I’d come up here so no one in the house would overhear. It was cold, but that wasn’t why my hands were clammy.
I rubbed my thumb over the cracked screen of my phone. I was about to gamble everything. If this went south, Outlaw would pull their support.
If I screwed this up, I’d be failing Sienna too.
When the clock hit eight, I pulled up Dave Henderson’s contact. Dave was the guy at Outlaw who handled the athletes. I’d only spoken to him a handful of times, but after I’d pulled out of that rodeo last month, he’d made it clear that he didn’t like surprises.
I hit call. He picked up on the second ring.
“Wilder. Tell me you’re not calling to add to the pile.”
“Mornin’, Dave.”
“I’ve got some woman named Avery blowing up my phone, talking about assault charges. Tell me you didn’t actually punch the guy.”
"I didn’t punch him. Just grabbed him by the shirt and told him to get off my property. Guy came onto my land running his mouth, disrespecting the woman who’s been handling everything for me."
He groaned. “Jesus. They send a replacement and you do that? My boss is breathing down my neck. They’re talking about cutting your NFR funding just to make this Chicago firm shut up and go away.”
My leg started bouncing against the bale. I pressed my fist against my thigh to stop it.
“Then let ’em pull it. But if they do, I’m riding in Vegas with a blank shirt. That agency is the one causing problems. They fired Sienna last minute and sent some smug asshole. He told her she ruined her career because she couldn’t keep her legs closed. That’s unprofessional as hell.”
Silence stretched on the line.
Finally, he spoke again. “You’re telling me to cut ties with a major PR agency because you’re involved with your publicist?”
I didn’t hesitate. "Yeah. I am. And you didn’t seem to mind when you asked us to shoot those corny-ass videos together. She’s been doing a damn good job. I didn’t ask for any of this trouble, I just want to ride."
He muttered something under his breath. “This is your own fault, you know. You refuse to get an agent, so I had to contract that firm in the first place. The other guys don’t make my life so hard.”
I let out a shaky breath. “You’re not wrong.”
“First time you’ve agreed with me that easy.”
“So let’s fix it,” I said. “Cut the agency out and pay me directly. Sienna stays on to manage my end. I do the work, and neither of us gives you another headache.”
Another stretch of silence. I closed my eyes, my grip on the phone tightening until my knuckles ached.
“Christ,” he sighed heavily. “Alright. I can pitch it as a budget cut. But here’s the deal, Wilder—you are on zero-tolerance ice. If you don’t place top five in the first go-round at the NFR, we drop you. Immediately. And you’ll cover your own Vegas expenses out of pocket.”
My stomach dropped, but my voice stayed level. “Understood.”
“I mean it. You better ride like your life depends on it. And keep your hands in your pockets, no more fights.”
“You’ve got my word. Thanks, Dave.”
I hung up.
I exhaled, watching the white cloud of air frost up and vanish. The heavy knot I'd been carrying since yesterday finally loosened.
I climbed down the ladder from the loft and walked back toward the house. The morning was bitter, the frost crunching like broken glass under my feet.
Wren was leading Moose out to her truck, dressed in leggings and a fleece pullover—likely taking him for a run down by the river. I quickly ducked behind the shed before she could spot me.
I wasn’t ready to face the family just yet, even though I was grateful they’d stood by me and Sienna.
When I made it into the kitchen, the warmth from the stove hit me, thawing the chill. Sienna was standing at the counter in her gray fleece pajamas covered in little pine trees. Her hair was messy and her eyes looked tired, but the second she saw me, some of the tension in her shoulders eased.
