Hearts Under Caution

by Gina Wilkins

  “It’s highly unlikely,” he admitted. “But I’d feel better leaving you tonight if I made sure.”

  “Okay. If it would make you feel better.” She tried to smile. “After all, it’s your motor home.”

  He didn’t return the smile. Instead, he keyed in the security code, then entered the coach without waiting for her to precede him. Despite the gravity of the situation, she couldn’t help but be a little amused by the way he was acting like some sort of Hollywood bodyguard.

  Wade checked every inch of the motor home, even looking in the closet and the shower. Finally convinced that no one was lurking in any hidden cranny, he turned to her. “I guess it’s okay.”

  “I’m sure it’s okay. Really, Wade, no one can get into this rolling fortress. And there are too many people around for anyone to risk spending much time trying to break in.”

  He nodded slowly. “So you won’t be nervous staying here tonight by yourself?”

  “Of course not. I was perfectly comfortable here last night.”

  “I could sleep on the couch or something if you…”

  “Wade.” Smiling, she rested a hand on his arm. “I’m fine. I really don’t believe Norris followed me to Pennsylvania, somehow got into the racetrack and then into this reserved area of the infield. I’m sure there’s a perfectly innocent explanation for those sunglasses on the steps. But thank you for being concerned for me.”

  He looked at her hand and then up at her face. Their eyes met. Held. Lisa felt a lump develop in her throat as her heart began to beat too rapidly again. Her gaze slid down to his mouth.

  Such a nice mouth, she thought wistfully. Firm and beautifully sculpted. She remembered the way his smiles lifted the right corner just a little, pushing a shallow cleft into his tanned right cheek. Only rarely did he break into a broad, teeth-baring grin, but when he did, the effect was devastating.

  As for the way he kissed…well, she remembered that, too. Suffice it to say, he knew exactly how to use those nicely shaped lips.

  “Lees?” His voice was suddenly rough, a little gravelly and she suspected she wasn’t the only one struggling with inconvenient memories.

  She cleared her throat. “Yes?”

  “Don’t wander off by yourself tomorrow. If you want to get out, call me. Or Katie. I know she’d enjoy spending time with you again.”

  She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but it wasn’t that. She dropped her hand to her side. “I can watch out for myself.”

  “I know. Just humor me, okay?”

  “I’ll be careful.” That was the most she was willing to concede.

  Because he had no other choice, he had to be satisfied with that. “I’ll keep my cell phone turned on if you need me for anything.”

  She nodded and moved to one side to allow him access to the door. “Good night, Wade.”

  He hesitated just long enough to make her wonder if there was something else he wanted to say—or do. But then he moved toward the door. “Good night. Sleep well.”

  That didn’t seem likely at the moment, since she was suddenly so wired she couldn’t imagine sleeping at all that night. But since that was a thought better kept to herself, it seemed wiser just to say nothing at all.

  CHAPTER SIX

  LISA HAD INTENDED to stay inside Saturday, out of the way and out of trouble, but it was an absolutely beautiful day, despite being warm enough to almost make the air sizzle. The draw of the action outside was just too strong.

  Maybe it was a subtle way of defying Wade, but she didn’t bother to call for an escort before she left the motor home. Why would she? There was no one here who meant her any harm, she assured herself as she made her way carefully through the crowds who were already headed for the stands.

  Wearing her security pass on a lanyard around her neck, she headed for the garages. She wouldn’t get in Wade’s way, she promised herself. She wouldn’t even try to catch his eye. She just wanted to watch for a while.

  “Hey, Lisa. Good morning.”

  She turned her head with a smile, recognizing Jake’s voice over the racket of voices, car engines and the public address system. “Good morning.”

  Jake was already dressed in his striking purple and silver fire suit, the Vaughan Tools logo splashed prominently across his chest and his many other sponsors promoted on his sleeves. He looked like a walking billboard, but a very attractive one. Good looks weren’t a requirement for a NASCAR driver, but it certainly didn’t hurt when one was this photogenic, she thought, noticing the women watching him appreciatively from outside the secured area.

  “Where’s your entourage?” she asked as he fell into step beside her toward the garage. She had to almost shout for him to hear her. The noise coming from the cars still parked in the garages was almost deafening.

  She knew he was usually surrounded by people on race weekends—her father had mentioned that Jake had a personal assistant, who also handled public relations duties and whose primary job was to keep Jake on schedule. There were so many obligations involved with being a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver, in addition to actually driving the car. She suspected he had a full slate that day and was surprised that he hadn’t already gotten started.

  Jake leaned his head close to hers so she could hear him reply. “I gave them the slip an hour ago. I had a headache starting and needed to take a pill and chill for a while. Pam’s been paging me like crazy, but I told her I’d be back in time for the next scheduled function, and I am. I’m a few minutes early, actually.”

  “What do you have scheduled?”

  He shrugged. “One of my sponsors has a couple of VIPs they want me to meet and schmooze. You know, shake hands, pose for pictures, flash my PR smile.”

  He accompanied the words with a broad, glittering grin that made a couple of passing women sigh audibly, and Lisa couldn’t help smiling in response. Anyone else might have come across as cocky, but Jake was so charming and so wryly aware of his own manufactured and packaged image that it was impossible not to like him.

  She knew he had his share of “haters.” There were plenty of fans of other drivers who resented Jake’s media popularity, not to mention his impressive record of besting their drivers on the track. Wade had told her once that having “haters” was the sure sign of a champion driver. It was much better to be greeted with cheers and boos upon arrival at the track than with disinterested silence, he had assured her.

  Someone bumped into her on the crowded walkway, and Jake reached out immediately to steady her. “You okay?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  His arm remained lightly around her shoulders as he guided her through the throngs. “Should you really be wandering around out here by yourself? I know you don’t want to go the bodyguard route, but maybe you should have an escort when you mingle with the crowds.”

  “I don’t need an escort,” she assured him, as she had Wade the night before. “I feel perfectly safe here.”

  As if to reinforce her words, a uniformed track security guard passed them, nodding recognition to Jake and giving a cursory glance at Lisa’s pass. A camera flash went off somewhere nearby, and Lisa frowned. She had hoped to stay low during this weekend, not calling undue attention to herself as Woody’s daughter. Having eligible bachelor Jake Hinson’s arm around her, no matter how innocently, was no way to stay out of the limelight.

  Maybe she should have stayed in the motor home, after all.

  Jake seemed to sense the direction her thoughts had taken. “Sorry,” he said, dipping his head close to hers again. “I know you’re trying not to call attention to yourself. I guess I shouldn’t have joined you.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Jake,” she said, turning her face toward him and away from the curious onlookers. “I doubt that anyone knows who I am. My father’s publicity hasn’t included me or my mother—deliberately, on his part. Besides,” she added teasingly, “no one’s going to be looking at me when your pretty face is nearby.”

  He groaned and rolled his
eyes. “If you’re trying to flirt with me, forget it. I don’t want Ice knocking my helmet off—with my head still in it.”

  Even though she knew he was joking about her flirting with him, the rest of his statement made her eyebrows rise. Surely he wasn’t implying that Wade would be jealous if she flirted with Jake? Jake hadn’t even known them when Lisa and Wade were together, and they had made it very clear that there was nothing but friendship between them now.

  “Don’t be silly,” she said.

  His grin was crooked. “Think I’m joking? Maybe you should look to your left.”

  Following his suggestion, she spotted Wade headed their way, wearing a scowl that would probably have frightened small children out of his path, had there been any. She could see why Jake might mistake that glare for jealousy, but she was sure there was another reason entirely for Wade’s disgruntled expression.

  Maybe something had gone wrong in the garage. The car was the only thing that was important to him on practice day.

  He spoke in a bark. “Jake. Don’t you have someplace to be? Pam’s been pacing a path around the hauler waiting for you.”

  Jake apparently knew Wade too well to take offense at his curt tone. Instead, his face lit with a mischievous grin and his arm tightened around Lisa’s shoulders.

  “Guess I’d better go mingle with my admirers,” he said, making sure his voice carried clearly to his crew chief. “Thanks for showing me such a great time, Gorgeous.”

  Giving her a conspiratorial wink as he leaned closer, he brushed his lips lightly across Lisa’s cheek, then turned and walked away. Leaving her, she thought wryly, to face Mr. Grumpy alone.

  “Lisa.”

  “Wade,” she said gravely.

  He glanced in the direction of Jake’s disappearing back. “You and Jake seem to be getting along well.”

  No way was he really jealous, Lisa reminded herself. He was just grouchy. “I ran into him on the way here. He said he’d been battling a headache this morning.”

  “Allergies,” Wade said with a slight shrug. “Chronic condition.”

  “Will it affect his driving?”

  “Jake doesn’t let anything interfere with his driving.”

  Oddly enough, it sounded as though there was a message embedded in that statement. A warning to her? Surely not.

  Wade glanced at his watch. “I’ve got some things to do.”

  “Then don’t let me hold you up. I thought I’d roam around, check out the souvenir booths and sponsor exhibits.”

  “By yourself?” He shook his head. “Not a good idea. Let me take you to Katie. I saw her over by their hauler.”

  “I don’t need you to take me—”

  “Lees.” He took her arm impatiently. “I’ve got enough to worry about today. Don’t add yourself to the list.”

  He really was grumpy today. Maybe he was always like this at the track. She wouldn’t really know, since he’d never let her hang around with him there before. Reminding herself of her promise that she wouldn’t interfere with his responsibilities this weekend, she allowed him to escort her to Katie, though she had to hide her irritation with his bossiness.

  “DAMN IT, VINCE, watch what you’re doing!”

  “Sorry, Ice.”

  Wade winced in response to the surprise he heard in the crew member’s apology. He knew he’d been unusually irritable during practice, and the fact that it hadn’t gone as well as they had hoped wasn’t much of an excuse.

  They’d had plenty of lousy practices before. Heck, last year Jake had plowed into a wall during a session, forcing them to go to a backup car and start at the back of the field for the race the next day, despite having qualified third. Even then, Wade had lived up to his nickname and kept his emotions in check.

  Yet he was having a hard time not snapping at everyone who walked past him. And his sneaky suspicion that seeing Jake’s arm around Lisa had instigated his bad mood didn’t make it better. His urge to punch Jake when he’d kissed Lisa had given him even more grounds for concern.

  He shouldn’t have invited her here. But since he had, he shouldn’t have let his old feelings for her affect his thinking.

  Even when they were engaged he’d had the sense to keep her away from his work, knowing that his concentration was endangered when she was around. And now, almost six years after they’d gone their separate ways, he was no more immune to her than he had been before.

  It wasn’t going to be easy smiling and glad-handing at the media events he and Jake had scheduled that afternoon. A taped TV appearance and a joint interview for a racing magazine had been set up in the media center during the time the NASCAR Busch race was taking place at the racetrack. Somehow Wade had to pretend that there was nothing on his mind except tomorrow’s race.

  Striding toward the hauler, he had to pause to allow a line of small children to cross in front of him, being herded by a couple of women he knew to be involved with the family outreach program. Some of the kids looked kind of familiar; maybe he’d seen them around with their driver dad or crew member parents. He couldn’t be sure, since he didn’t pay that much attention to kids when he was at the track, but he’d attended a few barbecues and parties where people brought their families.

  It wouldn’t be long before Ronnie and Katie’s kid was ripping and romping with the rest of them, he realized with a bemused shake of his head. And maybe another one soon after that, if Katie had her way.

  It seemed like everyone in the business had a family these days. Wives, kids, dogs. He wasn’t sure how they pulled it off. Racing was a demanding business, involving long hours, very few days off and an oppressive amount of traveling.

  True, those demands were sometimes too challenging to overcome and plenty of unions hadn’t survived the obstacles, yet he could name quite a few long-time successful marriages among his racing associates. He would bet that Katie and Ronnie would be among them.

  Moving on toward the hauler when the kids were out of the way, Wade recalled something Jake had said recently about marriage. Jake had confessed that he rather envied Ronnie, who was so palpably happy with his bride. Jake made no secret of wanting a family someday, though he was admittedly being extremely selective about potential partners. So far he hadn’t found anyone with whom he wanted to make that momentous commitment.

  When Jake asked Wade if he had ever considered marriage again after the end of his unsuccessful engagement, Wade had merely shrugged and said he didn’t consider himself the marrying kind. He was too wrapped up in his job, he figured.

  He hadn’t added that he suspected he was too reserved and emotionally guarded to give any woman—especially one like Lisa—what she needed. His dysfunctional family had taught him to keep his feelings and vulnerabilities to himself, a deeply ingrained habit he didn’t know how to overcome at this stage.

  He had tried with Lisa. He’d fallen in love with her almost the moment he’d first laid eyes on her and he’d convinced himself that he could make it work with her. That he could somehow be different for her. Yet he’d been braced for failure from the beginning, so he wasn’t overly surprised when she told him with tormented eyes and quivering lips that she couldn’t marry him. That she had decided to pursue a life of her own, one that didn’t include him.

  He had been devastated, though he thought he’d done a good job of hiding the extent of his disappointment from Lisa. From everyone.

  He’d salvaged what remained of his pride by throwing himself into his work, rising even more quickly through the ranks of Woodrow Racing, justifying that advancement with a string of successes that ensured he would have a job there for as long as he chose to stay. Though he’d considered working for someone other than the man who might have been his father-in-law after Lisa dumped him, he’d stayed with Woody out of loyalty and affection. Woody had rewarded him by making him a crew chief, Wade’s most cherished hope.

  Since the breakup, Wade had poured all his passion, all his emotion, into racing. He wasn’t sure he had anythi
ng more to give.

  He had been secretly aware of the hole Lisa left inside of him when she walked away, which he’d tried to fill with even more work and more determination to take his driver to the top. But he’d learned to accept the possibility that there would always be an emptiness somewhere inside him, no matter how many championships ended up on his resume.

  There was a part of himself that would never get over losing her. But that was a part that no one—especially Lisa—would ever get the chance to see, he vowed.

  In the meantime, he thought as he reached for the door to the hauler, he had a job to do. And he intended to do it even as he kept Lisa safe until she could return to the life she’d left him for.

  LISA HADN’T HAD SO much fun in a long time. Maybe she had been working too hard these past few years, she mused. Maybe she really had needed a vacation, though she certainly wouldn’t have chosen to take it for this reason. Or maybe Katie just knew how to show a visitor a good time.

  They had watched the practice together, and then Katie had taken Lisa around to meet her closest friends among the other wives and girlfriends. They had gossiped with the women, played with children, passed around babies and overindulged in homemade snacks. And laughed. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed so much.

  Most of the women she met led active lives of their own, careers or charitable causes to which they gave their time and skills. She suspected there were others like her mother, who contentedly found their identities through their husbands, but those weren’t the ones Katie hung out with.

  They had barbecue for dinner that evening, cooked on a huge grill set up beside the hauler. She learned that many of the teams enjoyed cooking at the track, turning it into a competition of sorts for who could prepare the best trackside food. In their case, Bubba Doohan, the hauler driver, and Tony Holmes, Ronnie’s hauler driver, collaborated to serve tender ribs dripping with barbecue sauce, corn on the cob roasted over the flames, fresh coleslaw and even dessert—cherry cobbler.