A Race for Love

by Jillian Dagg

  "Do you know Dick Wicklow?" A voice asked from behind her. She turned in surprise.

  "He's my husband," she told a dark-haired young man.

  The man was dressed in white racing overalls the same as Richard's.

  "I didn't know he was married," the man said, "Then you know all about his accident?"

  "Yes," Tanya nodded.

  "It was too bad. Just at the high point of his career too. It looks like he might get back?"

  "It seems that way. Do you race?" Tanya asked.

  "I've just started," the man smiled pleasantly. "My wife doesn't take too kindly to it."

  "Does she come and watch?"

  "Are you kidding!" he shook his head. "Mind you, I'm only a beginner. Nothing compared to your husband."

  My husband. The thought depressed her. The past week she'd got to know him as intimately as was possible. Out there, driving that highly technical piece of machinery; he was a cornplete stranger.

  When Richard drove his car into the pits, he was immediately surrounded by people. Dianna drifted up and he put his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. Tanya hung back. He obviously didn't need her with friends like that.

  She went back to wait with John.

  "Well, he did it," John said.

  "Did what?" She knew she must sound stupid.

  "Got back into a car. It's an achievement."

  "I suppose so," she sighed.

  When Richard was ready to leave, he walked out to the parking lot with Dianna. Feeling like a proverbial fifth wheel, Tanya tagged behind with John. Richard hadn't spoken to her, and had only given her the briefest of nods.

  "Oh, Dick, it's been ages since I had a ride in your car,"

  Dianna said, hanging on to his arm.

  Richard smiled at her and looked at Tanya. "Would you mind if I gave Dianna a ride? We're just going to John's for lunch."

  Tanya shook her head, "Of course not." She knew that Dianna had her own car and didn't need a ride.

  "John'll take care of you," Richard said, patting her shoulder as if she were a little girl who could be pawned off on a friendly uncle.

  John put his arm around Tanya's shoulder. "Come on," he said, "we'll see what my Porsche can do. You don't want to ride in his junk heap anyhow." He steered Tanya toward his blue car.

  "You look sort of down at the mouth. You can't be worried about Dianna—are you?"

  Tanya smiled tremulously, "I think Richard's still in love with her."

  John smiled at her, "He married you, didn't he?"

  "Yes," she admitted. Did John know anything about the circumstances of her marriage, she wondered. She guessed not by his next words.

  "You shouldn't give it a second thought. It's easy to see he's found true love."

  "Thanks," she told him. "Do you have a girl friend?"

  "Oh, yes," he said, "Heather's staying with her parents in Scotland for a couple of months."

  "What does she think of you racing?"

  "She doesn't like it, but we've come to a compromise."

  "I suppose it takes time," Tanya said.

  "It'll grow on you. Richard's life is racing. The accident changed him and made him bitter. You've helped immensely.

  I didn't expect him back so soon."

  "He didn't think he'd go back," Tanya told him.

  "Oh, I did. Racing's in the blood. Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine."

  John stopped the car on the street behind Richard's and they got out and went into the apartment house.

  Richard and Dianna were waiting in the foyer. They all took the elevator to John's apartment.

  Richard and Dianna sat down close together on the couch.

  John put on some music, and announced he'd get some lunch. Tanya went into the kitchen with him.

  "I'll help," she said.

  "Don't you think you should be chaperoning?" John said.

  "Dianna has that look in her eye."

  "Richard's big enough to look after himself," Tanya told him, but her eyes were swimming with tears. Richard had hardly acknowledged her since they entered the apartment.

  She helped John get out rolls, cheese and pickles. She had the tray ready when John kicked open the door for her.

  He tried to close it before she saw what her anxious heart had known all day—Richard and Dianna close together on the sofa.

  Trembling, she retreated to the kitchen to busy herself heating water for the coffee. By the time she followed John into the living room with it, Richard was standing by the window. Dianna was perched on a pile of cushions on the floor, smoothing her hair.

  "Dick and I have been talking about a party," Dianna told John and Tanya. "I'll have it at my place. A sort of welcome back for Dick."

  "Fine," John said. He glanced at Tanya but all she could do was try and smile at him. If she wanted Richard, she would have to have his friends and his life. That was obvious.

  Around four o'clock Richard stood up. "We should get going. By the way John, I think we're going to have to rent an apartment in town so that I can get to the track more often."

  "You can stay here anytime," John said. "You're both welcome!"

  "Thanks." Richard looked down at Dianna who hadn't moved from the cushions all afternoon. "I'll see you, Dianna."

  "At the party. Saturday. Don't forget."

  "We'll look forward to it," Richard said.

  John saw them to the door. "Give me a call," he told Richard. He grinned at Tanya, "I'll be seeing you."

  "I suppose you won't want to come with me again?"

  Richard said when they were on the freeway driving north.

  "If you want me to, I will," she said and looked out of the window.

  "Admit it," he said, "you don't want me to race again, do you? You didn't really want me to get well. You enjoyed mothering me."

  "That's not true," Tanya looked at him.

  "Of course it's true. I got well because I have to race and I don't want anyone stopping me."

  "Nothing I say would stop you," she told him quietly, tears stinging her eyes, wondering if his contact with Dianna had brought on this outburst. Dianna had a fearless personality.

  She would encourage him to race, Tanya was sure of that.

  He put his foot down on the accelerator and the powerful car shot forward. Tanya sat back, watching him drive. She knew that he was in full control of the car. The speed was nothing compared with what he drove on the racing circuit.

  There was a hard ruthless expression on his face as he pushed the vehicle to its full capacity. It was a side of him that Tanya hadn't really experienced before, and it scared her more than the speed they were traveling. He was in full control of his senses again. Reckless and fearless. He needed no softhearted wife to divert his concentration.

  Tanya went for a swim immediately when they reached home. She had no desire to share the house with Richard in his present mood. It was dark by the time she returned, wrapped in a terry robe. Richard was sitting on the sofa. He was flicking restlessly through a magazine.

  "So you decided to come back?" he said, looking up at her, his gray eyes fathomless in the half light.

  "It got cool," she told him.

  "If it hadn't, would you have stayed there all night?"

  "Maybe." Tears threatened, but she held back. This was no time to weaken.

  He put the magazine aside and stood up. "Oh, for Pete's sake," he told her impatiently, go and slip into something dry.

  You look half frozen."

  If he could be so cool, then so could she. She went into the bedroom and closed the door. She would never let him see how much he had hurt her.

  Chapter Ten

  Tanya got up before Richard. She was putting on the coffee when he came out.

  "I want to apologize," he said, digging his thumbs in the low belt of his jeans.

  She turned to him, anxiously wondering what kind of mood he was in today. But he was calm, his eyes warm in the morning sunlight.

  "I
thought it might be nice if we went for a hike. We could take a picnic?"

  If this was a peace offering, then she'd take it.

  "Okay," she agreed.

  Richard carried the knapsack on his back as they made their way along the pathway between the cool mossy rocks.

  Tanya felt the tensions of the past two days begin to recede.

  Richard looked relaxed. As though he'd forgotten about racing and the return of Dianna Watson for a while.

  They found a cool grassy spot beneath the shade of a huge pine tree to eat lunch.

  Richard ate a sandwich, washed it down with a swig of beer, and made himself more comfortable against the trunk of the tree.

  Tanya lay on her stomach on the mossy ground, The sound of the lake splashed up against the rocks in front of her.

  "Penny for them," Richard teased. He tickled her nose with a blade of grass.

  "I was just thinking how pleasant it is here," she sat up and stretched her tanned limbs.

  "Unfortunately we can't be on vacation forever," he said.

  "Bills to pay."

  "I know." He meant that he'd be working again. That meant racing. She'd just have to think of what he did as a job.

  "I'm sorry about yesterday," he sighed. "But I have to get back, It's like swimming again after almost drowning. You just have to plunge straight in."

  "I understand."

  "I'm glad." He smiled at her. "Then you're ready to meet the gang. Don't forget the party on Saturday night."

  "I've nothing to wear." Tanya had no desire to even see Dianna again, let alone go to her party. But if she did have to go she wanted to look great. You have lots of pretty things:

  But if you want, we can go and get you something. I'll go to the track while you shop."

  "Maybe I will," Tanya agreed. She would get something smooth and sophisticated. She would show Dianna that she could hang on to her man.

  "We'll go in Saturday morning. We can change at John's,"

  Richard told her. "How does that sound?"

  "Fine." She looked out over the blue lake, the sunshine, the calm. It was almost as though this was the lull before the storm.

  "Richard..." She turned to him and he took her into his arms to kiss her. His hands pushed her T-shirt aside to cup her breasts. His lips moved to her throat and down on to the warm inviting curve below. Tanya touched his bare chest. Her palms moved against his flat stomach muscles.

  "Love me—" she whispered with desperation and a feeling that it might be the last time.

  Tanya tried to ignore the feeling of doom that hung over her Saturday morning when Richard dropped her off downtown.

  "I'll pick you up right here at six o'clock. Okay?"

  "Okay," she told him and got out of the car.

  She was disappointed that he made no move to kiss her good-bye.

  She stood and watched him maneuver the car through the traffic. Then with a sigh she turned around.

  "Some car," a young boy said. He'd been standing watching Richard drop her off. "You his girl?"

  "No," Tanya said, "just his wife."

  She walked in the direction of the stores. She'd made up her mind what kind of dress she wanted for Dianna's party this evening. She just hoped that she could find it.

  The dress was green silk. It cost much more money than she'd ever paid for any article of clothing in her life. But it was sophisticated.

  "Sure it's not too old for you dear?" the store assistant said, standing back to look at the way Tanya's slim curves filled the soft material.

  "No," Tanya shook her head. The bodice was cut into a low vee so that it exposed her tanned cleavage. There were no sleeves and the skirt was straight cut, slit halfway up her thigh.

  "The color is beautiful with your skin and eyes," the saleslady told her.

  "I'll take it," Tanya said.

  Luckily she was able to find a pair of highheeled sandals in the same shade of green. Then she went along to the beauty salon.

  "I want it up. Sophisticated," she told the man.

  "It's such beautiful hair. You should wear it flowing." The hairdresser let it fall over his fingers.

  "Please put it up," she told him.

  Richard picked her up in the designated spot. He sniffed the air. "You smell like a perfume counter. Actually you look great." His eyes admired her smoothly piled hair, with its tiny curls framing her cheeks.

  He rummaged in the glove compartment as they waited for a red light. "I hope this matches the dress."

  He handed her a velvet jewelry case.

  Tanya opened it with trembling fingers. Other than her wedding ring, Richard had never given her a gift. It was an emerald pendant on a delicate gold chain.

  "How did you guess?" She was so pleased.

  "That you'd buy green?"

  She nodded.

  "I just thought you'd do anything to play up those green eyes."

  "Thank you," she said softly.

  "You can thank me more profusely later," he told her.

  "I will," she promised.

  John wasn't home when they arrived at his apartment, but Richard had a key.

  "John has given us permission to use the place as our own," he told her, dumping her parcels on the bed. "The party's at eight. We'll go for dinner first."

  He took off his jacket, "I think I'll take a shower."

  Tanya stood in the doorway. "How was your practice?"

  "Fine. John's going to go around with me tomorrow. You must come and watch."

  Okay," she nodded.

  He went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

  Tanya unpacked the green dress and shoes and put them out on the bed. Was this John's room? No, it was too bare.

  Probably the guest room.

  Richard came out of the bathroom with a white towel around his waist.

  "This was my room when I stayed with John," he said as though he'd been reading her thoughts. "Maybe we should stay here tonight."

  "Fine with me," Tanya said, knowing that they would be home late from the party. If Richard wanted to practice again tomorrow, then they might as well stay.

  Tanya went into the bathroom. She took off her slacks and blouse and got into a cool bath. She didn't want to wreck her new hairstyle by showering.

  There was a terry wrap hanging on the hook on the back of the door. It was obviously a woman's because it fitted Tanya perfectly. If this had been Richard's room, was it Dianna's?

  She picked up her clothes and went out into the bedroom.

  Richard was dressing. He buckled his belt. Then he came up behind her. His lips brushed her bare neck.

  "You haven't thanked me for the pendant yet," he said. "I see that it's an exact match for the dress."

  "Who does this belong to?" she indicated the wrap she wearing.

  "John," he murmured, putting his arms around her.

  "It's a woman's."

  "Heather, then." He parted the robe and his hands curved the contours of her breasts.

  "Not Dianna?"

  "I've never been here with Dianna," he said.

  "But you have been with Dianna?"

  "If you mean what I think you mean, yes, I have been with Dianna."

  "I see." Tanya backed away from him, holding the robe around her.

  "But not here and that's not her robe. It probably belongs to Heather or even John's sister."

  "Sister!" Tanya laughed.

  "Well he does have a sister and she does stay here occasionally."

  "I suppose."

  "Be quiet!" He pulled her close again. "Thank me for that pendant before I go crazy." His mouth covered hers in a hard kiss before it eased into gentleness. Tanya couldn't resist him. She wound her arms around his neck, her fingers thrilling to the texture of his hair.

  He lifted her in his arms and dropped her onto the bed. He came down beside her and claimed her lips once more, his hands molding her body in a slow caressing motion. His breathing was as ragged and uneven as her own as they
came together and made love more roughly than usual, but with so much pleasure Tanya was exhausted afterwards.