Race to His Heart

by Sara Noble

  Connor looked forward to his work since it gave him a chance to think about Maddie without making it look obvious that he missed her. It was easy for him to pretend to concentrate on the car, but really he was engaged in fantasies and memories of their most intimate moments together. He had often wondered if she ever thought about him in the same ways, or if she had moved on and found herself someone else to love. He would cringe at the very thought of another man touching her, yet he knew that he had no right to be upset since it was him who was full of broken promises and hypocrisy. That day in particular he was thinking about their first date back last summer. He remembered the angelic white dress she wore to the Cuban restaurant and the way her mouth tasted like their coconut dessert when they shared their first kiss. He closed his eyes and exhaled, savoring the abundance of feelings that flooded back to him.

  “Hey, you wanna hand me that wrench?” a gruff voice asked. Connor’s eyelashes fluttered open and back to reality he was sent. Mason, his crew chief, stared at him like he had been calling his name for hours.

  “Yeah, sure. Sorry, must have been concentrating too hard over here.” Connor lightly tossed the wrench to Mason, who caught it and went right back to his own business.

  Frustrated by being snapped out of his daydream, Connor decided to take an early break. He climbed out from underneath the dismantled car and pulled off his work gloves. His navy blue Lucas Johnson Motor Sports t-shirt was splashed with oil stains and had a snag on the cuff of the left sleeve where he’d caught it on the tail pipe. He looked grimy on the outside and felt comparable within.

  “I’m heading to lunch, guys. I need some air.” Connor glanced around and noticed a few head nods, but mostly saw that the crew just wanted to keep pounding away at the car. His brow wrinkled when it occurred to him that one particular redhead was missing from the scene. It struck him odd that Casey was nowhere to be found and had remembered seeing him earlier that morning when they all first showed up, but couldn’t recall him leaving later.

  Hmmm…strange. Connor shrugged and walked out of the garage into the warm sunshine. Casey’s disappearances were becoming more frequent, but it wasn’t like Connor was missing his presence all that much. They had been pretty distant since all of the drama back in Indy and keeping tabs on guy wasn’t one of Connor’s top priorities; but, with a huge race coming up, everyone needed to be giving a hundred percent to the team. It was the wrong time for him to be disappearing or slacking off.

  Connor let the irritating thoughts of Casey roll down his back as he headed to his hauler so he could fetch his wallet for a few bucks to pay for lunch. He had been craving a hot dog for the last week and it was the perfect opportunity to grab one. He remembered seeing a vendor open on the main level of the concourse and the smell had been heavenly. He licked his lips when he thought of the way the spicy mustard and the sweet relish collided into one heavenly combination.

  A few feet away from the hauler door, Connor stopped in his tracks. He heard muffled sounds coming from the back of the trailer, like two people talking quietly, but loud enough to be noticed. He stood frozen like a statue, trying to make out the mysterious conversation. He easily identified the voices belonging to a man and a woman. The woman giggled playfully while he listened. Connor wasn’t close enough to be able to tell whom the voices belonged to, so he listened some more.

  After a few moments, Connor’s curiosity got the better of him, so he stepped softly through the door and into the narrow passageway that led to the back. “Hello?” he called out. The talking voices abruptly stopped. “Who’s there?” Connor asked. He made his way closer to the door that separated the storage cabinets from the lounge area. It slid open before he could grasp the metal handle and a rattled blonde appeared before him, and not far behind her was the missing redhead.

  Connor’s eyebrows turned up. “What’s going on here?” he questioned Makaela and Casey. He had sure surprised the two of them, causing their jaws to drop to the floor.

  “Hey, Connor. We’re just talkin’,” Casey explained quickly. He twitched and twiddled his thumbs while Connor stared them both down.

  But Connor was no fool. “Talking ‘bout what?” His eyes shifted between the two guilty faces while his gut told him that something was weird. He could see it in their eyes that they were up to no good.

  Makaela opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated sheepishly. It was almost as if she was strategically planning in her mind what to reveal to her fiancé. Connor had noticed she wasn’t wearing any lipstick that day, like she normally did. That simple observation was another indication that something fishy was going on.

  “We were discussing the wedding. Actually,” Makaela said with a giggle, “It was about a surprise for you.”

  “A surprise, really? What kind of surprise?”

  Makaela pushed her way through Connor and toward the entrance of the hauler. “Now I can’t tell you that. It’ll ruin your special present.” She turned her head back and flashed a charming smile at the boys.

  “And what do you have to do with it?” Connor asked Casey. He had planted himself in the doorway with Connor in between him and Makaela.

  “I’m just helping out,” Casey replied in his thick southern accent. He stretched his arms out as if he was guarding the entrance to the lounge area.

  “Well, okay. Excuse me,” Connor said while he tried to get by Casey. “I just need to grab my wallet out of here. I’m going to lunch.” He could feel his stomach grumble for the much needed nutrition.

  “You going to lunch without me, baby?” Makaela whined. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and gave Connor her best pouty face.

  “You never want to go to lunch with me, Makaela. You’re always off shopping or doing your nails. What makes you want to go this time?” Connor narrowed his eyes while he waited for her reply.

  “Just thought it would be nice.” Makaela glanced at Casey and then back at Connor.

  Casey’s arms held firm against the perimeter. “I’ll get that wallet for you. We don’t want you to see the surprise.”

  “Oooh, good thinking, Case,” cooed Makaela. She pulled Connor by the arm and led him out into the bright sunshine.

  Connor was taken aback. “What has gotten into the two of you? You sure are acting strange.” Or guilty of something. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his fiancée, but she never answered him.

  A moment later, Casey emerged with the wallet and tossed it to Connor. “Well, I’m gonna get back to work. The guys must need me over in the garage.” He hastily fast-walked out of the situation, leaving Connor alone with Makaela.

  “Well,” she said, changing the subject. “Shall we go to lunch?”

  “I was just gonna grab a hotdog from the concession area,” Connor said and pointed toward the grandstands.

  Makaela made a vomit face. Connor thought it matched her personality perfectly.

  “You know I don’t eat that crap,” she whined again.

  “You don’t have to come with me. Or try something different. They have nachos and soft pretzels, too.”

  “Ew, even worse. Never mind, I’ll just hang out until you’re finished later.”

  Connor was thankful Makaela had decided not to tag along with him. All he wanted was some peace and quiet for once. He was in no mood to listen to her gripe about the scenery and how she hated the weather. He thought it was too bad that he couldn’t pawn her off on someone else for the weekend, just so he could better concentrate on winning the race. “I’ll be working late. You might just want to go do something in town.”

  Makaela’s pouty lips frowned. “What the hell is there to do in this little town? Go to a honky tonk bar?”

  “I don’t know,” Connor said, frustrated with her attitude. “I gotta go. See ya later.” He walked away and rolled his eyes when he was sure his face was out of view. He couldn’t stand her immature reactions to everything he suggested. They never agreed on anything; it was something he thought he was just go
ing to have to live with forever, especially since their wedding was surely going to happen whether he liked it or not.

  While Connor scarffed down his foot long with extra mustard on the walk back to the garage, he recalled the strange way Makaela and Casey had acted in the hauler. Casey had been gone for over an hour, at least, and it was weird how they pushed him away from entering the lounge section of the trailer. They’re definitely hiding something. And it ain’t any surprise.

  Connor’s thoughts took him back to that night Makaela surprised him in his hotel room. She had revealed that Casey had called and clued her in on the affair with Maddie; it had completely shocked Connor down to his bones. His own best friend betraying him felt like a swift kick in the ass; but after that day in the garage, when he confronted Casey, he never brought up the subject again. After all, Connor was the one who had cheated. He felt he had no right to chastise someone when he was just as reprehensible. As awful as it was to be found out, it hurt worse when Connor had to call Maddie and give her the news. He could feel her heart break over the phone and could only imagine the grief she went through in the days that followed. He had broken a promise to her, that he would never hurt her. He was positive he had, and even if things were different and he didn’t end up marrying Makaela, he doubted Maddie would give him a second chance.

  After he had some time to really consider it, Connor couldn’t help but think that he was bullied into turning his back on his true love. He had made up his mind about breaking up with Makaela and had his heart set on someone else. It was all flushed down the toilet when Makaela showed up that night, pleading with him to continue the engagement. He remembered how guilty he felt when he saw the look in her eyes, the look of desperation and bitterness. He had known at that time that he loved Maddie, but Makaela had played the ‘you’ll ruin your career’ card successfully. Everyone in his life knew where his soft spot was, and they all pushed it with great conviction.

  After all Connor sacrificed, he couldn’t help but feel that something was going on with Makaela. He felt it more than ever when he had caught her and Casey doing only who knows what in the back of the hauler. He wondered if anyone else had noticed, as well. When he returned to the garage, he decided to start asking around to come up with a few reasons behind his suspicions. Mason was on a phone call and the other guys had disappeared, probably to have lunch. Jackson remained in the garage, stuffed inside the close quarters of the cab with his long bulky legs hanging out of the window. He had appeared to be adjusting some hoses and gauges above the steering column.

  “Hey man,” Connor called out. It startled Jackson and he jerked slightly, but calmed himself when he noticed it was Connor.

  “Hey,” Jackson mumbled and began to back his large body out of the car. It took him a little while since he was so big.

  “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Connor said as his friend found his bearing.

  “Ah, it’s okay. What’s going on?” Jackson wiped the sweat away that had accumulated on his forehead. He was beet red from the suffocating conditions of the car. “I don’t know how y’all do it, racing for a few hundred miles crammed in there.”

  “It’s not that bad when you’re going one-ninety.” Connor paused and had a mental image of Jackson trying to drive the car. It amused him and he laughed to himself. “Anyway, I wanted to ask you something.”

  “What is it?”

  Connor lowered his voice. “Have you noticed Casey acting strange lately?”

  Jackson’s gaze fell as he tried to recall his buddy’s behavior. “No, no I don’t think so. Why?”

  “I just caught him and Makaela in the back of my hauler. They claimed to be talking about some surprise for the wedding, but I’m not buying it.”

  “What’re you trying to say, Connor? You think they’re messing around?”

  Connor shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe. I keep noticing that Casey disappears when I get real busy with work. Makaela’s been coming to less appearances with me.” He cautiously lowered his voice to a whisper. “You know Casey and I have been on the outs since I realized he was the one who ratted me out. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was their way of paying me back.”

  “Paying you back for sleeping with Maddie?” Jackson nervously looked around to check for anyone who might be eavesdropping. He may have been a big teddy bear, but he was certainly loud and not the slightest bit subtle. Connor also noticed that, over the years of working together, that Jackson very often had to repeat something aloud in order to understand it himself.

  “Yeah,” Connor said, reluctantly. He walked over to the miniature refrigerator in the corner of the garage and grabbed a bottle of water. He kept on his rant. “Payback for what I did with Maddie. All of it. It was more than just sleeping with someone else. You saw it between us, Jackson. She and I had something nice, something different. She made me feel so alive. Casey was so pissed that he just wanted to squash any happiness that I had felt.”

  God, I miss her, Connor admitted to himself after his little declaration to Jackson. Somehow saying the words aloud caused his heart crumble all over again. A plan was forming in his troubled mind, a plan that could change everything all over again.

  Jackson looked thoughtful. He fingered his goatee while he soaked it all in. “So, you think that Makaela wants to give you a taste of your own medicine by sleeping with your best friend? You know, now that I think about it, Casey does kind of worship Makaela. He’s always looking at her kind of funny.”

  Connor slapped his knee in agreement. “Yes! That’s what I’m talking about. It’s the perfect set up.” He was convincing himself more and more that something was definitely not right between the two. His blood was starting to boil.

  “Hmm. What are you going to do, man? This is tricky.”

  “I know. I wish I could bust them in the act. Then it would be all over for us. All three of us. I’d fire his ass so fast. And I’d kick Makaela to the curb.”

  “Would you try to get back with Maddie?”

  Connor’s heart filled with despair. “We haven’t talked in months. She must hate me. But I guess I could try calling her to see if she would at least talk to me. I’ve thought about her everyday since then and I know I would like to pick up where we left off, if she’d only give me the chance. I probably don’t deserve it. I should have never let everyone talk me into staying with Makaela. It was only a matter of time before she would go and do something stupid.”

  “So, you’re willing to get rid of Makaela just like that? No wedding, no nothing? What do you think Lucas would say?”

  “Oh, to hell with him! I’m tired of living my life the way he wants me to! I only let Maddie go because everyone was making me feel so bad about it all. I don’t care if it pisses anyone off. If I lose fans and the merchandise sales plummet, oh well!” Connor’s heart was pounding from the sudden surge of intensity.

  Jackson exhaled loudly. It caused a strand of his hair to float up and the land in his eyes. “All right,” he said while picking out the stray hair. “I’ll try to find something out. But only cause I’m your new best friend.”

  “You are the best, man!” Connor said as he bumped fists with the mechanic. “I know I’m no saint, but two wrongs don’t make a right. This is the perfect opportunity for me to get out of this mess. Now I won’t be looking like the bad guy.”

  “Now don’t start with the philosophical shit. I just happen to like Maddie more than your…umm… so-called fiancée. That’s why I’m gonna play spy and help get you and Maddie back together.” Jackson had enthusiasm shining from his eyes. He rubbed his palms together and clapped, then let out an evil chuckle.

  Connor laughed. “Okay calm down, Mr. Bond. Let’s not get carried away. Let’s just concentrate on this funny business with Makaela and Casey, then I’ll worry about Maddie later.”

  At that moment, Mark and Gonzo came back from their lunch break. They were too wrapped up in their own conversation to notice the one going on between Connor
and Jackson. Both guys straightened their stances as the others approached.

  “Hey, guys,” Jackson called out. “Y’all seen Casey recently? I need his help with… some stuff.” He choked out the last few words as he squeezed them from his brain.

  Connor shook his head. He’s gonna blow this for me.

  “He’s running an errand for Mason. Something for the back up car, I think,” Mark replied as he chewed a mouthful of potato chips.

  “Did Mason actually ask him to do this, or did Casey just say that?” Connor questioned the crewmembers. Everyone’s eyes darted back and forth between each other as if they were watching a swarm of bees buzz around.

  “Nah, Mason asked him. I was there when he did. Why you want to know?”

  “I told you, I need his help. Never mind.” Jackson turned to Connor and gave him a clouded look.

  “Well, I’ll help ya. What do you need?” Gonzo offered. “You know we have practice in an hour, right?”

  Connor had heard enough and decided to intervene. “All right guys, let’s talk strategy for a minute,” he suggested, trying to change the subject.

  The rest of the crew appeared in the garage, as did Casey, much to Connor’s dismay. He could barely look at the guy without wanting to knock him right in his freckled face. After Connor’s three-minute lecture on the importance of twelve-second pit stops, they all went back to preparing for the upcoming practice runs. Connor had a fire inside of him that wanted to win, and he wanted to prove everyone wrong. He was ready to take back control of his life, starting right at that moment.

  ***

  Connor didn’t have much luck in the lower-circuit race the next day. The car felt loose and he battled to keep his rear end from spinning out of the corners. His spotter had messed up and didn’t warn him in time about a car coming up beside him. He grazed it, regained his control, but the other guy went sliding down the apron and into the grass. That guy, Austin Smuthers, was not happy and Connor knew he was going be paid back somehow in the next race. Smuthers gave him the stink eye and flipped him off as he drove past him during the caution laps. Connor laughed; he couldn’t stand that guy.