Cruz gave him a single nod along with that look of pride that never failed to make Davey’s chest swell.
He shifted his gaze to his mother. “Mom, I’m sorry I was such a little shit.” He waited until the laughter in the room lessened before continuing. “I’m blessed to have you in my life.” He raised his glass. “Here’s to a future of love and happiness. I’m thrilled for both of you.” His eyes misted. “And I’m grateful to be a part of this family.”
Nora waltzed over, her emerald eyes shimmering. “That was very sweet.”
Ben rushed past Davey and Nora and threw his arms around Cruz’s waist. “Grandpa!” he yelled, making the crowd laugh, and Cruz’s gaze cloud with tears.
A few hours later after their guests had gone, Davey sat on the back deck with Cruz.
“I’m gonna head out shortly,” Cruz said.
Davey nodded. “It’s not the same without you here.”
Daisy wandered outside and plopped down in between them. Cruz rubbed her head. “Daisy tells me you’re not sitting around in this big house all alone.”
Davey grinned. Nora and Ben had been spending a lot more time at his place, which made him happy. Even so, he liked having Cruz around. At least he still had Cruz every weekend at the tracks.
Cruz pulled out two cigars, no doubt Cubans. Davey had no idea where he got them but he always seemed to have a ready supply. He handed one to Davey.
“Thanks.” He lit his cigar and took a long puff. “Cohibas?”
“Of course.” Cruz took a puff, then put it on the ashtray. “We need to talk.”
Shit. That phrase was always the start of something bad. He should know. He’d used those words many times himself. He took a page from Cruz’s book and remained silent, waiting his friend out.
“I’ve made a commitment to your mother that I want to honor.” Cruz picked up his cigar and took a few puffs. “I want to start our new life together here, not on the road.”
Davey’s gut churned. He knew where this was going.
“I’m going to retire.” Even though he had expected the words, even though Cruz had mentioned retirement before, he sunk into his chair, deflated. How would he race without Cruz? Cruz had been the one constant in his racing career, in his life.
“I’ll help out through the rest of this season.”
After Davey sulked for a few beats, he got his shit together. They agreed that Cruz would work some races and Billy would work others, then Cruz would fully retire at the end of the season. Billy was more than capable of handling the job, but with Cruz’s departure, Davey was losing what he enjoyed most about racing—spending time with Cruz.
He blew out a breath. “What are you gonna do with your free time?”
Cruz flashed a grin. “I thought I’d start that engine business you and I have talked about.”
Well, damn. That was something he had wanted to do with Cruz. His expression must have mirrored his disappointment because Cruz reached over and put a hand on his leg. “I’ll just get it started.” He patted Davey’s leg. “You can join me whenever you’re ready.”
Davey managed a nod. He and Cruz had talked about working on engines after they retired, just like they’d done at the garage in Alabama. But this time, they would make race engines for cars and boats. Thinking about it made his stomach clench with excitement. As a kid, he’d loved building engines with Cruz. It had been his passion, even more so than racing. “Deal.” He caught Cruz’s gaze. “In the meantime, don’t go finding another partner.”
“No way.” Cruz shook his head. “This is our thing.”
Davey rolled his shoulders. It was something to look forward to after he retired. What he wasn’t looking forward to was Cruz retiring. “I’m gonna miss you, man.” He picked up his cigar. “More than you’ll know.” While he enjoyed racing, it wasn’t in his blood like it was in AJ’s. Racing had been Davey’s life, but it hadn’t been a career choice he had made. He’d found he was good at it, and he had enjoyed working with Cruz. Without Cruz, he wasn’t sure how he’d feel about the sport that had until recently consumed his life.
“I’ll miss you too.” Cruz reached over and squeezed Davey’s shoulder. “But I’ll still be around. I’ll see you here through the week and your mother and I will come to a lot of races.” Cruz gave him a quick hug. “I’ll always be around when you need me. I hope you know that.”
Davey’s chest tightened; he knew that Cruz meant every word.
He also knew his life would never be the same.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nora and Ben watched the Richmond Toyota Owners 400 race from the pits. She loved being up close and personal and seeing Davey’s talented team in action. It had been an exciting race to watch, especially for Davey Johnson fans. When he inched past Jim Neal for the win, she leapt out of her seat and cheered along with Ben, Steph, Cruz, Billy, and the rest of Davey’s crew.
Reporters filed onto the track to interview Davey and a bunch of them swarmed into the pit area too. As Cruz, Billy, and Wade were interviewed, Nora ushered Ben away from the crowd.
“Why are we way over here?” Ben grumbled. “The excitement’s over there,” he said, flapping his hands toward the area they had just vacated.
That was exactly why they had moved—to stay away from the reporter frenzy. Ben may find it exciting, but she found it unpleasant. “It’s just for a few minutes,” she told Ben. “Until the reporters are done.”
“But I wanna be interviewed too,” Ben whined, “so I can be just like Dad.”
That was the last thing Nora wanted. Ben was sweet and kind and he had a good heart. But like her, things sometimes popped out of his mouth that would have been better left unsaid.
To her dismay, a reporter made his way toward her and Ben. As the tall man approached flashing a charming smile, anxiety nipped at her insides.
“Hello.” He extended a hand. “I’m Joe.”
She shook the hand that was offered, but she didn’t introduce herself. She hoped that her silent treatment would drive the reporter away.
It didn’t…and Ben had other ideas anyway.
“I’m Ben,” her little guy said, thrusting out his hand.
Joe squatted down and obliged Ben with a handshake. “And who are you?”
“Davey Johnson’s my dad,” Ben said, pride evident in his voice. He waved a hand toward her. “This is Aunt Nora and she’s my dad’s girlfriend and they might get married.”
What? She wondered where Ben had gotten that idea. She had been very clear when he had asked her the other night. They were just dating.
When she gave Ben a pointed look, he shrugged. “It could happen.”
“Very interesting,” Joe murmured, rising and shifting his gaze toward her.
“Any comment on Davey’s win?” he asked, pulling out his recorder. She glanced at the small silver object and nervously twisted her hands. “Or how the two of you plan to celebrate?”
Nora crossed her arms. “No.” She was strong and determined. She could simply wait him out. But patience wasn’t her best quality and it wasn’t Ben’s either.
“We’re gonna go home and celebrate with our pets,” Ben offered.
“That sounds nice.” Joe grinned. “Do you have a dog?”
“Uh-huh, Cosmo.” Ben lifted his chest. “And we have cows and pigs too.”
Her breath quickened. Hopefully Ben’s comment wouldn’t open Pandora’s box.
Joe let out a low chuckle. “But cows and pigs aren’t pets.”
They certainly could be but the reporter wouldn’t know that, nor did she want him to. That would lead to a series of new questions, which could cause Davey issues. Anxiety mounted as she tried to connect with Ben telepathically, but her powers didn’t work well with humans. Before she could intervene, Ben spoke up.
“Uh-huh,” he said. “Are too.”
She loved Ben dearly, but at this moment she wished he would shut up.
“Hmm.” Joe rubbed a hand on his cheek. “I
’m gonna come back to that.” He pointed at the Outdoor America logo on Ben’s jacket. “I see you’re wearing your dad’s sponsor jacket.”
“Yeah!” Ben grinned. “I love Outdoor America!”
“Do you and your dad hunt together?” the reporter asked.
She wondered what had brought on that question.
“Nuh-uh.” Ben shook his head vigorously. “We hate hunting.”
“Huh.” Joe scratched his chin. “But Outdoor America is the biggest hunting outfitter in the country.”
Nora’s head pounded with shock and disappointment. She’d thought that Outdoor America sold camping equipment and sporting gear. She understood that Davey needed sponsors, but a hunting company? Ignoring the stab of disappointment in her gut, she put a hand on Ben’s shoulder. They needed to wrap this up.
The reporter turned to her. “What do you think of hunting?”
There was no good answer, so she wouldn’t respond. “Come on, B—” she said, but cut her sentence short when Ben answered for her.
“My aunt hates hunting too.” Ben gave her a sweet look. “Probably even more than my dad.” He stood tall as his face beamed pride.
Ben’s kindness and his shared affinity for God’s critters made her proud. At the same time, her insides quivered with anxiety over the sponsorship trouble this could cause for Davey.
“Is this true?” Joe asked, shoving the small microphone in front of her. “What do you think of hunting?”
She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. No matter how she responded, there would be bad ramifications. She pressed a hand to her roiling belly. She couldn’t lie…what kind of example would that set for Ben? Besides, she had to be true to herself and true to that which she fervently believed. “I find it abhorrent,” she admitted. “But that has nothing to do with Davey.”
The reporter stroked his short goatee. “So Davey’s a hunter and you’re okay with it?” he asked, obviously trying to goad her.
She remained silent, but once again Ben piped in.
“My dad wouldn’t shoot anything,” he said, in a confident voice.
Nora sighed. She found hunting detestable and she hoped Ben was right in that Davey wouldn’t shoot an animal. But if that was true, why would he have agreed to a sponsorship with Outdoor America?
Regardless, her and Ben’s comments would not go over well with Outdoor America. She needed to get them away from the reporter before they shared any more damaging information. She would marinate on Davey’s sponsor choices at another time.
Joe looked at Ben. “Did your dad actually say that?”
“No, but I’m telling you he wouldn’t,” Ben insisted. “He loves our pet cows and pigs and they love him back.”
The reporter pressed his lips together for a long moment, perhaps to consider where to go with Ben’s comment.
“I think we’re done here.” Nora grabbed Ben’s hand. “Come on, Ben.”
Joe ignored her and pointed his recorder at Ben. “How do you know that your pet cows and pigs love your dad?”
Ben shook off her hand and gave Joe a wide-toothed grin. “ ‘Cause they told my aunt.” Ben beamed up at her. “They talk to her all the time.”
“The animals talk to your aunt?” Joe let out a low rumbling laugh. “Does she talk back?”
Please don’t answer, she silently pleaded, taking Ben’s hand again.
“Uh-huh.” Ben bobbed his head up and down. “And she’s really good with them. Aren’t you Aunt Nora?”
“Okay, we’re done,” she said. “Come on, Ben, your dad should be here soon.” She tugged Ben to her side and turned.
“Wait!” Joe shouted, pulling a small camera from his pocket. “How about a few pictures?”
“No,” she said, using her firmest tone. But at the same time, Ben responded with a gleeful, “Sure!”
“Come on Aunt Nora,” Ben pleaded. “A few pictures won’t hurt.”
She supposed Ben was right. The damage had already been done. Why not add a few pictures to go along with it, she thought sarcastically?
Joe snapped several pictures, then pointed to the logo on her T-shirt. “Eat Vegan?” He raised a dark brow.
She didn’t respond, but once again Ben did. “My dad’s trying to eat good stuff too. We had black bean burgers last week at my house.”
This conversation was going from bad to worse with each new word that popped out of Ben’s mouth. Irritation at the reporter bottled up inside her. It was unfair of him to play on Ben’s pride in his father as well as his innocence. None of this would be good for Davey’s career or for his sponsorships and Joe damn well knew it.
“I wonder if Mr. Steak knows about that,” Joe mumbled, his voice tinged with glee.
Nora could only assume that Mr. Steak was another sponsor of Davey’s. In retrospect, she should have paid more attention to the multitude of stickers on his Ford. Regardless, she’d had enough. She tugged on Ben’s hand and dragged him off just as Davey came into the pit area. He quickly spotted her and Ben and made his way toward them.
She drew in a long breath of resolve. While she hated to rain on his parade, she would have to tell him about her and Ben’s conversation with the reporter so he had a heads up on the storm that was brewing.
When Davey reached them, she and Ben pulled him into a congratulations hug. As cameras flashed around them, she wondered how long it would take for the proverbial shit to hit the fan.
“It didn’t even take twenty-four hours,” Nora grumbled the next morning, sitting at the kitchen table. She’d told Davey about the interview yesterday and they had both anticipated some negative press. But she hadn’t expected it to be front-page news. She glowered at the headline: DAVEY JOHNSON, SPONSORED BY OUTDOOR AMERICA, DATES VEGAN, COW WHISPERER, NORA WILLIAMS.
Under the table, Cosmo rubbed his soft body back and forth along her legs. The gesture was gentle and reassuring, but it would take more than that to comfort her today. “There’s not much consoling me now, buddy,” she said, dropping a hand to scratch the dog’s side.
She skimmed the article, which included a multitude of quotes from both her and Ben. “Hunting is abhorrent according to Davey Johnson’s girlfriend,” and “Johnson’s son claims that Davey hates hunting. An interesting fact considering his primary sponsor, Outdoor America, is the largest hunting outfitter in the country.”
The article went on to speculate what Outdoor America would think. As of print time, the hunting outfitter’s only comment had been ‘no comment.’ The reporter had also offered a list of carnivore-eating NASCAR drivers that could replace Davey for the coveted Outdoor America sponsorship. Next, the story touched on Davey’s eating habits. “These days, you’ll find Johnson eating black bean burgers instead of hamburgers. Another head-scratcher, considering Mr. Steak is a major sponsor.” The article then shifted its focus to her, after concluding that Davey’s life changes were because of his “vegan, animal-communicator girlfriend, Nora Williams.”
Infuriated, Nora tossed the paper aside. If they wanted to talk about Davey, so be it. He had told her countless times that it was a part of his job. But it wasn’t a part of her job and the reporters had no business in her personal space. Reading in between the lines, the reporter had questioned her mental state and had presented her as a crack-pot for thinking she could communicate with animals. It took her back to her painful past when kids had called her the animal-witch. Now, thanks to Joe the Reporter, it wasn’t just her former classmates who were in on her secret, it was the entire country.
Putting the tea kettle on, a plethora of mixed emotions—irritation, disappointment and annoyance—whirled through her with hurricane-like force. She was irritated at the reporter for sticking his nose where it didn’t belong, disappointed in Davey for supporting the things she staunchly opposed and annoyed with herself for not cutting the interview short, even if she’d had to tug Ben away kicking and screaming.
She fixed a cup of chamomile tea wondering what would happen next. Su
rely the article would cause Davey big issues. Unless he could retract what had been said or distance himself from it—it meaning her—he could lose his sponsors.
Racing was an expensive sport. It took a lot of money to maintain the high-end cars, transport vehicles and teams, and pay the large crew. If Davey lost his primary sponsors, he wouldn’t be able to race.
Maybe he could make it in the short-term; he seemed to have more than his share of available cash. But there was no way he could keep racing long-term without the backing of major sponsors.
If she could only go back in time, she would have held her ground and refused to talk with the reporter. She would have distracted Ben and not allowed him to talk with the reporter, either. Irritation, and a fair amount of guilt, whipped and whirled in her gut as the storm inside her intensified.
She didn’t have a time machine so she couldn’t transport herself back in time. Now all she could do was fix the mess she had created.
But how? She sipped her tea as she racked her brain. But when she finished the last drop, she was no closer to a viable solution.
Easing onto the floor next to Cosmo, an idea formed. She didn’t like it and Davey probably wouldn’t, either. But they may not have a choice.
“If I break up with him,” she murmured, rubbing Cosmo’s head, “his sponsors might keep him.” As she spoke, a jagged shard of pain sliced through the middle of her heart.
Think it through, Cosmo said telepathically.
But as she thought about it more, the solution became more apparent. Davey would have to distance himself from her in order to keep his sponsors and he needed his sponsors in order to keep racing. Besides, there was no way he’d pick her over his career so she may as well break up with him before he broke up with her.
The chasm in her chest sliced deeper. “I have no choice.”
Cosmo leveled her a look. There’s always a choice.
In this situation, she didn’t believe that was the case. She kissed Cosmo on the head, then before she could change her mind, she got up, called Jamie and made arrangements for Ben to spend the afternoon with Lucas.
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