by Shelly Davis
Chapter Four
Cade
“This is bullshit, man. He attacked me,” screamed Jeff as Kyle and Julius pulled me away from him. I released my hold on him forcing Jeff to crumple to the ground.
“Fuck off, you cryin’ little bitch,” I raged. “If you wouldn’t have come after me, I wouldn’t have had to pin you to the goddamn wall.”
“What the hell happened here?” Axel demanded.
“Cade …” Jeff started but was quickly silenced by Axel.
“Shut the hell up, Jeff. I don’t want to hear from you. Someone else?”
John stepped forward. “Axel, Jeff’s been a complete douche for weeks now. He doesn’t wanna do what Cade and Kyle ask. He thinks he knows everything. He’s constantly gettin’ on everyone’s cases, and it’s startin’ to piss us all off. He got in Cade’s face, because he fucked up again, and Cade called him out. In my opinion, Jeff’s lucky he’s still standin’.”
“Fuck you, John. You know, I’m sick of this fuckin’ team. No one knows what the hell they’re doin’.”
I tried to pull away from Julius, but he stopped me. With Kyle’s hand on me and Toni sliding up next to me, Julius moved away. He stepped toward Jeff who was just pulling himself off the wall to stand on his own. “I’m sick of your shit, Jeff. You’ve been nothin’ but trouble since we brought you on. I shoulda known when I saw how many teams you’ve worked for.”
“You can’t fire me, I’ll sue.”
Axel started to speak, but Julius held up his hand and stopped him. “Go ahead, sue me. What’s the worst they can do, force me to pay your salary? Here’s the thing, did you read your contract? Because if you read it carefully, you would know there’s a clause in it saying if you don’t perform to the satisfaction of the crew chief, pit crew coach, or driver you can be dismissed. You are not performing to anyone’s satisfaction. You won’t follow direction, and you continuously make mistakes during races. You can try to sue me, but you signed the contract.” Julius paused and smirked. He was relaxed which helped me to calm my fury. “What you’re gonna do right now is go inside to HR. They’ll have your dismissal papers waitin’ for you.”
“Fuck you all,” Jeff whined but he didn’t argue. “You ain’t gonna win any more fuckin’ races this year. Have fun losin’, assholes.” He pushed through the group and stormed into the building.
The rest of the crowd went back to their jobs and stations since all the drama was now done. My hands still trembled as the last vestiges of adrenaline left my body. That guy had been nothing but trouble since he came on last season. The other guys on the team had been working together for years, so Jeff was the odd man out. He was also the only one not willing to follow directions.
“You all right, big guy?” Toni asked quietly, just for me.
“Yeah, fine.” I was so proud of how brave she’d become. A year ago, she would’ve cowered and fled the situation. Now she stood by my side and didn’t shrink or hide. “How about you?”
“I’m good. Of course, it’s hard to be afraid when I’m surrounded by all of you.” Toni grinned, making light of the situation. “Besides, he wasn’t pissed at me. You did that all by yourself.”
For the first time, I noticed the gorgeous woman with bright coppery hair and amazing amber eyes standing among the group. She was the one I’d seen walking through the parking lot a couple days ago. She was like an angel; I was struck speechless. I didn’t think I’d ever seen a woman so beautiful before. She was short, probably would barely come up to my shoulder, but her legs were long, and her body was magnificent. All curves, and sexy as hell.
Toni turned to Julius, Kyle, and Axel and said, “I don’t know about y’all, but I’m done with the drama today. What are we gonna do about the pit crew?”
“I don’t know,” Kyle said. “But I think introductions are in order, especially since Cade is gonna be workin’ with the sixty-five’s pit crew a bit too.” He gestured for the redhead.
“This is the pit crew for the fifty-five.” Toni introduced each guy individually along with their job. The redhead’s gorgeous eyes followed as each crew member who acknowledged her. “You’ll see these guys all the time, our crews work together on most things.” Then Toni gestured to me. “And this is Cade. He’s our pit crew coach and maybe our new front tire changer?” She paused, “Everyone this is Harlan Dempsey, the new driver for the sixty-five.”
I kept my eyes on the beautiful redhead, Harlan, until Toni said those few words that jarred me from my thoughts. Tire changer? Was she insane? Toni looked at Kyle, then to Julius, and finally to me. She had a plan and she was taking a shot.
“I don’t know, Toni,” I instantly said. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”
“What?” John blurted out. He sounded offended. “What do you mean you don’t know? I think that’s an excellent idea.” He looked around to the other guys who nodded in agreement. John turned to Kyle and Julius. “He would be the best choice. We’re fastest when he’s the one in the lead. Our last pit stop with Cade was just over eleven and three-quarter seconds. We’ve never been that fast.”
Now the pit crew was taking up Toni’s plan. But I wasn’t sure this was what I wanted. I went to school to be a therapist, not a crew member. I hadn’t thought of myself wearing a fire-suit for a long time. But then again, I had been training for this with Toni for most of our lives. And if I was honest with myself, I’d acknowledge that this would be my dream job. “I don’t know, guys. This ain’t what I went to school for.”
Toni grabbed my arm, making me turn and look at her. “Look, I know you didn’t go to school to be a pit crew member. But, you’re the best person for the job. You know these drills and the procedure better than anyone we can put in here. You are also a damn good mechanic. Think of it as if you’ll be trainin’ on the road. You already have a relationship with the guys, y’all get along and work well together. It’s a win-win.” She leaned in and quietly whispered, “Besides, you always wanted to do this. When we were kids, you always wanted to work on a pit crew. Remember, I was gonna build them, and you were gonna fix them?”
“And Jake was going to cook for us forever.” I laughed at the memory. “We did always plan on workin’ together, didn’t we?”
Toni beamed. “Is that a yes?”
“It’s a maybe. I must talk to Jake first. But if I do this, I’m only committing to this season.”
Toni squealed and jumped into my arms, hugging me tightly.
“Great!” Kyle said. “Now, let’s get workin’ so we can get ready for Bristol.”
Nodding, Harlan looked at Axel. “Will I have some time to look for a place to live next week?”
That accent. Her voice was soft and melodic, but there was a hard edge to it that made it unmistakable. I knew I would never hear a voice like that again. And I found myself instantly wondering what it would sound like calling out my name in the throes of passion.
“I have the perfect place,” Toni chimed in. “My old place is sittin’ empty now. I’m living’ with Jules and my friend Mia just moved out too. She and Cade’s twin brother, Jake, got married a couple months ago.”
“Are you sure?” Harlan asked. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“You aren’t. It’s a wonderful place. My uncle owns the property and lives right there. He turned his garage into a two-bedroom house. He owns a bar that shares the same property, but it’s a small-town place. It’s safe, and it’s already furnished, if you need.”
Harlan turned to an older man I hadn’t noticed before. He stood, holding a little brown-haired boy with big brown eyes. Harlan’s posture relaxed when she met the man’s gentle grin. “Sure. That sounds wonderful,” Harlan said, enthusiasm in her voice.
This beautiful woman lit up like she’d never seen this kindness from strangers. I wondered where she was from and what kind of life she led before she came to us. Her strong Irish accent was a clear indication that she wasn’t from America, but had she learned a skill such as race
car driving in Ireland? I had so many questions about her. Starting with the little boy.
“Is this your son?” Toni asked, noticing the little boy in the older man’s arms. “He’s adorable. How old?”
Harlan took the little boy, who nestled his face in the crook of her neck, shying away.
“Yes, this is my little boy Dillon. He’s four.”
Wait a minute, this stunning woman with the copper hair and sinful body, was a mother. A seemingly very young mother. Harlan caught my gaze for a moment, then her eyes slid to the ground and her posture became rigid again. I hoped she didn’t think I was judging her.
Toni bent down and smiled when the little boy peeked from his hiding place. “Hi, Dillon. I’m Toni.” She put her hand out for the little boy to shake. “Wanna see some cool cars?”
Dillon looked up. “I like cars,” he said quietly.
“Me too,” Toni said.
“Well, I’m glad that’s settled. Harlan, let’s go look at the cars for Bristol and make sure we adjusted everything the way we talked about,” Lou said. Watching her face, she looked a little overwhelmed, but she didn’t complain. She seemed resolved to work hard and do what was needed.
Kyle announced to the fifty-five crew, “Margie has your itinerary and tickets inside. Cade, you’re gonna fly with the rest of us. But now you should go with Harlan and Lou to see what the sixty-five team needs and how you can help them. Everyone else, get home and get some rest, see you in Bristol.”
***
Harlan and I followed Lou into the building, and I took the opportunity to really look at her. The woman was gorgeous. Her long, bright red hair hung perfectly straight down her back. Her eyes, bright brownish-amber and shining; they were full of life and a story, but the best part were the freckles dotting her perfect nose. I wondered if those freckles were everywhere over her body.
Her every movement was hypnotizing; the way her hips swayed as she walked and the crinkle on her nose when she smiled. This pint-sized beauty had me completely mesmerized. We arrived in the back of the building where the daycare sat. Lou gestured toward the door. “This is the company daycare. You can let your little boy go in and play while we go over the car.”
“Dil, would you like to go play for a little while?”
Dil, what a cute nickname. The little boy’s face lit up.
“I can go play, momma?” he asked.
Harlan looked conflicted, she seemed unsure about letting the little boy go alone.
“The daycare is fully accredited,” Lou explained. “Kyle’s son is here, along with about fifteen other children.”
She seemed to relax some. “If you want to,” she said. Her eyes were so sweet and full of love when she looked at the boy. Anyone could see that he was the center of her universe.
“I want to play.” He wiggled to get away as he reached toward the door.
Once he was inside safe and sound, and Harlan was assured that he would be fine, we made our way toward the garages where the sixty-five team was housed.
“This building is enormous,” the older man said as we walked.
“The campus is Turner Racing,” Lou explained. “The other part was Fuller Enterprises. But out these doors and across the parking lot, is the sixty-five’s headquarters. The fifty-five, sixty-five, and seventy-five teams are all owned by Turner Racing, so we’re all a team. We tend to work together and help each other.” He gestured to me. “That’s why Cade’s here. He’s a great coach. He helped Julius understand how he could assist his crew to make better stops while helping the crew understand their jobs. We’re looking forward to Kyle finally sharing him with us and hopefully he’ll be able to guide you as well, Harlan.”
Chapter Five
Harlan
“Harlan, when you come in this time, listen to what I’m tellin’ you. Try to feel the car while watchin’ the crew. Keep your eye on Ken especially, he’ll give you a gesture.” Cade’s husky, baritone voice filled my helmet and made me shiver as I flew around the track. Hours, we’d been at it for two hours, and still, his voice affected me. The entire time, the pit crew practiced, I tried desperately to ignore how Cade’s voice made me feel and learn how to make these stops work.
I’d sent my grandfather off with Toni and Julius to look at the house. I wanted to make sure the house would work for us before we left for Bristol, but I needed to get this right. Sending my grandfather was the next best thing.
“Ten-four,” I said simply as I downshifted the car and brought it down pit road. Lou coached me on how to read the tach and keep my speed where I needed it to be in Bristol.
“Okay, Harlan, as you pull into your stall, you’ll see the front tire changer already rounding the car. Make sure when your pit sign hits the middle of your hood you stop completely.”
I watched Ken, the front tire changer, out of the corner of my eye as I kept my gaze trained on the pit sign. The moment it hit the hood and bent slightly I was stopped completely. Ken was around the car and the whir of the air gun filled the interior, barely audible through my helmet.
“Very good. That was perfect,” Cade acclaimed. His deep, smooth voice calmed something inside me while simultaneously making my heart rate go into overdrive. I thought Julius’ voice and presence were sexy, but he had nothing on Cade. Where my heart had fluttered a little the first time I saw Julius, my heart raced hearing and seeing Cade. Even after hours of work, I still felt it and it was incredibly distracting.
“Now feel the car drop and watch Ken run around the car again,” Cade coached. “The moment you feel the car drop, get your foot on the gas.”
I did as he instructed. Car in gear, foot on the clutch and ready to jam the other on the gas. The car dropped to the ground, and Ken’s quick thumbs up told me to go. Tires squealing, I pulled back onto pit road, watching my speed as I went.
“That was very good,” Cade praised. “How did that feel this time.”
“Good; smooth. Almost like I knew what I was doing this time.” A realization hit me as I raced around the track for several more laps. “How am I going to pull this off in Bristol without your coaching?” I mumbled more to myself than to Cade.
“Lou will coach you through. But keep your eye on Ken, he’ll guide you also.” Cade assured. “Don’t worry.”
I hadn’t meant for him to hear my concern, but it was too late. I guess it was okay, it felt good being assured I would have someone guiding me during the race.
“Harlan,” Lou sounded in my ears, “come on in, you worked hard enough. We’ve gotta get ready to go to the airport.”
I pulled the car around the building and into the garage where the crew waited. Lou and Cade talked to each other, nearby. Cade’s muscular arms were crossed over his massive chest, a sincere smile on his face. Bugger, that dimple might just drive me crazy. It was a little touch of innocence on a hard, granite face that could bring any woman to her knees. What was I going to do? I’d never felt these feelings for any man I’d been with before. All these years and it was a man I work with that got my heart racing. Part of me wished he’d be the voice I would hear during the race, but I knew it wouldn’t do anything but distract me.
Sliding out the window and sitting on the door, I looked around at the crew, my crew, before jumping down to the ground. This could be my team, I just had to make a good showing at Bristol.
“Very nice job, Harlan. How did it feel?” Lou asked.
“It’s perfect. Everything was perfect.” I looked around at the crew. “How did I do on those last stops?”
“I think you got it,” Ken said. Ken was probably mid-thirties, with reddish-brown hair and kind brown eyes. I was happy that none of these guys seemed at all put out by the fact that their driver was a woman. I’d experienced my share of sexism over the years, but these guys didn’t seem to have a problem. Hopefully I’d proven myself enough to start to earn their trust.
I turned to Cade and looked at him, imploring him also to answer the question. After all, he was the tra
iner. I imagined he knew more about both sides of the job than anyone else.
He nodded and gave a small crooked grin. His dark blue jean colored eyes sparkled, and that dimple deepened in his cheek. My heart felt like it would leap out of my chest. Damn, hopefully I could get over this reaction to him.
“I think you got it at the end. Just be as observant as possible. Listen to Lou and watch Ken, you’ll do fine.”
I understood I needed to rely on Lou, but something was calming about Cade and the way he spoke to me. “Wish you were going to be there too.”
He smiled wider this time, and that damn dimple deepened even more. Feck, he’s gorgeous. I wanted to touch it and feel that small dent in his perfectly tanned skin. I bet his skin was perfect; warm and soft with the slight stubble on his unshaven cheeks. Would that stubble be rough and grating or soft to the touch? I wanted to find out for myself.
“I’ll be in the fifty-five pits,” he said with a smirk. “You’ll be fine, these guys are great and know their stuff better than me.”
I ducked my head just a bit, embarrassed. I didn’t want Lou or Ken to think I second guessed them, I just wanted to hear Cade’s voice as I raced.
The conversation broke up after that. The crew pushed the car farther into the garage while I went into the ladies’ locker room to clean up and put on my street clothes.
“How’re you doin’?” Toni asked when I walked into the locker room. “How’re you feelin’ about the pit stops now?”
“So much better now,” I said with a sigh. Toni was brushing out her long hair. The dark length fell smooth and straight down her back. The lights above glinting off every strand. This woman looked so different in street clothes. She fit in with the guys in her uniform, but in her tight jeans and a fitted t-shirt, she was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen. “I can’t believe I’m here. It’s like a dream.”