by Amy Gregory
“What us guys didn’t know at the time, was that George and James are best friends, and have been since they were about your age.” He winked at Dallas.
Indulging him further, he even confessed to the shenanigans they actually did get in minor trouble for. Like when he, Carter, and Jesse were about Dallas’s age. When one of the boys, who was not only a major rival but an ass, wasn’t looking, the three of them decided it was a good idea to Krazy Glue all of his water bottles shut so he couldn’t open them.
Pointing his empty fork at Dallas for emphasis, Eli threatened, “Now, nothing we ever did was truly bad, so you don’t start giving your mom trouble, you understand?”
He could see the wheels spinning in Dallas’s head, and Eli shook his own head to stop him. Tilting his chin and waiting for the boy to promise to stay on his best behavior, he then turned to Honor and grinned.
When Dallas looked down to his plate for another bite, she rolled her eyes at him, and kicked at him under the table. She missed, hitting his chair leg instead. The noise caught Dallas’s attention, and it was all Eli could do to contain the deep laughter threatening to escape.
She was playful and fun through dinner, unless Eli brought up the academy. He noticed how she’d pull back repeatedly, throwing the barriers back up. Letting out a deep breath, he suspected what Molly had said was true.
Taking in the small home—its decorations limited to pictures of Dallas or pictures drawn by Dallas in his younger years, the furniture sparse, the walls stark white—it was plain to see money was tight. The darkness brought on by the shift in conversation wasn’t only due to sadness, but money. Worry, pride, whatever the case, money was the bottom line. The necessary evil that ruled the world.
Eli wasn’t rich by any means, at least not what he would have considered rich. But his home was paid for, and it was far more extravagant than Honor’s home. A twinge of guilt twisted his stomach. She never complained or acted like she was embarrassed by their meager belongings. It was accepting the help, in any form, that was going to be the hard part for her.
Dallas excused himself, ran his plate under the water in the sink to rinse it off, and stacked it neatly, without being told. Apparently, his mother ran a tight ship. Eli smiled proudly at the boy as he stopped at the table to tell Eli he would be right back with something to show him. Eli grabbed the opportunity while he had the chance.
“You know the position at the academy is a full scholarship, right Honor? You would have no expenses.”
He saw the fire flare in her eyes. Her hand had been lying flat on the table, but suddenly fisted. Eli covered her hand with his, banking the brewing storm.
“I didn’t mean that as an insult in any way, Honor. I meant it as reassurance. I can tell you see something special in Dallas. I can too. I wouldn’t tell you that if I didn’t. We don’t go out and recruit students for the academy. I’m not trying to come across as egotistical, and I’m not bullshitting you by telling you something that isn’t true just to get tuition money out of you.
“This is all expenses paid because we believe in him, Honor. I wouldn’t still be here if we didn’t.”
Eli could see the doubt in her eyes, but there was more. So many layers to her sadness, her fear, and her pride. He rubbed his thumb across the soft skin of her hand. Taking a leap of faith, he reached with his other hand, enveloping her small, delicate hand between both of his much stronger ones.
In that moment, he saw fire flash in her eyes again. A different fire. Without breaking eye contact, he squeezed her hand between his and asked for the world.
“Trust me.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Honor handed a stack of freshly washed and folded t-shirts to Dallas, mentally tallying everything they were loading into his suitcase. Jeans, shorts, socks, boxers. She glanced around his bed with the open suitcase lying on it, the folded piles surrounding it, and couldn’t help that feeling. They had to be forgetting something. She shook her head, shrugging to herself.
In the end, Eli had not only convinced Honor to let Dallas attend the academy—for a month, but he made her promise she’d come with him. She had tried to be strong and selfless about the whole situation, and it was probably more than obvious that it was a rough decision for her. She knew Eli had invited her out of charity. It was sweet of him, and she had instantly turned him down, even as her stomach twisted and burned. It was the answer to her problem—Dallas could go and she wouldn’t have to miss him.
However, Eli’s competitive personality must have sensed a challenge. He pestered her the rest of the night when he was at the house. Any time Dallas would step out of the room, he would turn to her and start in again. Using his arsenal of weapons, like his stupid gorgeous smile, or maddening boyish charm. She would have been all right, could have fended him off, until Eli was getting ready to go. Dallas said his goodbyes and excitedly ran off to start organizing his belongings to pack, presumptuously having all the faith in the world that Eli would sway his mother.
Eli stood in her doorway, half in the living room, half standing on her small wooden porch. He grabbed her hand, tilted his chin, and flashed those damn eyes at her. His simple please was the last straw.
He had booked his room at a hotel near the airport, and she knew it was about an hour away from her house. When the phone rang an hour and fifteen minutes later that night, she couldn’t help the confused laughter that escaped when it was Eli on the other end. Honor rolled her eyes and grinned foolishly as he informed her he already had not one, but two plane tickets booked for the following week.
She tried to argue for argument’s sake, but got nowhere with the hazel-eyed devil. His teasing and laughter on the other end of the line let her know he was quite pleased with himself. He was a total brat, but such a sweet one. One that a girl like her had no defenses against.
Dallas grabbed the stack of shorts out of her hand. Realizing she spaced off, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. Who would have thought packing for a month would be so damned difficult? Good thing they didn’t have all that many clothes. Just take the whole closet and call it good.
“So, are you excited, buddy?”
Honor could see the eagerness in his eyes, but the droop of his shoulders gave his uncertainty away. They had talked about it all week, gone back and forth, and around again through all the emotions. Anticipation, nerves, happiness, fears—between the two of them, they covered the whole gamut of emotions.
Dallas started off being scared to death she couldn’t work it out with his school. After a couple of rounds of after school meetings, she’d won out. The look on his face when she told him it was under control was priceless. Now, Honor saw he’d circled back to feeling less than confident.
“You’re going to do great. You know that. You’re the best rider I’ve ever known.”
Dallas rolled his eyes. “I’m the only rider you’ve ever known, Mom.”
She nudged him with the last pile in her hands. “That’s not true. I know Alex, Tucker, Mikey, Boyd, and um, let’s see, oh, that one kid…you know the one that…crap, what’s his name? Number 548, rides KTM…Nate.”
“Yeah, you know a lot of riders there, Mom. You can’t even remember their names.”
“I don’t watch other riders at the tracks. I’m there to see you.”
“See. That’s what I mean.”
Honor squeezed his shoulders in support. “You’re going to do great, honey. I promise. Look at how fast you adjusted to the changes Eli made that night. You two really hit it off. They really want you, Dallas. Eli said they all see such great potential in you.”
“Mom?”
Turning, she shut the drawers of his dresser, straightening up the mess they’d made. “Yeah, honey.”
“Do you like Eli?”
“Sure.”
“No, Mom. Like…like him, like him?”
The question came from so far out of left field, it forced her into a tailspin. She quickly turned on her heel to face her son, h
er face scrunched in question.
“No. Why?”
Dallas shrugged. “I don’t know. I…I think he likes you.”
This was a conversation she never thought in a million years she’d be having, let alone with her eleven-year-old son. Honor hadn’t so much as mentioned another man’s name since Kolby died. She hadn’t even let that register. Her job was Dallas. He was her priority from the moment he was born. For the last two years, one month, and sixteen days, she cared about nothing else but his happiness. Trying to ease the pain of losing his father was her sole focus, not only physically and emotionally, but also what they lost financially. She’d taken on not only the burden of putting their lives back on track, but literally keeping her son on a bike—and on real tracks. The fact that other men existed wasn’t even on her radar.
“Why in the world would you say that?”
“Because he smiles when you talk.”
Honor raised her eyebrow at her son’s very simplistic view. He was only eleven, but she needed more information to go on so she could smooth this out.
“Seriously, Mom, he does. And the way he looked at you when you weren’t looking.”
Shit.
“Don’t worry about it, buddy. I’m not what Eli Hunter is looking for. That young hot rod doesn’t want an old fogey like your mom.”
“You are kinda old I guess, aren’t you?”
She was joking and the little shit was serious. “Hey. Watch it, mister.” She tipped her chin, trying to pretend she was offended.
Dallas left his bedroom laughing, headed to the shop to pack his helmet, goggles and the rest of the gear he kept out there. Apparently, he was appeased with her answer and on to the next thing. Honor sat down on his bed with a plop, sending the stack of riding pants sliding to floor.
Something she hadn’t felt in years came roaring back to the surface. Emotions and jitters she’d had once before, a lifetime ago. She shut her eyes, remembering. There weren’t many happy times with him, but there were a few. The night they met for the first time had been in a word…crazy. Honor blinked away those memories.
A trip down memory lane only left her in a mixed-up jumble of hatred and anger. She blew out a breath and pushed off the twin bed. Picking up the riding pants from the floor, she placed them in the suitcase with the rest of Dallas’s belongings. Smoothing out the piles in the small rectangle, she let out a sigh.
Dazed, she walked across the hall to her bedroom and to her own open suitcases. Her gaze swept across the room. The double bed was covered, only pieces of the handmade quilt below could be seen. The two suitcases were partially filled, neat piles of folded clothes surrounded them, along with several books and her journal.
Looking up, she caught her reflection in the mirror above the dresser. She didn’t even recognize herself anymore. Her hair was the same, the long tumbling auburn curls still shined, but Mac was right. The violet blue of her eyes matched the purple shadows beneath them. Honor gently twisted a curl between two fingers mindlessly. What had become of the girl who dreamt of New York City, of the big stages, the lights, and beautiful costumes? She glanced up at the worn satin-toe shoes that still hung draped over the corner of her mirror. A happy reminder of another life, another dream.
She blew out a breath.
This was Dallas’s dream now. She could do this. She could put her pride aside and accept the help that Eli and the others offered.
She hoped.
It was a lesson learned passed down from the previous generation. How could she go against everything her mother had instilled in her? Her words haunted Honor every night for the last week. Every time her head hit the pillow, she saw her mother’s face. The place might be different, standing in the kitchen, walking down a sidewalk, sitting in the car, but the words were always the same.
Don’t ever accept anything a man offers.
He will always require something in return.
He will only leave you hurting.
Do it alone, you don’t need anyone’s help.
She lowered her eyes to the picture frames neatly lining the top of the dresser. Silver, black, gold, Popsicle stick and colored macaroni. Overall, there were more than twenty. Baby pictures, Christmas pictures, racing pictures...all of Dallas. Every last one of them.
Her eyes darted between the ballet shoes and the picture frames twice more. It all came down to dreams. Her mother had given her everything she could to try to make her dream come true. Now it was Dallas’s turn.
Shunning the realist she’d become due to circumstance, Honor had to grasp at the golden ring waved in front of her. She had to show Dallas it was okay to dream. She had to let him be a kid, and had to do what she could not to extinguish his hopes for the future. His soul was too old for his own good. This was his chance at a place in time where he had no worries.
She could do this, she could go to Pennsylvania, accept the help she couldn’t pay for otherwise, and pride be damned. She could let Eli help…
Suddenly her thoughts were back on Dallas’s question. She watched in the mirror as her cheeks instantly flushed at the thought of Eli’s name. Honor raised her hand to her face, feeling the heat with her fingers.
Oh my God, I so cannot go there.
Eli Hunter was famous. Eli Hunter was way out of her league. Eli Hunter surely had a girlfriend.
At least that was what Honor was telling herself. She didn’t really know, didn’t really know him at all. Other than the fact that he was extremely nice. Just nice. Well, and really great with Dallas. That was it, just a great personality, and he was super with her kid.
Ah, who was she kidding?
The man was seven kinds of sin.
****
Eli leaned against the doorway of the spare room across from his and, with a narrowed eye, surveyed the space. He had already smoothed the comforter twice, fluffed the fresh lilacs he’d placed on the dresser, and made sure the connected bathroom had plenty of fresh towels. He had a housekeeper who came once a week and she’d done most of the work, but he thought of the flowers himself.
He couldn’t help the grin tugging at his mouth. The purple was on purpose, reminding him of her eyes. They were the most unique color he’d ever seen—truly purple. Maybe so blue they appeared violet, but to him they were beautiful.
His grin widened at the fact that he’d chosen lilacs—that had been intentional also. When she had been standing near him in her kitchen, he’d gotten close enough to smell the gentle scent of her shampoo. Lilac.
He couldn’t help himself. He was intrigued. More than intrigued by her, he was…pulled. Something about Honor drew him to her, and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her for the last week. Anxiously waiting on her and Dallas to arrive.
Shit.
Dallas.
Crap.
Dallas—he was the reason they were coming.
Eli needed to get his head back in the game. The poor woman was going to think he had an ulterior motive or something. In actuality, everyone at the academy was sitting on pins and needles, waiting to get their hands on Dallas. Especially after he raved about how well Dallas took direction and responded to his changes. He was going to be great, and they all wanted to help him. Plus, Eli had really enjoyed the boy. He had a quiet strength about him. Like Molly referred to her little Jack, Dallas too had an old soul.
Dallas had listened to every word Eli had spoken that day in Tennessee when they were out on his track. He had asked knowledgeable questions, made the changes Eli had suggested without question, and was very obviously willing to be a part of a team. He was definitely not a hot shot and he didn’t have some arrogant snot-nosed, silver spoon entitled attitude.
Even without money, the attitude could have come with his skill. Dallas had to know just how much better he was than everyone else—there was just no way he couldn’t. But he didn’t act as if he was the superior racer he was. That could only come from parenting. Honor had done an amazing job with him, and Eli couldn’t wait to
work with him.
The fact that his mother was beautiful and single was just an added bonus.
Eli looked at his watch for the umpteenth time and smiled. Thank God, it was finally time to leave for the airport. He grinned as he made his way through the house, grabbing the keys off the hook by the door to the garage. He hadn’t been this excited in a very long time. A very, very long time. As he sunk into the soft leather of his shiny black SUV and adjusted his aviators in the mirror, he let out a breath trying to calm his racing heart.
****
“Now don’t forget—“
“Honor,” Mac reached across the console of his truck and grabbed her hand. “Relax, honey. I have it. The trip is paid for. You told me what bills you expected to come in the mail, and you left your checkbook out for me to pay them. You’ve told the Morris’s down the road you’ll be gone, and I’m sure you’ve thrilled that old man to no end, giving him something to do by keeping an eye on your place. I’ll mow. Dawn and Korry will cover all the houses that you had scheduled to clean, and they’ll bring me the checks, I’ll deposit them and pay the girls. Everything is taken care of. Like normal, you’ve covered every base and detail. Just relax, okay?”