by Reese Ryan
“I know you would.” He gripped the door handle. “Fortunately, it won’t come to that. Working with you is exactly what I need right now. We’ve already made progress. Bottom line? If she really wants what’s best for me, she’ll get on board. She’ll complain about how rough the ride is, but she’ll come aboard just the same.”
Nate closed the bedroom door, then padded down the stairs in his bare feet to straighten out his nosy, overprotective, older-by-five-minutes twin sister.
His sister had the worst timing. He’d finally made headway with Kendra, and Vi decided to return from her vacation two days early. He stepped into the kitchen, where his sister paced the floor.
“What the hell is she doing here?” That was Vi. She didn’t waste a moment, just got right into it.
Nate gritted his teeth and counted to ten as he rummaged in the freezer for one of the beers Kendra put on ice. “You’re not my wife or my mother. So why do you care?”
Vi snorted in the unladylike manner that signaled a smart-ass comment was on the horizon. With one hand on her hip, she shoved a finger in his direction. “If you stopped thinking with the head below your belt and started using the one above your shoulders, I wouldn’t need to act like your mama.”
Maybe she has me there.
He’d never admit that to her. Vi already thought she knew better than everyone in their family when it came to their careers, love lives and how they raised their kids. Never mind that she had zero expertise with any of the above. He took a long swig of his beer, then set it down.
“Don’t oversimplify this. It isn’t just about sex. I care for Kendra. I always will. More importantly, this is a chance for Kai to finally have his parents living together under one roof. Just like we did.”
Vi’s expression softened and her shoulders relaxed. “Nate, don’t get your hopes up. Kendra’s only going to disappoint you again.”
Nate cringed at the pity in his twin sister’s eyes. “Don’t look at me like that, Vi.”
“Like what? Like I’m your sister who loves you? It’s always been my job to look out for you.”
“I don’t need you to protect me from Kendra or anyone else, and I certainly don’t need your pity. You can pack up all that attitude and take it back with you to wherever you came from.” He thrust his thumb over his shoulder and gave her his I-ain’t-got-time-for-the-bullshit face.
“First, you know exactly where I came from—Barbados. Second, it was Marcus, Mitchell and Drew’s job to protect you from other people. My job is to protect you from yourself. We both know you can be your own worst enemy.” She raised an eyebrow and twisted her mouth in a smug smirk when he didn’t respond. “Like when you run your big mouth on video at a club in the middle of the night and screw up your contract negotiations.”
Nate gritted his teeth. If his own family was going at him this hard, he could only imagine what his first TV appearance—scheduled for later that week—would be like. “It was stupid, shortsighted. I know that, but I can’t change what happened. Kendra has a thoughtful strategy laid out, which we’re executing now.”
“‘Executing strategy,’ huh?” She used air quotes. “Is that some cute new euphemism for screwing your client?” Vi grabbed a beer out of the freezer.
Nate swiped the beer from Vi’s hand before she could open it. “You won’t be needing this. You were just about to leave.”
“But I smell lasagna, and I’m starving.”
“Got it at Maxine’s Kitchen.” He reached into his wallet and held out a twenty. “Stop and pick yourself up one on the way home. My treat.”
“You’re kicking me out for her? Really?”
Nate glowered silently, extending the bill.
“I don’t need your money.” She pointed a finger at him, then sighed, snatching the bill from between his fingers. “But I’ll take it anyway. And you should take my unsolicited advice. If you must work with her, keep it professional, before you do something else you’ll regret.”
Nate grabbed his beer and drained it, hoping his opinionated twin sister wasn’t right.
* * *
Ms. Thing here doesn’t have your back. She never did.
A cavalcade of emotions rolled through her chest as Vi’s words replayed in Kendra’s head. Anger at Vi’s insistence she couldn’t be trusted. Gratitude for Nate’s staunch defense of her.
Ending up in Nate’s bed, in the midst of dealing with the biggest crisis of his career, certainly didn’t make her case for being a professional who could be trusted with the fate of his future.
Kendra got up and quickly got dressed. What hurt the most was Vi’s implication that she’d hurt Nate before, and she’d hurt him again.
She couldn’t do that to him, and she wouldn’t give him false hope.
Once Kendra heard Vi’s car leave, she made her way down to the kitchen where Nate was preparing their plates. “Smells delicious.”
Nate looked up, disappointed. “I hoped to find you in the same state I left you.” He winked, giving her a sly smile.
“I know, but Vi has a point. You’re my client, and I don’t... I mean... I’ve never gotten involved with a client before. It’s unprofessional and completely unacceptable. I violated our agreement, and I’m sorry. If you want to fire me, I’ll understand. Just stick to the plan and execute it. You’ll be fine.”
Nate waited patiently, his arms folded, until she was finished. “Why would I want to fire you?”
Her heart raced as she forced her eyes to meet his. “Because this can’t happen again. That may make things awkward between us, and I don’t blame you for not—”
“Look, I’m sorry about Vi busting in here like that. Whether or not we work together...sleep together...it’s none of Vi’s business or anyone else’s.”
Kendra ran her fingers through her hair. “You know she’s going to tell Marcus and probably your parents. God, your entire family will know by morning.”
Nate shrugged. “What difference does that make? Doesn’t change how I feel. I’m not sorry about what happened between us. Neither are you.” He cupped her cheek.
For a moment, she settled into his palm before logic kicked in.
This is how the whole thing started.
She shook her head and took a step back. “We can’t. I’m sorry.”
Nate sighed. “Fine, but I’m not firing you. Awkward or not, I expect you to fulfill your end of the contract.”
Kendra stood straight and cleared her throat. “Of course.”
“And I don’t see any reason we can’t sit down like two rational adults and have dinner together.”
Kendra held her breath, the muscles in her back and shoulders tense. Sitting down to a meal and pretending everything was okay, when what she really wanted was to let Nate take her back to his bed, would be torturous. But he’d gone through all the trouble of making her favorite meal.
“On one condition.”
Nate raised a brow as he put salad greens into two bowls. “And that is?”
“We can talk about the campaign, your career, Kai, the weather...anything but us or what happened here tonight. It was a lapse in judgment. I just want to get past it.”
Nate shrugged. “Fine.”
His tone said anything but fine. Still, he’d agreed to her terms.
Kendra released a breath and nodded. They could get through this. Get things back on track. She would deliver the results she promised, then things would go back to the way they were.
She’d be miserable, missing him and regretting the day she walked out of his life.
Chapter 14
Nate straightened his tie and inhaled. They’d be live on the air for his first television appearance since the video went viral in five...four...three...two...one...
He pressed his lips into a smile a
s he gave his attention to the host of the show. He’d always considered John Chase to be a blowhard who knew incredibly little about the sports he reported on.
Being a guest on the John Chase show wouldn’t have been his first choice. But as Kendra pointed out, it was one of the most-watched daytime shows on the major sports network. The ratings were through the roof. Most important, Kendra felt John was fair and that he’d keep his word and not discuss the video.
That remained to be seen. There was something in the guy’s eyes that Nate didn’t trust.
Then again, when did he trust any reporter?
John welcomed Nate to the panel, then began the discussion. Nate followed the rhythm of the panel’s conversation about the stellar numbers the Ontario Badgers wide receiver Dean Carson was putting up in the play-offs after his recovery from an ACL injury nearly a year earlier. The same injury he’d sustained three years ago.
John seemed to sense his hesitance. He asked Nate a pointed question. Within a few minutes, Nate was so engrossed in the conversation, he stopped thinking incessantly about the camera, the millions of viewers in the audience and whether John Chase would ask about the video. Instead, he recounted his own comeback from an ACL tear and praised Dean Carson for his play-off performance.
He settled into easy banter with John and the other two members of the panel—both retired pro football players he admired and respected. Once he relaxed and focused on the topic, his eight minutes on the segment went by quickly.
John wrapped up the discussion with a promo for next week’s show. “Join me next week when we discuss the impact of the social media age on pro athletes. Something my man Nate here knows more than a little about. If you’ve got the time, Nate, I’d love to have you back to get your view on the topic.”
Shit.
The son of a bitch offered him an open invitation to talk about his social media disaster in great detail on his very next show.
He opened his mouth to tell John Chase exactly what he thought of his lame move when Kendra caught his eye.
She shook her head almost imperceptibly, then gave him an encouraging smile. He inhaled, then forced a chuckle. “It’s a topic I’ve learned quite a bit about in the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, my schedule won’t permit.”
John grinned, tapping the desk. “Fair enough. Just know, you’ve got an open invitation to come on the show and share more of your analysis of what the Marauders must do to become an elite team in this league.” He added, “For the record, I thought everything you said was on the money, and I think it’s despicable to secretly film someone and then use the footage to get your fifteen minutes of fame.”
John Chase signed off, wishing the audience a good weekend, and then the cameras faded to black.
Nate snatched off the microphone clipped to the lapel of his suit jacket, but before he could stand, Kendra pinned him in place with her gaze. Her eyes pleaded with him to be cool.
He sighed, acknowledging her plea with the slight nod of his head.
“Nate, thanks again for coming on the show.” John was standing in front of him, his hand extended. “And thanks for being such a good sport. My viewers would’ve slaughtered me if I hadn’t addressed the issue at all. Tried to do it in a way that would cause minimal discomfort...for both of us.”
Nate reluctantly shook the man’s hand. “Appreciate that, John. Thank you for having me on the show.”
“My pleasure.” He turned to talk to one of the other panelists, but then quickly turned back. “By the way, I’m serious about having you back to talk more about what happened that night or your thoughts on the Marauders. Good luck with your contract negotiations.”
Maybe John Chase isn’t so bad after all.
“Excellent segment.” Kendra fell in line beside him as he made his way back to the green room to retrieve his things. “That didn’t kill you, now did it?”
It didn’t, but he wasn’t ready to concede so quickly. “Thought he wasn’t supposed to address the video?”
“We agreed he wouldn’t make it a topic of discussion in this segment. Clearly, he found a way to skirt the agreement. Thankfully, he did it in a way that was sympathetic and hopefully made viewers sympathize with you, too. Good job on sticking to the script with your response.” She followed him into the green room. “And thank you for the way you handled the conversation afterward. John is someone we want as an ally.”
“Sure. Anything else?” He lifted his leather satchel onto his shoulder.
She shook her head. “Not until the afternoon taping of that top ten segment for the late-night show. It should be super quick. In and out. Here’s the script. It’s like three lines.” She handed a printed email to him.
Nate reviewed it quickly, then stuffed it in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. “Great. I’ll meet you at the studio.”
She looked stunned. “Okay, see you then, I guess.”
Nate headed out of the studio and into the sunshine on a lovely winter morning in LA.
* * *
Nate made his way up the walkway. Jason Hernandez—the Marauders’ best tight end and one of his closest friends—was an uncomplicated guy. His place in Cerritos reflected that. The decor was simple and casual, yet attractive. The place was warm and cozy. Someplace you could hang out and drink beer without worrying about staining the furniture or breaking an expensive vase.
Jase had invited Nate over for an early lunch between studio appearances. Before Nate could ring the doorbell, Jase opened the front door, his goofy trademark grin plastered across his face. He was more tanned than usual. “I can’t leave you alone for five damn minutes without you stirring up shit.”
Nate gave Jase a one-armed hug. “Thought you abandoned me. Tried calling you several times.”
“Sorry about that, man.” Jase’s cheeks and forehead reddened. He retrieved a couple of beers from the fridge. He handed one to Nate. “Went camping and shut off my phone. After that loss, I needed to be alone for a while.”
“That place with the luxury tree houses in Oregon?” Nate tilted his head, assessing his friend’s quick nod as his gaze raked the floor. There was something Jase wasn’t telling him. “Not exactly roughing it.”
Jase shrugged. “Wasn’t that loss punishment enough?”
“Can’t disagree with that.” Nate screwed the top off his icy beer. “Still, you and Vi picked a hell of a time to go AWOL.”
“Vi’s missing?” Jase rearranged the plastic fruit in the bowl on his kitchen counter.
“I wish. After being out of touch for two weeks, she shows up at my place at the worst possible time.” Nate took a swig of his beer.
Jase smirked and sipped his beer, too. He sat on a bar stool. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
Nate ran a hand over his head. “Yep.”
Jase chuckled, shaking his head. “That twin sister of yours is a little loca.” They both laughed. “But she loves you and she always has your best interest at heart.”
“Maybe she doesn’t know what’s in my best interest.” Nate frowned, returning his beer to the counter. “Maybe she should back off. Let me decide what’s best for me.”
Jase cocked his head, his dark eyes assessing him. “In the end, it’s your choice. You know that. Not like you listen to Vi anyway, unless you agreed with her to begin with.”
Nate raised a brow, narrowing his gaze at his friend. “You sound just like her.”
Jase cleared his throat and turned to face the bar. He took another sip of his beer. “Maybe that’s because it’s the truth.”
“Hey, if I wanted to hear more of Vi’s point of view, I’d be talking to her right now, instead of you.” Nate shoved his friend’s shoulder.
“So what do you want to hear?” Jase swigged his beer.
Nate shrugged. “Maybe I want you to t
ell me I’m not loco for trying to get back with my ex.”
“Hmm...” Jase nodded sagely. “So it was you and Kendra Vi walked in on the other day?”
“How’d you know—”
“I haven’t had that many concussions.” Jase tapped his right temple twice with two fingers. “Besides, I saw Kendra in the press conference footage. She’s handling your PR?”
Nate nodded. “Marcus’s idea. I was against it at first, but it was a good call. Kendra’s the right person for the job.”
“Speaking of which, how’s the apology tour going?”
Nate groaned. “According to Kendra, it’s going well. Still, this whole thing has been a shit storm.”
“Of your own making.” Jase pointed the neck of his beer bottle in Nate’s direction. “How many times I gotta tell you, man, you don’t have to say everything that pops in your head.”
“I don’t pull punches. You know that.”
“This time, you should have. What were you thinking? Especially in a contract year?”
“I know, I know.” Nate stood in front of the window overlooking the pool in the backyard. “I screwed up. Big-time.”
“Not the first time. Doubt it’ll be the last.” A half smirk lit Jase’s eyes.
“You’re having way too much fun with this.” Nate pointed a finger at his friend. “And thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Jase chuckled. “You’re usually the one riding us out there on the field. Not a chance in hell I’d pass on the opportunity for a little payback.”
Nate raised his hands, his palms facing his friend. “Point taken. Now, stop avoiding the question. Am I crazy to want Kendra back?”
“Of course not. She’s Kai’s mother, and it’s obvious you still care for her.”
“But...?”
“But, the fact that you care what I think tells me Kendra isn’t as sure about this as you are. I’m hoping for the best, but I can’t help worrying that you’ll be disappointed.” Jase shrugged.