Race to His Heart

by Sara Noble

  “Is it okay if I see him?” Maddie asked softly, afraid of being too loud. She glanced around worriedly. She knew Makaela would be lurking not too far away.

  Patty nodded. “Well, it’s okay with me, of course. Let me go make sure that he’s alone.” She snuck away and disappeared behind a group of hospital staff that had huddled together to review a patient chart.

  Maddie prayed that Makaela wasn’t with Connor. If the two stumbled upon each other, obviously they would have words. Maddie wasn’t the type to start a confrontation; in fact, she knew she would cower to her knees if Makaela got in her face. "I’m an idiot," she scolded herself. She’s not going to want me anywhere near Connor.

  A moment later, a ragged looking girl came between the drawn curtains that hung to the floor, concealing Connor’s bed. It was Makaela and she looked a mess. Blotchy black lines from her mascara trailed down her cheeks. Her hair was a matted mess piled on top of her head. Maddie instantly felt bad for her; it was Makaela’s fiancé, after all, that was lying in that hospital bed writhing with pain. She was suffering just the same.

  Makaela’s sorrow left her face for a second, but only so she could glower at Maddie in passing. She gulped as the tall blonde shuffled past and disappeared around a corner. She felt her neck crane around, almost robotically, just to take in the ghastly sight. Relief soaked into her system as Makaela turned the corner and headed toward the elevator.

  “Maddie? Are you ready?” Patty had appeared beside her after the stare down with Makaela.

  Maddie nodded and swallowed. The lump was still there, despite the fact that her nemesis was gone. She couldn’t deny the fact that she was still afraid that Connor would reject her yet again. Of course, she wanted him to wake up and heal. But a big part of her wanted him to accept her back into his life.

  “He’s out of it right now. But please talk to him. He might be able to hear you. Maybe with you being near something will stir inside of him and get him to open his eyes.” Patty showed her behind the tall curtain that surrounded Connor’s bed. A soft light was switched on above his bed, illuminating the numerous scrapes and bruises that covered his face.

  Maddie gasped. Her beautiful Connor lay motionless, wrapped up tightly in blankets like an infant. His face was swollen and red. His multiple cuts had been sewn closed and left to scab over. The steady beep of the machines clicked behind him.

  Tears ran down Maddie’s face as she stared in horror. Words couldn’t describe the sight she was viewing. She had never imagined the one she loved would look so fragile and damaged. She cautiously approached the bed and touched her fingers to his hand. He was unresponsive and remained still beside her.

  “Oh, baby,” cried Maddie. “How could this have happened?” She clasped her hand over his and bent down to kiss it.

  Please let him come back to me.

  Chapter 17: Patty

  Patty watched as Maddie collapsed in the chair at Connor’s bedside. She cried softly as she stroked his skin and kissed the back of his hand. Witnessing the love and commitment that Maddie exuded for her son brought back some serious emotions in Patty, and some regrets. She knew that Connor loved Maddie, and she had made the unfortunate decision to play a part in their break up a few months back. If only I had supported my son and his choices, Patty thought. He has been so miserable the last couple of months. He’s going to be so happy when he sees Maddie at his side.

  Wanting to give Maddie the chance to reconnect with Connor, Patty backed away from the bed and ducked out of the curtains before she could notice. She wanted to give her a few minutes alone with Connor and she knew she had no right to listen in on what Maddie was going to whisper to her son as he slept quietly in his hospital bed.

  Grace was waiting for Patty near the main nurses’ station. “Thank you, Patty. It means a lot to her to get to see him,” she said.

  They stood side by side at the end of a long corridor in the hospital. A cool draft flowed out of the air vents above them, causing Patty to shiver slightly. Why are hospitals always so cold? Patty squeezed her old friend’s hand and smiled gratefully. “He would have wanted her here. Your daughter makes him happy, happier than I have ever seen him,” she admitted as she began to cry.

  Grace’s expression was full of hope. “He’s going to make it. Your boy will get through this. He’s got so many people that love him, not mention the support of all of his fans.”

  “I know. It’s just so difficult to see him this way. If that idiot hadn’t cut him off-”

  “Now, now,” Grace tisked, very motherly. “That young man is paying for his mistakes. We can’t turn back time. We just have to deal with the fall out. And pray. A lot.”

  Patty sniffed. Her crumpled up tissue was soaked with tears. She tossed it in a metal trashcan nearby. She had momentarily forgotten about the driver that had caused all of the mess. Austin Smuthers’ family was probably holding vigil for him in the nearby waiting room while he was in surgery.

  “Let’s go get some coffee and let the kids have some privacy,” Patty said as she pushed the button for the elevator.

  The hospital cafeteria was closed for the night, but the lobby downstairs hosted a counter top with a full size coffee pot, various creamers, and sugar. They each poured themselves a cup and sat in an empty corner of the large holding area. The room was quiet for as packed as it was that late. Patty and Grace sipped in silence for a few moments. They watched as families sobbed and comforted each other with kind words and embraces. Patty had recognized most of the crowd, as she saw them most weeks during all of the racing events. It broke her heart even more to see so many people in agony over this accident. She shifted her gaze and noted Austin Smuther’s pit crew in utter shock over the events that their teammate, and friend, had created. The men huddled close and were constantly glancing over to the elevator doors, awaiting word on his condition.

  “Are you going to have Connor transferred home to North Carolina as soon as his condition improves?” Grace asked. The steam from her cup floated up around her nose.

  Patty nodded. “Oh, yes. But I don’t know what will happen from there. We have no idea how long it will take for him to recover. He definitely won’t be able to finish the season. I don’t think I can ever watch him race again. The idea alone makes me sick.”

  Grace sighed heavily. “Maybe he won’t want to race anymore.”

  “You mean, maybe he won’t be able to race anymore.”

  Grace shrugged. “That, too. But he could change his mind, anyway. This whole ordeal could have scared him enough to want to make a career change.”

  “I’ll tell you what, I wouldn’t mind one bit if he didn’t want to race anymore. I’m getting sick of the traveling and the never-ending promoting and interviews. I would love to finally retire to my home up north.” Patty paused. “But he’s needed us, Jim and I, throughout all of this. He’s my only son, so I had to go work with him. It was his dream. That’s why I’m not so sure he’d give it all up just like that.”

  “Guess we’ll just have to wait and see then.” Grace reached out and patted her friend on the shoulder. “Let’s just get him better first.”

  Patty smiled. “I’m sure glad you came. I never had a chance to apologize for what happened last summer.”

  “Please don’t. You don’t have to apologize. These kids are young and things happen. It’s too bad that such a tragic event was what brought them back together, but soon they’ll have a chance to talk about their issues and work through them if they choose to do so.”

  “I sure hope they do. Although, I’m not sure what other kind of mess is getting stirred up. Makaela was not happy to see Maddie. I hope she doesn’t try to cause anymore drama right now, but I wouldn’t put it past her.”

  Grace frowned. The wrinkles beneath her tired eyes were beginning to show through the makeup. “I noticed her storm out of the room. She seemed pretty upset about Connor.”

  “I think it’s more than just that. She saw Maddie and knows deep down
inside that Connor loves her. She only got him to change his mind because she threatened his career by exposing his infidelity. They’ve both been miserable the last three months. It’s like watching two five-year-olds fighting over a toy. They can’t agree on anything. I can sense that Connor despises her. And of course, she’s only in this relationship for the fame and for the money.”

  “She has said that to you?” Grace asked incredulously.

  “Oh, no. But we all can tell. She has no interest in Connor’s work. He spends so much time working on his cars and his charities. He does countless appearances and interviews. She only goes to half of them, when she knows she’s going to get some swag or TV time.”

  “That is so sad. Poor Connor.”

  “That’s why I wasn’t so sure last summer if things would work out between Connor and Maddie. I know she’s finishing up school and starting her internship soon. Her and Connor wouldn’t be able to spend as much time together as they would want. That could have torn them apart and the break up could have been worse.”

  Grace disagreed. “Oh, I don’t know how it could have been worse. My daughter was sick for weeks because of it. One night, about three days after Connor broke up with her, I found her lying at the bottom of a cold shower. Her lips were blue, but she couldn’t feel the sting of the cold water. It took almost a week before she could return to work. She hasn’t even considered dating another guy. She only wants to be with Connor.”

  A pang shot through Patty’s chest. “Oh, God. I had no idea it was so bad. I know he hasn’t spoken to her since, so we didn’t know she was so devastated. He was pretty out of it, too. It was like part of him died, the sweet charismatic side that everyone loves so much. The only thing, I believe, that got him through it was work. He poured himself into that car and into being there for the team. When he wasn’t working he was…numb, I guess.”

  “I know they’re kids, but do you think maybe they really do love each other so much that it’s killing them to be apart?”

  “It sure almost killed my son,” Patty muttered. Another tear escaped her sagging eyes. She wiped and sniffed. “Should we go check on them now?”

  Just then Makaela swept past with contempt raging in her eyes. She headed for the elevator and didn’t bother to hold the doors for Patty and Grace. The two women exchanged glances as the angry girl disappeared behind the doors.

  “We better get up there and referee,” suggested Grace.

  Patty nodded. “I think we’re in for a long night.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a tiny silver flask. She screwed off the metal cap and eagerly took a swig. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 18: Maddie

  Tiny goose bumps filled the surface of Maddie’s arm. She looked up to identify the owner of the icy fingertips that had just grazed her skin.

  “Hi, Patty,” Maddie whispered as if she didn’t want to wake a sleeping baby. “He’s still out cold.”

  Patty smiled and looked down at her son. “I know, dear. He’ll wake up when he’s ready. Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.” She stepped to the opposite side of the bed so she was face to face with Maddie. Her voice was just as low. “Have you…um…have you seen Makaela come back up here recently?”

  Maddie shook her head. “She hasn’t been back.” She paused, thinking of how to phrase a question on her mind. “Do you think she’s mad that I’m here? I know that Connor is her fiancé, but him and I-”

  Patty held up her hand. “Honey, you don’t have to explain your feelings for Connor. And we should talk about her. But we need to go somewhere private. Do you mind?” She held up her hand and pulled her fingers back as if to signal Maddie to follow her down the hall.

  Maddie gulped and realized that she wasn’t ready to leave Connor. She had only just gotten there a few minutes before and wanted nothing more than to hold his hand all night long, until the first second he opened his eyes. Reluctantly, she agreed and followed Patty out of the intensive care unit and down a desolate hallway.

  “What do you want to talk about?” Maddie was truly worried that Makaela had threatened to kick her out of the hospital. She didn’t blame her; after all, it was Makaela’s fiancé laying in that hospital bed and not her own. She was sure that Patty was trying to warn her.

  Maddie was right.

  “Makaela, I can tell, does not like that you are here. She’s very much aware of your feelings towards my son. I’m worried she’s going to cause a scene.”

  “Do you want me to leave?” Maddie could feel the giant lump in her throat grow to the size of a ping-pong ball.

  “No, no. I know that Connor wants you here. Besides, she has no jurisdiction over you. They’re not married, so she can’t formally complain you know what I mean? She can only whine and pout about it, maybe threaten you somehow.”

  “Oh,” Maddie simply said. Her gaze fell to floor as she imagined how she could defend herself to the impetuous, scorned woman.

  “Please don’t leave on her account. Connor will want to see you once he wakes up. Maddie, I know it’s hard to believe, but he has not been himself since y’all broke up. He has been sad and dull and very…I don’t know. Out of it, I guess, is a good way to put it.”

  “Really?” Maddie asked, surprised. She studied Patty’s face carefully as the words soaked in. “Are you trying to say that he didn’t want to break up with me?” I knew it. He was forced into it and he’s been miserable ever since, just like I’ve been.

  Patty frowned. “I’m not certain, but all signs are telling me he’s not happy with Makaela. I really don’t think he’s looking forward to the wedding, either. He has absolutely no interest in planning it with her. He’s been throwing himself into his work, which is good, but he’s obviously battling something deep within. I can only guess that he has been trying to get over you and he’s failing at it.”

  Maddie felt a new spark of hope light up inside of her. It was going to be difficult keeping Makaela off of her back, but she was ready to fight for Connor. Who cares if she had him first?

  “So, she’s still here, right? Did you see her come back to the ICU?”

  “Yes,” Patty said. “Well, she stormed past me and your mother while we were down in the lobby. She took the elevator up, but I’m not sure where she went after that. Earlier, she was at Connor’s bedside. She just sat there and stared at him. She didn’t have anything to say; she wouldn’t pray with Jim and I. She’s just acting real strange.”

  “She looked upset when I saw her. Her makeup was smeared like she had been crying.”

  Patty looked indignant. “Oh, she had been crying all right. It was a rough night for little miss princess. In fact, right before the pile up, the second before he flipped, she had muttered something about him losing the race.”

  “So she saw that the other guy was passing him and she was mad?”

  Patty’s eyes grew distant. “She looked away from the track and didn’t see him flip. She didn’t see the cars pile up on top of him until we were all screaming a few seconds later. She was all ready to get out of the pit box and stomp back to the hauler in one of her little hissy fits.”

  Maddie instantly understood what Connor had told her about how greedy Makaela was when it came to him winning races. She only cared about the championship and the money. Nothing else.

  “Wow, that’s horrible. I can’t believe she is so self-centered.”

  “I know she’s upset about him being hurt. I can see it in her eyes. She’s not a total monster.”

  “No, of course not. But still, it amazes me that Connor would want to stick it out with her for so long.”

  “He wanted to please about a billion people, honey. He thought he was making the right choice. Little did he know how miserable he would end up. I think that he believed that she would eventually leave him and he wouldn’t have to deal with her anymore. There would be nothing that Lucas, or his fans, could do about that. Everyone would just have to accept it.”

  Maddie’s eyes grew hot with tea
rs. “But why couldn’t everyone just have accepted me? I’m not some stripper he met at a club or a groupie. We’ve known each other for years and I don’t mind saying that I’m a pretty decent person!”

  “Oh, no, it’s not like that,” Patty replied with a sigh. She paused for a moment. “It was about the respect from Lucas and his fans and his teammates. I’m sure he wasn’t worried what they thought about your character.”

  A few tears spilled over, much to Maddie’s dislike. She was tired of crying for so many hours. “It probably would have made him look bad, though. It would’ve been obvious to the public that we were seeing each other while he was still engaged. They would have seen him as the two-timing driver that left his beautiful blonde fiancée for a college student in Florida.”

  “You know, as true as that sounds, I don’t think it will matter anymore,” Patty said matter-of-factly. “He’s so banged up that he won’t be able to race for a while, if he even wants to ever drive again, and he won’t need to worry about impressing the hot shots anymore. I can feel a change coming.”

  “I hope you’re right, about the change that is. Do you think he would really quit racing?” The image of Connor’s rolling race car flashed in her mind. She covered her face with her hands, trying to flush out the scene of the accident again before she became sick.

  Patty shrugged. “Only time will tell. Come on,” she said as she took Maddie’s hand. “Let’s go see if the doctors have any news. We’re still waiting for the results from his brain scans.”

  ***

  Maddie had felt a tad better since her talk with Patty. It gave her tremendous hope that her relationship with Connor could be resurrected. Until she saw Makaela holding vigil at his bedside. Her back was turned away from the opening in the drab curtain cubical.

  “Well, isn’t that something,” Patty murmured under her breath to Maddie. The two exchanged glances and cautiously moved forward. It appeared that Makaela was muttering quiet words under her breath, as if she was praying.