She pulled herself from the bed and spotted the department store packages from her shopping trip with Katie yesterday. She pulled them open and spread everything out on the bed. There was nothing here that she’d ever have chosen for herself. The tags were still on, so she could return it all if she wanted.
She hesitated.
Then she retrieved a pair of manicure scissors. Slowly, methodically, she cut the tags. She tore up the receipts and tossed them in the trash. Then she dragged on the jeans, pulled the T-shirt over her head, stepped into the shoes, and twisted her hair into a braid that hung out the back of the ball cap.
Forget makeup. She was going full-on motocross today.
When she walked into the living room, Shari gaped at her.
“This is what Katie picked out,” she defended.
“You look about twelve.”
Jillian smiled for the first time in hours. “She told me all old ladies want to look young.”
Shari came to her feet, dumping the remains of her coffee into the small sink. “You are definitely going to have to eat a hotdog today.”
“I was thinking about chocolate-covered bacon.”
“Even better.”
“I’m going to miss Phoenix,” Jillian confessed.
Shari grinned and shook her head at the obvious irony.
o o o o
Helping Katie set up in the mechanics area, Devlin found his gaze stopping on a woman at the fence line with her back to him. There was nothing remarkable about her clothes. She wore blue jeans and a white T-shirt, a pair of sneakers, her hair covered in a white cap. But she had a nice figure, and he couldn’t stop himself from admiring her rear end.
Strange, that reaction. He’d have bet money it would have taken him more than twelve hours to get over Jillian. If the way he’d tossed and turned all night was anything to go by, he’d have guessed weeks, maybe months before he’d start thinking about other women. But, there it was.
She turned, and he took in her face. The breath rushed out of his lungs. Then heartache washed over him in a rush.
The woman was Jillian.
He quickly turned his attention to Katie. “Stay tight in the corners,” he reminded her. “Except for six. Riley says the fast line on six is the outside.”
At the mention of Riley’s name, Katie’s cheeks flushed, and she bent down to mess with the closest foot peg.
Something eased a little inside Devlin. He couldn’t help but be happy for the two kids. The opening strains of a sweet-sixteen romance were something precious.
“Devlin?” Jillian asked from behind him.
“I’m heading over to staging,” Katie quickly announced, pushing her bike ahead to start it.
Devlin girded himself and turned.
“Jillian,” he acknowledged, tone flat.
“I’m sorry about last night,” she said.
He forced himself to shrug, pushing down the anger simmering in the depths of his gut. That she looked adorable in that getup just made him madder. He wanted to grab her and shake her, then kiss her and hold her tight and beg her to stay away from Edmund.
“I saw that you left early.”
She didn’t answer.
“With him,” Devlin clarified, unable to control the bitterness in his tone.
Her lips compressed.
“You don’t deny it,” he pointed out.
“You knew he wanted to talk.”
“I thought you were going to talk in the lounge.”
“It didn’t seem appropriate.”
Devlin’s muscles tightened to steel, and for a moment he didn’t trust himself to speak. “Where exactly was appropriate?”
“Devlin, don’t.”
“Don’t what? Don’t ask? Don’t speculate? Don’t be angry?” His voice rose along with his anger. “Tell me this, Jillian, did you sleep with the guy last night?”
This time, her voice rose. “He asked me to get back together.”
“No shit. But that’s not an answer.”
She gave a suspiciously fast blink of her eyes. “Is that what you think of me, Devlin? Do you honestly think I’d do that?”
“I don’t know what to think of you, Jillian.” Even as he spewed the words, he asked himself what the hell he was doing. “I barely know you. Not like perfect Edmund knows you.” He couldn’t stop his gaze from flicking to her left hand. “Did you say yes? Did you take back his ring?”
Her finger was empty and, heaven help him, he was relieved. Then he was angrier still. What was the matter with him? He couldn’t compete with guys like Edmund.
Her eyes took on a glassy sheen, making him feel even worse. “I don’t know what to say, Devlin. I didn’t ask him to come back. I didn’t expect him to come back.”
“I did,” Devlin told her coldly. “I fully expected him to come to his senses.”
The announcement of the junior girls’ moto race came over the loud speaker.
“I’m going to watch Katie,” he said.
His role was here, supporting Katie and the boys. His world was loud and messy, full of grit and danger, and he had no intention of changing a single thing. Jillian’s life was clean and orderly. Her life was in DC. It always had been, and it always would be. Their moments together were always going to be fleeting, and now they were over. He turned away, heading for the fence where he could watch the girls’ race.
o o o o
Feeling sick to her stomach, Jillian retreated to the VIP area. With the NMAC staff in attendance taking care of the moment-to-moment details, there was little for her to do. It was a curse today, because it meant her mind was free to dwell on Devlin.
She hadn’t meant to upset him. She hadn’t meant for this to unfold as it had. She’d convinced herself it was harmless, an amazing little fling while she was in Phoenix. She had known it had to be temporary, but she’d pretended the future would take care of itself. It hadn’t.
She moved to the fence outside the tent where she could get the best view of the race. Her fingers were crossed for Katie, and she squinted at the cluster of racers at the start line, searching for her red and white helmet. The noise didn’t bother her so much today. She must have grown used to it over time.
“There you are,” said Edmund, moving up beside her. “I’ve been looking for you for a while now.”
“Hello, Edmund.” His presence felt intrusive here at the track as the race got underway.
“Quite the primitive little setup they’ve got here.”
“You should have seen it before,” she offered without thinking.
He gave a contemptuous chuckle. “You mean, this is the improved version?”
“They added tents,” she told him, regretting that she’d shared the information. For some reason, she was feeling a little protective of Desert Heat.
He moved closer. “It must have been a long two months for you, Jillian.”
“Was it a long two months for you?” she countered, keeping her attention on Katie. Three racers had passed her, and she seemed to be struggling to keep up with the pace.
“You know it was,” he told her in a low tone. “I missed you, Jillian.”
Funny. Thinking back, she hadn’t really missed him all that much. Katie was making a move on a rider, and Jillian couldn’t help but think that making a pass would boost her confidence.
“Come on, Katie,” she muttered, tension mounting inside her.
“Who?” asked Edmund.
“Katie. She’s a girl...” Jillian realized she didn’t have the patience to explain. “This is her home track.”
Her attention moved to the other side of the track where Devlin stood, intent on the race. She wished it was him beside her. He could tell her how Katie was doing. She wouldn’t have to explain to him who the girl was and why she cared.
“Nice duds,” Edmund noted Jillian’s outfit with a lighter tone. He grasped the bill of her cap and wiggled it, bringing his face close to hers. “You’re sexy when you go slumming.”
At the moment, Jillian didn’t want to be sexy for Edmund. For some reason she suspected Devlin was watching them, and she felt guilty about Edmund’s actions. She tried to imagine how she’d feel if a woman played with Devlin’s baseball cap. She’d be jealous. She’d hate it.
Uh oh.
“The jet’s at the airport,” said Edmund. “I was thinking we could head back for DC tonight.”
Jillian drew back. “Tonight? The event doesn’t end until Sunday night.”
He shrugged. “I’m sure Shari can take care of the last details.”
“I’m not leaving Shari with all the work.”
Edmund compressed his lips. “She’ll understand. We’ve got a lot to talk about, Jillian. There’s a lot to unspool. We need to talk to my mother and the rest of my family.”
The announcer called staging for the first preliminary of the men’s races. Jillian knew Devlin was in that race. She wanted to watch him run. And she didn’t want to watch it with Edmund hanging over her.
Wow. That was telling. She had her perfect man offering to renew their engagement, apologizing and telling her he wanted her after all. Edmund was standing here in front of her, and all she could think about was Devlin.
In a rush, she realized what she’d felt for Edmund was a pale imitation of love. Her world came alive when Devlin was in it. Even when he was angry or sarcastic, he was exhilarating. She’d rather argue with Devlin than talk with Edmund.
She was in love with Devlin. It was the only explanation that made any sense at all. She had to track him down, apologize to him, and swear to him she’d hadn’t looked at another man since he came into her life.
After that? Well, after that was as murky as ever. But she knew for certain that after that didn’t include any man but Devlin.
“I’m not coming back to DC with you,” she told Edmund with finality.
“There’s no need to get snippy about it. I’m offering you a ride on a private jet instead of a commercial flight.”
“Edmund,” she clarified, “I’m not coming back to DC with you at all. You walked away, and that’s your prerogative. But you ended the relationship, and it’s staying ended. I’ve moved on.”
“What do you mean, you’ve moved on? Moved on how? With another guy? You’ve been with another guy?”
She felt an incredible sense of power and purpose. “I don’t have to answer that, Edmund.”
“I think you do, Jillian.”
She found herself smiling, and she shook her head as she backed away from the conversation. “Goodbye, Edmund.”
He looked absolutely stupefied. On some level, he had to have realized she might say no to a reconciliation. Then again, perhaps he truly hadn’t. He was considered by everyone to be such a great guy. On the surface, he had so many things going for him. There was a chance that nobody had said no to him his entire life.
“Have a nice flight back to DC,” she offered. Then she turned on her heel, making her way back through the tent. Heading for the footbridge, she glanced up at the results board. Katie had come in ninth. Top ten was very impressive for a national event. They’d have something to celebrate tonight.
At least, Katie would have something to celebrate. And Devlin would certainly be celebrating along with her. What, if any, role Jillian might have remained to be seen. She’d behaved stupidly, and Devlin was angry. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to fix that.
As she crossed the bridge, she could see the riders in the staging area. Devlin’s helmet was black, like many others’, his riding outfit blue and white. It took her awhile to pick him out of the crowd. But once she saw him, the electric sensation zipping across her chest told him she’d definitely spotted the right rider.
By the time she made it to the mechanical area, the race was underway. She found a spot on the lawn above the start-finish line, where she could see most of the course. He was in the middle of the pack, peeling around corners, flying off the jumps, and choosing his lines through the ruts in the loose dirt.
He passed a rider, then another, and another. He was driving aggressively, taking the jumps really high, turning low, jamming his boot into the dirt in the corners. He chose alternate lines, taking him past a lot of the pack.
Katie showed up beside Jillian on the hillside. Riley was with her.
“I’ve never seen him ride like that,” said Riley. “We talked about turn three. I don’t know why he’s taking the outside.”
“It seems to be working for him,” said Jillian, even though she was far from an expert.
“Watch him through seven,” said Katie. “Now watch the second jump. See what I mean?”
Jillian realized she was talking to Riley. The juniors went straight to their two final rounds, without the need of preliminary qualifying. The adult categories had many more riders, and their final motos would run on Sunday.
“I’m definitely going to try that,” Riley said to Katie.
Jillian wasn’t understanding the details of their conversation, but she was more interested in watching Devlin anyway. Part of her wanted the race to end soon so that he wouldn’t fall back and couldn’t get hurt. Another part wanted it to keep going, so he’d have some time to catch more riders and make it into tomorrow’s race.
He passed two more riders on a straight stretch, and they all cheered. Spike and Griffin showed up, adding their voices. Jillian found herself alternating between cheering, groaning, and squeezing her eyes shut. He flew so high in the air over jumps that she was certain he was going to kill himself before she could apologize, before she could kiss him again, before she could tell him she loved him.
And then it was over. He was sixth in the qualifier. Riley told her it was good enough to get into tomorrow’s moto. She gave a whoop, jumping in the air. And then she was running, her legs carrying her down to the runoff road, where she hoped he’d exit the track.
He did. And she rushed to the edge of the road, calling his name.
He seemed to catch sight of her all of a sudden, and he hit the brakes, bringing the motorcycle to a sliding stop. He peeled off his helmet.
“What’s wrong?” he called as she rushed toward him.
Instead of answering, she threw her arms around his neck.
“I’m filthy,” he yelled, trying to push her away.
She smacked her lips up against his, letting the kiss linger. At first, he seemed stunned. But then he kissed her back. Then his arms wound around her, pulling her tight.
She buried her face in his neck. “I’ve figured it out,” she called in his ear.
He pulled back to stare at her. “Figured what out?”
“You and me.” She grinned. “We’re an impractical match, a ridiculous match. But I love you anyway.”
His jaw dropped open.
“And I’m sorry,” she said. “I never should have gone with Edmund last night. I don’t know what I was thinking. But he was there. It was so sudden. And I’d been—”
“Wait,” Devlin called above the noise of the other bikes. “Go back.”
“I never slept with him,” she pledged. “I never kissed him. I barely touched him while we were dancing. We talked, and that’s it.”
Devlin grasped her by the upper arms. “Stop!”
“What?”
“Go back.”
She experienced a moment of trepidation. “Back where?”
“You love me?”
“Haven’t you been listening?”
A smile grew on his face. “Say it again.”
“I love you.”
His hand went to her cheek, and he leaned in for a kiss. “I love you, too, Jillian.”
“Thank goodness,” she whispered, laughing as she kissed him back.
“I have to park the bike,” he told her. “I’m in the way.”
“You should go.”
He straightened, giving her a long, warm look. “Great outfit, by the way.”
“Katie helped me pick it out.”
“She’s a good gir
l.”
“Go park your bike.”
“Don’t move.”
“I won’t,” Jillian promised.
“I’m serious. Stay right there. I’ll be back.”
Chapter Eleven
Devlin sat on the grassy slope above the start-finish line, his arms cradling Jillian where she’d settled between his knees, leaning back on his chest. Katie was beside them as Riley and the other boys ripped around the track in the final junior moto.
Jillian tipped her head back and looked up. “Is he doing as well as I think he’s doing?”
“He’s third right now.”
Katie came to her feet. “He’s gonna make a move after six. Watch his line. Go, Riley, go.”
“He’s after Tuff Miller,” Devlin spoke low in Jillian’s ear.
“Is that who’s in first?”
“Tuff made a move on Katie last night, and Riley put him into a wall.”
Jillian twisted around. “Seriously?”
Devlin put a finger across his lips to warn her to keep it quiet. “They don’t know I saw it happen. It was a thing of beauty. I’m so damn proud of that kid.”
“What happened?” Jillian whispered.
“He passed,” cried Katie. “He’s in second.”
Devlin kept his eyes on the track. Spike was in the middle of the pack, Griffin trailing near the end. They were close to where Devlin had expected, but Riley was out there tearing things up.
Luke arrived, plunking down next to Devlin. He obviously took in Jillian’s intimate position but didn’t make any comment.
“I told you he just needed an edge,” said Devlin, referring to Riley.
Luke grinned. He’d already heard the story of what happened with Katie last night.
Devlin leaned closer to Jillian. “In a nutshell, Katie said no, Tuff pushed it, Riley intervened and sent him packing, and now he’s trying to emphasize his point.”
Jillian glanced at Katie. Devlin followed her gaze, but Katie was completely oblivious to anything but Riley down on the track.
An Impractical Match (Match #2) Page 16