by Zoë Burton
“I’m not her favorite driver yet, but I’m working on it.”
“No?” Audra looked from one to the other. “Who, then?”
“Mark Saunders.”
“Oh.” She was quiet for a moment, but then turned and said to Liz, “Well, at least you don’t like one of the Lockhart twins. I’d question your intelligence if you did. They are lovely boys and excellent drivers, but they leave a lot to be desired.”
Will and Liz laughed. The Lockhart twins, Tyler and Timmy, were notorious for their quick tempers and aggressive driving style. They were the two drivers certain to bring out a negative reaction from fans at driver introductions. The loud boos from the crowd did not seem to bother the brothers, however. In fact, it seemed to energize them. They were good drivers, just not very likable.
After a few more minutes with Will’s aunt, he walked back to Georgie’s bunk to say goodbye. When he came out, both women could tell by the look on his face that he was unhappy.
“Dad told you about Georgie?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, she’ll not be going anywhere with Wickham on my watch.”
Chapter Five
An hour later, Will and Liz sat in Charles’ motorhome with Jane while Bingley showered. They chatted about the race, and about Jane’s and Liz’s jobs and Will’s appearances, sharing humorous stories about the people they worked with. When Bingley joined them, the group chose a restaurant nearby and headed to their vehicles. They decided to travel separately so that Jane and Charles could pick up another couple, whom Bingley had invited to join them.
On the way out of the track, right before one entered the tunnel under turn one, Will stopped at the guard shack to let the man inside know that he was leaving and would return in a couple hours. The shift was changing, and the guard was distracted, resulting in him waving them off without much scrutiny. Shaking his head, Will pulled into the short tunnel. Coming out the other end, he looked at Liz when she gasped.
“Isn’t that Georgie?”
Will braked as he stared. “It is. What in the world?”
Liz grabbed his arm. “That’s him! Will, that man hugging your sister is the guy I saw earlier!”
Instantly, Will’s heart rate jumped, his face turning red from the adrenaline and extra blood flowing in his veins. “That’s George Wickham,” he ground out as he whipped his truck in beside the other man’s. Slamming the transmission lever into “park,” he jumped out and headed around the front. Wickham, realizing who Will was, let go of Georgie, intending to get in his car and go. He was not fast enough, for when Will saw Wickham start to move, he sprinted the final few feet, tackling the man who touched his sister.
Georgie, not understanding what was happening, screamed when she felt someone rush past her and saw her date hit the ground. When her brother stood, hauling Wickham up with him, her fear turned to anger. “Will Darcy! What are you doing?”
Slamming Wickham back against the side of his car, Will ground out, “I’m giving this man a reminder of what my father told him.”
Georgie pulled at Will’s arm. “Don’t hurt him!”
Shaking her off, he half-turned, keeping Wickham pinned with one arm. “What are you doing out, Sis? I distinctly heard Coach tell you to stay in the motorhome. How did you get past Aunt Audra?”
Georgie refused at that point to speak any further. Not trusting her to stay put while Wickham was dealt with, Will entreated Liz to sit in his truck with her, a request Liz enthusiastically agreed to. As she led his sister away, Will dialed his phone with one hand. “Dad? I just caught Georgie on the other side of the tunnel, with George Wickham.”
Charles, Jane, and the third couple, Teddy “TJ” Jackson and his girlfriend SueAnne Pilson, who had by now arrived on the scene, could hear the roar of Coach’s voice coming through Will’s phone.
“Georgie is with Liz in my truck, and I have Wickham pinned to the side of his car. Charles and TJ are here; if I have trouble, I trust them to back me up.” There was a pause as Coach said something else. “Yes, sir. We’ll wait for you.” Hanging up the phone, he said to his prisoner, “Well, George, you did it this time.”
It didn’t take long for Coach to come roaring up in his SUV, with a security guard following him on foot at a run, cell phone to his ear. Bursting out of the vehicle with his poker buddies on his heels, he first stopped at Will’s truck to speak to his daughter.
“What did you think you were doing, young lady?” When Georgie merely glared at him, Coach continued. “I ought to turn you over my knee and give you the paddling you so richly deserve. But I won’t. I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, but for now, you can consider yourself well and truly grounded. No cell phone, no driving privileges, and no free roaming of the track. As a matter of fact, for the foreseeable future, you will remain at home with Mrs. Reynolds. If anyone can keep your disobedient backside in line, she can.” Over the sound of Georgie’s protest, Coach slammed the door.
George Wickham quivered visibly as his former employer approached. To hear the man berate his beloved daughter was a shock, and George knew Coach would be even harder on him.
Coach drew so close to Wickham that the younger man pulled back. “Just what did you think you were doing with my underage daughter?”
“I, I-,” George’s brain seemed frozen; he could not form a coherent thought.
“You know, your father was my best friend; I am your godfather, and I promised to guide you. When your parents died, I took you in and treated you like my own son. Matter of fact, I often treated you better than my own son! You went to the best schools; I paid your way through college; I even gave you a job. And how do you repay me? By abusing my trust and defaming Will. Knowing your habits, I can imagine what you planned to do with Georgie.” As Coach spoke, he poked his index finger into Wickham’s chest. “You can be sure, George Wickham, that if drugs are found in your possession, I intend to push the law to prosecute you to the fullest extent possible. My daughter might be rebellious and stupid, and have no idea the kind of man you are, but I am under no illusions. I will do my best to make certain sure that you are behind bars for a long time.”
Wickham gulped. Hardened drug abuser that he was, he had become immune to most threats. Coach Darcy was another matter. He was every bit as tall and stocky as his son; and with his dark features, when he was angry he was downright scary. “I, I, I-.”
Coach looked at his godson in disgust. Overtaken by a sudden burst of violent anger, he drew back his fist, but his friends stepped in. One on each side, they pulled him back, reminding him that the result would not be worth the temporary satisfaction and to allow the law to handle the punishment. Stiffly, Coach nodded, relaxing and allowing them to lead him away. Before he moved, though, he gave George one more glare and spat on the ground in front of Wickham’s feet. The cops had arrived by this time, so Will followed his father while one officer read Wickham his rights and another handcuffed and then frisked him. To the surprise of no one who saw it, the officer pulled a baggie out of George’s pocket. The baggie contained a white powder that would later test positive for cocaine.
When Coach walked away from him, George knew that he had just lost the only ally he had in this world. He suddenly felt very much alone, and as if he had lost his safety net. He had never been more frightened in his life.
~~~***~~~
Two hours later, after giving statements to the police, Coach took Georgie back to the motorhome. Will and Liz, Jane and Charles, and TJ and SueAnne decided to grab a pizza, since they missed their dinner reservations. After a quick internet search showed a chain pizza restaurant just up the road, they loaded back into their vehicles and set out. Two hours later, they were pulling back in, ready to relax for their flights in the morning.
After dropping off TJ and SueAnn, Charles and Jane joined Liz and Will at Coach’s motorhome. They quietly entered, uncertain what to expect. They found Coach sitting at the dinette, elbows on the table and head in his hands.
“D
ad?”
Coach lifted his head, putting his hands down. “Son, Charles, ladies. Have a seat, all of you.” He sighed heavily. “Since you were all involved in the incident earlier, I think you should all know what happened after.”
Will sat across from his father, pulling Liz down beside him. Bingley leaned against the counter across the aisle from the table, arranging Jane in front of him with his arms around her and his chin on her shoulder. When everyone was settled, Coach began.
“I’ve sent Georgie back to North Carolina with Audra and Henry. They left just a few minutes ago. I asked Audra why she let Georgie go out after I told her about Wickham, and she shocked me with her answer. Then, I asked Georgie about it, just to see what she would say. It took me a while to get it out of her, but…it seems that Wickham had help. He sent Mark Saunders here with a story for Audra that I had sent him to bring Georgie to the poker game. Audra had no idea that Mark and Wickham had anything more than a passing acquaintance; he had always seemed honest and upright to her. So, she let Georgie go with him. Instead of bringing her to me, though, he took Georgie through the tunnel and dropped her off. He must have taken off immediately, is my guess, because no one mentioned him.”
Will shook his head. “I didn’t see him, but I admit that once I saw my sister and George, I didn’t see much else.”
Coach nodded. “That’s what I figured. You inherited that Darcy temper along with the looks.” He sighed. “I explained to your sister exactly what happened with George’s driving job. I went so far as to dial the series director so he could confirm it with her, though she refused to speak to him.”
Liz’s brows rose. She was not surprised that Coach had Mark Hildom’s number; the Stock Car Racing Association community was a tight one. What startled her was that Coach did not hide his daughter’s indiscretion. Well, I guess it is the twenty-first century. Nothing much is hidden anymore.
After his confession, Coach fell silent, head down and eyes closed. The rest of the group waited silently for him to formulate the words they all sensed were coming. Finally, looking up, he addressed Will once more.
“Where did I go wrong, Son?”
Shaking his head, Will rushed to reassure his father. “You didn’t, Dad. You did everything right. You gave George a life most young men would give their right arm for. I don’t know why he rejected it the way he did. You did your best.”
“I just feel like I let my best friend down. The last words I spoke to John Wickham were that I would take care of his boy. Fine job I did,” he added, disgustedly.
Charles spoke up. “Coach, you kept your word. You raised George the same way you did Will, and look at your son. George made choices that were the total opposite of the values you instilled in him. That’s not your fault; it’s his.”
Coach nodded again. “My head agrees with you; it’s my heart that insists I did something wrong.” Sighing heavily once more, he rose. “I’m going to bed down at your place, Will. Ladies, if you need anything, come get me.”
“We will. Sleep well.” Liz assured the elder gentleman that they would be fine; Jane added her agreement. After the boys said their goodnights, Coach left.
“It breaks my heart to see him look so defeated.” Liz did not protest when Will pulled her close as she spoke.
“Mine too. I don’t know if I should spend the night at your place, Charles, or go to mine.”
“Yeah, that’s a hard one. Do you think he might want to talk it out?”
“Maybe, but maybe not.”
“What will he say if you don’t go home? Will he think you spent the night with me?” Liz did not want Will’s father to think less of her.
“Good point. He might, and after what happened with Georgie, I don’t think I have it in me to hurt him.” He tipped Liz’s face up. “Give me a kiss, Sweetheart, and I’ll get out of here. We’ll pick you up bright and early and take you home.” Tilting his head down, Will kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless. “Walk me to the door,” he asked huskily.
Chapter Six
The following week was an off week for the series; there was no race scheduled for the weekend, and many of the drivers and their loved ones took vacations to far-flung places. For Will and Charles, that meant a trip to Ohio. They checked into a nearby hotel and headed straight to the Bennet girls’ apartment for a home-cooked meal and a video. Though there was much discussion, with the guys wanting to watch Twister and the girls, Pride & Prejudice, the boys eventually gave in. Though they would not admit it out loud, Will and Bingley greatly enjoyed the movie, though they were glad Jane and Liz showed the shorter one. Two hours of chick flick was more than enough for one night. Neither thought they could have managed six, which was the length of the longer version.
Over the course of the next week and a half, Will and Bingley explored the area during the day. They golfed at the local club one day, and chartered a fishing excursion on Lake Erie another. They drove to a nearby water park and spent a few hours on the water slides and doing laps in a pool. They bought a membership at the local gym, which was attached to the high school, and spent part of every morning keeping in shape.
In the evenings, they returned to Liz and Jane’s apartment. Sometimes one or both of the girls cooked, but, depending on their schedules, Will and Charles took them out to eat and to do fun things. The girls’ jobs allowed them some flexibility, and they took full advantage, allowing their men to spoil them as often as they could. Sometimes they went out as a group, but more often, they split into pairs. Always, Will and Bingley brought their ladies gifts. Flowers, chocolate, a much-desired book, tickets to a performance of a local theater group, even gear with their car numbers and logos on it, including team jackets, arrived along with the men.
It was on one of those evenings as couples, when Jane and Charles were out on a date, and Will and Liz were hanging out at the apartment watching movies, that Will broached the subject of their relationship.
Liz was snuggled up to him on the couch, his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. Squeezing her, he asked, “So, am I your favorite driver yet?”
Liz snorted. “You seem obsessed with that.”
“Well, Mark was suspended indefinitely after his arrest. You have no one to cheer for if you stick with him.”
Liz sighed. “True. I was tremendously disappointed to hear that he was that deeply involved with George Wickham and his activities. I just can’t support someone like that. What’s worse is that he was able to hide his involvement as well as he did and for so long!”
“He had never tested positive when his number came up. SCRA randomly tests drivers every week, so it’s hard to hide drug use. Mark has severe allergies, and though he uses mostly natural remedies to combat them, he always lists the drugs he does use, when he gets called up. No one would have suspected that he was sneaking George into races and setting up drug deals for him.”
“Did George rat him out, then?”
“Not according to Dad. When Mark was confronted about taking my sister to Wickham, he confessed it all on his own. Dad says he thinks Mark saw the writing on the wall and hopes that sharing information now will lead the sanctioning body to be more lenient in the future and allow him to be reinstated.” Will shrugged. “I suppose it could happen. There’s really no way to tell which direction the series directors will go.”
“I hope he’s truly repentant, but in the meantime, he has let a lot of fans down.”
“Which leads me back to my question; you need a favorite driver, and I’m available.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “I don’t know. I hate to make you my ‘favorite driver,’ and you let me down, too.”
Will tilted his head to look at her. Though he was generally mischievous and flirty with her, he was quite capable of being serious, as the rest of the world was witness to. Over the last couple weeks, he had developed some pretty strong feelings for this woman tucked beside him, and the thought that she might not feel the same was a bit alarming. He considered it
for a few more minutes, moving his gaze back to the television, though he did not really see what was happening on the screen. Finally, his thoughts ordered, he straight up asked her. “I get the idea you’ve been hurt before.”
Liz was silent for a long moment, unsure just how much to share. Though she was reluctant to read too much into anything Will Darcy said or did, she really liked him. One thing her previous relationships had taught her was that communication was vital; she didn’t know where he wanted theirs to go, or even if he wanted a long-term commitment, but the only way she was going to discover this information was by talking. So, talk she did.
Taking a deep breath, she began, “I have. Badly. The only guy I ever gave myself to totally was a guy I thought I was going to marry. We attended the same university and had dated for probably half a year. He told me he loved me and wanted to marry me someday, after we graduated college. Eventually, I gave in, and we had sex. It was great, all of it, for a few more months.” Liz paused, memories of that time flooding her mind. After a few moments, she continued.
“Then, two weeks before graduation, we had reservations to go to a really nice restaurant a few blocks from the apartment complex where we both lived. When I say nice, I mean you had to dress up to even get in the door. He was supposed to pick me up at six, but he never showed. I tried texting and calling but got no response. I tried calling our mutual friends, and all his friends whose numbers I knew and no one could tell me anything, if they answered at all.” She hated to have to relive that night of pain, and without realizing it, she began to hold herself more and more rigidly so as to keep from crying.
Will, feeling the stiffness invade her body, rubbed his hand up and down her arm, silently encouraging her to let it out.
“I was still up at midnight, though I had changed my clothes hours before. I had gone on a cleaning binge to relieve the stress. I was so worried about him! I did wonder if he was out with someone else, but refused to entertain the idea for more than a second. I kept telling myself that he loved me and wanted to marry me. Well, as a result of this cleaning spree, I had a bag of trash. I walked it down the stairs and outside to the bin, and witnessed my boyfriend, dressed to the nines, escorting another woman into his building. He stopped to kiss and touch her right there in the doorway. He practically had sex with her right out in the open.” A sob escaped her, and Liz put a hand over her mouth as Will squeezed her tighter, stretching his free arm across her front to embrace her fully. Soon, her hand lowered once more and she went on with her story.