorry, I was talking about myself.” Hunter shook his head.

  The young girl at the desk frowned, her hand hovering near the phone, ready to call security if this crazy man tried something.

  Hunter put on his marketing smile. “You ever give your heart away too early in a relationship?”

  The girl’s shoulders dropped and she nodded. Grabbing the printout from the printer under the counter, she gave him a pen to sign the bill. She smiled up at him. “All the time.”

  Hunter signed the paper, took his copy, and folded it into his jacket pocket. He nodded to the clerk. “Then I’m in good company.”

  “I hope the rest of your weekend goes better.” The girl said. “Too bad you’re leaving so soon. The rodeo’s in town. That’s always a good time.”

  Unless Barb Carico was in the same town with Jesse Sullivan. Hunter smiled at the girl and headed to the taxi stand. He’d called the airport and there was a flight to Boise later this afternoon. He could have stayed in his hotel room, but once he’d seen Jesse crawl out of Barb’s shower, he didn’t want to be in the same town as the creep, let alone the same hotel. Jesse had taken advantage of a very drunk Barb that Hunter had gently poured into her bed last night, untouched.

  And from the look on Barb’s face when she first saw him in the hallway, she hadn’t known whom she’d slept with last night. She must have figured Hunter was the one taking a shower when he’d knocked on her door.

  If he hadn’t been a complete and utter gentleman last night, he could have been that man. He was her husband after all. At least until his lawyer could get this mistake annulled. But he hadn’t wanted to take advantage of the oh so drunk Barb, even though their chemistry and her kisses shot him from zero to sixty in one touch. He’d wanted her. And from the way she’d kissed him, the feelings were mutual.

  So why was Jesse in her hotel room right now instead of him?

  “Because you’re an idiot,” he said again. This time, no one was around to hear him. He waved down a taxi, shoved his bag into the trunk, and slipped into the back seat. “Airport.”

  The cabbie nodded and Hunter leaned back on the seat, not looking at the hotel disappearing from view.

  Four p.m. and Hunter was on his fifth cup of coffee. He’d picked at a lunch he’d bought at one of the chain restaurants in the airport, not wanting to eat, but he didn’t have anything else to do. His plane didn’t leave for another two hours. He’d bought a book at the gift shop, picking up Kati a stuffed horse with Las Vegas stitched on the blanket. Kati was horse crazy and already taking riding lessons. He’d thought she’d want ballet or piano, but when he asked, all she’d wanted was her own horse and saddle. At seven, the girl was focused and determined. And slow to smile. But when she rode, her face relaxed and she really, truly smiled.

  He’d been right to put Kati first. The girl needed stability. Not women traipsing in and out of his life. Especially women like Barb whose job took her out of town every weekend and into hotel rooms with Jesse Sullivan.

  And there he was again. Thinking about the scene this morning. He stood up and threw his cup into a trash can and started walking the row of shops, not looking at anything, just walking. When he glanced at his watch again, take off was less than an hour away. He headed back to his gate.

  Coming up on the row of chairs in front of the windows, he saw a woman with red, curly hair sitting in one of the rows, talking on the phone. From the back, it looked like Barb. But why would she be here, waiting for his plane? They didn’t let non-passengers through the security gate anymore. They hadn’t for years. So it was another red haired woman flying to Boise. He relaxed. Now he was jumping at shadows.

  He took a seat in the row facing the woman, just to convince himself he was crazy. He listened as she said, “You better make your ride tomorrow. I’m trusting you. And if you run into Adam, show him some of that Sullivan charm. He’s had a bad weekend.”

  He’d known it. Barb was sitting across from him, giving Jesse the riot act. He smiled – at least she tried to have her man under control. Of course, sleeping with her client probably gave her more power than he knew.

  Something grabbed his heart and squeezed while he watched her. His wife. Jesse’s lover.

  Barb ended her call, tucked the cell into her purse, and looked right at him. Surprise filled her eyes.

  “Hunter. I thought you left this morning?” she asked, her lips tight.

  Hunter took in a breath, filtered all the things he wanted to say, and finally just answered her question. “This was the first plane out.”

  “I called your room. I wanted to explain. But the front desk said you checked out before noon.” Barb glanced around the waiting area. “You’ve been here since you left the hotel?”

  Hunter felt himself redden. He would look like a spurned schoolboy if he said yes, but she knew when he’d checked out, so lying wasn’t an option. He chose a safe response. “I had some work to finish and its quiet here.”

  Barb glanced at his feet and he realized he didn’t have a briefcase or laptop or even that tablet his secretary had bought him last year. Great, now she knew he was a liar.

  “Oh.”

  That was all she was going to say? Oh? Hunter went on the defensive. “Why are you here and not with Jesse?”

  The look on her face told him he’d scored with his jab. Pain crossed her eyes but her words surprised him. “My mother fell. She’s been rushed to the hospital and is in surgery, but they won’t tell me anything else. I have to get home.” Barb choked on the words.

  “Oh, Barb, I’m so sorry.” Now he felt like a total jerk.

  He slipped into the chair next to her. And to his surprise, Barb Carico Martin turned and put her head on his shoulder and sobbed.

  He pulled her close, stroking her hair. Comforting her. Telling her it would be all right. The same words he’d told Kati when he’d found her alone with her babysitter and had to tell her that her parents were dead. When even he knew, nothing would be alright again.

  4

  Sitting in the Denver airport, Barb glanced at her watch again. There was no way she’d get into Boise before two in the morning now that their plane had been delayed once again. And she’d turned in her rental car yesterday morning before leaving for Vegas, since her plan had been to head back to her condo in California to water the plants and feed her cat. She pulled up her cell, checking again for missed calls.

  Cassie was probably home in bed. Her mother had come out of surgery with no issues. Cassie had still been at the hospital when Barb had called
after landing in Denver. The doctor had already come and gone by that point, and even though she trusted Cassie’s version of the story, she would have liked to talk to him to make sure they understood her mother’s condition. To say that Lorraine would be confused when she came out of the anesthesia would be an understatement. Or, Barb hoped, maybe she’d have a good day. You just never knew with her mother anymore.

  “Here.”

  A large paper cup floated in front of her. The smell of dark, deep coffee with a touch of chocolate filled her senses. The comfort it gave her was so overwhelming, she almost cried. Shaking her head, she took the cup. Crying over coffee. What was wrong with her? She didn’t dare glance at Hunter for fear he’d see the tears in her eyes. “Thanks,” she muttered.

  She felt him slip into the seat next to her, the heat coming off his body like a blast furnace. Or that pottery kiln her mom had bought ten years ago when she’d fallen into the ceramic craze for a few months. Her mom had been the fun mom in high school. Lizzie and Barb had known if they wanted a little independence or craziness, they went to Barb’s house after school. If they wanted to be fed, they went to Lizzie’s. Remembering Lizzie’s Betty Crocker mom lead Barb to remember how she’d died of cancer. Then she started hyperventilating thinking about losing her own mom.

  “Hey, slow down. It’s going to be fine.” Hunter took the cup of coffee away from her and sat it on the built-in table between them.

  “I know. I just keep thinking about how she used to be.” Barb smiled as she slowed her breathing. “Anything I wanted to do, she’d support me. Want to learn to ride? Here’s a horse. Want to take ballet? We’ll drive into Boise once a week for lessons. The woman was an amazing mom.”

  “She is an amazing mom,” Hunter corrected.