Race to His Heart

by Sara Noble

  “Daddy, come on,” Maddie interjected. “You think some big-time race car driver is going to come to our house for a party? You two are delusional.”

  “Maybe,” he said, looking away. The same expression of doubt colored his exhausted face.

  “Well, I’m going to call her back and see what they want to do. Go wash up for dinner,” ordered Grace while reaching for her cell phone. Maddie shrugged and headed to the sink. She raised her eyebrows at her father and he silently agreed by mimicking the look that the whole deal sounded a little iffy.

  A few minutes later, the Johnstons sat down for their roasted chicken, potatoes, and veggies. Grace recounted her latest conversation with Patty as they ate.

  “… And she said since they’ll be finished by noon, they are free to do as they please until Tuesday. That’s when they leave town again. She thinks a barbecue sounds great and promises that her and Jim will come. Oh, and do you know what else she said? She’s going to get us some passes to go down into the pits before the race on Saturday. She can’t get us credentials to go into the garage area, but hanging out in the pits before the race is going to be fun. We’ll have to wait until Sunday to see them all because they’ll be so busy with the race stuff.”

  Maddie stopped chewing the piece of chicken in her mouth. Then she gulped as she swallowed it down. “Really? That’s nice of Patty to do that for us,” she choked out.

  “So,” Grace continued, “I can’t see a better way than to thank our friends with some food and drinks! Right, Hank?” Hank nodded his head while he continued shoving chicken and potatoes into his mouth. “Your father can also pick up his favorite fireworks and we can all hang out in the yard and set them off. Oh, this is going to be the best Fourth of July, ever!” Maddie likened her to a small child planning a birthday trip to Disney World.

  “Mom, don’t get your hopes up, okay?” Maddie wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin, cleared her dirty dishes, and then headed upstairs. She needed to shower off the workday before meeting her friends at the pub.

  Hank cleared his throat as soon as Maddie’s foot hit the first step on the staircase. “What are you up to tonight?” he asked loudly so she could hear him from the dining room.

  Maddie froze and shut her eyes out of frustration. Her parents weren’t fans of her frequenting dive bars and brewpubs, especially since she was alone and without a boyfriend clinging to her arm. She was smart, though, and knew how to handle herself within a group of buzzed fraternity boys. Not to mention the fact that her friends were always looking out for her, as well. Her parents simply refused to cut the chord of their only child.

  “I’m just hanging out with friends, probably with Melissa and Jake.” Maddie despised having to report her every move to her parents. She continued to climb the stairs after a few seconds of dead air. They must have accepted her response, otherwise they would have pulled out all the stops to get her to stay home and watch TV with them. Another night of Wheel of Fortune was enough to make her sick.

  After a hot shower to cleanse the coffee smell out of her hair, Maddie quickly dressed in her favorite jeans and a Jaguar’s t-shirt then descended the stairs to search the living room for her purse. Grace was in her usual sitting position on the couch watching a game show while simultaneously working on a crossword puzzle. The older woman paused, pen still poised on the page, and studied her daughter as she rummaged around the room.

  “Where ya going, honey?” Grace asked as Maddie tossed around pillows and cushions, still looking for her purse.

  “Out.”

  “Well, I know that. But where are you going out?”

  “O’Shannen’s,” muttered Maddie, praying there wouldn’t be a lecture.

  Grace set aside her puzzle. “You sure you have plenty of friends to sit with you?”

  She means plenty of people to make sure I don’t go home with some drunk.

  Maddie groaned. “Mom, I am twenty-two years old. I’m not a child. I can handle myself.”

  “Oh, all right then,” Grace said, a little too forgivingly. “By the way, I forgot to mention that Patty was pretty sure Connor would be able to make it to the party on the fourth. She’s going to talk him into it. Sound good?”

  “Sure, Mom,” Maddie retorted, clearly annoyed that the conversation from earlier continued to be dragged out. She grabbed her keys, located her purse straddling a chair in the dining room, and then started for the door.

  “Call us if you’re going to be real late!” Grace hollered out as the door slammed closed.

  Maddie climbed into her cute little compact car that sat in the driveway of their suburban home. It was only four years old; Hank had bought it for her high school graduation present. Maddie kept it in perfect condition, except for the tiny dent in the rear bumper from when she backed into a light pole. She eyed Hank’s old 1976 Ford pick up truck at the front of the driveway. He had been working on it for years. Maddie occasionally helped him out with some of the engine work. He taught her from an early age to be handy with tools. She actually enjoyed doing oil changes and part replacements with him on the weekends. It was quality father-daughter time and one of the few perks she got from living at home, although not perky enough for her to want to stay forever. It looked as if she needed to start searching for a cheap apartment sometime in the next couple of days.

  The pub was bustling for a Monday night. Maddie sat on a barstool in the corner at a large table that her friends had claimed. A tall mug of lager sat in front of her, but she only sipped sporadically on the bitter drink. She watched solemnly as the condensation drops slid down the glass; her fingernail lazily pulled at the damp spots on the cocktail napkin sitting under the mug. There just wasn’t anything interesting happening, and it only added to her misery.

  Melissa, her friend from the coffee shop, noticed Maddie was looking less than excited to be out with everyone. She hopped off her stool then sauntered up to Maddie with a beer mug clasped in her palm and a menacing smile plastered on her face.

  “What’s up?” Melissa asked as she slid onto the stool next to her sad friend. She draped her arm around Maddie’s shoulder and pulled her in close. The aroma of the coffee house still clung to her hair, which caused Maddie’s nose to twitch.

  Maddie snapped out of her trance then moved her eyes to her friend. “Ah, nothing. Just thinking about stuff. My parents are getting on my nerves again. I really need to get my own place.”

  “You wanna move in with Jake and me?”

  Maddie laughed lightheartedly. “No offense, but no.”

  “Well, then you’re gonna have to stick it out with your parents until you find yourself a roommate. With the measly tips we’ve been making lately, I doubt you can handle this on your own.”

  Maddie sighed. “I know; it sucks. I guess I’ll just lock myself in my room and only come out to go to work or drink beer with y’all.” Maddie’s eyebrows jumped when she recalled her mother’s latest delusion. “And get this, they actually think Connor Gray is going to come to our house for the fourth like we’re having this huge reunion party. It’s kind of lame how they’re so excited about it.”

  Amusement scribbled across Melissa’s face. “Really? Can I come, too? I’ve always wanted to meet Connor. He’s kind of sexy.” She tossed her blond hair out of her eyes and wiggled her eyebrows.

  Maddie nearly choked on the sip of beer she had just taken. “It’s not gonna happen. Why would he want to come to a barbecue at someone’s house when he could be getting V.I.P. table service at some club? It’s a long shot. There’s a chance that his parents might show up, but not him.”

  “Why are you so upset about it? If he shows, he shows. If not, well at least you’ll get to say you hung out with his parents.”

  “I just don’t want my parents to get disappointed if he doesn’t come. I think my mom is going all out with the decorations and food. She’s going to make me clean the house for days just so it will be perfect for Connor Gray. Both of them are going to drive me nuts until it
’s all done and over with.”

  Melissa frowned. “You need to finish your beer and stop worrying. Let loose a little! And smile, for goodness sake. You’re never going to hook up with anyone if you’re acting like a Gloomy Glenda.” She glanced around the noisy bar. “Look,” she said and pointed across the room. “That guy over there has been checking you out. You should go talk to him.”

  Maddie blushed and turned her gaze away from the group of guys hovering next to the pool table. She wasn’t used to the attention. Billy had been her boyfriend for a long time, and before that she was too timid to flirt with anyone. An icy fist tightened around her heart. Just hearing his name in her mind triggered the memory of their goodbye that rainy November afternoon as she moved the last of her boxes from their apartment. She could have stayed. She could have stuck it out with the cheater. He had asked her, as she descended the stone staircase to the parking lot, but she just didn’t have faith in rebuilding what had crumbled before her eyes.

  “Come on, go talk to him. Stop being so shy!” Melissa pulled Maddie off the bar stool then dragged her over to check out the scene.

  The night wore on and Maddie began to unwind a bit. She had another beer, chatted with that table of fraternity brothers, and played a game of pool with Melissa and Jake. By closing time, she had completely sobered up and headed out alone to her car, wishing there was a warm body waiting for her when she got home.

  Chapter 2: Connor

  “Connor! Let’s go!”

  Honk, honk!

  Patty lay on the car horn, impatiently waiting for her son to join her. She wiped the sweat from her brow and fanned herself with a rolled up magazine. She didn’t mind the stickiness; she had grown up in Florida and was used to the humidity.

  Connor, grabbing hold of the waistband around his denim shorts, hustled out of his hauler and rushed over to the awaiting car. He, too, had a thick layer of perspiration accumulating on his body; his plain white T clung snugly to his chest. He found relief when he climbed into the blast of chilled air flowing into the cab of the car.

  “Dang, it’s so hot here! And sticky! I forgot how miserable it can be,” he complained as he repositioned the air conditioning vents to blow onto his face, then tugged at his shirt so the air could fan his moist skin. Turning to glance out the back window of his mom’s rental car, he waved to some of his teammates, Casey and Jackson, as they struggled to get to the car before Patty took off without them.

  “You boys are so difficult to live with,” Patty whined. The guys climbed in, panting like wild animals.

  “Sorry, Momma Gray,” Casey sputtered as he caught his breath. He snapped on his seatbelt before she gave him hell for that, as well.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hold on tight, we’re late. I’m going to get us there before the barbecue is over.”

  Connor sat in the front passenger seat, wondering what the party was all about. His mother had insisted that he’d come. For some reason, sitting around and shooting the shit with people from his past didn’t sound appealing to him. During the long drive, he stared out of the window, and suddenly the surroundings started to become familiar. Old neighborhoods and street names jogged his memory and a feeling of nostalgia filled him within.

  “Are you excited to see Maddie?” Patty asked, startling Connor from his thoughts.

  “Yeah, I guess” he answered blankly. Maddie hadn’t crossed his mind much in the past few years. In fact, the last real memory he had of her was when she went flying up the staircase of his basement after he kissed her on prom night. Once he began racing, and meeting beautiful women everywhere he went, it was easy to overcome the girl he had crushed on for so many years.

  “Ooh, who’s this Maddie? I want to meet her!” Jackson crowed. He was always trolling for girls, probably because he never met any nice ones. Or any good-looking ones. “Is she cute?”

  “She’s Connor’s childhood sweetheart,” chimed in Jim, Connor’s father, from the backseat. His voice was gruff from years of cigarette smoking. He had been sitting silently the whole time, also taking in the nostalgia.

  Connor’s cheeks flushed with chagrin. “She wasn’t my sweetheart, Dad. You forced me to play with her when we were kids.” Flashbacks invaded his mind as he saw images of him and Maddie playing video games and Legos in his old basement. They switched to more images of her in high school, with her long dark hair and quirky grin. Connor had to admit it; he missed the closeness he once felt for the only girl that would set eyes on him before he became well known. Maddie truly was his childhood sweetheart, yet he would never own up to just how much he really liked her.

  But he was different now. They were all different, grown up. He imagined her teaching elementary school or working in a travel agency.

  Patty giggled and Connor narrowed his eyes. He could practically see the thoughts flickering in his mother’s mind. He knew she was thinking of the crush he had on Maddie when they were teenagers. She was witness to him teasing her while they played games in their basement. “I remember how close you two used to be,” Patty commented, then left him alone to stare out the window in silence.

  Connor was in awe as the group drove through the pleasant suburb streets of Julington Creek and soon they were parked in front of his childhood home. He stood with his parents beside their rental car, unsure if they should linger or head for the front door. Something in the Johnston’s driveway caught Connor’s attention before he could move another muscle.

  Bent over the front end of an old Ford truck was a petite girl wearing dirty, ripped cut-off jean shorts. Connor couldn’t see her face, but he knew exactly who it was. Maddie was halfway inside the truck’s hood polishing off smudges from the rebuilt engine. Her father, Hank, stood beside her with a greasy wrench in his hand. He looked up and noticed the group of eyes staring back at him and his daughter. A wide smile spread across his stubbly face.

  “Jim, you old son-of-a-bitch! How’s it going?” Hank called out. He threw his wrench into the old toolbox to his left, wiped his hands on his pants, then made his way across the lawn.

  Maddie stood upright and threw her dirty rag to the ground. She swept the moisture from her forehead that collected while she had worked. A few ashy grease smudges dotted her cheeks and nose. Her white tank top didn’t look great, either; it was drenched in dirty sweat stains. Strands of her brown hair escaped her ponytail and fell around the edges of her face.

  Connor stifled a gasp as he stared in her direction. He ignored the introductions to the crew beside him and kept his eyes glued on the girl. She may have been covered in grease and sweat, but she looked damn good.

  “Connor,” Jim said as he nudged his son. “Say hello to Hank.”

  Connor forced himself to turn his gaze away from his old friend. He tried to concentrate on being polite to their host. “Glad to see you again, sir.”

  Hank blushed. “Oh geez, son. You don’t need to call me sir. I’m a huge fan! I should be bowing down to the royalty standing in my front yard.”

  “Oh, horse shit!” Jim bellowed and slapped his old pal playfully on the back. “He’s just a kid, Hank. No need to treat him special. Now, where’s that wife of yours? Does she still make the best damned iced-tea on this side of the Mississippi?”

  “Of course, of course,” Hank confirmed. “Maddie, come on over and show our guests into the house. We’re all melting out here.” He motioned for Maddie to join them and she reluctantly climbed off the step stool. She shyly approached, with her head down and her hands stuck in the back pockets of her shorts.

  Jim reached his arm out to swallow Maddie in a giant bear hug. Her face was a picture. “How ya’ doing little girl?” he chuckled while he squeezed her against his beer belly. He released and she stepped back a bit, turning as red as a plump tomato.

  “I’m doing well,” Maddie replied. Her eyes swept over the crew and stopped before they rested on Connor. She seemed almost afraid to make eye contact with him.

  “Hey, Maddie,” Connor spoke as his fri
ends snickered behind him. He turned and mouthed for to them to shut up.

  Maddie blushed. “Hi,” she said softly. Embarrassed, she whirled around and led the group into the house.

  Grace was waiting in the entry holding a tray loaded with glasses of iced tea and sliced lemons. The guests sat down on the sofas while the Johnstons caught up with their old friends. Connor noticed that Maddie had disappeared; he found himself wanting to catch another glimpse of her and how she’d grown up. He paid no attention to the chatter of his parents and friends as his eyes swept over the familiar living room.

  Twenty minutes later, Maddie joined the group out on the festively decorated patio. Grace had pinned up red, white, and blue lights and streamers while Hank and Maddie worked on the truck earlier that afternoon. All conversations came to a halt when Maddie tried to slide inconspicuously into a chair beside Connor.

  “There she is!” exclaimed Hank as he started up the grill. She blushed while nervously flipping her wet, freshly shampooed hair from her face.

  Connor held a bottle of beer in his right hand and waved at Maddie with his left. A soft smile found her lips as she cracked open her own bottle.

  “Your mom was just telling us you’re almost done with school, Maddie,” Patty mentioned. The aging lines on her face softened as she admired her former neighbor.

  “Yes, one more year,” Maddie said politely. She sat motionless in the teak patio chair while she nursed her cherry wheat ale. Her gaze flickered back to Connor as he lifted his beer bottle to his mouth for another gulp.

  “What are you studying?” Connor inquired after he swallowed. He let his eyes scan her entire body, noticing how more womanly she looked than in high school. Every part of her seemed heavenly, from her pouty lips to her plump rear end. He definitely hadn’t expected to be pleasantly attracted to her.

  “Journalism and creative writing. I want to start off writing articles for newspapers or magazines. Then I’ll think about writing a novel.”