by Jenny Siegel
Not him, as well.
“Well…” I’m not sure where to start. Luckily, Beth saves me.
“Tom Anderson’s agreed to race again.” Of all the things she could have told him… that is not what I wanted her to say. I really need to be quicker off the mark.
“What?” If he wasn’t in pain, my dad would have jumped to his feet, but the wince that crosses his face tells me that isn’t possible. His eyes jump to meet mine.
“Yeah,” I mumble unenthusiastically.
“Who?” His eyes narrow, and I shift uncomfortably.
“Zach and me.”
“No way in hell,” he rages, and I feel about five years old, getting told off for doing something I shouldn’t be with Aaron. The rest of them keep quiet because this is between him and me.
“It has to be me or the deal is off.”
“Max, talk to her,” my dad snaps, and his gaze swings around to Max.
Excuse me?
“I’ve tried. As much as I fucking hate this, it has to be her.”
“What about Aaron?” He looks over at where Aaron and Beth are sitting. A look of sheer panic passes over Beth’s face; she doesn’t want Aaron racing any more than Max wants me racing.
“No.” I shut him down in a firm voice. “Aaron can’t race.”
“But you don’t race.”
“Well, it’s not like I don’t know what to do.” I’m beginning to feel like none of them have any faith in me.
“We can practice,” Max grumbles, still not happy that I’ve agreed to race.
“I need a car,” I state bluntly. “There is no way I’m using my Charger.”
“No.” My dad shakes his head, agreeing with me. “I might know where I can get a hold of a car.”
“What will Zach drive?” I look at Max and Aaron, but they both shrug. “His Evo?”
“No, he wouldn’t risk anything happening to that. He’s spent serious money on it.” Max shakes his head.
“American muscle,” my dad says confidently, “especially if Tom has anything to do with it. Zach does as he’s told.” He looks pointedly at me. There’s a dig in there somewhere, and if it were anyone else, I’d flip them off but not my dad.
“There're to be no modifications and no nitrous,” Aaron adds, and Dad’s head jerks around to glare at him.
“No way in hell is she’s getting into a car with nitrous,” my dad booms and startles us. He looks from Max to Aaron, and I might as not well be there. Beth casts me a worried glance. She looks a little pale, and I mouth ‘kitchen’ to her.
They don’t even notice we’ve left as they start talking about what car and how it will need to be stripped so it’s light.
“You okay?” I ask Beth as she pulls out a chair and sinks into it.
“Just feel a little sick.”
“Aaron let it slip that you’re pregnant.” I pour her a glass of water and hold it out. She offers me a weak smile and takes a sip.
“He never was very good at keeping a secret.”
“Have you told anyone else?” She shakes her head.
“Not yet. We’re waiting until after twelve weeks.”
I nod, as if I understand, but I’m clueless. “What about the wedding?”
“We’re moving it up.”
“By how much?”
“A few months.” She drinks some more water and then pins me with that look she has, the one that says she means business. Maybe it wasn’t my dad I should have been worried about. “I’m worried about you.”
“Why?”
“Why the hell do you think? Zach Anderson doesn’t mess around. He’s out for blood. Do you think he’ll take it easy on you ‘cause you’re a girl? He’ll be worse. There is no way he’s going to let you beat him.”
“What do you think is going to happen to me? We’re racing on a proper drag strip. It’s not the quarter mile we’re talking about or some race through the streets.” She doesn’t look convinced. “Let me worry about the race, just you look after yourself and that idiot cousin of mine.” Somehow, I manage a smile. I’m just not sure if it’s the reassuring one I’m hoping for.
Aaron sticks his head around the door. “Everything okay?” He looks back and forth between the two of us before walking over to Beth and pulling her into his arms. “I’m going to take Beth home.”
“Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow at work.” I pat his arm, but he stops and rests his hand on top of mine.
“I’ll race for you, if you want.” He looks so serious, and I know that he would protect me from anything if he could.
“Thanks, I know you would, but I need to do this.” I give his hand a squeeze, and he nods his understanding. I follow them out and lean against the closed door. My dad and Max watch me closely.
“You don’t need to do this, Leigh,” my dad starts, and I hold up my hand.
“Sure, I do. I’m not losing the garage to the likes of Zach Anderson and his dad. We do this and we’re even.”
“And if you lose?” he asks in a quiet voice.
Did he seriously just ask me that?
“She won’t lose.” Max speaks up, and I flash him a grateful smile. “I’ve seen her race. She knows what she’s doing.”
My dad holds his hands up. “I’m just checking.” He picks up the remote control and turns on Fast and Loud, what else.
“You coming?” I ask Max and jerk my head in the direction of the door. His face shows a split second of confusion before he nods and follows me outside.
I pull open the garage doors and wheel out the Harley and toss Max the spare helmet. He turns it in his hands while I grab my own helmet and pull it on.
“Where are we going?” he asks when I straddle the bike.
“For a ride.” I start up the bike and the roar of the engine seems to make his mind up because he pulls on his helmet and climbs on behind me. Wrapping his strong arms around my waist, it’s almost too distracting, and for a minute, I wish it were him driving.
I roll the bike down the drive and onto the street before twisting the throttle and taking off down the road. I’m driving far too fast for a residential area, but I need to get away. I need to quiet the thoughts crowding my brain.
The events of today are starting to take their toll and the magnitude of what I’ve agreed to is starting to sink in. Do I really have a hope of beating Zach in a quarter-mile race at Willow Springs? Maybe my dad has a point. Not once have I stopped to consider what will happen if I lose; not just to me, but to the business. I twist the throttle harder and the bike surges forward carrying us further out of town and up the winding road that leads above the quarry.
I stop the bike and kill the engine, before climbing off. Max takes off his helmet and helps me with mine.
“This is turning out to be our place,” he jokes and brushes hair over my shoulder. “Talk to me.” His dark eyes watch me, and I can’t hide anything from him.
“Do you really think I can win?”
“Yes.” There isn’t even a second’s hesitation.
“But what if I don’t.”
“Then you don’t and we find another way to get the money to the Andersons.”
“But…”
“But nothing. This isn’t your burden to shoulder all on your own. We’ll get you a car, and we’ll get it race ready, and you...”
He pulls the jacket collar away from my neck and plants a kiss on my neck and then another. Slowly unzipping the jacket, his lips trail kisses down my chest until he stops at the material of my tank top. A hand snakes up the front of my top and cups my lace-covered breast before pushing the tank top up to expose my breasts.
“I think you’re pretty much ready as it is.” His soft breath brushes over my skin, which breaks out in goosebumps as the cool air hits. Or maybe it’s the tenderness of his touch that causes my shiver. He leans me over the bike and pulls the material away from my breast. Sucking a hard nipple into his mouth, he nips it gently with his teeth. The resulting jolt of electricity nips through me
and I tug harder on his hair. Reaching down between us, I run my palm over his hard dick and feel him groan against my breast. His lips find mine and murmur against them.
“We’re not doing this here.”
“Take me back to yours.” I pull his bottom lip into my mouth and suck. With a groan, he pulls back and straightens my clothes before flashing me a wicked-as-sin grin and hands me my helmet.
He climbs on the bike first, and I get on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and hold on. Max takes off down the winding road, at a slower speed than usual. I’m touched by the faith he has in me, him sticking up for me in front of my dad. He’s seen me race, but that was a long time ago. I just hope I don’t let any of them down.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Turns out my dad’s friend has a car which he claims is perfect for us, and they make arrangements to have it transported to the garage so that we can work on it. It shouldn’t take too long to get ready, especially as Zach has stipulated that there are to be no modifications. Dad’s friend has assured us it can run and drive, but I’m not getting my hopes up. Over the years, I’ve seen the cars that dad’s ‘friends’ have sent his way and none of them were ever in good shape. This time I’m hoping I’m wrong.
The car arrives on a trailer and the guy comes out to talk money with dad before Max and Aaron are able to roll the car off the back. It is covered, which at first I thought was a bit dubious; god knows what kind of shape it’s in hidden under the tarp. But when Aaron pulls it off to reveal a ’67 Camaro Z28, red with a black stripe down the front, I stand and stare in awe. Even Max and Aaron seem blown away by the car that Dad’s come up with. None of us knew what to expect. Dad just said he’d ‘handled it’ and went back to watching TV.
The body looks okay, not that it’s the main concern; we’re more interested in how it is mechanically and whether it will be fast enough to win. Dad assures me it’s got a lighter body than some and that should make a difference, especially since we can’t modify it. While Dad waves his friend off, the three of us push the car into the garage and get to work.
There was no way we were getting out of the house this morning without dad coming with us. He wouldn’t listen when we said that we could handle it. So Aaron has set up a lawn chair and a table with refreshments on it to one side of the garage. Now Dad can keep his beady eyes on us and shout orders whenever he feels like it. Soft rock pours out of the speakers and I’m itching to change it, but this is dad’s station of choice. It is beyond me how Max and Aaron can work with him when he’s shouting at them as if they don’t know what they’re doing. I mean, he’s my dad and I love him, but jeez, give it a rest.
Max and Aaron don’t seem to be bothered and just get on with it. They work well together, in sync. They don’t need to speak a lot of the time, just pass tools without having to ask.
“Be careful when you take out the seats. I want to be able to put them back in. As long as the car isn’t totaled.”
Hearing his lack of faith in me is infuriating, and I crawl out of the back of the Camaro, hands fisted on my hips.
“Seriously? Are you for real? I’m not going to total the car, for fuck’s sake.”
“Language.” His booming voice echoes around the garage, and I catch Max and Aaron dip their heads to hide their laughter. I throw my hands up in the air in exasperation before climbing back into the car.
Once the seats are out and packed away, the bolts all stored securely, we start to make a list of everything we still need to do.
“You want some lunch?” Aaron asks, and I roll out from under the car.
“Yeah, sandwich and a soda.” Max seconds that and Aaron shouts to Dad.
“What about you, Uncle Hank?”
“Nah, I’m good. Maria’s coming to pick me up.”
“Maria?” I push myself up to standing and select a wrench from the toolbox next to me.
A sly smile spreads across his face. “Nurse McCartney to you,” he says with a wink. The three of us raise our eyebrows and exchange a look as he struggles to his feet. At that moment, Nurse McCartney, as she will always be known, pulls into the lot in a black BMW, and Dad waves at her.
“Don’t wait up.” He smiles at us before striding out to meet her. The three of us watch, jaws hanging open, as he climbs in her car and she pulls out of the lot. Still surprised at the turn of events, we get back to work, none of us sure what to make of it. But, I figure, why shouldn’t he be happy.
Beth shows up late afternoon to see if Aaron is finished for the day, and he shoots me a hopeful look.
I smile. “Of course, you go. We’ll work on it.”
“I can stay if you want,” he offers, but there’s no point in us all being here.
“No, you’ve been here for hours.”
“We’re telling my parents and Granny Betty about the baby tonight. It’s earlier than we wanted, but they’re getting suspicious.” He shifts nervously.
“Ah.” I nod, understanding his nervousness. “Good luck.” I give Beth a reassuring hug, and Max pats Aaron on the shoulder. “It will all work out.”
Aaron puts his arm around Beth’s shoulder and leads her out of the garage. She leans against him, and I can’t get over how tired she looks. She’s certainly not showing yet, but her morning sickness is taking its toll. Max comes up behind me as I watch them and kisses my temple.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, let's get this done.” We continue working until Max’s stomach growls loudly.
“Time to call it a day?” I ask and throw down my spanner, reaching for the rag to wipe my hands.
“I’ll go out and get us something to eat and bring it back here. Unless you want to go home?”
“And run into Dad and Nurse McCartney? No thanks.” Max chuckles at my sour expression and kisses me on the forehead before he leaves to get food.
The radio still plays in the background, and I hum along quietly as I tidy away the tools that we’ve been using. I’m notorious for leaving them laying around on the floor so they are always in easy reach, and it drives the guys mad. Either that or I have them sticking out of my back pocket. I grab the cover that’s lying on the floor and drape it over the car. My back is to the doorway, and I don’t hear the quiet footsteps on the concrete floor until my scalp prickles and I turn.
Zach Anderson stands before me, arms crossed over his chest and a sneer on his face, which I’m beginning to think is permanently etched there. Beady eyes slide down my body, and I hug myself, rubbing my arms against the sudden chill.
“What do you want, Zach.” I sigh because I’m tired and hungry and really not in the mood for any of his bullshit.
“Just checking on progress.” He looks around the garage, as if mentally picturing what it will be like when he owns it.
“Where’s your bodyguard.” He must mean Max.
“Getting us dinner.”
His smile widens as he realizes I’m not alone. “How romantic, dinner here.”
“Cut to the chase, Zach. What the fuck do you want?”
“You know…” He moves closer, but I stand my ground, not wanting him to see how freaked out I’m getting. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” A few more steps and he’s standing within touching distance of the Camaro that’s hidden under the cover. It’s as if he knows that the car I’m racing is underneath. “We could have come to some other arrangement.” He reaches out to touch the hood of the car, and he is now too close for my liking. Panic starts to build in the pit of my stomach, and no matter how much I tell myself to stay calm, it isn’t working. Max, where are you? He won’t be long; he can’t have gone far.
“And I told you, I’m not interested.” I slam my hand down on the side of the car to stop him lifting up the cover.
A quick look of surprise registers on his face but vanishes just as quickly
“Are you sure you want to go up against me on this one? You remember what happened to your Uncle Donnie…” I suck in a breath, shocked that he has gone
there. How fucking dare he. “And your dad’s been injured. It’s not too late. My offer still stands.” Advancing on me slowly, I reach back and tighten my grip on the wrench that is sticking out of my back pocket.
“She’s not interested.” Max’s loud voice booms from behind Zach, and I crane around to see him standing there, arms folded across his chest. He walks over, and my body sags slightly with relief that he is back.
“Max.” Zach’s mouth curls up at the corner as he turns to face him. “You really shouldn’t leave her alone. Who knows what trouble she’ll get into?”
Max’s temper snaps when he marches over to get in Zach’s face. “Get the fuck out of here and keep away from her.” His voice is eerily calm, but the muscle in his jaw ticks as he tries to rein in his temper. Zach lets out a cold burst of laughter which echoes around the garage. Holding his hands up in a ‘keep calm’ gesture, he starts to back away with a wide smile on his face. This is all one big joke to him. I am going to wipe that smug fucking smile off his face when I beat him on the drag strip.
The hard look in his eyes makes my blood run cold. “See you Saturday, Leigh.” He winks at me before he turns and walks out the door. Max takes a step forward, but I grab his hand, stopping him in his tracks. We watch as he climbs into his Mitshibushi Evo and pulls out of the lot in a cloud of dust and squealing tires.
All the fight drains out of me and I feel even more weary now that the confrontation with Zach is over. Max holds out his arms, and I let him envelop me, drawing me into his solid chest and pressing his lips to the top of my head. Tremors work their way through my body making Max hold me tighter.
“Shh, he’s gone. I’m sorry I took so long.” His voice soothes me, but I grip him tighter anyway. “What did he mean about your uncle?” Of course, Max didn’t live in town then; he didn’t move here until much later, and I can’t imagine any reason why he would know about the accident. Pulling back to look at him, I inhale a deep shaky breath and push it out slowly, giving myself time to slow the hammering of my heart and gather my thoughts. This is not something I’ve had to talk about in a long time.