Chapter FifteenTruth and Consequences
Jo and I have everything to lose if our plan goes sideways.
The press conference room at the Las Vegas Convention Center is packed tighter than a rodeo chute on championship night.
Every reporter, photographer, and rodeo insider who could wrangle their way in is here, hungry for the next chapter in what Buck's been calling "the scandal of the decade.
" I can feel Jo's hand trembling slightly in mine as we wait behind the curtain.
"You ready for this?" I whisper, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze.
She looks up at me. "Ready as I'll ever be. You've got the evidence?"
I pat my jacket pocket where the flash drive feels like it weighs a hundred pounds. "Right here. Everything Maddie's cousin sent over."
Turns out, Maddie Vale's own flesh and blood couldn't stomach the scheme she and Sterling cooked up.
Her cousin works in tech support at Sterling's sponsor company and had access to their email accounts.
One anonymous message to Buck later, and we had everything we needed---the original photos before they were doctored, email exchanges planning the whole setup, even receipts for the voice actor they hired to create that fake audio.
"Remember," Jo says, her voice remarkably calm, "we stick to the facts. No accusations we can't back up."
I adjust my bolo tie, which Jo had picked out for me. I'm wearing a proper suit for once, and it feels as strange as the first time I climbed on a bronc. But Jo insisted we should look the part today---professional, polished, unshakeable.
Buck pokes his head through the curtain. "They're ready for you. And Clay? Sterling just arrived with his lawyer."
Perfect . Let him try to squirm out of this one.
As we step out into the blazing lights, the room falls silent except for the rapid-fire clicking of camera shutters.
I scan the crowd and spot Brock Sterling immediately---he's sitting in the front row with some slick-looking lawyer in an expensive suit, both of them wearing expressions that could instigate a deep freeze in hell.
Maddie's nowhere to be seen, which tells me everything I need to know about loyalty among thieves.
Jo and I take our seats at the podium table, and I'm struck by how composed she is.
The woman who once kicked me out of her truck and handed me cab fare has transformed into someone who could command any room she enters.
Seeing her this way makes me want to drag her behind the curtains so I can do dirty things to her.
"Thank you all for coming," Jo begins, her voice carrying clearly through the packed room. "Clay and I called this press conference to set the record straight about recent allegations regarding our relationship."
A reporter near the back raises her hand. "Miss Callahan, are you denying that your engagement was fabricated for publicity?"
I lean forward, folding my hands on the table. "We're not denying anything. That's why we're here---to tell the truth, all of it. We'll take questions in a moment." I gesture for the reporter to wait. "First, we have information to share."
Jo squeezes my thigh under the table as she faces the crowd.
"For the past several weeks, there have been accusations that Clay and I fabricated our relationship for publicity and financial gain.
Today, we're here to present evidence that not only proves these accusations are false but also reveals who orchestrated this smear campaign against us. "
The room buzzes with whispers as I connect the flash drive to the laptop. The projector screen behind us flickers to life, displaying the first email from Brock to Maddie.
"What you're seeing," I explain, "is correspondence between Brock Sterling and Maddie Vale, detailing their plan to discredit us before the PRCA campaign selection."
Sterling's face has gone pale. His lawyer is already on his feet, whispering frantically in his ear as the evidence is displayed for everyone to see.
"Need I remind everyone," Jo continues, "that manipulating images and creating false audio to damage competitors' reputations violates multiple PRCA regulations and potentially constitutes defamation."
I click to the next slide---a side-by-side comparison of the original photo and the doctored version showing me supposedly handing Jo money. The timestamps and metadata are highlighted, proving the manipulation.
"As you can see," I explain, pointing to the screen, "this image was altered to suggest a financial transaction between us, when the original clearly shows me handing Jo her hat after she dropped it outside the honky-tonk in Durango."
The room erupts with questions, cameras flashing like lightning in a summer storm. Sterling's lawyer is now on his feet, waving his hands. "This is outrageous! My client categorically denies any involvement in---"
"Save it for court," Buck hollers from the other side of the room.
He strides toward the podium with the confidence of a man who's seen it all and then some.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as a PRCA representative for over thirty years, I've witnessed my share of rivalries, but this crosses every line we have in professional rodeo. "
The lawyer sputters, but Buck isn't finished. He produces a folder and slaps it down on the podium beside us.
"The PRCA Ethics Committee has reviewed the evidence independently and reached their own conclusions," Buck announces, his expression solemn. "Effective immediately, Brock Sterling and Maddie Vale are suspended from competition pending a full disciplinary hearing."
The room explodes. Reporters leap to their feet, shouting questions over each other while cameras flash like strobe lights.
In the chaos, I see Sterling's face contort with rage, his lawyer desperately trying to control him.
But it's too late. Brock shoves past his attorney and storms toward our table, pointing an accusing finger.
"This is a setup!" he shouts, his eyes bulging, his hands fisted as he shakes them violently. "You think you can just waltz in here with some doctored emails and take me down? Do you know who I am? This is a disgrace!"
Security moves in quickly, but not before Jo rises to her feet, perfectly calm despite the chaos raging around us. "We know exactly who you are, Brock. That's the problem."
The guards flank Sterling, who's now red-faced and snarling about lawsuits.
Reporters shout questions over each other, and cameras flash like strobe lights.
Amid the chaos, I spot Brock's face, contort with rage, and his lawyer desperately trying to control him.
But it's too late. Brock shoves past his attorney, nearly knocking the guy down, and storms toward our table.
He jabs an accusing finger at me. "You'll get yours, McKendrick. Mark my words."
Security moves in swiftly, taking control of the situation.
The guards escort Sterling out, his protests fading as the doors swing shut behind him.
A moment of stunned silence follows before the room erupts again.
Reporters shout questions from every direction.
I catch Buck's eye across the podium, and his slight nod tells me we've won this round.
"One at a time, please," Jo says, raising her hands to calm the frenzy. Her voice carries the same natural authority that first drew me to her.
A reporter from Western Rodeo Magazine stands up. "Now that Sterling and Vale have been suspended, what does this mean for you two and the PRCA campaign?"
Jo glances at me, and I take the cue. "Nothing's changed. We have amazing opportunities ahead of us, and we look forward to our future together."
Another reporter jumps in. "What about the wedding, Ms. Callahan? Is that still happening?"
"The wedding is very much on."
Buck steps forward again, clearing his throat.
"I've got a statement from the PRCA selection committee.
" He unfolds an official-looking paper. "In light of recent events and the evidence presented today, the PRCA is pleased to announce that Clay McKendrick and Jolene Callahan have been selected as the featured couple for the Western Heritage Brands national campaign. "
The room goes dead silent for a heartbeat before erupting into chaos again. I feel Jo's hand squeeze mine tightly. We did it. We actually did it.
"The selection committee was impressed not only by their competitive achievements," Buck continues, raising his voice over the commotion, "but by their integrity in bringing this matter to light. They represent the authentic spirit of rodeo that Western Heritage Brands wants to showcase."
A reporter from Rodeo Today shouts over the noise. "What's the timeline for the campaign launch?"
Buck grins. "Filming begins next month, with the first commercials airing during the National Finals Rodeo broadcast. But in the meantime, these two consummate champions will be competing in every rodeo they can find."
He's not exaggerating. Jo and I both agreed to a crazy schedule. Getting back to basics, to what we do the best, feels like coming home after a long time away.
Can't wait to hear those wedding bells.