Erik’s imagination took over. He pictured Olivia swimming up to him and putting her soft hands on his shoulders. He pulled her into his arms, their eyes locked and held there until his attention drifted to her mouth. Water beads covered her lips. Lips he longed to feel against his own. In slow motion, he leaned his head toward her until their parted mouths met in a warm, wet kiss. Her soft lips played with his, consuming him until…
“What’re you doing?” Olivia’s unknowing, innocent question yanked Erik back to reality.
Good grief, man. What’s wrong with you lately? And what is it about her that has you fantasizing about kissing her? He chanced a quick glance into Olivia’s eyes just an arm length away in front of him, wondering how he was going to answer her question.
Did she know what he’d been thinking? Did she sense things like his aunt Adell and Terri did? What do they call that? Oh yeah, women’s intuition.
“You wanna race?” Her delicate, perfect-shaped eyebrows danced teasingly at the challenge she presented him.
Now that question he could answer. “I am.” He whirled, lunged forward in a butterfly swim position, and took off.
“No fair,” she called after him.
“Hey, turnabout’s fair play,” he hollered back at her and kept going.
After swimming a few laps, they got out of the pool, toweled off, and parked their bodies on the lounge chairs. It felt so natural sitting here with her like this.
♥♥♥♥
The water streaming down the cascading rock formation at the end of the pool filled the comfortable silence.
“Erik?”
“Yeah?” He turned to look at Olivia.
“Audie is coming for a visit and will be here late Friday night. I’d really love to go to your aunt’s party, but it would be rude of me to leave my guest all alone.”
Erik swung his legs to the side, placed his feet on the floor, and faced her. “Hey, the party’s in your honor. Can’t have a party if the guest of honor’s not there.” He smiled.
So. The party really was for her. Touched beyond measure, she fought back her burning tears.
“Bring your friend along.”
“You sure Adell won’t mind?” Her question came with a certain amount of uncertainty and shyness.
“Of course not. The more the merrier Aunt Adell always says.”
“Would you mind calling her and making sure it’s okay first, please?”
“Sure. But, I’m positive it’ll be just fine.” He smiled and drew in a deep breath. “Olivia?”
“Yes.”
His gaze dropped, and his hesitation made her squirm. “Do you mind me asking you a personal question?” His eyes snagged on hers. Olivia wanted to know just how personal before giving her consent, but she didn’t have a clue how to tell him that without sounding rude. She sucked in her lower lip and reluctantly nodded.
She scarcely drew breath while she waited for his question. A question she only hoped and prayed wouldn’t have anything to do with her growing up years.
Chapter Eight
Erik’s gaze captured Olivia’s. “Who’s Audie?”
Audie? Olivia forced her face not to show her surprise. That’s what he wanted to ask her? Her lungs sucked in the air she’d deprived them of while waiting for his question.
Inside the indoor swimming pool, Olivia placed her feet on the floor. “Audie’s my best friend. We grew up together. Her real name is Audra.”
“I see.” The relief in his eyes was evident. Olivia wondered what that was all about. “Did you grow up in Wheeling?”
“Yes. Yes I did.” Please no more personal questions, she silently begged not wanting to take any more trips down memory lane. To make sure that didn’t happen, Olivia decided to turn the tables by asking him a question. “Did you grow up in Charity?”
The light in Erik’s eyes dimmed. “No.” He stood and walked over to a small refrigerator.
For some odd reason, Erik chose not to elaborate. She wondered why but didn’t ask. She respected that because she, too, had reasons for not wanting to answer questions about her life.
Erik bent his knees and peered into the icebox. With his back toward her, he turned his head sideways. “Would you like a Coke or some lemonade?”
“Yes, a Coke would be fine.” Water dripped from her hair onto her legs. Using her fingertips, she swished a few beads of water off of her legs and sent them flying.
He reached inside the fridge and grabbed two drinks. On his way back to where she was sitting, he asked, “How many siblings do you have?”
Olivia worked her lip over. Up until now their conversations had mostly consisted of monster trucks, classic cars, the weather, his kind neighbors, feeding the birds, and their cats’ silly antics. Erik of course included God in all their conversations, but not in a way that he was preaching or anything. It was just a part of who he was. He never once tried pushing religion on her, which she found both interesting and relieving.
She hated it when people asked her questions about her life, and yet she knew she couldn’t avoid them forever. She also knew that she could choose how and what to answer. “I’m an only child. How ‘bout you?”
He handed her a Coke and sat down. He opened a bottle for himself and took a long drink before twisting the lid back on. “I have three siblings. Slick, Tony, and Camara.”
She opened her drink and took a swallow. While screwing the cap on, she wondered just how deeply she should probe into his family life. After all, if she asked him questions, then he might ask her more questions too. And she wasn’t ready to talk about her past yet. Even though, for the first time in years, the burden of her past wasn’t weighing as heavily on her.
Moving here had been a great idea. Audra would be amazed to find out that she actually trusted someone. Olivia herself was surprised that she felt somewhat safe after only two weeks. But she was no dummy. She would still play things by ear and still keep her guard up.
A hand waved in front of her face. She blinked.
“Earth to Olivia, come in Olivia.”
The smile in his voice covered any embarrassment she might have felt at daydreaming. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”
“Penny for your thoughts.”
Again with the penny thing. Well, no amount of money would persuade her to tell Erik what she’d been thinking. “I can’t take your penny. My penny jar is getting too heavy.” A gleam accompanied her smile. “But, I want to know if Slick is your brother’s real name.”
“No. His real name is Daniel.”
“Why do you call him Slick?”
“Because he goes through more racing slick tires than anyone we’ve ever known.”
“Does he race monster trucks too?”
Erik chuckled. “No. Monster trucks don’t have racing slicks. He runs funny cars.”
“What are funny cars?” She grabbed her towel, laid it over her legs, and stared straight at Erik, realizing how much she liked the view.
“They’re cars people drag race with.”
“What do they look like?”
“Well,” he rubbed his chin, something he did a lot. “They resemble streetcars. But they have a one-piece carbon fiber body with a tubular chassis, and the whole body raises like a hood. Whereas a regular streetcar has a straight frame and multiple working parts. Ya know, like doors, hoods, trunks. A streetcar runs between eight to three hundred horsepower. Funny cars run high performance engines with blowers, putting out thousands of horsepower. In fact, they’re so quick that they have twin parachutes mounted on the back to stabilize and decelerate the car once it crosses the finish line. Otherwise, they’d burn their brakes up trying to stop.”
Information overload. Olivia’s mind scrambled to put a mental picture together of what they looked like based on the information Erik fed her. But, she had no idea what a tubular chassis or an engine blower was. Guess she’d have to use the computer in the shop and look it up sometime to see what they looked like.
Erik
chuckled. “Funny cars are a hoot. You should go with me sometime and watch them.”
“Where do they race these cars?” She kept her gaze on him while toweling off her already dry legs.
“At drag strips.” His focus slid past her.
Olivia turned to see what he was looking at. Seeing nothing, she faced him and watched as a gamut of emotions shadowed his handsome face. She wanted to ask what had made him so sad, but again she didn’t want to pry.
“At Swamper Speedway” he glanced at her, then turned his brown eyes away from her, staring seemingly at nothing. Seconds ticked by before he finally spoke again. “They hold drag races there all the time. Along with mud bog races, monster truck rallies, dirt bike races, and funny car events.”
“Where’s Swamper Speedway?”
He broke contact with whatever he was looking at and riveted his attention on her. Olivia sat up straight.
“Back home; just outside of Swamper City, Alabama.”
“Oh. So you aren’t from around here then?”
He unscrewed the lid to his Coke, took a long drink, and replaced the lid.
Was he going to evade her question again? It was strange how he had a way of answering but not really answering. Just like someone else she knew—herself.
“No.” That bit of information shocked her. “I moved here not too long ago.” The pensive look on his face never left.
As much as she was afraid of giving him an opening into her life, she really wanted to know about his. “What brought you to West Virginia?”
“Well,” he pressed his hand over his mouth and down his chin. “I was tired of the everyday ho-hum of running one of Dad’s dealerships and wanted some adventure.”
Lands o’ Goshen, Olivia inwardly cringed. Another adventure, seeking male. What’s up with men and their desire for adventure? Oh, and like you never craved it, Olivia chastised herself. She had, but after Hammond disappeared, her audacious spirit no longer existed. Well, perhaps it did a little, but only a little. But she had no intentions of allowing it back into her life. She focused her attention back on Erik.
“The restlessness inside of me was really starting to get me down. So, when I came out here to West Virginia for a monster truck rally at the Charleston Civic Center, this indescribable peace came over me. I asked the Lord why,” Erik quirked his lip sideways and released a quick snort. “But I already knew why. For some reason, the Lord wanted me to leave my home and move here.” His gaze locked on hers. “Who knows? Maybe it was so we could connect.”
Connect? Olivia blinked, not liking the sound of that at all. Connect in what way? She swallowed hard, trying to force down the fear that accompanied Erik’s words.
♥♥♥♥
Erik caught the glimpse of fear in Olivia’s eyes and instantly knew what he’d said to put it there. Hoping to reassure her, he laid his hand on top of hers.
She glanced down at their hands and then back at him. Wrinkles marred her forehead.
Realizing that was the wrong thing to do to the woman sitting directly across from him, who now resembled a frightened little bird, he raised his hand, backed off, and rubbed the back of his neck. Remembering he should keep his distance was becoming increasingly difficult. “Ya know. If I would have never moved here, then you wouldn’t have come for the job interview. And I would have never found someone who knew exactly the kind of design I was looking for on my monster truck. That’s all I meant.” Well, that’s all I’m going to tell you anyway. He couldn’t stop his mouth from smiling.
Her stiff body relaxed, and the wrinkles around her eyes disappeared.
Good. His words and smile had accomplished their job.
The fear on her face turned into a soft quizzical look. “Do you like it here?”
Her question threw him off guard. Did he like it here? He missed his family something fierce. He loved spending time with his aunt Adell, and the people in West Virginia were super friendly. But, he was lonely. He looked at the beautiful woman sitting in front of him and realized since she had arrived he wasn’t nearly as lonely as he had been. “I do now.”
Her eyes widened. Panic gripped him. He’d better clarify what he meant, or the little frightened bird in Olivia would spread its wings and take flight. “I’m so glad you’re here, Olivia. I really needed a friend.”
♥♥♥♥
Olivia couldn’t keep the relief of his words from showing up on her face. Knowing Erik saw them as nothing more than friends put her at ease. “Thanks. I’m glad I’m here too.” And she meant it. She picked up the towel and dabbed the water drops trickling down her arms from her wet hair.
Seeing how Erik no longer looked sad, she decided to change the subject. “So, are you and Slick the only ones in your family who race?”
“No, Camara does too.”
“What does she race?”
“Mud boggers.”
“Mud boggers?” She tilted her head. “What are those?” As he explained, Olivia listened intently. She didn’t understand most of what he said, but he was right, it was nice to have a friend. “I’d love to see one. Where does she race?”
“Mostly at Swamper Speedway. But sometimes, she and her husband Chase run at other places. In fact, they’re coming next weekend.” His pearly whites sparkled. “I’ve invited several local boys and people from back home to come to the mud bog race. My monster truck buddies will be coming too. I can hardly wait.” Something about Erik’s animated face reminded her of Hammond’s, right before he’d left for the hot air balloon races.
Her hand pressed against her stomach as if to squash the pit that now filled it. The last thing she wanted to do was dwell on that wretched day Hammond had left or, the big fight they’d gotten into. She and her mother had gotten into a huge fight the day her parents had left too. Neither of them had returned home. Again with the dreaded déjà vu. Just when things were going so well, why did her past have to raise its ugly head?
Oblivious to her tormenting thoughts and much to her relief, Erik continued, “This will be the first year I’ll be holding them on my place.”
“Here?” Olivia looked outside the floor to ceiling glass windows. “Where?”
“Oh, that’s right. I’ve never shown you my race track, have I?”
“No.” He has his own racetrack? Is there anything he doesn’t have?
“Well, we’ll just have to change that then, won’t we? How about tomorrow morning I show you around the place?”
“Sounds great.” And it really did.
“Good. I’ll pick you up at eight a.m. sharp.” He finished his drink.
“Well, it’s getting late. I’d better go.” She stood and picked up her things, then turned to say goodnight. Erik was so close, she took a stumbling step backward. She had to force herself to not stare at his bronzed, muscular physique.
“Let me walk you back. It’s dark out.” Those gorgeous brown eyes of his bore into her.
Did he have to look so good? Even worse, did she have to keep noticing how good looking he was and how well built he was? The need to distance herself from him pressed in on her. “No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine. But thanks anyway.”
He collected his towel. “Well, you’ll have to forgive me, Olivia. But my mama raised me to be a gentleman, and if she ever found out that I let you walk back to your house, in the dark, unattended, she’d have my backside in a wringer.”
So much for distancing herself from him. Olivia planted a hand on her waist. “Boy, the women in your life must be hazardous to your health.” She smirked. “Mickie would skin your hide and your mother’s gonna put your backside in a wringer. Lands o’ Goshen, I can only imagine what your girlfriend is like.” With those words she sprinted toward her cottage, leaving Erik behind.
Chapter Nine
The following Friday, Erik insisted Olivia take the day off. All week long, she’d worked like a mad woman, twelve-hour days, fifteen-minute lunches trying to get at least one of his monster truck bodies completely finished
, which she had. She so wanted to work longer to get one more completed, but Erik wouldn’t hear of it.
In a way she was relieved because she desperately needed to go shopping for new clothes. And this morning she’d done just that. And now, here she was at Erik’s racetrack, standing in front of a huge Dodge truck with the words X-Rivals Domination in bold white letters on the door. The same type of lettering, with the words See Ya were on another truck parked next to the Dodge. Never having actually gone to any auto races before, let alone being in the contestants’ pit, she marveled at everything around her.
Every type of vehicle, from a Willy’s jeep, to a Chevy Blazer, to a Ford Ranger, filled the contestants’ pit. All of them sat high off the ground with huge tires. Each had a different name on either the door, the rear bumper, the back windshield, or on their hood somewhere. Several revved their engines. The loud crackling sound tickled her insides and vibrated her eardrums. But she didn’t mind. Too bad Audra wasn’t here to see all this. She would love it. But, her plane wouldn’t come in until around ten o’clock that evening.
“Hello. You must be Olivia.” A small petite blonde with a strong southern drawl extended her hand toward Olivia.
Olivia met her handshake, wondering who the little beauty with the yellow Chevy cap was.
“Olivia,” Erik said from beside her. She glanced at him when the warmth of his hand found the small of her back. “This is my sister, Camara.” Olivia looked back at her. “Camara, this is my friend Olivia.”
Camara smiled and embraced her like she was someone special. “It’s so nice to meet you, Olivia.”
Coming Home: (Contemporary Christian Romance Boxed Set): Three Stories of Love, Faith, Struggle & Hope Page 9