Decker starts the show with a smile that’s all teeth.
“Gentlemen, we’ve had quite a week.”
He clicks the remote.The screen fills with images of our team at my family’s farm; my mom laughing at something McKenna said, Eli giving orders, Olivia waving at the camera, and then there's Tessa, hair in a braid, jeans and boots, sunlight haloing her as if she walked out of a goddamn country music video.And the pictures and videos of her don't stop.Shot after shot of her working, interacting with everyone and then ends on the one Kenzie took of her working oil through Olivia's curls, with Reeves in the background looking fucking smitten.
Jamie from PR is practically glowing.“Our social metrics are through the roof.The Tessa content is gold.We’ve got viral traction, local papers picking it up, and national outlets reaching out for interviews, asking what her affiliation is with the team.Fans are calling her theCowgirl Angel.”
I fucking hate that nickname.I hate that people are exploiting that terrifying moment.
I feel my pulse in my throat.“You’re kidding.”
“Nope,” Jamie says, grinning.“She’s trending.”
Decker steeples his fingers.“This...”he gestures to the images, “is the kind of story that rebuilds trust.A captain returning home.A community.A local hero.Authenticity sells, boys.”
Then the screen changes, and a side-by-side of Tessa's and Brielle's feeds light up the room.
Our head of PR jumps in, "People were team Brielle for a while, but authenticity is trending, and people are calling out the differences in the women."
Bile rises up my throat, but I feel Coach staring at me as he subtly shakes his head.
They show content from fans dissecting the feeds and the character of each woman, as if they were comparing car models.Then they scroll over some of Sloane's content since the accident and how her numbers have dropped since, saying something about natural beauty and wholesome being the newITthing, but my blood is roaring in my ears, and I tune out what they are saying.
I can feel my jaw tightening.“You’re talking about people, not storyboards.”
“Relax,” Decker says, smooth as oil.“No one’s exploiting anyone.We just...want to lean in.Maybe a small partnership, with a charity tie-in.You know, real heart.”
Bishop finally speaks.Her voice cuts through the room like the sound of ice cracking.“And you want Nate to be the face of it.”
“Exactly,” Decker says.“He’s the captain.He’s already connected to the community.And this...”he clicks to another photo, Tessa holding Liv’s hand, my family dinner after a long day of work, the boys and I on the fence line working together, and lastly Tessa on her knees covered in mud, hugging a teary-eyed Olivia.“This is the image of leadership.Family.Stability.People eat it up.”
I can’t breathe right.The room feels smaller, the air stale.
“She’s not part of the team,” I say.“She didn’t sign up for this.”
Decker smiles again, trying to come off as patient, but looks patronizing.“She doesn’t have to.You’ll handle it, Captain.It’s good for the brand.Good for you.”
Duarte shifts in his chair.“Careful, boss.That brand bleeds when you treat real people like press kits.”
Decker doesn’t even look his way.“We trust our captain to navigate that balance.”
Coach Harrison leans forward, voice low and steady.“This is exactly what a good captain does, Nate.You take what the game gives you, and you turn it into something better.You lead on and off the ice.”
And there it is, the one thing I’ve never been able to ignore.
The challenge.The responsibility.Theexpectation.
I exhale slowly.“If we’re doing this, we do it right.Diane Morgan handles most of the fundraisers in that town.You’ll want her looped in before anything goes public.”
Decker’s grin widens.“Perfect.We’ll start there.And Nate, excellent job."
I don’t say anything.I just nod, because I know the script.
"Oh, and boys, you are all looking good.There is something to be said about strengthening your body through hard work.Keep at it, we will be looking great for this upcoming season."
The others file out one by one.Reeves passes me, shaking his head with a disappointed look on his face.
Duarte claps my shoulder before leaving.“Don’t let them take over your personal life.”
