Winning his Heart

by Lara Van Hulzen

  “I was never much of a party guy anyway,” he continued.

  “You were the serious college student? Why do I have a hard time believing that?”

  “Oh, I was serious all right. But not so much about school, more about racing.”

  “Have you made a decision?”

  “Yeah. I have.” He looked down into her eyes, more confident than he’d been in years. “I’m gonna race again.”

  Franchesca had only seen that look in Mike’s eyes once before. A look that said he knew what he wanted, he was going to take it, and no one would stand in his way. It was when he’d kissed her in his suite, the night Annalise had walked in on them. The night things shifted between them.

  And now. As he held her close, moving their bodies to the beat of the music and told her he’d be racing again.

  “Have you told your family yet?”

  “No. I wanted to talk to you first.”

  “Me? Why?”

  “Well, if you haven’t guessed, you’re becoming pretty important to me. And to Annalise.”

  She smiled. “You’re climbing the charts in my life, too.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  The music switched to a faster song, everyone moving to get in place for a line dance. “Come on.” Mike took her hand and led them to a table in the corner, away from the dance floor where the noise wasn’t so prevalent.

  They settled into chairs and he leaned in, taking her hands in his. “This isn’t exactly the place I had in mind to talk about us, but life seems to keep getting in the way. I figure it’s now or never.”

  Franchesca’s heart rate accelerated. Of course, this conversation had been brewing for days, but now that it was here, she was nervous. Would he want to keep things going with her even though he’d decided to race again? Or would he want to pull back, make sure his world was all in order first? Her mind spun with all the possibilities.

  “Stop thinking so hard, Franchesca. This isn’t something bad. But this thing between us is...it’s important. When I’m not with you, I want to be. And when I’m with you, I’m mesmerized. I can’t take my eyes off you, can’t think of anything or anyone else.”

  Wow. That was more than she’d bargained for. “Why do I have a hard time believing that?”

  “Believe it, woman. It’s true.” He pulled her to him and kissed her, a deep, long, slow kiss that could have lasted moments or days, she didn’t know. Or care. As was becoming her habit, she got lost in all that was Mike and had no desire to find her way out.

  When they pulled back, he placed his forehead to hers. “I will always, always tell you the truth, Franchesca. And the truth is that I’m falling for you. Falling hard.”

  How it was even possible, she had no clue, but her heart rate sped up even more. She ran her fingers along his jaw. “I’ll never lie to you either, St. Claire. I’m falling for you, too. You and Annalise.”

  His smile lit up the room and he kissed her once more.

  Wes and Noelle passed by their table, huge grins on their faces.

  Mike shook his head. “Sorry. This is way too public for this conversation.”

  Franchesca smiled. “It’s ok. I’m learning that the St. Claires don’t have too many secrets from one another.”

  Mike rolled his eyes. “Sad, but true.”

  “It’s not sad. It’s...nice.”

  He took her hands in his once more. “Franchesca. I’d love to say ‘Let’s go for it!’ and move forward, but...”

  “We have to consider Annalise.”

  He placed a tender kiss on her hand. “Man, you’re easy on me.”

  “There’s nothing to be easy about, Mike. You have a child. A precious, wonderful little girl. You can’t be frivolous with relationships. I get it.”

  He shook his head back and forth. “How did I ever get so lucky to find you?”

  “Ha! It could have been anyone needing help on the side of the road that day. I was just the one to score car trouble.”

  His laughter filled the air, a deep male sound that sent shivers through her. “Don’t kid yourself, Stone. I knew it was you when I stopped. I think even then I was aware of what I was getting into and you snagged me, hook, line, and sinker.”

  “Believe me, the last thing I was doing that day was fishing for a man.”

  She teased, but it was true. Sure, she’d daydreamed about Mike from the little she’d seen and knew of him before that day. But it was a fantasy. Nothing she ever imagined would be real. And yet, here they sat, at a corner table in Grey’s Saloon admitting they were falling for each other and not one part of her was afraid.

  Well, a small part of her mind did question what he would think about her considering the audition his dad had offered in New York. But now wasn’t the time. The night was meant for celebration. And she wouldn’t dream of having this moment take a nose dive by throwing her thoughts about regret and the unknowns in her future into the conversation.

  No. Tonight was good times. Laughter. Friendship. Family. Things she hadn’t enjoyed in a mighty long time. As those brown eyes of his stared into her own, twinkling with mischief and happiness, the last thing she wanted was to break the spell.

  Whatever came up, she’d figure it out. She always had. She always will.

  “Come on. Let’s dance again. If I’m gonna be your good time, I need to live up to my title.”

  “Lead the way...” Mike placed his hand in hers and let her lead him to the dance floor, and whatever else the night might bring.

  The living room of the St. Claire mansion could fit another small house within it. The kitchen intimidated Franchesca, but the family room intrigued her.

  Grand wasn’t enough of a word to describe it all. While the rest of the house had a more formal feel to it with lots of mahogany and rich, warm colors, the family room was more relaxed, filled with massive sofas and chairs, perfect for curling up in with a book and getting lost for days.

  Franchesca had seen expensive homes in magazines and they all had a slight cold, not lived in feel to them. As if no one actually dared live in them.

  There were signs of life all over the St. Claire mansion. Yet another reason she loved this family. They were far from high and mighty. The coffee tables were strewn with magazines, one of them covered in coloring books with Annalise’s crayons spread around. On the couch nearby lay one of her blankets with about ten stuffed animals tucked beneath it.

  Coasters littered each surface, a novel lay faced down on one arm of a chair, and a pair of reading glasses were on the end table nearby.

  The family had gathered there to watch Mike’s race on television. Franchesca had thought at first she would be happier watching alone at home, but could see now the advantage of having the others with her.

  While she had confidence in Mike’s skills, the reality of watching was much different. Much more intense.

  And the race hadn’t even started yet.

  “You okay?”

  Noelle took a seat beside her on the sofa. The television was massive, making the race feel as if it were happening right in front of them. Franchesca could also see the wisdom in Glenna taking Annalise for a shopping day in Bozeman. Mike had told the family he would be racing again, but he didn’t want Annalise to know about it. Not yet. Her nightmares had lessened, and her spirits were up. He didn’t want to give her something to worry about.

  He’d told his family this was a trial run to see if he wanted to go back full-time, but Franchesca knew otherwise. His heart was in racing. He wanted this. Wanted it to all work out. And she wanted that for him. But that small voice in the back of her mind continued to tap at her curiosity to know what would happen if she took an audition in New York. Could they make things work long distance? Would Mike want to be in New York ever again? And was that even what Franchesca truly wanted?

  All things to put on the back burner for now. Her attention was on today. Mike and this race.

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” She turned to Noelle who had gr
asped her hand.

  “Wes said it gets easier to watch.”

  Franchesca looked at Wes and his dad who stood off to the side of where she and Noelle sat. Neither one of them looked relaxed. Although they were similar creatures. Kind, yet stoic quite a bit of the time. It was hard to read those two.

  Still, she was grateful for the company.

  Engines revved onscreen as the green flag waved and the race began. Mike’s car was number 12 and had red, white and blue stripes that ran up and over the top of the car.

  Everything moved so fast. The cameras, the cars. All of it. Franchesca had watched a race or two in her lifetime on television with her dad, but she’d been young and hadn’t paid much attention. Then it had been a bunch of Matchbox cars on the screen driving in a circle.

  But now...now the man she was falling in love with was behind the wheel of one of those beasts and it was too real.

  “It’s so loud.” Noelle looked from the screen up at Wes.

  “It’s crazy loud when you’re there. It would take me hours to get my heart rate back to normal after I watched a race.”

  Franchesca could only imagine what it was like to be there, to hear the roar of the engines, to take it all in. Her heart was pounding out of her chest sitting on the sofa in a relatively quiet, family room.

  Mike’s car popped on screen. He was in fourth place.

  “Good. That’s good. Still a lot of race left. He’s doing well,” Daniel said.

  His voice was steady, but Franchesca could see in his eyes the intense concern for his son. Daniel St. Claire was not a chatty man, by any means, but everything he did showed a man who loved his children more than anything. It had to be difficult for him to watch his son at risk.

  The St. Claires had taken the news well. That they were supportive. But as Mike predicted, were concerned about his safety, especially now being a single dad. But who could blame them? They all believed in Mike’s skills as a driver, but this profession was dangerous, there was no way around that truth.

  When Franchesca had encouraged him to follow his heart, she had no clue what it was asking of hers. The thought of not having Mike in her life scared her, but this? This was a whole different ball game. Losing Mike forever due to a bad day at “the office” made her stomach turn sour, her gut churning at all the horrible possibilities.

  “He’s doing well. He’ll be fine.” Wes put a hand on her shoulder as if reading her mind.

  Right. Yes. Happy thoughts. All would be well.

  Or would it? As she scanned the group of cars looking for Mike’s, her heart said to stay focused on a happy ending, but her mind battled it for the worse that could come.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Franchesca stood at the tall counter in the back of her studio and stared at her laptop. She’d come in early to do some work before her classes, but got sidetracked. Chin resting on her left hand, she scrolled with her right through social media. She followed Mike’s racing team, finding it the best way to get updates on races and results. Not knowing a thing about racing a few weeks ago, she now schooled herself daily in it.

  And if she were honest with herself, she spent most of the time staring at pictures of Mike. As gorgeous as he was up close and personal, there was something intensely sexy about the racing uniform he wore.

  The picture in front of her now was him walking toward the camera, his helmet tucked under one arm, the other in motion to put sunglasses on his face. His hair was mussed from having worn the helmet. His five o’clock shadow, one of her top five favorite things of all time, added to the gleam in those chocolate colored eyes of his, made her all but swoon.

  Oh yes, she had it bad for Mike St. Claire.

  When he’d returned from his last race, she’d jumped into his arms – literally – and hadn’t given a thought about anything but him and Annalise since.

  Until now.

  She snapped her laptop closed and looked around. Not unlike Noelle’s studio, it had wood flooring with one wall covered in mirrors. It wasn’t an enormous space, but there was plenty of room for her students to rehearse, and when she needed a stage, she’d take her classes two doors down where the local theater was and practice there.

  A few months ago, she and Noelle had joined forces and created a wonderful show for the community that had raised money for Harry’s House, an after-school activity center for kids. They’d pulled the program together fast, but it had been a hit. And it boosted Marietta’s interest in the arts, something Franchesca and Noelle were both proud of. But it hadn’t boosted attendance in her classes the way she’d hoped. She broke even every month, but would that be enough? Flickers of worry danced through the back of her mind.

  Franchesca loved the kids she taught. Loved the stars in their eyes that came from performing and the way they lit up when they won a role in a play. How the shy ones would emerge from their shells because playing a part was just the nudge they needed to step outside of their insecurities. She hadn’t thought of teaching until her mother suggested it, but her mother had been right. It suited her. But how much longer could she be able to do it? She and Noelle had discussed joining forces, but they both needed the studios at the same time – right after school and on Saturday mornings.

  As she placed chairs in a circle to prepare for her next class, the thoughts of New York she’d pushed way back in her mind, tip-toed their way to the front. Things were going so well with Mike. Did she want to rock that boat? Did she want to leave her studio and the kids she loved? Her mother’s words echoed in her mind. Of course, her mother hadn’t said she regretted leaving the stage. Sophia Stone had loved her husband and her life. But she’d wondered what might have been.

  Her heart played a fierce game of tug-of-war. On one side, her mother was doing well at May Bell House. Franchesca could take a week or two off classes and just go to New York. On the other side stood Mike and Annalise. She’d been far from unhappy in Marietta, even before they’d come along. But now...well, now she was just so damn confused she didn’t know which way was up.

  “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you that deep in thought.”

  Franchesca turned her attention to Noelle who stood inside the doorway of the studio. Her hands on the back of a chair, Franchesca had stopped preparing for class and was staring into space. She shook her head, her curls brushing against her cheeks. Curls Mike loved. Curls he’d run his hands through the night before as they’d said goodbye before he headed to Detroit for two days of meetings.

  Noelle snapped her fingers in front of Franchesca’s face then sat in a chair nearby. “Hello? Wow. I’m not sure what to say. Based on the blush in your cheeks I can guarantee I know who you’re thinking about, and even what you’re thinking about.” She held up a hand. “Not that I need details there. But you’ve got something on your mind, my friend.” She patted the chair next to her. “Here. Sit. Talk.”

  Franchesca took a deep breath in and let it out. She sat beside her friend, wanting advice. Wanting for someone to tell her what she should do, and yet, the words wouldn’t come.

  “Okay, now you’re scaring me.” Noelle crossed her long legs. She wore pale pink tights with a matching leotard and a wisp of a ballet skirt wrapped around her waist. Her hair was spun into a perfect bun on top of her head and her wedding band sparkled in the light of the studio. She was like a painting. No wonder Wes had fallen for her the way he had.

  Her best friend in Marietta, the two of them hit it off as soon as Franchesca brought Noelle flowers the day she opened her dance studio.

  Franchesca dropped her head between her knees, the tips of her hair sweeping along the ground. “Ugh! I don’t know what to say.”

  “I have a hard time believing that.”

  Franchesca sat up again and leaned back in her chair. Even she had to admit she was not at a loss for words often. “I’m not sure what to do.”

  “About?”

  “Mike. Life. New York.” She looked at a spot past Noelle’s shoulder where she could se
e out the front window. The blue of the Montana sky never ceased to amaze her. Could she leave? Was she leaving? Or was she considering the audition to prove something to herself and nothing more?

  “You’re going to have to give me more to go on than that.” Noelle shook her head. “And New York. What’s happening in New York?”

  With the busyness that was her life the past few weeks, Franchesca hadn’t had a chance to tell Noelle about Daniel St. Claire’s offer. She’d only told Mike. And in truth, hadn’t mentioned it since. It had made its way into the background of her world, but now? Well, now it had made its way to the front again, torturing her with indecision. Something Franchesca was not accustomed to.

  She was a woman who knew what she wanted and went for it. She used to be anyway. Now, she was a jumble of questions with no answers.

  “The night you and Wes announced you’d gotten married, I had a conversation with Daniel St. Claire. He said if I was ever interested in doing an audition in New York, he would help set that up for me.”

  “Wow. That’s great.”

  “Yeah. Kind of. But not really.”

  Noelle puckered her lip to the side. “Hmmm. I see what you mean.” She stood and moved behind her chair, placing her hands on the back of it. Her feet moved into third position. Standing in ballet positions helped Noelle to think. Yet another detail Franchesca had learned about her friend in their months of friendship.

  “If you go, you’ll leave behind all you’ve built here.” A wave of sadness washed over Noelle’s face. “But if you don’t go ...”

  “I’ll never know.” Franchesca’s comment was almost a whisper in the quiet room. Her heart swelled with appreciation for having a friend who understood. Noelle had danced on stage. Injury had torn her from it.