Almost Famous

by Gina Wilkins

  She had smiled when he walked in, and congratulated him on running a great race, never mind that he hadn’t crossed the line first. She’d told him she had enjoyed watching him and had been very impressed with his driving.

  He had ached to kiss her then, wanted it so badly that he’d been sure she had seen the desire in his eyes. Her cheeks had gone pink and she had turned to congratulate Wade, implicitly reminding Jake that there were other people around them. And while Jake had reluctantly conceded that the time hadn’t been right to publicly stake his claim, he had been absolutely certain that he wanted Stacy to be there to meet him after every race in the future.

  They still had a way to go before he could express that wish to her. She still needed convincing that what had developed between them was worth all the effort it would take to make it last a lifetime.

  Jake hadn’t gotten where he was without self-confidence, determination and charm, all of which he intended to employ to win Stacy Carter’s heart.

  STACY INSISTED on cleaning the kitchen after lunch, sending Jake and Andrew off to play video games while she did so. She knew Andrew would love that, and to be honest, it was a pleasure to putter around in Jake’s dream kitchen.

  A woman could almost marry him for this kitchen alone, she thought frivolously. Stumbling, she nearly dropped the leftover pasta salad on the stone floor as she heard her own disconcerting thought. What on earth had made her think about marriage? She and Jake weren’t anywhere near even thinking about that step.

  They had known each other less than a month. They had shared only a few kisses—amazing kisses—but nothing more. She wasn’t even sure she would see him again after she left this afternoon, though she suspected she would receive more invitations to do so.

  Maybe it felt as though she were falling head over heels for Jake, but there was always the possibility that she was simply being carried away by the glamour and romance of this magical weekend. Maybe time away from him would put all of this into perspective, help her remember the reasons she had been reluctant to get involved with him in the first place.

  Maybe she would come to see that Jake wasn’t really as special as he seemed.

  Leaving a spotless kitchen behind her, she went in search of the guys, hoping wryly that she wouldn’t get lost on the way to the media room. As beautiful as this house was, it was ridiculously large for only one person.

  She heard Jake and Andrew talking as she approached the media room doorway. Beeps and bams underlay their words, evidence that they played as they conversed. Not wanting to interrupt them without announcing herself, she slowed as she drew closer. She was startled to hear Andrew mention his mother, since he absolutely never talked about his mother. Ever.

  “She left us,” he said as Stacy moved close enough to hear. “Just took off without hardly stopping to say goodbye.”

  “That stinks, man,” Jake said bluntly. “I know the feeling.”

  “Yeah? Did your mom leave, too?”

  “My father. Ran off when I was just a little kid. Left me and my mother high and dry.”

  “Stinks.”

  “Seriously.”

  “So you had family and stuff, didn’t you? Like I got my grandma and her husband, Lou, and Aunt Stacy?”

  “No. It was just me and my mom. She worked really hard to put food on our table.”

  “My dad works all the time,” Andrew muttered.

  “He’s probably having a rough time of it,” Jake suggested. “Supporting you. Keeping his job. And all of that while dealing with the end of his marriage. Gotta be tough on him, you know?”

  Andrew was quiet for a few moments, the only sound in the room the strange noises issuing from the video game. And then he said, “He could have talked her into staying.”

  “You’re not blaming him because your mom left, are you, Andrew? Because let me tell you, chances are he did everything he could to keep the family together. From what I saw of him, family means a lot to him. I could sure tell that you mean everything to him. You’re lucky, you know, to have your dad in your life. I would have liked to have had mine.”

  “Are you and your mom still close?”

  “My mom died several years ago. I don’t have any family left.”

  “You don’t have any family?”

  “No. Just my friends at work.”

  There was another pause and then Andrew said, “If you marry Aunt Stacy, you’d be a part of our family.”

  Stacy nearly fell on her face. Served her right, she thought, for eavesdropping. She deserved to be humiliated.

  Making plenty of noise, she moved toward the doorway. “How’s the game going?” she asked, her voice entirely too bright and cheery. “Is he beating you as badly as I predicted, Jake?”

  Jake looked at her sharply, obviously wondering how much she had overheard. She gave him a smile that she hoped revealed absolutely nothing. “When should we head for the airport? We don’t want to miss our flight.”

  THEY FLEW HOME on a commercial flight. Jake drove them to the airport, growing quieter the closer they came. He stood by as they checked their bags, then walked with them to the security check-in, which was as far as he could go. The airport was fairly crowded on this early Sunday evening after the big race, and Stacy was aware that Jake was recognized more than once as he strode with them through the crowd. She saw people pointing and whispering, but at least no one pestered him for his autograph. Maybe it was because for once, Jake didn’t look particularly approachable.

  He made an effort to smile when he held out his right hand to Andrew. “Well, I guess this is it.”

  Andrew shook his hand solemnly. “Thank you again for bringing me here this weekend, Jake. It was the best time I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to show Dad and my friends the pictures Aunt Stacy took of me with you and Scott and in the pits and the garage and stuff.”

  “Tell your dad I said hi, okay? I’m sorry he couldn’t join us this weekend, but I understand having to work on Saturdays. I have to do it most weeks, myself.”

  Andrew nodded. “Yeah, I guess you do work a lot of hours, don’t you? Even more than my dad, maybe.”

  “A guy does what he has to do to get by. I know your father would rather hang out with you than at the office, and I know he does every chance he gets.”

  Andrew nodded. “We always watch the races together on Sunday afternoons.”

  “That’s great. Watch for me next week. I’ll wave like this at the camera, and you’ll know I’m saying hi to you and your dad, okay?” He held up two fingers and waved them back and forth in a modified salute.

  Grinning, Andrew nodded. “I’ll watch for it.”

  Jake turned to Stacy then, moving so slowly that she could tell he was reluctant to say goodbye. She felt the same way.

  Before he could say anything, she held out her hand. “I want to thank you, too, Jake. Andrew and I had a wonderful time.”

  He looked at that hand and then up at her face. “So did I.”

  Rather than shaking her hand, he took it in both of his own. “Have a safe flight home. I’ll call you later, okay?”

  She nodded.

  He didn’t immediately release her hand. His gaze locked with hers, he looked as though he had a lot he wanted to say, but wasn’t free to do so. “I’m glad you came,” he said finally.

  “So am I.”

  “If I make the arrangements, will you come to another race? I don’t suppose you’d want to come to Martinsville next Sunday, but maybe Atlanta in two weeks. You’d like that one, I think.”

  “I don’t know, Jake. I can’t make that decision now.”

  He frowned a little, but spoke evenly. “You can think about it on the way home. Let me know in a few days.”

  She was starting to feel a bit pressured. “I’ll think about it,” she said, making no commitment.

  “I’ll miss you every day we’re not together,” he murmured, making sure no one else could hear him over the noise of the terminal. Not even Andrew, who sto
od close by, pretending not to watch them.

  She didn’t know what to say, except “We’d better go.”

  “I know,” he said with a sigh. “So, I’ll see you, okay?”

  Swallowing hard, she nodded. “See you.”

  Maybe.

  Before she knew what he was going to do, he tugged at her hand, making her stumble toward him. His mouth was on hers before she’d regained her balance.

  The kiss didn’t last excessively long, but it was certainly powerful. Stacy heard her pulse roaring in her ears. She even saw a flash of light.

  Only when he finally released her did she take a deep breath and realize that the flash had been from a camera. She even saw the photographer, a young man in a Ronnie Short jacket and cap.

  She gave Jake a look of reproof, but he didn’t look particularly regretful. Giving her a slight shrug, he finally released her hand and stepped back. “I’ll call you,” he said.

  Gripping her purse so tightly her knuckles ached, she turned abruptly. “Come on, Andrew. Let’s find our gate.”

  “IT’S INCREDIBLE. He’s like a different kid.”

  Stacy studied her brother across the table of the little diner near his office where she had joined him for lunch on the Tuesday after her return from North Carolina. “He really had a wonderful time.”

  “I know. It’s all he’s talked about since. But the thing is, he’s talking,” Nick said with a stunned shake of his head. “To me. He must have shown me his pictures a dozen times. And he’s told me the same stories several times during dinner. I don’t care. I’ve just decided to enjoy it while it lasts.”

  “I think he came to a few realizations while we were away,” Stacy mused. “He saw that you aren’t the only man who has to work long hours in your job. And that yours isn’t the only broken family that has to keep functioning after one parent leaves. And he saw that it won’t really matter if he doesn’t grow to over six feet—several of the racing stars are on the shorter side.”

  “Whatever he learned during the trip, I hope the lessons last for a while.” Nick took a bite of chicken-fried steak and washed it down with a sip of sweetened iced tea. “I know one weekend can’t work miracles. Andrew’s a teenage boy, and he’s going to go through his phases of rebellion and defiance. But maybe we can make some headway while he’s still in such a great mood.”

  “I hope so.”

  Scooping up a forkful of mashed potatoes and gravy, Nick asked, “So what did you learn during your outing?”

  Looking up from her chicken salad and mixed-fruit plate, she asked, “What do you mean?”

  “I guess I’m asking if you’re going to see Jake again. Andrew talks like the two of you are a serious item. I think he’s already imagining how cool it’s going to be to have a famous race car driver for an uncle.”

  Feeling her cheeks go warm, she frowned. “Then he’s being entirely too imaginative.”

  “So you haven’t fallen for the guy?”

  “I like Jake very much,” she prevaricated. “But that’s all there is to it at this time.”

  Nick put down his fork and clasped his hands on the table. “I’ve got to admit, I would have some concerns if you became too involved with Jake. I mean, he’s a great guy, don’t get me wrong. I’ll always be grateful for what he did for Andrew this past weekend. But…well, his life couldn’t be more different from yours.”

  “I know.”

  “You’ve chosen to live so quietly. So privately. He chases the spotlight as hard as he chases a victory at the track. He has to—it’s part of his job.”

  “I know,” she said again.

  “Not much privacy in the life of a race car driver. And I would imagine the typical driver thrives on excitement and challenges, which doesn’t exactly describe your lifestyle, either. They live for the next race, the next win. And as for women—well, there are certain types who would do just about anything to catch the eye of a rich, famous driver. They’d be so drawn to the fame and fortune that they’d have little compunction about ruining existing relationships. It would be hard for a man not to be tempted by a steady stream of attractive, willing women competing for his attention.”

  She knew that, too, of course. She had seen it for herself at the track last weekend. She couldn’t tolerate the idea of an unfaithful mate. Would Jake be able to resist that temptation, even after the newness of a relationship wore off and time inevitably began to leave its marks?

  Biting her lip, she chided herself for leaping that far ahead, despite her warnings to Andrew and to herself. After all, Jake hadn’t actually discussed anything long-term. He made no secret of being interested in her now, but all he had talked about was the next racetrack where he wanted her to join him. And he hadn’t invited Andrew to that one.

  Jake wouldn’t be content for long with the kisses they had shared thus far. He was already making his impatience clear. And she knew herself too well to believe she could indulge in an affair with him that wouldn’t lead to her giving her heart to him.

  Deep down, she was about as traditional as a woman could get. She wanted a family. One man, one woman, a couple of kids and a dog. Maybe even a minivan. She had never pictured a race car. Could she really have any of those things with a man like Jake?

  “You’re Stacy Carter, aren’t you?” a diner employee asked, pausing by the table to study her.

  Swallowing a sigh, Stacy nodded. “Yes.”

  She expected questions about her encounter with the courthouse gunman. While the interest in that story had waned considerably during the past few weeks, she was still recognized occasionally.

  She didn’t expect the woman’s next comment. “Are you really dating Jake Hinson? Is he as good-looking in person as he is in the racing magazines?”

  “How did you—? Um, what makes you think I’m dating Jake Hinson?” she asked weakly. How could someone from Little Rock know about last weekend?

  “I saw it on the Internet. At one of the Jake Hinson fan sites. There was a picture of you and him kissing at the airport and some people were saying how he wanted to meet you after he heard about you taking down that criminal at the courthouse a few weeks ago. They said he saw your picture and looked you up. That’s so romantic, you know?”

  “And so untrue, I’m afraid,” Stacy replied, trying to keep her tone light. “It sounds as though you’ve been reading some Internet gossip.”

  “I saw the picture,” the waitress insisted. “You were at the race last week, weren’t you?”

  “I was there with my nephew,” Stacy agreed somewhat coolly.

  “People on the message boards are all wondering about you and how serious you and Jake are. They’ve been wondering when he was going to hitch up permanently with someone, instead of just dating a string of models and beauty queens, you know? I think it’s cool that he’s seeing someone from around here. A hometown girl. Especially one who could whup his butt if he gets too full of himself, you know?” The waitress laughed loudly at her own joke.

  The young server who’d been waiting on Stacy and Nick appeared at the table with a pitcher of tea in her hand. “Marla, you’ve got an order up. Better get on it before Mack gets mad again.”

  Marla sighed heavily. “All right. But I sure would like to hear more about Jake Hinson.”

  “I really don’t have anything else to tell you right now,” Stacy assured her firmly.

  Sighing again, Marla shuffled off.

  “Sorry about that,” the newcomer—whose name tag read Jill—murmured as she refilled their drinking glasses. “Marla’s, like, the biggest gossip on the planet. Anytime we have anyone even remotely famous in here, like a TV news anchor or somebody who’s been in the society pages or something, she’s all over them. Mack’s warned her that if she doesn’t stop it, he’s going to have to fire her.”

  “You’d think I’d get used to that,” Stacy said to her brother after Jill moved on. “Jake certainly takes it in stride that total strangers want to know all about his persona
l life. I don’t know that I could ever handle it as smoothly as he does.”

  “It’s certainly something to consider,” Nick agreed somberly. “I mean, you and I both remember what it was like to see our family’s name splashed all over the local newspapers.”

  She winced at the memory. “All too well.”

  “Of course, there is a difference,” he seemed compelled to point out. “Dad was always in the middle of some sort of scandal or controversy. Jake’s press is mostly the admiring type. But his is on a larger scale, of course. Dad was pretty notorious here in the state, but not so much outside. Jake’s famous nationwide, and he’s got the Internet grapevine to contend with, which wasn’t even around at the height of Dad’s shenanigans.”

  None of which made her feel much better. “I was really hoping I could go to the race without making it onto that grapevine.”

  “I doubt that Jake can sneeze without someone commenting about it on one of his fan sites. That’s something you’d better just get used to if you’re going to keep seeing him,” Nick said bluntly. “I know you don’t follow race gossip, but one of the drivers was involved in an ugly and very public divorce last year. The Internet practically buzzed with gossip about it. People actually took sides between the two, and each side trashed the other pretty thoroughly. I couldn’t help thinking then that it would be hard to live like that. It was hard enough when Deb took off and I knew people were probably gossiping about us. But at least that was on a much smaller scale.”

  Stacy moistened her lips. “I met quite a few happy couples among Jake’s racing friends. Several of them seemed to live relatively quietly, keeping their private lives out of the spotlight.”

  Nick nodded. “I suppose that’s possible if they make the effort. Of course, those guys might not be the kind who draw attention like Jake does. There’s just something about Jake that seems to intrigue people—especially the women.”