“Nate!” her voice came barreling down the line, full of barely concealed panic that could easily become contagious, “Nate, where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for forty-five minutes!”
“Whoa, calm down, sugar. I’ve been teaching your class. I turned my phone off because I wanted to make sure I could give the girls my undivided attention.”
"Okay, that's great, and all, but I need to talk to you. Actually, I needed to talk to you almost an hour ago!"
It was the speed with which Athena dismissed his focus on her girls that told Nate that something was really wrong. He swallowed hard, steeling himself for whatever was coming next. He could do this. No matter what it was, he could do it. He was well-practiced in overcoming obstacles. He’d been doing it for all of his career and if he needed to do it now, he would. Whatever had Athena so upset, he was going to make it better or die trying.
"All right. Tell me. What's going on?" he asked his voice level and all business now, "Tell me. I'm sure whatever it is, I can fix it."
“I honestly don’t know about that, Nate,” she answered, sounding very close to crying now, “there’s a video.”
“What kind of video?”
“From the party the other night. A video of us talking to that reporter. I guess he had a friend helping him do his dirty work.”
“Is that all?” he asked, laughing light-heartedly. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as what he’d been picturing since hearing the worry in her voice.
"What do you mean, all? Nate, you should see the things people are saying about me!" she answered. This time she really did start to cry, and Nate clenched his free hand up into a fist. He didn't like hearing her upset, especially knowing how tough she was.
"Here's what I know, Athena. The first thing is that people are fickle. They may be saying one thing now, but it won't take but a little sleight of hand to make them change their tune."
“Are you sure?” she asked, the doubt in her voice starting to change to hope.
“I am,” he assured her, “and the other thing I know is that the way you behaved at that party is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“But I—"
"No, Athena. No buts. You were amazing, that's what you were. You were strong and sexy, and there's nobody I would have rather have been at that party with. Do you hear me?"
“Yes,” she whispered.
“More importantly, do you believe me?” he pressed, listening with intensity for any sign of uncertainty on her part.
“Yes,” she finally said, “I guess I do. Thank you, Nate. Really, thank you so much. You’re pretty good at this, you know?”
“What’s that?” he asked with a smile.
“Talking me down off a ledge. That’s a special talent to have.”
“Well, I’m glad I could be of service. Now, hang up this phone, go and get yourself a cup of tea, and just chill out a little, will ya? The rest of this is going to work itself out.”
Athena agreed that she would, and the two of them hung up. Nate walked out to his truck on legs that felt like jelly, sliding behind the wheel and taking a deep, unsteady breath. The adrenaline was pumping through him at alarming levels as he searched for the video on his phone.
She was right. The video was there, and there were many comments that were far from flattering to both of them. People were cracking jokes about Athena being Nate's new bodyguard, that Athena was the new pit bull he sicced on people who hurt his feelings. There were comments praising Athena too, but it was the negative ones that really stuck out. That was always how it went with this kind of thing.
Everything he had told Athena was true. This would blow over, and there was undoubtedly a way for them to spin this so that it worked out in their favor. That wasn’t the thing that was really bothering him. What was bothering him was the fact that he hadn’t had a clue. Someone had filmed him and Athena, been right there next to them recording everything they did, and he hadn’t realized. He’d been too wrapped up in Athena to notice anything else, even at an event that could determine whether he got the sponsorship deal or not. She was all that he’d been aware of then. Realizing the truth of that fact, the weight of it, had him more than a little spooked.
11
Athena watched the internet like a hawk for the next couple of days, following the progress of the first gossip story she had ever been involved in. She kept expecting things to get worse and she was, frankly, astonished to see that Nate’s comforting words were correct. As one day turned into two, then into three and four, the commentary dwindled down to a trickle instead of a deluge. By the time Nate called her that Sunday, she was almost feeling back to normal about things. A little ego-bruised, maybe, but not much worse for the wear.
“Hey, sugar,” Nate said into the phone before she got the chance to so much as say hello, “what are you doing right now?”
"Um, sitting on the couch?" she answered truthfully. It would probably have been more attractive to come up with something more interesting, but lying had never been her strong point. And besides, it was her day off. She didn't have the mental energy left required to play coy at the moment.
“Well, as stimulating as that sounds,” he said with a laugh, “think you’d be up for a little adventure?”
“I don’t know, Nate,” she answered doubtfully, looking down at her pajamas. Part of her hesitation was born out of pure inertia, the idea of getting dressed and making herself look halfway decent not exactly appealing. That wasn’t all of it though. If she was being honest with herself, it wasn’t even half of it. It was the knowledge that the camera crew would undoubtedly be tagging along with them, getting footage of her and Nate’s “spark” to use for their web series. Lately, it seemed like they were around more and more often, and the idea of having another outing like their delicious hike seemed unlikely. After the debacle at Nate’s fancy party, she was feeling exceptionally gun shy about being filmed.
If it hadn't of been for the way her heart leaped at the idea of spending the afternoon with Nate, she would have said no without a moment's hesitation. As it was, she was helpless to keep her mind from going back to the last time the two of them had spent a Sunday afternoon together. She could still feel the weight of him on top of her, and the recollection made her shudder with a delicious bolt of pleasure.
“What do you say, honey?” he said, almost as if he could sense that her resolve to remain safely at home was weakening, “Keeping in mind, I’m not asking you to sign a contract or anything. Just to spend part of the day with me, that’s all.”
“Ha, ha,” she retorted, “very funny. Yes, I’m free. Just give me ten minutes to make myself look presentable. Where should I meet you?”
“Forget meeting me, sugar, I’m going to come and pick you up. Like a proper gentleman and everything.”
* * *
Athena’s worst fears about the film crew had been realized. She hadn’t really expected them to come, not really, and she was disappointed to see them there. They pulled up in a van behind Nate's truck and followed them to the outskirts of town, driving down a dirt road to a fancy, expansive ranch Athena had never seen before. There were a couple of places like that in the area, places that were tucked back so far from the road that nobody could see them who wasn’t expressly invited. Athena tried asking Nate where they were going a couple of times, but all she got out of him was a shrug and a smirk. By the time they got out of the truck, him coming around to open her door like the gentleman he had promised to be, she felt as giddy as a little girl on Christmas. When she saw who was walking towards them from the barn, she let out a squeal of delight and punched Nate on the shoulder.
“Ow!” he laughed, holding his arm in mock pain, “What was that for?”
“For keeping this from me!” she said indignantly, “You didn’t tell me that Colt Hunter was going to be here! How is this even happening?”
"That's easy, darling. This is his place. Or one of his
places. He's got a few," Nate answered casually as if this weren't the most exciting piece of news since sliced bread.
Colt Hunter—which was his real name and the coolest one ever, as far as Athena was concerned—was a rodeo legend. He had helped put the sport on the map not only for aficionados and people involved in the circuit but for the mainstream. He had also acted as a consultant on many films, earning himself a level of respect almost impossible to attain in his field or any other. He was a bona fide star, and Athena could hardly believe she was meeting him.
“Howdy, little lady,” he said with a wink and a tip of the hat, extending a hand for her to shake, “you must be Athena Moore. Nate here has told me a lot about you.”
“He has?” she asked dumbly, struggling to make this scenario compute, “When? I mean... why?”
“Me and Nate go way back,” Colt answered, smiling and glancing at Nate as he spoke, “I’ve been working with him since he was a boy.”
“It’s true,” Nate cut in, “he taught me most of what I know.”
“As to the why,” Colt continued, “I don’t have an answer for you on that front. That’s something you might want to take up with him.”
“Alright, Colt, that’s enough of that,” Nate said, blushing a little as he steered them towards the massive barn, “why don’t we do what we came here to do?”
“Sorry, but what might that be?” Athena asked. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so excited about something. So excited or so damned nervous.
“Why, to check out your skills,” Colt exclaimed, “that’s what! After all of Nate’s talking, I want to see what you can do.”
It was the most exhilarating moment of Athena’s life, climbing onto Colt’s horse and leading the beauty out into his ring. Finally, after weeks of feeling out of her element and off of her game, she was exactly where she was supposed to be. When it came to her rodeo skills, there was no doubt in her at all. She was born to ride, born to command a horse and run the ring. Everything else fell away; the camera crews, her doubts over the mistakes she might have made since agreeing to Nate’s damn show. For the moments when she was in the ring, there was nothing but her, the horse, and the skill.
"Hot damn!" Colt's voice rang out across the barn, breaking her of her trance. She pulled on the reins of her borrowed horse, bringing them around to where Nate and Colt stood watching. Now, she saw the little cluster of cameramen huddled behind the two men, but she was too pumped up to care. Colt was clapping appreciatively, and Nate? He was looking up at her with something a lot like adoration.
“Get on down here,” Nate said, holding his arms out as if to catch her if she jumped, “I want to show you my appreciation.”
"You're really something, you know that?" Colt added, his eyes shining, "I'll be honest, I was mostly humoring my boy here when I said I would watch you ride, but I'm mighty glad I did. You're a pleasure to watch, girl!"
Athena descended gracefully from the horse, her entire body buzzing with excitement and pleasure. Nate stepped up to meet her, drew her into his arms, and dipped her down low, just like they were actors in a classic movie.
“Nate!” she cried, “What are you doing? You’re going to drop me!”
"I'm not going to drop you, darling, believe me. Do you trust me?"
She looked up into his devastating eyes, her heart all but stopping. She couldn't tell if it was a flippant question or not, but to her, it seemed deadly serious. Did she trust him? Did she? That was a hard thing for her to do under the best of circumstances, and she wasn't sure she knew the answer now. One thing she knew for sure, though, was that she wanted him. She wanted him more than anyone she had ever wanted in her life.
“Yes,” she answered, her voice suddenly hoarse, “I trust you.”
He kissed her, his lips firmly against her own, his tongue first parting her willing lips, then exploring her mouth. When he lifted her back to her feet, she was beyond flustered, sure that she looked like a happy mess. But she was happy, and that was the most important part. Then Nate removed his arm from around her waist, headed towards the camera crew, and everything started to fall apart.
“How about that, fellas?” he asked, “Did you get everything you needed?”
“Wait, what?” Athena asked, looking at Nate with a combination of incomprehension and dawning dread, “What are you talking about?”
"Yeah, Nate," the head of the camera crew answered without so much as glancing in her direction, "we're good. That's going to be a massive hit; I can tell you that already."
“Nate, seriously, what is he talking about?” she asked, turning to face him. She didn’t love the idea of discussing this in front of an audience, but she needed to know what was going on here. Because she was starting to get the distinct impression that she had been tricked.
“It’s nothing, Athena. I don’t want you to get mad,” he answered softly. He reached for her, trying to pull her in close to him again, but she side-stepped him neatly and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Great,” she said curtly, “don’t want me to get mad about what?”
“I set this up, okay? I wanted the film guys to see a good relationship, and now they will.”
“Are you seriously saying what I think you’re saying?” she asked, sick with dull surprise.
“It’s just that social media loves a good love story. You know they do. They eat that kind of thing up. This is the best way I know how to shut everyone up about that other video from the party. That’s what you wanted, right?”
“Of course I did, but that doesn’t mean I wanted this, Nate!”
"I know you're surprised," he said, almost pleading now, "and I'm sorry. Honestly, I am. I would have told you, but it needed to look real, and you don't have the best poker face. It needed to look authentic. You see that, don't you?"
“I mean... yeah,” she finally said, “I see it. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it, Nate, and I don’t. I don’t like it at all.”
“I’m sorry, Athena,” he answered softly, finally getting his arms around her again, “I really, truly am. And I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
He kissed her, and she let him. For the moment, though, the magic was gone. What kept going through her head was the question he had asked her only minutes before. He had wanted to know whether or not she trusted him, and she had made the snap decision that she did. Now, she couldn’t help wondering if that had been a mistake.
12
In everything he did, no matter if it was working with Athena’s class or practicing his own riding, Nate thought about the way things had played out with Athena. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, and the look on her face that day after the scene with the camera crew came swimming back to him. That look of disappointment, the thing he hated most in the world when it was directed at him.
Nate couldn’t stand disappointing people, had never been able to abide it. He still carried vivid memories of times when he had done something his parents or grandfather had disapproved of. The words “I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed” had an unnerving amount of power over him, still, to this day. If he’d been the kind of guy to put himself in therapy, he could imagine being told that his fear of disappointing was why he never stayed in one place for very long. Or stayed with one person. For Nate, what he’d seen in Athena’s eyes when she’d realized the stunt he had pulled was the stuff nightmares were made of.
And yet, at the same time, he couldn’t really figure out why things were still so off between the two of them. It wasn’t like he’d been playing a prank on her, and he sure as hell hadn’t been looking to make trouble. When the film guys had gotten what they needed, he had explained everything, made it all crystal clear. Yes, there was deception, a bit of smoke and mirrors, he supposed, but he had done it for their benefit. Both of them stood to gain plenty with this reality TV bullshit going well, something she must have surely realized by now.
Just yesterday, Nate’s agent had sat them
both down and informed them that their little web show was going to start airing on Country TV. It was the kind of publicity that would only help advance Nate’s career further. And for Athena? It was unlike anything she had ever gotten in her life. It was exactly what she wanted, and what he wanted to do for her.
“Which is why I’m running myself ragged with all of the promo spots,” he muttered to himself, putting his truck into park and heading towards Athena’s apartment.
That part was true, too. Even though he still wasn’t completely sure what he’d done wrong, he’d been bordering on desperate to make amends and return things to normal between them. Seeing as he wasn’t exactly a flowers and chocolate kind of a guy, he had taken it back to something he could understand; business.
The first thing Nate had done was find Athena a competition she could enter, something to help her regain her footing and get ready for the big show. He wasn't exactly prepared to lose to her, his head wasn't that turned, but he wanted her to be completely in the game, and a competition seemed like the best way to do it. He understood that the arena was the place where Athena really shone. He had seen as much watching her in Colt's barn. The next move had been to promote the shit out of her entry, which he had spent the better part of two days doing. He'd been on every radio and TV spot that would have him, explaining exactly why everyone was going to want to see what she could do. Now, he was bone-tired but satisfied. Knocking on Athena's front door, he could practically feel her supple skin as it slid beneath his fingertips.
The Cowboy’s Rodeo Rival: Grant Brothers Series Book Three Page 8