Grant Brothers Series: The Complete Series

by Leslie North

  “This little lady giving you trouble, Nate?” she asked in her most cheerful voice. If she was being honest with herself, there was a modicum of flirtation there as well. If she was being even more honest, the flirtation was part of what she missed when he ignored her. Whether she liked it or not, her mind kept going back to that stupid game of flag football. That game, before he found out that she was his competition in the festival, had been full of undeniable sexual tension, even if he had been afraid to touch her. At the time, she told herself that it had been a nuisance to be borne. Now that he was treating her more like a pariah and less like an object of desire, she realized that hadn't been the case. There was at least a part of her that had enjoyed it. Whatever else, it had sure been a lot better than the perpetual cold shoulder.

  “I’m giving him so much trouble, Miss Athena!” Gretta announced, beaming up at them both with a self-satisfied expression.

  “She’s being a little gem, is what she is,” Nate laughed, speaking to Athena directly for the first time that day.

  “Well, that’s good,” Athena said with a smile, reaching out and ruffling the top of Gretta’s head lightly, “I’m glad to hear I’m rubbing off on them.”

  "Are you now? I didn't realize it was your influence I was seeing here," Nate said, one eyebrow raised. Athena felt a little, unwanted flutter in her stomach. The flirtatious spark was back in his eye, and as much as she wanted not to care, she did. He was endlessly charismatic and almost impossible to dislike. When his attention landed on a person, when he really turned it on, it was easy to feel like the most important girl in the world. She gave a little shiver, opened her mouth to respond, and was promptly interrupted.

  “Oh. My. God. I knew you were here, like, I knew it, but I still can’t believe it’s true!”

  Athena glanced behind her, then reluctantly moved aside so that the newcomer to the conversation could join in. Said newcomer was very blonde with a tan that couldn’t possibly be natural and a dangerously low-cut top.

  "Looks like it, ma'am. Either I'm here, or this is one hell of a dream," Nate answered, once again heedless of his answer and the presence of children. Athena cleared her throat pointedly but didn't get so much as a glance in her direction in response. This woman was enough to push Nate into ignoring her again. She also seemed to enjoy the idea of Nate's flirtation at least as much as Athena had. And without any of her reservations, too.

  “A dream, huh?” the woman asked, wrapping her bleached hair around the tip of a finger and smiling, “I’ve been called a lot of things, but never a dream.”

  “But that’s a crime, sugar!” Nate answered easily, “Maybe you just haven’t been spending time with the right kind of people.”

  “Well, now, there’s an idea. You might just be right about that.”

  Rolling her eyes and feeling a little sick to her stomach, Athena gave up and walked away, rejoining a now harried-looking Shelly. She was busy talking to a man Athena didn’t recognize, who was gesturing wildly while he spoke.

  "Athena, thank God," Shelly said as soon as Athena was in earshot.

  “What’s the matter?” Athena asked, “What’s going on here?”

  “This gentleman is—” Shelly started before being neatly cut off by the unknown man.

  "I'm Blaine Crawford, Nate's agent." He stuck out one beefy hand and, when Athena offered hers in return, he swallowed it up and shook so hard it was almost violent. Athena took a quick inventory of the man and decided she wasn't a fan. His suit looked like it probably cost more than her car, and he wore a gold ring with some sparkly stone on his pinkie. It was more than that, though. She wasn't so superficial as to write him off based on his appearance alone. It was something else, some feeling she couldn’t articulate. When it was all said and done, she simply didn't trust him. Still, she put on a sweet, friendly smile and gently reclaimed her hand.

  “Hello, Blaine Crawford. What seems to be the trouble?” she asked, careful to keep her tone friendly and her voice even.

  “No trouble, not exactly. I’m only wondering when this lesson is going to be finished. I was under the impression that it would be done by now.”

  “It’ll be finished soon,” she assured him, “sometimes it goes over by a bit. I’m sorry, did you need to see Nate?”

  “Need to see you both, actually,” Blaine said with a nod, “we’ve got some business to hammer out.”

  “Um, we do?” Athena answered, confused and a little annoyed, “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m talking about producers, honey. The producers for this little web series we’ve got cooking. They’re here, they’re waiting, and they’re getting impatient.”

  “Blaine!”

  Nate's voice carried across the barn as he sauntered towards them with a grin on his face. Athena's skin prickled, and she couldn't tell whether it was with pleasure or irritation. She was definitely annoyed, now more than ever, but that smile of his made it hard to stay upset.

  “Here he is!” Blaine shouted, holding his arms out like he was expecting a hug, “I thought you’d never take your leave from that pretty young thing. You never do stop, do you?”

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about, hoss,” Nate answered, giving Athena a sideways glance. She thought she saw a flicker of embarrassment there, maybe even guilt, but she couldn’t be sure. It was dangerously easy to see a thing simply because you wanted it to be so.

  “All right, all right, play it close to the vest if you like. It’s all the same to me.”

  “It’s not exactly all the same to me,” Athena interjected, a frown on her face, “I wouldn’t mind knowing who she was.”

  “She was nobody, honestly,” Nate said, rolling his head and cracking his neck. He looked pained, like it was just about the last conversation on the planet he wanted to be having, and Athena couldn’t help bristling some. If he thought she didn’t have a right to ask, he was sadly mistaken.

  “So then why was that nobody in my barn?” Athena pushed, watching his face closely, “We’re trying to teach those girls, Nate. We’re not there to be on display.”

  “You have to understand, sweetheart,” Blaine interjected smoothly, his voice positively dripping with condescension, “people get excited to see this man. Especially people of the female persuasion. They’re going to be drawn to him and if they know he’s around, they’re going to show up. Just think of it as part of the business. His adoring fans, if you will.”

  “Well, in the future, I’d like to keep his ‘adoring fans’ out of my barn. It’s not the place for it. Not around the kids.”

  “Fine, fine,” Blaine said dismissively, shooting Nate a look that said the two of them were the only rational ones in this conversation,” but for now, let’s get this show on the road, shall we? Don’t want to keep those damned producers waiting for much longer or they’re going to start foaming at the mouth.”

  “Did you know about this?” she asked Nate quietly as they trailed after Blaine, who was leading them out of the practice barn and towards the offices.

  “I might have heard something about it,” he answered, looking forward instead of at her, “guess I forgot to mention it.”

  “Guess you did,” she said, shaking her head as they stepped into the offices.

  Athena had to steel herself when she saw the three men and one extremely thin woman sitting around a table with a stack of papers in front of them, all of them doing their best to talk over one another. At the sound of the opening door, all four of them looked up, plastering phony looking smiles on their faces.

  “Here they are!” the woman exclaimed, “Our two stars!”

  "Sorry, we were with the kiddos,” Nate said, pulling out a chair for Athena and motioning for her to sit. She did so but remained on the edge of her seat. She wanted to know she could make a quick escape if that was what she needed. She was well and truly over her head now, and she didn't care for the feeling at all.

  "No matter," on
e of the men said briskly, "this meeting isn't even on the record. Let's think of it as more of a fact-finding mission."

  "Fact-finding?" Athena echoed, looking from the producers to Nate uncertainly.

  "Exactly," the man answered, apparently pleased to see how quickly she was catching on, "so we can work out the narrative. I've got to say; I love the energy between the two of you. We all do. It's spectacular, as is. We just need to work out how best to capitalize on it."

  "I'm certainly glad to hear you say so," Nate answered easily before launching into a stream of ideas about the best way for them to proceed with the "show." Although Athena knew she should pipe up and say something, she couldn't seem to make herself. Instead, she sat back and watched as Nate worked his magic. She couldn't imagine ever telling him so, but she was in awe of how masterfully he was commanding the room. No matter what these people brought up, he seemed to have an answer for them. It started to look like the whole thing was going to be over and done in five minutes flat until the producers finally hit on something that seemed to make Nate bristle.

  “There’s only one thing missing in all of this,” the bird-like woman said, leaning forward and looking at them with a level of intensity that made Athena shift in her seat.

  “What’s that, now?” Nate asked, flashing her his million-dollar smile.

  “This stuff is all great, but it’s not getting personal enough. We want to know about you. About both of you. More importantly, we want to know the real deal about the relationship between the two of you.”

  “But that’s not what any of this is about,” Nate answered, some of the good cheer going out of his voice, “people aren’t interested in our personal lives, Patricia. They’re interested in our skill—that’s why we’re having this competition in the first place.”

  “Come on, now, Nate,” Patricia cajoled, “you don’t really believe that, do you?”

  “I do, yes. That’s exactly what I believe.”

  "Well, the CEO of your potential sponsor, Athreal, feels otherwise. He might be running an athletic company, but he’s got plenty of ideas about the entertainment industry. He specifically requested that this series ‘go behind the curtain.' He wants people to get a look at what makes the two of you so dynamic, if you catch my drift. I think it's going to mean big money down the line."

  “I don’t know if it matters, but I’m game.”

  After saying it, Athena was just as surprised as the rest of them by her assertion. She hadn’t planned on saying it, not really. She had only been looking for a way to throw in her two cents, become part of the conversation. She had wanted to make herself appear competitive, and, perhaps, to show that she might be a better bet than Nate in the long run.

  For his part, Nate looked like he could happily duct-tape her mouth shut. The glare he bestowed upon her only lasted for a moment, but it was enough to speak volumes. When he fixed his gaze back on the producers, the smile returned, but this time it didn't reach his eyes.

  “Looks like you’ve got one of us on board. As for me, I’m going to need to hash things out with legal before jumping all in. Sound good to everyone?”

  The question was met by a chorus of enthusiastic agreements, and the producers got up and left with no additional fanfare. That left Athena and Nate alone, the two of them still so close to each other that she could feel the warmth coming off of his body. She scooted her chair away from him, all of a sudden highly aware of their proximity.

  “You’re ready for the big leagues now, is that it?” he asked quietly, giving her a strange smile that made her fight the urge to squirm.

  “I... I guess I am.”

  “Things could get pretty interesting, then,” he said, stepping closer. She was torn between the desire to put some distance between the two of them and the devious urge to close the gap. She settled for staying put, looking up into his face and trying to steady her breathing.

  “I don’t know,” she said truthfully.

  “Very interesting,” he repeated, “depending on what my lawyer says, that is. Until then, I guess we’ll just be keeping to public places.”

  He turned and left the offices abruptly, leaving Athena alone and with a head that was spinning. For a moment, she had been sure that he was going to kiss her. Even more surprising, in spite of all the reasons why she knew she had to keep her distance—the fact that he’d be leaving soon, the fact that he was her competition, the fact that she needed to keep her head in the game and not act on impulse…

  …she had been sure she was going to let him.

  7

  Athena slept poorly that night and was more than a little grateful for the next day being Sunday. Ever since Nate had come to town, it felt like the world was permanently stuck on hyperspeed. The idea of having a day with no work, a day when she could shut herself up in her little apartment and try to make sense of everything, was definitely appealing. She was intent on getting her head right and almost didn’t answer her phone when it began to ring. It was only when she saw that it was Nate calling that she answered, her heart jumping into her throat. After the way they had parted the day before, she didn’t know whether to expect him to be friendly or to chew her out.

  “Hello?” she asked, hating the sound of her own nerves but incapable of eradicating the tremor in her voice completely.

  “Hey, Athena. What are you up to right now?” he asked, his voice crisp with excitement.

  “Um…” she stalled, looking around her woefully empty apartment for inspiration and finding none, “nothing?”

  “Good, that’s what I was hoping to hear. Any chance you’d like to go on a hike?”

  “A hike?” she echoed, almost laughing with surprise, “Are you serious?”

  "Of course I'm serious. I never joke about a thing like that. I'm staying at Ian's place, and I thought it might be nice. Kind of a throwback to when we were kids, you know? He's on my parents' old property now."

  “I know,” she answered, her mind going back to the time she had spent scrambling up those Grant hills when she was young.

  "Anyway, I thought it might be good for us to get some time around each other when it's just the two of us before things start to get really crazy with this damn show. If you're not interested—”

  “No!” she interrupted, a little faster and louder than strictly necessary, “I mean, no, it’s not that I’m not interested. You just caught me off guard, is all. I think a hike sounds great, actually. Nothing like some time in the outdoors to clear your head.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” he answered. She imagined that she could hear the grin in his voice, and she couldn’t help but smile.

  "It's a plan, then. I'll meet you at the property gate. And don't keep me waiting, Nate, or I'm likely to start this hike without you."

  “I haven’t done this in years, you know? I used to go hiking all the time. I miss this kind of thing.”

  “Yeah,” Athena answered, looking at Nate carefully as the two of them ascended the hill they had climbed all the time as children, “me too.”

  “Really?” he asked with surprise that sounded genuine, “I would have thought you’d be out here all the time.”

  “What, you think I sneak onto your brother’s property to go for long walks?” she laughed, pleased to see the way he blushed at the sound.

  “Well, no, not here specifically, but you know. Around. It’s one of the perks of living in a place like this, isn’t it?”

  “That’s true,” she agreed, “it is. Assuming you have enough free time to get out and enjoy it. Sadly, most of the time, I don’t. I work two jobs, Nate. Two jobs with unpredictable schedules. Sometimes, I’m lucky to have time to watch a TV show, let alone go for an extended stroll through nature.”

  “Right,” he said softly, “sorry.”

  The two of them walked in silence for a while, the glory of the afternoon sun washing over them. As they moved, Athena struggled to decide what she thought was really going on here. She couldn’t figure out if he h
ad invited her because he genuinely wanted her company, or if he had some other, less desirable motivation. She almost wanted to believe that it was the latter. It would have made matters easier—drawn the lines between them clearly. It would have made it more believable when she told herself that her little bursts of pleasure over their exchanges were nothing more than folly. She was starting to think that she had him all wrong, though. Everything he had done since meeting her at the gate felt genuine. It didn’t feel like he was trying to work an angle, to get her to throw the competition or anything. It felt like he was interested in getting to know her again, and she didn’t think there were many people in the world that wouldn’t like that feeling at least a little.

  “So where is it?” he asked, finally breaking the silence.

  “Where is what? What do you mean?” she replied, startled and confused.

  “The gym you run,” he said gently. “Where is it?”

  She must have looked started, because he started to laugh, “But how do you know that? I didn’t mention it, did I?”

  “No, you didn’t mention it. I might look at your profile every once in a while on social media. You know, just to see what kind of trouble you’re getting yourself up to.”

  "You do, do you?" she asked, trying to hide how flattered she was. Nate didn't strike her as the type of man to admit to things like online stalking easily. Now that he had said it, he looked uncomfortable, to say the least. She searched her mind for something to say, and when she couldn't come up with anything, reached out and hit him lightly in the arm.

  “Ow!” he cried in mock pain, “What’d you go and do a thing like that for?”

  “To get your attention, so you’d have a fighting chance.”

  “Well,” he answered with a devious grin, “that sounds interesting. A fighting chance for what?”

  “To win the race to the top, dummy!”

  She took off running before the words were all the way out of her mouth, launching herself forward with the graceful ease of a gazelle. Behind her, she heard Nate curse and laugh at the same time, then take off running too.