“I forgot to turn it back on.”
“That’s what I thought, so now you’re going to have a million messages from me. Just ignore them.”
“What’s up?”
Jen smiled. “I thought you’d like a ride to Happy Campers,” she said. “It can get a little confusing out in the back woods.”
“But I’ve got a rental reserved.”
“No need to do that. You can use one of the comp cars. It’s all arranged.”
“Oh, ah…Thanks,” Indi said.
“No problem,” Jen said, popping the car’s trunk.
“I’ll just call the rental agency and cancel,” Indi said as she slid into the car.
“Go ahead.”
It took her a moment to locate the number, but all was settled in a matter of minutes.
“So,” Jen asked after she hung up, “Did you have a nice flight?”
“Fine. A little crowded. But no turbulence.”
Jen nodded, her blinkers clicking while she switched lanes. “It used to be that you could stretch out on the empty seat next to you. Not so anymore.”
Indi nodded, staring out at the Charlotte skyline. The airport sat a few miles away from downtown and off in the distance high-rises sprouted up like one of those airport trinkets, the kind with a miniature city in a glass globe. There were so many trees dotting the landscape you couldn’t see the homes and businesses hidden behind the foliage. Some of those trees had leaves that were gold and red, the color of sherbet ice cream. Indi marveled at how pretty they were. In California, all you saw was an endless sea of concrete. Not so in Charlotte.
Very pretty. And…green.
“You know, Todd really likes you.”
It took Indi a moment for the words to register, her startled “What?” all but shot out of her.
Jen smiled.
“I’ve never seen a scowl on his face like the one I saw when I mentioned you.”
“That scowl isn’t because he likes me.”
“I beg to differ,” Jen said with an emphatic shake of her head. “Trust me. I’ve never seen him react that way to a woman’s name. Not even when Kristen threw him over for Mathew Knight.”
“Huh?” Indi said.
“Yeah. Todd fell hard for her. Or at least he thought he did. He told me later it was more of a crush. Probably was, too, because now they are great friends. He even helped Kristen and Mr. Knight hook up.”
“You’re kidding?”
“Nope. ’Course he went a little crazy there for a while, dating this woman and that. But that ended a few months ago. I think he got tired of it all. That is, until he met you.”
“Did Linda tell you to tell me this?”
“No,” Jen said, her blue eyes quickly darting to Indi’s before returning to the road. “Why?”
“Never mind,” Indi said. “I just…” She shook her head because, honestly, she didn’t know what to say.
“Anyway, I’m certain he likes you.”
“What makes you say that?” Indi asked, even though she knew she shouldn’t care. Her cheeks still stung when she remembered their last conversation.
And that kiss in the limo.
“I know he’s really wrapped up in helping Benjamin. Honestly, that in itself is a surprise. The old Todd would have been so focused on winning the championship, he’d have said to heck with anything else. But that isn’t what I was going to say. What makes me think he really likes you is that the other day when I told him you didn’t want to catch a ride with Benjamin and Mark and their families, he looked crushed. But only for a second. And, see, that’s just it. Todd never wears his emotions on his sleeve. He’s not that way. But after he looked crushed, he got mad. Called you all kinds of names. Not bad names. Just things like stubborn and hardheaded and obstinate. I’ve never seen him so, so…volatile.”
“It’s stress,” Indi surmised. “Not only is he worried about Benjamin, but he’s got this whole Chase thing to contend with.”
“But that’s just it,” Jen said, stopping at a light. She turned to face Indi. “He’s never driven better in his life. Indi, he’s poised to win the whole thing. He’s got six more races to go. All he has to do is continue to race like he’s been doing and maybe, hopefully, win one or two, and he’s set. I think he’s got a real shot, and so do all the experts. My phone’s been ringing off the hook with interview requests. Of course, he’s turned them all down.”
Because of Benjamin. There had been a time when Indi wouldn’t have believed such a thing was possible, but she’d come to the realization that she’d been so, so wrong.
“Unbelievable,” Indi muttered.
“What?” Jen asked, misinterpreting why she’d said the word. “You don’t think you’re Todd’s type?”
“Just what is Todd’s type?”
“I used to think anyone with big breasts and pretty hair was Todd’s type,” Jen said, glancing over at Indi. “Not anymore.”
“Gee, um…thanks. I think.”
“No, no,” Jen quickly corrected. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
Indi smiled because she’d known that. She’d just been giving the woman a hard time. The thing is, she liked Jen and that was strange considering she hadn’t known her that long.
“Indi, you have to know you’re gorgeous,” Jen said, the car she drove accelerating as they merged onto an expressway.
“I don’t know that at all,” Indi admitted. “I worked in broadcasting, in Los Angeles, where everyone is drop-dead gorgeous. I don’t think I’m anything special at all.”
“You are,” Jen said. “Trust me. You’re tall and elegant and chic. Most women couldn’t carry off those tan slacks and that silk shirt you’re wearing. It would look blah on them. But you’re so pretty the outfit looks stunning even though it’s casual. Todd usually likes women in tight T-shirts, preferably with his car number on it.” Jen smiled. “And yet here you are. And he likes you. Lucky girl.”
Lucky girl?
Jen glanced over at Indi right then. She stiffened suddenly. “Oh, Jeez,” she said with a horrified widening of her eyes. “You think I like Todd.”
“Well, I—” Indi didn’t quite not how to proceed, because that’s exactly what she’d been thinking and it amazed her that Jen had read her so easily.
“Indi,” Jen said sternly. “Todd and I are like brother and sister. Sometimes I want to kill him, like when he called me and asked me to cancel all his appointments that week he was out in California. You have no idea what I went through to do that, but that’s beside the point. I’m just saying a lot of girls would love to date Todd Peters, but I’m not one of them.”
“Me, neither.”
“No?”
“No,” Indi said firmly.
“Well, that’s a surprise. But maybe that’s why Todd likes you. He’s always turned on by a challenge. That’s why he races cars for a living.”
“Oh, great.”
“Anyway,” Jen said, “About my dating drivers. I don’t. At least not any that I’ve worked for.”
“Does that mean you’ve dated drivers you didn’t work for?”
“I’ve dated one or two. Not Cup drivers, though. I got into this whole business thanks to my dad. He raced open wheels. Sprint cars. Still does, but only on a local track.”
“Why don’t you want to date drivers?”
“Because the majority of them are jerks.”
“Except Todd.”
“Oh, Todd can be a jerk sometimes. He’s the kind of guy who will tell you exactly how it is. That can be hard to take. But you know, nine times out of ten he’s right. When I mess up, he usually points it out to me, but not in a really bad way. Just tells it like it is.”
“And that’s a good trait,” Indi wondered.
“Some drivers will rip into you even when you’ve done everything right.”
“I see.”
“I’d take Todd over the majority of other drivers any day. And there’s one other thing you should know.
Ever since he met you, Todd hasn’t looked at another woman. I know you might not believe that, but it’s true. And I know he’s been busy with Benjamin so you might think that’s why. But, Indi, this is a man who’s always, always with a woman.”
They lapsed into silence again, and from that point forward Jen kept things impersonal. But rather than relax, the closer they got to camp, the more tense Indi became. She hoped she wouldn’t run into Todd. At least not the first day. Sure, he’d undoubtedly come by to visit Benjamin, but she doubted he’d stay for long. The closer they got to the end of the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, the busier he would probably be.
“Here we are,” Jen said a half hour later. Indi sat up. For a while now they’d been traveling through North Carolina’s back roads so the fence-lined woodlands wasn’t a surprise. A sign that said Happy Campers Ranch hung over the entrance, the words done in a colorful script. There were horses grazing in bright green pastures on their left and right.
“It looks beautiful.”
“It is,” Jen said.
Of course, Indi had known that. She’d done research on the “ranch” prior to arriving. She knew it was situated on one hundred acres, and that the land had been donated by the power company that had originally owned the land Lake Norman was situated upon. From time to time Indi had caught sight of that lake off in the distance, Indi instantly recalling the first time she’d met Todd. She really had given him a hard time. And if she were perfectly honest, he’d taken it pretty well.
They crested a small hill, Indi leaning forward when she saw what sat on the other side.
“Oh, my,” she breathed. “This is really something.”
“Isn’t it?” Jen said.
The Web site she’d surfed couldn’t possibly convey the breathtaking vista that spread out before her. Situated at the tip of a small peninsula, the camp featured a beautiful lodge-type building that covered at least an acre of land. A porch jutted out from the front, wooden ramps leading up to double doors and spreading out beneath tall, paned windows. Off to the left and right were outbuildings. And a park. And a dock in the distance.
A dock with a very familiar Scarab moored to its side.
“Is Todd here?” Indi asked.
“He is,” Jen said with what Indi swore was a sly smile. “He volunteered to be a camp counselor this week. The kids are so excited.”
“But I thought he’d be busy during the day. Racing. Or maybe signing autographs or something?”
“Nope. He’s made Benjamin his first priority. He drives over to the track, but that’s not until Thursday morning and so he’ll be here until then.”
“Does he have any sponsor obligations this week?” Indi asked.
“Nope. Everyone’s been really great about what’s going on. Even the media. I know Todd’s not doing this for publicity, but it’s generated a lot of great exposure.”
Jen pulled to a stop in front of the lodge. “Okay, so orientation is at one. Inside they’ll tell you your room number. You’re in the main lodge, by the way. That much I know. Consider yourself lucky. Todd has to share a room with six boys.”
“Where are you going?” Indi asked when Jen stayed in the car.
“Back to the office in Concord. Todd might have the week off, but I don’t. See you later, Indi. Have a good time.”
“Thanks,” Indi said, trying hide her dismay. She went around to the back of the car and pulled her suitcase from the trunk. Then she told her feet to walk forward even though they didn’t want to.
“Need some help?” someone asked.
And Indi didn’t need to turn around to know who that voice belonged to.
Todd.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
INDI LOOKED GOOD.
Of course, she always looked good, Todd thought. But when she’d turned toward him Todd had been unprepared for the tentative smile she gave him, not after their last conversation.
“Hi, Todd.”
He couldn’t help but smile back. “You want me to take that?” he asked, holding out his hand.
“That’s okay,” she said. “It rolls.”
“Not on this gravel,” he said, closing the distance between them. “Here.”
She kept her hand on the suitcase. Todd didn’t move. This was it. This was where she’d tell him to get lost. After their last conversation, he wouldn’t blame her.
“Thanks,” she said instead.
She didn’t hate him.
A million times since they’d last spoken he’d wondered if she did. The easing of his shoulders spoke volumes as to how much he’d dreaded their first meeting. She had, too, by the looks of it.
“How was your trip out?”
“Good,” she said, following behind.
“You know, you really could have caught a ride out with everyone else.”
“I know, but I didn’t want to impose.”
He stopped. She did, too. He wondered what to say, didn’t really know where to begin. A hundred times in the past couple weeks he had thought about calling her. He hadn’t, and that only seemed to compound how rotten he felt.
“About the last time we spoke,” he said.
“No,” she said with a shake of her head, her hair falling over one shoulder. “We don’t need to bring all that up again.”
“Yes, we do,” he said. “I feel bad.”
“Why?” she asked. “I needed to hear what you had to say, even if it did sting at the time.”
“Yeah, but there was no excuse for blasting you like I did. Jen says I can be an ass sometimes and it’s true. That day I was worse than usual. I felt so powerless. Impotent. It made me mad and I took it out on you.” He set her suitcase down and touched her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she said. “Your words had the ring of truth.”
“Indi, no. Your devotion to kids like Benjamin is what makes you so remarkable. These kids—the ones here and the other ones just like them—need people like you. Who else is going to make their dreams come true?”
He saw her look away and wondered if she had tears in her eyes. For a moment he contemplated turning her head toward him, but he was afraid to touch her. Damn it, he wanted to touch her.
“Thank you,” she said, meeting his gaze again.
“Come on,” he said, needing to get away from her, because if he didn’t move, he’d do something impulsive. “I’ll introduce you to the people who run this place. They’re all as remarkable as you.”
He moved away, but he flexed his free hand over and over again, scratched at the top of it. What was this feeling he got every time she was around? He felt dehydrated, like he did after he’d been in a hot car for too long. Out of breath. Very nearly dizzy. Damn. Maybe he should pop in on one of the staff physicians.
“It’s really beautiful here,” she said.
“Yes, it is,” he answered, stopping one of the camp counselors who crossed the main lobby—a spacious foyer with high-beamed ceilings and tall windows that overlooked Lake Norman.
“Have you seen Rob and Annie?” he asked the kid.
“I think they’re outside.”
Before they could take two steps, they heard someone cry, “Indi.”
Todd watched Indi’s face light up. His shortness of breath turned into full-blown cardiac arrest, at least that’s what it felt like.
And Todd knew. He just knew that he’d started to fall for her. He wasn’t sure when or how, but he couldn’t deny the way he felt, and it made what he’d felt toward Kristen feel like puppy love.
“Benjamin,” she said, the love she felt for the boy softening her features. “Look at you wheeling yourself around. That’s great.”
“I’m having so much fun,” Benjamin said, breathless. “Guess who’s here?” he asked, wiggling in his chair. “You’ll never guess who’s here.”
“Who?”
“Lance Cooper,” Benjamin said like a kid announcing the big game’s final score.
“Whoa,” Indi said. “That’s amaz
ing.”
“I know. Mark just about flipped,” Benjamin said, referring to his friend from the hospital. The child had been thrilled to be invited and Todd hadn’t minded giving an extra kid a ride out.
“Where is Mark?” Indi asked, tucking one side of her loose hair behind her ear.
He’d kissed that ear.
Nope. Best not to go there. Not right now.
“He went to get something to eat. I’m going to go find him. Want to come?”
“I can’t,” she said, grabbing the brim of his hat and wiggling it a bit. “I just got here.”
“I know. I was waiting for you on the back porch.”
“Aw, you didn’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I was feeling kind of tired anyway.”
Indi’s eyes dimmed. Todd saw it, even though he doubted Benjamin noticed. The kid was too busy rolling past them.
“See ya,” Benjamin said.
“Hey, wait. Hold up there, buddy. I’ll push you over there if you want to hang on a moment,” Indi said.
“That’s okay,” Benjamin said.
“Go,” Todd ordered. “I can have someone put your bag in your room.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Go. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks,” she said, dashing off because Benjamin was already out the door.
“She’s devoted to the children,” Linda Koch said.
Todd realized he’d been caught staring. “Yes, I know,” he said, turning to Benjamin’s mom.
“It won’t be easy convincing her there’s room in her life for a man.”
Todd was surprised by her words. “No, it won’t.”
“You’d have to do it when other caregivers were around.”
“Do what?” he asked.
There was a new serenity to Linda, one that caught Todd by surprise. Maybe she looked forward to spending some quiet time with her husband. Todd had been told Miracles had paid for a hotel room for the two of them in Charlotte. They wanted Benjamin to feel as if he were on his own here at camp.
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