The Champion (Racing on the Edge)

by Stahl, Shey

  “Dadadadada,” Axel babbled away crawling around me in amongst the grass and wild flowers that bordered Charlie and Rachel’s graves. I chose to have Charlie buried next to Rachel in our home town of Aberdeen. I thought that was fitting since they had spent the majority of their lives together in that small Grays Harbor town.

  And when I thought about it some more, I would have wanted that for Jameson and me. This way they would be together forever in my mind.

  I struggled with losing Charlie—some days were good—some weren’t. It was easier being in Mooresville and being around racing again but still, it was something where I just had to remember what was important and that was being a mother to my son and a wife to my husband.

  I intended on being the best damn Mama Wizard I could be.

  I gently traced my fingertips over my mother’s headstone, reading the script aloud. “Rachel Marie Reins, loving wife and mother.”

  A few tears fell as I remembered my times with my mom, wondering how different my life may have turned out had she not died. Deciding this would just upset me more than anything I looked over at Axel as he chewed his second piece of grass.

  “Are you ready to go my little goat?” I asked and picked him up. He said dada once again. “And you really should start saying mama. I’m clearly a better choice. I mean look at everything I offer you...you wouldn’t eat if it wasn’t for the foodbags!”

  Axel grinned at me. It was bizarre to see how much he resembled Jameson at such a young age and also reassuring. Whenever I missed Jameson, all I had to do was look into Axel’s green eyes and I saw Jameson. The personalities were much in the same. He had one hell of a temper that’s for sure. Other than the temper, he was one of the happiest babies I’d ever seen. Just don’t piss him off and for god’s sake, do not interrupt his feeding time.

  Jameson made this mistake once when we were stuck in a rainstorm outside of Bloomington. Needless to say; he never asked me to stop breastfeeding him once I started again.

  I sat there at my parent’s gravesites for another few minutes, telling them everything that happened in the last few months before loading Axel back in the car.

  Tonight was the memorial race we’d put together for Charlie so everyone was flying in today to attend. We had planned it around the bi-week in NASCAR, the Outlaw races, and the USAC schedules.

  Only problem was that my dirty heathen was in Grand Forks North Dakota with Justin and Tyler at an appearance for their new sponsor and the additional car that he added this year. Not that he needed to add another car to his team but knowing Jameson I wasn’t surprised he added another one.

  So there we were texting all morning but he had yet to give me a final answer on whether or not he was actually coming.

  When I got inside the car and my little goat was buckled in safely, I sent him another text while Van drove to the track.

  It was now noon and we only had six hours until racing started, I needed Jameson for two reasons. One, he pulled the biggest crowd in and we advertised that he’d be there. And two, we hadn’t seen each other in close to two weeks and I missed him.

  Please tell me you’re coming!

  It took him about ten minutes to respond and by the time he did, we were at the track unloading the t-shirts into the merchandise tents.

  Coming huh, that can be arranged.

  I smiled. Can we please have a conversation when you’re not acting like a twelve year old?

  Not likely.

  Are you or are you not?

  Huh?

  Will you be here tonight?

  I had to avoid the word coming. It’s sad that I can’t use that word with my twenty-four year old husband but it’s true. As I said before, he was just now maturing to eight.

  Axel started squirming in my arms and babbling about daddy again. Trying to hold a wiggly six-month old and text at the same time was challenging.

  I don’t know if I can make it. I’m still in Grand Forks. Sorry.

  Damn you Jameson! These fans are expecting you. What do you want me to do now?

  At that point, I was beyond irritated that he led me to believe he’d make it and now he suddenly couldn’t. Axel was wiggling so much that I almost dropped him and the boxes I was holding.

  “Okay, just stop squirming.” I told Axel and set him down on the grass near the ticket booth knowing he’d just crawl around and pick flowers, which I didn’t mind.

  Look up.

  What? I don’t have time for this shit Jameson.

  Look up honey.

  I did and was met with my dirty heathen, smirking, holding a smiling Axel in his arms. I didn’t waste any time before I ran to him, dropped everything and ran to him.

  His rich intoxicating scent overwhelmed my senses, leaving me just as breathless as it always did. He smelled like methanol from the sprint cars and I wanted to rip all his clothes off right then, with my teeth.

  Nancy approached us from behind.

  “Ohhh...let me see my grandbaby!” she squealed, as did Axel. He loved Grandma Me-Me. That’s what she called herself.

  Nancy had been traveling with everyone so she could help take care of Lexi while Alley put out fires Jameson started on and off the track.

  “You two go reunite,” she giggled with herself. “I got Axel.” She shooed us away with her hands to Jameson’s office.

  We were just making our way up the wooden steps when unfortunately Mark was also looking for Jameson, along with a group of fans who had gathered when they realized he was here.

  Racing wouldn’t start for a while but the gates had just opened which meant Jameson wouldn’t be able to just wander around.

  “Hey Jameson, I’m glad you’re here already.” Mark nudged his shoulder. His JAR Racing hat shadowed his eyes and I smiled that he was promoting Jameson’s sprint car team. “Listen, Phil wants to know if you’ll be racing tonight? He needs to figure out how many heat races we are going to run.”

  “It’s all right.” I could tell he was torn between being with me and his duties as the owner so I made the decision for him. “There will be time later.”

  Before I could make it a foot away, his tight grasp restrained me.

  “Stay in my office. I’ll be up in a minute.” He whispered in my ear and kissed along my neck before breaking into a smirk. “I missed you.”

  I giggled feeling the tickle of his two-week scruff that I absolutely loved. “Show me then.”

  Roll Cage – Jameson

  “Where’s Sway?” I asked Spencer and Aiden who were sitting in the announcer’s booth going over Justin and Tyler’s lap times. “Did she come in here?”

  “Look, Justin smoked you on the last lap. Looks like someone may need to stick to cup cars.” Spencer snickered. “She’s in your office.”

  He then shoved the remainder of his hotdog in his mouth.

  “I hope you choke,” I told him and strode past them toward my office. If only I had my Taser back.

  Once inside, I was thankful I was the one that opened the door and not someone else.

  There my wife was spread out on my desk with absolutely nothing on but a pair of black leather boots that went up to her knees.

  “Holy fuck!” I gasped locking the door. “What if it wasn’t me that opened the door?”

  “Well, that would have been awkward.” She giggled and then a slow wicked smile spread over her full lips. “Now get over here champ.”

  I was across the room before she finished her sentence. My fingers danced across her soft skin of her upper thighs, memorizing the feel of the skin I missed so much. My body knew hers in every way and it didn’t take long before I had discarded my clothes and pressed against her warm delicate body.

  “Oh god Sway...I missed you soooo much.” I moaned when I entered her. I wasn’t entirely surprised that I growled this in her ear eliciting a shiver in pleasure from her.

  “I need some proper bearing alignment.” She whimpered and arched her back pressing her chest into mine. I latched on
to her nipples but she quickly pushed me away. We’d been over this before. I had an obsession with them lately but not the milk that still filled them. The one time that happened was not enjoyable but I kept forgetting she was still breastfeeding.

  Sway threw her head back against my desk, revealing her neck for me. Her legs wrapped around my waist pulling me inside her, both of us gasping at the intense feeling of finally being together again.

  Welding her mouth to mine, kissing me so passionately I almost felt lightheaded with her sweet tongue caressing my own as I slide further inside her welcoming heat. There were no words, just grunts, groans, moans and the occasional gasp as we moved against each other.

  I moved from her mouth and attacked her neck with nips and bites I knew she loved. Her body began to tremble in my arms as she whimpered once again pulling me even closer. I wasn’t going to last long like this, not with the noises she was making. My hips began moving on their own will, desperate to feel.

  Reaching between us I found the spot I knew would send her over the edge in seconds. Her ignition switch was engineered for my hands so it only took one flick of the switch so to speak and she fired right up.

  “Jesus Jameson...” she sighed, digging her nails into my back, her legs tightened around me.

  “How’s your compression ratio?” I grunted, my fists tangling in her hair, tugging imperceptibly.

  I knew my girl’s compression ratio. I knew just how much her combustion chamber could take and I loved her higher thermal efficiency.

  It’s sad that all this car talk gets me going but it does.

  “My compression ratio is increasing its power,” She whimpered as her eyes rolled back.

  “Good...we wouldn’t want the engine to start knocking from the detonation.”

  “No, no...we wouldn’t want detonation.”

  Sway literally screamed out her pleasure as her body convulsed around my camshaft, a camshaft that intended to assure this align boring was done properly. No one wants bad bearings or detonation.

  “Fuck Sway,” I gritted between my teeth, all this dirty car talk was sending me into a tumult of need. I kissed her roughly before pulling back to watch her fall apart in my arms.

  I moved my hand from her and gripped the edge of the wooden desk, bracing myself. My head fell forward and my eyes clenched shut tightly. I was done for. Panting and moaning her name against the shell of her ear, unable to hold back any longer.

  I fell against her, exhausted. We laid there for a moment, slowing our breathing before I pulled back resting my weight on one arm. Her eyes were closed, from exhaustion or embarrassment I couldn’t be sure, because the cutest blush I’d ever seen was spreading from her cheeks down to her chest.

  I traced the features of her face with my fingertips, rubbing my thumb slowly across her full, pouty lips. Leaning down, I kissed her softly before pulling back to look deep into her eyes. Warm emerald met smoldering green.

  “You’re amazing,”

  “You’re not so bad yourself there, champ.” she reached up running her hand down my jaw. “I love this.”

  “I know you do. I did it for you.” I ran my fingers up the leather of her boots she’d kept on. “And I like the boots.”

  She sighed contently, leaning forward to capture my lips once more. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in so long...but then when you’re here, it’s like you’ve never left.”

  We laid there on my desk for what seems like ages, and I began to wish I could stay right there the rest of the night when Sway’s body shuddered and stifled giggles bursts from her mouth.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing,” Sway giggled again.

  I leaned back and blinked, raising an eyebrow at her, because clearly it was not nothing by the giggles.

  “I was just thinking about compression ratios.” She snickered.

  I rolled my eyes at her. “Why are you laughing though?”

  “I can’t believe some of the shit that turns us on.”

  “Mmm,” I kissed her forehead once. “But that’s why we get along so good.”

  “I was thinking...” She let out a little snort-laugh as her body shuddered again from repressing her laughter.

  “That’s never a good thing.” I smirked into her hair.

  Sway smacked my arm. “I think we should do it in the announcer’s booth sometime. I’ve always wanted to try that.” She giggled again, why this is funny to her is what I want to know.

  “Why is that funny though?” I asked.

  “And we can leave the PA system on...” she continued in a quiet voice that I had to strain to hear.

  “What are you talking about?” I looked at her in confusion.

  “While we’re doing it...we can leave the microphones on...given nobody should be at the track when this occurs...” Sway’s entire body was shaking at that point with pent up laughter that she couldn’t finish her sentence.

  I shook my head.

  “And that,” I took her face between my hands and kissed her, “is why I married you, you crazy, crazy woman,” I whispered against her lips, remembering the way they conformed to mine. “We should get back out there. My heat race is in a few minutes.” I smiled softly and helped her up.

  She acquiesced with a little grunt and pushed herself off the desk, reaching for her jeans. A few more giggles escaped her while she continued to dress.

  “You guys outta install a sound deadener in those walls.” Aiden suggested with slightly flushed cheeks when we stepped into the announcer’s booth.

  Spencer threw his head back with laughter. “Your shirt’s on backward little brother,”

  Pulling my shirt over my head, I heard Spencer chuckle again and ask Sway, “Soo...car talk huh?”

  She slapped the back of his head as he took a drink of his beer. “I hope you choke.”

  After fixing my shirt and smacking my brother again, Sway and I went our separate ways for the night.

  She was helping Andrea and Mallory in the concession stands tonight until the memorial race and then she’d be in the flag stand to wave the green and checkered flag.

  Emma waddled up to me as I headed toward the pits to get in the car for the heat race.

  “Jameson,” she waved at me to meet her half way. “can you sign these for me? They’re for Bucky’s grandkids.”

  “Yeah...sure...” I raised my eyebrows at her appearance. She looked exhausted. “Shouldn’t you be sitting down there humpty?” I gave her this nickname recently when she started to resemble humpty dumpty. She hated it, which it turn—made me very happy.

  She snorted punching my shoulder. “Don’t call me that asshole.”

  Humpty left after that, leaving me in my element, the pits surrounded by dirt and sprint cars.

  I inhaled a deep breath, my senses overflowing with the sweet smells of methanol exhaust mingling with the sharper burnt smell of the tire siping irons. I listened to the noises as air tools chattered, generators hummed and grinders rasped as crew members roughed up tires. There was the occasional loud “romp” of the revving nearby sprint cars and the familiar twang of country music from one hauler to the next.

  This was my home.

  I looked around at the hundreds of cars that gathered here, remembering why they were. It was essentially Mallory’s idea to do the memorial race for Charlie and it was also something I’d been thinking about for a while.

  We got all the cars around the Northwest to come over. Dad, Justin, Tyler, Tate, Bucky Miers, Shey Evans, and Bobby were also here in support. Even a bunch of my old buddies from racing in the USAC series were here along with Ryder and Cody Bowman.

  Originally I wasn’t going to race but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to race sprint cars when I had the chance.

  After the first heat race, I noticed my car wasn’t handling the way I wanted. Tommy and I ran through the different possibilities of set-up changes we could make before dad approached us, his suit pulled down to his waist where he had it t
ied.

  “Change the springs.” My dad leaned into the wing crossing his arms over his chest. “it’ll make a difference.”

  I didn’t respond and stared down at my car.

  “Did you hear me?” Dad nudged my shoulder.

  “I heard you. I just chose to ignore you.” I muttered and began changing the springs like he told me to.

  I hated it when he was right but being a fifteen-time champion in the World of Outlaws, he knew how to run a sprint car.

  I caught up with Sway after the trophy dashes and heat races were finished.

  She smiled and handed me a hamburger. “You should eat something.”

  “Thanks honey,” I reached for the cheeseburger in her hand and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

  A group of fans had gathered behind me as I stood there in the doorway to the concession stands eating my hamburger. Sway giggled and motioned for me to turn around, so I did and began signing an abundance of autographs before making my way back to the pits.

  “So how is this going to work?” Tate asked pulling his racing suit over his shoulders. Shrugging he adjusted the shoulders to fit the way he preferred.

  “I’m going to do one lap by myself. Then you guys file in for a 4-wide salute for two laps but on the front row we are gonna do 3-wide and then it’s a fifty lap main event. After that my dad and I will say a few words.”

  Tate smiled and raised his eyebrows. “Just for fun...right?”

  “Please...” I rolled my eyes reaching for my helmet on the seat inside my sprint car. “Nothing’s just for fun on a dirt track.”

  I heard Justin laugh from behind us with Lily in his arms.

  “Don’t believe anything he says Tate.” He glared my direction. “He caught a race with us in Terre Haute and said it was just for fun.”

  “It was for fun.”

  “Yeah,” Justin rolled his eyes. “That’s why you smoked us. You know,” he said contemplatively. “Did you curse our cars that night? Something like only the car owner can win?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  I couldn’t help a few tears during the memorial laps, not when I knew the reaction Sway was having to all this and wanted to comfort her, hold her and let her know I was there for her.