At least one Roberts man appreciated the effort she’d made.
“I’m not sure I want to be part of this club,” Tamara muttered as her stomach rolled again when a cheer went up as the event before Drake’s was beginning.
“Honey, you are too far gone not to be a member of the love club.”
“Love club,” Tamara spluttered. “No, I’m not a member of that club.”
“Denial is fruitless.” A deeper voice joined the conversation, and Tamara looked up to see Mitch slip into the seat next to Julia, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “The love club is hard to leave, and once you’re a member, you really don’t want to leave.”
What Tamara wanted to do was leave this conversation. Why on earth would Julia and Mitch think she was in love? She hadn’t been this nervous when Drake had run in the qualifying heat and his semi. Sure, she’d been anxious, her stomach tied in little knots. And at the Olympic trials, she’d been concerned about his knee, all reasonable reactions and feelings for a trainer to have. Not to mention the person who’d worked solidly with him to overcome his injury not once, but twice.
“I’m just worried about his knee. I’m his trainer. That’s the only relationship we have.” Oh boy, and lightning was going to strike her down with that lie. “I’m definitely not a member of the love club. I think I’ll leave that membership to you both.”
Laughter rang out from both her row companions. Julia patted her on the leg. “You keep telling yourself that, and maybe you can convince yourself.”
It was pointless arguing with two people totally in love and getting ready to plan a wedding. Everything looked rosy through those love club glasses they obviously got when they signed up. She had no love tinted glasses on.
The announcement boomed around the stadium that the athletes for the 1500m final would be lining up soon.
Tamara clasped her hands tightly. She didn’t think she could sit through this. What if Drake lost? What if he hurt his knee? What if he hated her for bringing his dad here?
A stabbing pain in the vicinity of her heart almost had her doubling over in shock. She couldn’t bear it if Drake hated her. Oh, God, maybe she did love him. No, she couldn’t, could she?
She couldn’t think about it now, not when Drake’s name had just been called out. She clapped loudly and feasted her eyes on him, drinking him in. He looked confident and had his game face on. He waved to the crowd and smiled, but even from where she sat, she could see the smile wasn’t lighting up his face as it did when he smiled at her. There was no twinkle in his eyes, no hint of the mischief she loved to see.
Oh, man, there was that word again.
With a determination to examine her inner feelings later, she pulled her concentration away from herself and onto the man on the track. He was doing some warm-up stretches.
“Don’t overstretch,” she muttered. “Watch your knee.”
As he moved from the stretches into a light run, she narrowed her gaze onto his stride, to see if there was any hitch or hesitation to indicate this knee was bothering him. Nothing. Not a misstep. Not a grimace. Everything looked good.
She couldn’t hear what the official said, but all the competitors lined up across the starting line.
Her fingers curled into tight fists, her nails digging deep into the soft flesh of her palm. How could she possibly get through the next five minutes?
She jumped as the starting gun echoed through the stadium. With her eyes glued on the group of men, she followed Drake’s dark head as he ran around the track. Three and three quarter laps around the track. That’s all it was. It might have been a million, considering the way time seemed to drag.
The noise from the crowd faded until all she could hear was the rapid beating of her heart. It was racing as fast as the men were running on the track. They’d formed a group and began jostling each other to get to the right position. Drake was in the mix, not leading, but not too far away as to be out of contention.
It didn’t matter to her if he won gold, although she knew it mattered to him now. Mattered more than it had when he’d first arrived in Rio.
With one lap to go, one of the runners made his move, and Drake went with him. Holy heck, it was so close.
Tamara jumped out of her seat and started yelling as Drake edged in front of the group. The finish line was in sight. What was he thinking? What was he feeling? She wanted to know it all.
She chanced a glance down at the row where Simon stood as he was waving his arm in a go go motion as if it were an invisible hand behind Drake, pushing him toward the finishing line.
Less than ten meters to go, and Drake had a slim lead. She prayed silently that his knee would hang on. That it wouldn’t give out.
In a rush of motion, they crossed the finish line. Had Drake won? She couldn’t tell. Why was everything blurry?
“He won,” Julia screeched beside her and grabbed her in a big hug. “Don’t cry, he won!”
“I’m not cry…” Yes, she was, only she hadn’t known. That was the reason she couldn’t see. The joy and hope for Drake had found a way to express themselves through her tears. She looked down and saw Drake on all fours on the ground, his chest heaving, and she didn’t need to look at the big screen to see he was crying too. Her heart swelled, and she knew the emotion filling every inch of her was love. Love for the man who’d fought hard for his dream. And it was his dream. It may have started out as his father’s, but it became Drake’s and he owned it. He owned an Olympic gold medal.
“I need to see him.” The words burst out of her.
“He’s looking for you,” Mitch gently took hold of her arm and guided her out of the row. “Go.”
She looked down at the track and saw Drake scanning the crowd. Without thinking about how crazy it was, she rushed down the stairs until she was leaning against the stadium barrier.
“Drake,” she called out trying to get his attention. “Drake! Over here.”
Oh, crap, what if he wasn’t looking for her? What if he was looking for someone else?
Who? The Queen of England, her inner voice said as she found herself engulfed in a pair of arms and squashed against a sweaty chest. It should be gross. She should be pulling herself away. But she held on more tightly. It was the best feeling.
“Congratulations,” she murmured against his cheek. “You won. I’m so proud of you.”
He pulled back, and she held his gaze as he studied her. Happiness and uncertainty crossed his face. “I didn’t think you’d come. Not after how we left things. I’m sorry for how I acted. It’s not easy talking about my family.”
“I’m sorry, too, for pushing you.” She angled her head and kissed him hard, trying to put into it all the bubbling emotions fizzing through her bloodstream.
His mouth opened beneath hers, and the fact they were standing in the middle of the Olympic Stadium in Rio didn’t register. All that did was the man in her arms.
The man she loved.
Her Olympic champion, who was breaking their kiss. Why was he doing that?
His hand cupped her cheek and as she looked into his eyes, she saw the tears in them. Her own eyes filled again.
“You’re an Olympic champion, Drake. My Olympic champion.”
“I am, aren’t I? And you’re mine.” His arms closed around her for another hug. As awkward as it was leaning over the fence, it was a hug she wouldn’t forget. Nor his words.
Her stomach pitched again and this time not from wanting to throw up but from excitement and hope. What had he meant with the and you’re mine comment?
She was about to ask when he stiffened in her embrace. His arms fell away from her and wondered if he was having second thoughts and wishing he hadn’t said she was his.
“Dad?”
Oh, now it made sense. Tamara turned, and behind her stood Simon. Like his son, his eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“Son.”
In the next instant, the two men were embracing. They really needed to move somewhere more
conducive to hugging and talking than hanging over a fence with metal sticking into their guts.
“Maybe we should move so we can talk?” she suggested once the two men broke apart.
“Uh, yeah, that would be good.” Drake sounded shocked. And who could blame him? He’d just won a gold medal, and his dad was standing in front of him.
Tamara hooked her arm through Simon’s. “We’ll meet you just outside the entrance tunnel, okay? Go enjoy a victory lap. You deserve it.”
Drake grinned and nodded before walking back out to the track, accepting the slaps on the back from the other competitors who’d been waiting while they’d been busy kissing.
Her heart swelled as she watched him walk along the track, smiling and waving to the crowd.
Somehow, they made it through the swell of people without being stopped and waited outside for Drake. Athletes congregated, waiting to get the all clear to head out onto the track. Other athletes came in. All seemed to be smiling, not as big as Drake but smiling because for many of them, they’d achieved a lifelong dream of competing at an Olympics and, ultimately, competing in a final.
After what seemed like an eternity, Drake finally appeared next to them. Tamara studied him for a few seconds, trying to determine if he was happy to see his father or angry? She couldn’t tell.
“Dad, what are you doing in Rio? I thought we’d decided it was too risky to be here.”
Whoa, okay, maybe anger had replaced the elation of winning. God, she hoped not. Why had she thought this was a good idea? Had she ruined the most amazing moment of Drake’s life?
19
A million emotions were all vying for top spot in him. Drake wanted to pinch himself to see if this was all a dream.
He couldn’t possibly have it all, could he?
An Olympic Gold medal.
A woman he loved.
Yes, loved. Seeing Tamara in the crowd after his win thrilled him more than crossing the line first. Sharing the most magical moment of his running career with her solidified what he hadn’t wanted to admit in the warm-up room. He loved Tamara. And, yes, if he had to choose between her and the medal he’d just won, he’d give up the medal in a heartbeat. But now he could have both.
Then there was Dad. The man he thought was the most important person in his life. The one person he figured he’d be sharing all his highs and lows with, until Tamara. Now he wanted to share them more with her. Was he a bad son for wanting to share everything with Tamara now instead of Dad?
No. No, he wasn’t, because he could do it all. Why couldn’t he share this moment with the people he loved?
He moved forward, knowing Tamara wouldn’t mind if he embraced Dad. A miniscule shake of Dad’s shoulders, and the tears started up again. Drake didn’t care that he was crying.
“I’m so proud of you, son. So very, very proud.” His father’s words washed away all the years of hurt and resentment. Actually, they had disappeared the moment on the track when he knew he’d won. If it wasn’t for Dad and all his pestering, he wouldn’t be the Olympic champion of the 1500m event.
“I couldn’t have done this without you, Dad. I can’t believe you’re here. Why are you here? How did this happen?”
His dad chuckled and released the hold he had on Drake and pointed to Tamara. “You can thank this young lady here. She called me and demanded I get my ass down here to see you race.”
Tamara’s eyes widened with shock at every word his dad said. “I didn’t demand.”
Simon laughed and grabbed Tamara into a big bear hug. “It was like a demand to me, and I’m grateful that you called. I got to see my son win. I’ll never forget this moment. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, and I’m glad I made the call.”
Drake hugged both of them. “I am too.”
How could things be better than this? The two most important people in the world were in his arms. But he really wanted to talk to Tamara privately without his dad listening. Only he didn’t want to seem ungrateful that his dad had made the trek to Rio by brushing him off.
With an unspoken word, they all separated, but Drake made sure he stood close to Tamara, needing her as much as he needed the air to breathe.
“Well, I think that I’ll go back and sit with Len.” Simon looked between the two of them. “I have a feeling there are things that need to be said.”
He gave Drake one last hug. “I can’t wait to see you draped in that flag. Thank you for making my dream come true.”
“No, Dad, it wasn’t your dream. It may have started out that way, but out there on that track tonight, it became mine. Thank you for pushing me. Believing in me and loving me.”
If possible, his dad’s smile grew even bigger, before nodding in acknowledgment that it really had been Drake’s dream to win.
As Simon made his way back to the stands, Drake contemplated the best way to tell Tamara he loved her. Would she believe him? After all, they hadn’t really known each other long, but looking back, he knew that he’d always shown his true self to Tamara. No doubt, he’d tried some lines on her at one of the early training sessions here, but she’d brushed him off. He’d allowed her to see his vulnerable side. He’d shared his inner secrets and doubts with her. He didn’t want to think about not having her close.
So, yes, it was possible to fall in love quickly. Hadn’t Mitch told him after his first date with Julia that she was the one for him?
“I, um, I guess I should let you go and get ready.”
“Ready for what?”
Tamara smiled and touched his cheek. “Your medal ceremony.”
“Oh, yeah, that.”
“It’s a pretty big deal you know.”
Surreal was what it was.
“I need to say something first.” He took a deep breath and grabbed one of Tamara’s hands and pulled her out of the room until they were outside. He found a spot away from the crowds where they could have privacy.
“Tamara York, you are the most amazing person I know. Not only did you ensure I could run. But you even made Dad come and see me race. I don’t think you can know how much that means to me. Having Dad see me win, well, it’s a pretty damn good feeling.”
“I’m glad. When you talked about him, I knew I had to get him here. It wouldn’t have been right for him not to share this with you.”
“You’re right, but what is even more special is that I got to share this moment with you. The woman I’m falling in love with.”
“What?” she gasped, her blue irises widening in shock at his declaration. She’d never looked more beautiful to him in that moment.
He smoothed a hand over her hair and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “I love you, Tamara York. I love the way you stand up to me. I love the way you push me to be a better athlete and man. I love you.”
Her arms closed around his neck, pulling him tightly against her too. “I love you too. I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to get too close to an athlete I was working with. But being with you, helping you, seeing the man you truly are…how could I not fall in love with you?”
He closed his lips over hers, sealing his declaration. The kiss was sweet, and the love he felt for her pulsed through him, reaching out to her. He received her answer and took it, promising to hold it close and never let it go.
But he needed to let her go. She was right he needed to prepare for the medal ceremony; they were probably looking for him right now.
“I should go,” he said resting his nose against hers.
“You should.” Her hesitation before she answered had him on edge. Surely, she wasn’t going to say, sure I love you but we can’t have a future together.
“I sense you want to say more.”
“No, no, you need to go.”
“I don’t care, tell me what’s going on, Tam.”
She pulled away, and he immediately wanted to pull her back to him. “What are we going to do after this? What are you going to do?”
Relief washed over him. “I’ll foll
ow you anywhere, babe. My home is wherever you are. We will work it out. Because,” he stepped close to her. “I love you. Tamara York, you’re stuck with me. I’ve got you now and I’m never, ever letting go.”
“I’m on board with that. And just so you know, I’m never, ever letting you go either.”
Epilogue
With his hand over his heart, the American flag draped around him and The Star Spangled Banner blaring out of the speakers filling the stadium, a peace Drake had never known before settled over him.
In the stands to his left stood the woman he loved.
Tamara.
The woman who made fighting to dream worth every ache and pain he’d ever gone through.
The future was theirs to take on and own. A future he couldn’t wait to get started on.
About the Author
If you enjoyed this book you can subscribe to my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/TZazH to receive notifications about new release, sales and other pieces of news. Please also consider leaving a review. Reviews help authors.
On her very first school report her teacher said ‘Nicole likes to tell her own stories’. Many years later she eventually sat down and wrote her first book.
Nicole writes sexy contemporary romances, seducing you one kiss at a time as you turn the pages. She enjoys taking two characters and creating unique situations for them.
Learn more about Nicole Flockton at http://www.nicoleflockton.com.
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