A Cowboy's Fake Fiancée

by Savannah McCarthy

  Nash stared at the wildfire woman, impressed. Heather took a deep breath and then had another sip of her drink.

  “That sounds accurate to me. The only problem is that still doesn’t explain how it’s my fault he hasn’t been able to find work?”

  “Come on,” Heather said, with a stern glance. “You were known for hitting people so hard that it changed the course of their careers. If you hadn’t played like that, my uncle might even be a head coach by now.”

  Nash bit his tongue. “I never played dirty,” he said, clear and low. “I just played fast and hard and relentless. I had to. It’s not my fault some people couldn’t keep up.”

  Heather gazed into his eyes for what seemed like an eternity. It was the longest they had held eye contact since they’d first met, and it made Nash’s skin tingle.

  Heather sighed, “I mean, saying it out loud like that does make blaming you for it all feel kind of ridiculous.” She furrowed her brows. “It’s just that, because of my mom’s disability, she’d always relied on Uncle Ernie to some extent. She was so proud of him, and he always took care of her. Then he stopped getting jobs, then my father died, and my mother felt like her support system was kicked out from under her. I guess she needed someone to blame, someone to hate, and who better to hate than the handsome billionaire football star on TV?”

  “You think I’m handsome?” Nash asked, immediately regretting his levity. Heather was being serious, now was not the time to flirt. “I’m sorry,” he quickly clarified. “Go on.”

  Heather bit her lip and played with her cutlery. “That’s pretty much it, I guess. My mom hated you, so I hated you. Pretty simple. I don’t think either of us ever thought we’d actually end up meeting you, let alone cussing you out in a bar.”

  Nash chuckled.

  “But yeah,” Heather continued. “I feel kind of foolish for that now. I know you’re not the villain people made you out to be, you were just playing football.”

  Nash appreciated her conclusion. “Yeah, but that was part of my problem. I was always just playing football. It’s all I wanted to do. If I had been a bit more responsible, we might have never ended up here.” Nash didn’t say it, but he was glad that his life had led to this moment. Sitting here on this rooftop patio with Heather was bliss, and he didn’t want to be anywhere else.

  “Hey, can I ask you a question?” Heather asked, putting down her cutlery.

  “Shoot.”

  “You’re obviously a talented athlete,” she started, her eyes wandering across his body. “I remember you playing quarterback and running back in high school. No one would have hated you if you’d played those positions. Why’d you choose linebacker? Didn’t you think it might lead to something like this?”

  Nash looked down to his napkin. He’d never told anyone why he’d chosen to play defense over offense. It was no secret that offensive players got all of the glory, but Nash hadn’t wanted glory.

  “My dad died when I was in college,” he started. “I’m sure you’ve heard. Plane crash. I had been struggling to decide on what position to play up until I heard the news. My dad played quarterback. He was the golden boy. Everybody loved him; lavished him with praise every time we went out and about. I always looked up to that; I always wanted to emulate him. But when he died, I was so distraught that I didn’t want anything to do with anybody. I didn’t want a single soul coming up to me on the street and telling me how awesome I was or how they remembered where they were when I’d thrown a certain touchdown pass. I just wanted to be left alone. I was also angry and hurt. So, I decided to move to defense. No one cares about their team’s linebacker unless they make a mistake. I knew I wouldn’t make any mistakes. I used all the pain inside of me and focused it on football. I studied like crazy. I worked out on my own early every morning and late every night, and then, when the new season started, I stepped onto the field and I hit someone, and I felt my pain transfer to them just a little bit. It was addicting. Every hit seemed to bring me closer to numbness and further away from my intense emotions. So, that’s what I did. I hit people. And slowly, I became what people know me as today.” Nash wiped his cheek and finished off his Old Fashioned. When he finally looked up at Heather, he could see tears welling up in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  Nash bit his lip and reached across the table. Heather let him take her hand. Together they tried to sooth each other. Nash’s insides were on fire, but at least some good had come out of it.

  “Hey,” he smiled at Heather. “Looks like I got to hold your hand again after all.”

  Chapter 18

  Heather

  Lunch had been a little heavier than Heather had been expecting.

  By the time they’d finished, and Nash was holding the passenger door of his truck open for her, Heather couldn’t find a trace of hate in her for the man she had once loathed so much.

  They pulled out into the soft summer afternoon and Heather gazed longingly out of the window. She wanted to go for another walk, but she knew better this time—maybe if their whole plan worked out, then one day they could finally go out on a peaceful stroll together.

  Nash checked his phone at a red light then turned to look at her. “Hey, have you talked to your uncle lately?”

  Heather thought about it for a second before shaking her head. “He hasn’t been in touch for some time. My mom thinks he’s ashamed and won’t call until he gets another job.”

  The light turned green and Nash turned his attention back to the road. “You might be getting a call from him pretty soon, then.”

  Heather wasn’t exactly sure what to make of that comment. Had Nash been in touch with Uncle Ernie?

  Nash made a sudden, sharp turn and they were suddenly going underground again.

  “Man, you must be so sick of underground garages,” Heather chuckled.

  Nash laughed. “Just you wait. There’ll be a lot more in your future before things get any better.”

  They had just arrived at the stadium. Heather watched in awe as Nash parked not two spots away from Bennett Hill’s massive tour bus. She’d been trying to play it cool, but truth was, she was a pretty big Bennett Hill fan, or, at least, she was a big fan of some of his older songs. Whenever she heard “Tumble in the Wind”, she was automatically brought back to a simpler time in her life.

  Nash quickly jetted around the front of his truck and helped Heather out from her seat. She didn’t need the assistance, but she wasn’t going to complain if it meant she got to touch him again. Their emotional hand holding earlier had sent her stomach fluttering with a thousand butterflies. It was hard to not want to experience that again.

  Heather knew where they were going before Nash even had a chance to say. “Let me guess,” she teased. “We’re going that way?” she pointed to some black elevator doors on the other side of the parking lot.

  Nash chuckled and nodded. “You’re a natural.”

  They walked teasingly close to each other as they rounded the tour bus. Heather had her head lost in the clouds, thinking about how wrong she had been about Nash, when she nearly ran into his back. He had suddenly stopped.

  “Hey, buddy. Long-time no see,” she heard an oddly familiar voice boom.

  “Too long,” replied Nash, as Heather poked her head out from behind him. She immediately went back into hiding behind Nash’s burly back when she saw who he was talking to.

  They had stumbled upon Bennett Hill.

  “Who’s that cute little lady hiding behind ya?” the country singer twanged. Heather felt her knees begin to shake. This was like a dream from her teenage years come true. Slowly and shyly, she stepped back out from the cover that was Nash’s broad back.

  “Hi,” she squeaked, barely able to look up at the singer.

  “Hey there,” Bennett boomed, reaching out for a greeting. Heather shook his hand, hardly able to believe that she actually was. “Bennett,” he introduced himself.

  “Heather,” Heather said, in her braves
t voice.

  “Is this the girl they’ve been talking about all over the tabloids?” Bennett chuckled back up at Nash.

  “I hope so,” Nash joked.

  “Well, good for you, then. Looks like you’ve finally got yourself a real one. Where are you from, Heather?”

  “Eden... Eden Prairie...” she managed to mumble out.

  “Ahh,” Bennett took a deep gulp of air. “Beautiful country up there. I’ve been to Nash’s ranch a few times in my old life. I hope to see you there the next time I come visit, ya hear?”

  “Yes, sir,” Heather said, blankly. She wanted to kick herself. Be cool, girl!

  “Good luck tonight,” Nash said, clasping hands with Bennett. “We’ll be watching. From up in the corner booth.”

  “You two lovebirds enjoy the show. It was nice seeing you again, Nash, and a pleasure meeting you Heather. Let me know if you’re still up after everything’s over. Maybe we’ll grab a few beers for old time’s sake.”

  “I’m always up for a few beers,” Nash grinned.

  “I bet,” Bennett joked. “Especially after retirement. Lucky son of a gun got to call it quits so young. An old cowboy like me never knows when it’s time to take it easy. He’s a smart one you got there, Heather, but you keep him in check, alright?”

  “Will do, Bennett,” Heather said, putting on her strongest voice. It felt surreal to call the country star by his first name to his face.

  They parted ways and Heather felt like she was slowly waking up from a dream. She had to rub her eyes clear in the elevator. “How goofy was I just then?” she asked Nash.

  “Pretty goofy,” he laughed. “Why weren’t you so starstruck when you first met me?”

  Heather shook her head and giggled. “You know full well why.” The elevator doors dinged open and Nash led Heather down an open hallway filled with amazing memorabilia from both Colorado Outlaw football games and concerts that had been held at the stadium over the years.

  “Hey, there’s you,” she pointed out. A giant picture hung on the wall just a few feet from the elevator. It was a photo from Jax Shepherd’s first season, when he had taken the Outlaws all the way to the conference finals. This was the first time Jax and Nash had played against each other in a wildcard game. You could see Nash stalking the young quarterback in the background.

  “There’s your uncle,” Nash pointed out.

  Sure, enough, Uncle Ernie was watching on the sideline, calling out some audible or another. Heather sighed at the image. He looked so young and full of energy. She missed him.

  “How do you know Bennett Hill?” she asked, as they set up in their private booth. They had a perfect view of the stage; not too close, but not too far either. “You know, besides the both of you being famous.”

  “My dad actually helped discover him in a way, years ago,” Nash mentioned while pouring himself a straight whiskey. “Want some?” he asked Heather. She shook her head. She was feeling high enough without any more alcohol.

  “How did your dad help him?” she asked.

  “Well, my dad saw him playing at some dive bar after one of his games. There was this song Bennett played, “Tumble in the Wind” that my dad absolutely loved. So, he invited him to play at a team party he was throwing during their bye-week. Bennett agreed. There were some big names at the party, including some higher-ups in the entertainment industry. My dad made sure that they knew that Bennett was unsigned, and by the end of the party, Bennett was no longer unsigned.” Nash chuckled at the memory and Heather bit her lip.

  “Wow, I’d never heard about that before... you know, “Tumble in the Wind” is my favorite Bennett Hill song. It’s crazy to think I may never had heard it if it wasn’t for your dad.”

  A big grin came over Nash’s face. “Hey, it’s my favorite song too. Always reminds me of simpler times.”

  Heather’s heart fluttered and her faced flushed. She felt so connected to the burly man standing on the other side of the room. She wished he’d come closer.

  Suddenly, the stadium lights lowered and the crowd started to go nuts. Nash lifted his eyebrows and gestured over to their window. He walked up behind her and they watched as a single spotlight lit up the stage and Bennett Hill walked out with his guitar.

  The whole stadium started to rock. Bennett didn’t hesitate, he went right into the first song. Nash leaned against the couch that looked out over the stadium, tapping his feet against the soft carpet. Heather couldn’t take her eyes off of him. She barely cared about how special these tickets were—right now, he was the object of her eye’s affection. When he looked back at her, though, she chickened out and quickly looked back to the stage. Her hands were shaking, her emotions were getting the better of her. By the end of Bennett’s first song, she’d already gone and poured herself a drink.

  Half an hour later and Nash’s toe taps had turned into full fledged dancing. Heather was right there alongside of him. They bopped and twirled, carefully separated from each other, until one rocking song ended and a slower, more familiar tune started up.

  “Oh no,” Heather muttered, covering her mouth as she recognized the opening riff. She looked over at Nash; he was looking right at her.

  “This is an old song that I’d like to dedicate to a new couple,” Bennett announced, as the crowd roared below. “Good luck to all you hopeless lovers out there.” And with that, he started to sing “Tumble in the Wind”.

  Heather’s skin tingled with electricity as her and Nash gazed at each other. It was a slow song, and slowly, they began to gravitate closer together. Nash wrapped his big strong arm around Heather’s lower back and they stepped in time with each other. She buried her head in his chest and took a deep breath of his warm, earthy scent.

  She was transported back in time to when everything was easy and wonderful. She could feel Nash’s heart beating through his chest. His pulse was slow and steady, and, despite her wild feelings for him, so was Heather’s. She felt calm in Nash’s arm.

  The chorus swelled and without warning Nash dipped her. Heather let herself fall into his strong grip. She looked up at him and realized with an easy confidence that she didn’t just like Nash Winthrow: she was falling in love with him.

  Nash must have been thinking the same thing, because he closed his eyes and kissed her.

  Chapter 19

  Nash

  Heather’s lips were soft and plump and full of an understated passion.

  Nash’s mind was blank; he was acting on pure instinct, but when he finally realised what he was doing, he immediately pulled back.

  “I’m... I’m sorry,” he sputtered, pulling Heather back up to her feet and letting her go.

  Heather looked like she had just been put through the car wash. “I...” she started, before trailing off. “It’s okay.”

  “No,” Nash insisted. He started to pace around the private booth as “Tumble in the Wind” began to wind down. “This is a business deal. That was so inappropriate. I’m sorry. I should have at least asked. I don’t know what came over me. It won’t ever happen again.”

  “I didn’t mind,” Heather whispered, wiping his taste from her lips.

  That’s not what Nash wanted to hear. She was making this so much more difficult than it had to be. Why did she have to be so perfect for him? “I should go,” he muttered under his breath.

  “Don’t we need to make sure we’ve gotten our photographs taken or something?” Heather asked.

  She was right, but Nash didn’t care. He had stepped over a line he’d promised himself he wouldn’t cross. He was putting everything at risk. “You can stay if you want to, but I need to get out of here.”

  “Well, then, I’m coming with you,” Heather declared, before clarifying. “It wouldn’t look good if I stayed and you left, right? That might screw up our plan.”

  Nash was glad that at least Heather was thinking straight. “You’re right,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

  Nash led the way back to the elevators and
down to the underground garage. He opened his truck with a click from his keys and let Heather get in the passenger seat on her own.

  He was so angry at himself. Couldn’t they have just one date that didn’t end in disaster? It was always him screwing things up too. He wanted to give himself a smack.

  They drove back to the hotel, mostly in silence.

  “Go grab your stuff,” he told her. “I’ll drive you to the airport. I have to go back to Eden Prairie with you anyway.”

  He watched Heather go inside and when she was out of view, he let out all of his self-hatred on his dashboard. He hit his car with closed fists and tried to get rid of his emotions in the same way he had in the past, through contact. It was no use though. He knew that this wasn’t like anything he’d ever experienced before. Heather had softened him. His only release would be by being with her now, and that was too risky to actually consider... but why?

  Heather hadn’t seemed to mind the passionate act. In fact, she had kissed him back. She seemed to be falling for him just as hard as he was falling for her. Why then, couldn’t they just be a real couple?

  Sure, they’d still have to speed things up artificially just to meet the deadlines they were given, but would that be so bad? Nash wondered if a romance could survive that. Love was supposed to be so natural, so untamed and wild, how could anyone ever hope to control it?