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I laughed, but it was a nearly hysterical sound. “I think I am. Call Will. I want my family back now.”
I paced around the front foyer as I waited for Tally to arrive, and it was making my ribs ache. Jesse kept opening and closing his mouth as if he wanted to tell me to go back to bed, but then changed his mind.
I’d go back to bed when Tally could come with me.
Finally, an SUV pulled up in front of the house, and it was too much. I burst through the door and hobbled down the front steps, Jesse right beside me in case I pitched forward and ate gravel. I knew it was killing Rocco to still be up in bed and not down here too, but he’d get his turn soon enough.
She burst out of the car and ran toward us, wrapping an arm around each of our necks, and I kissed every inch of her face I could reach. I had days worth of kisses that needed to grace her skin.
“God, I hated being away from you,” she grumbled, holding us tightly. “It’s finally all over.”
Well, mostly. Brick had been remanded without bail, considered a flight risk, and was being extradited to California. There’d be a long-ass trial eventually, where he’d probably plead insanity and not get nearly long enough behind bars.
That was a future problem, and I didn’t want to borrow tomorrow’s trouble when we finally had the opportunity to be happy. She was back in my arms, and I wanted to drag in lungfuls of her scent. “I missed you so fucking much.”
A huge dude appeared—who must have been her security—as well as Will, who was carrying a sleepy baby. I held out my hands, and he handed her over. “Short Stack, I missed you!” I kissed Bobbi-June’s chubby little cheeks, the ache in my side pushed to the background as I healed the ache in my heart.
Jesse and I swapped, and I went back to kissing my wife. Because legally, she mightn’t be able to be mine but in my heart, she was it for me, forevermore. “I love you, Tally Palmer. I never want to be apart again.”
She shook her head, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Never again.”
Jesse walked back up the steps, Bobbi-June clutched against his chest. “Welcome home.” Stepping aside, he lifted his chin toward the stairs. Tally raced up to the second floor so fast, I was a little worried she’d miss a step and fall down. We followed along behind at a much more reasonable pace, mostly because getting up the stairs was slow as hell for me.
Jesse walked with me, making me feel all soft. “I don’t tell you this enough, man, but I love you too. You’re the best guy I know.”
Giving me a crooked grin, he rolled his eyes. “One near-death experience, and he’s finally in touch with his feelings.” He slapped my back gently with his free hand. “I love you too, man. When I thought I’d lose you all…” He shuddered.
I couldn’t imagine. That split second of panic when I woke up in the ambulance had been the worst. At least until they told me that Tally was okay. I couldn’t even imagine what it would’ve been like getting a call like the one he’d gotten. It would have messed me up for good.
We finally made it to Rocco’s room, and Tally was in bed beside him, clutched to his chest as he kissed her over and over again. I was kind of glad that Mamma Passero had gone back to her hotel.
“Non posso vivere senza di te,” he crooned at her between kisses. “I can’t live without you, Tally Palmer-Passero.”
She was crying softly now, but her smile was wide. “You’ll never have to.”
EPILOGUE
TALLY
“Well, Frank, it’s a beautiful day here in Long Beach, and the crowds are looking excited for a great day of IndyCar racing ahead.”
“That’s right, Steve. And some of that buzz is due to the brand new VANT Racing team. After all that nastiness that’s been happening around their drivers, it’s good to see them out here, getting on with business, even if their star driver is out for at least twelve weeks. But Tally Palmer-Passero has a good racing pedigree, and you can’t argue with her qualifying times.”
The interviewer nodded sagely. “They might not be Rocco Passero times, but they are pretty darn good for a driver on her IndyCar debut.”
I tried not to eavesdrop, but they were literally standing right outside the garage.
“With Mickey Macguire finding his feet, I think the team might have a chance of getting some points, even without Passero there. How long until they become a three-car team, do you think, Frank?”
“They’d be crazy not to foster that talent. VANT is known for its fostering of women in sports, so I think we’ll see a double Passero race team before long.”
Pride flooded through my veins. Qualifying had been insane, and I’d been so nervous that I’d almost thrown up a kidney, but it was all fine in the end.
I tuned out the pundits and their kind words as I prepared for the race. I pulled my suit up, my last-minute sponsors on badges across my chest. Vanessa had gone to bat for me, approaching people to sponsor me, and I’d managed to secure three, one of whom was VANT Enterprises.
Surprisingly, there was also a bull’s head logo, with the team at Dark Storm Rodeo Academy sponsoring me. Well, T.M. Moore was sponsoring me. An investment company in New York was another one, though I’d only met with a lawyer named Tobias Lecter to sign the contracts.
“Are you going to puke again?” a voice asked next to me, and I turned to smile at Hayes. He wasn’t allowed to be in my pit crew today, but you couldn’t have kept him from the garages if you tried.
