Boom, just like that, my confidence is back. “Yes, sir. My agent doesn’t think I’ll be racing any time soon and I’d like to stay in the motocross world if I need to get a real job.”
He laughs. “Son, I’d love to have you aboard. I know I’d have clients lined up down the block to get a lesson with you.”
“Even with my criminal record?” I ask.
He chuckles. “No one cares about that, Jace. I promise you. If you’d like the job, come on down and we’ll figure it out.”
I’m smiling so big it makes my cheeks hurt. “Thank you, sir. I’ll be seeing you soon.”
I tap my fingers on the steering wheel while I drive. I have a job. I have a job! I’m going to stay in Texas! Holy shit, this is happening. Now all I have to do is win over the girl of my dreams. Judging by the way she looked at me last night, that might be harder than trying to get back into professional motocross.
The sun has just set by the time I make it back to Salt Gap. My car’s trunk and backseat are filled with home improvement stuff and I’m wearing old jeans and an older T-shirt. This isn’t really the best time for a grand romantic gesture.
Which is what makes it a great time. I pull over at the gas station closest to my house and go inside. There was something I saw here last time, and I’m glad I remembered it. In the back, near the cases of beer and cell phone chargers, is a little basket of fresh roses.
To my annoyance, there’s only one left in the basket, but it’s a beautiful long stem pink rose and it’ll have to do. The nearest florist is probably two hours away and it’d be closed by now. I buy the rose and the cashier winks at me as if we’re sharing some kind of secret.
“Thanks, man,” I say as I take the rose and head back to my car. The only secret here is that I’m in love with Bayleigh and I need to make her mine.
Chapter 14
I’m thinking of exactly what I’ll say to Bayleigh’s grandparents when they open the door. If it’s her grandmother, she’ll probably be lenient and let me see Bayleigh for a little while. If it’s Ed, I might be screwed, but I’ll ask to talk to her on the porch.
As I drive past her house, I notice that Ed’s Ford truck isn’t in the driveway, but another car I’ve never seen is there. That’s odd. Hopefully she’s still home. I pull into my driveway and cut the engine. That’s when I see it.
Her porch light is on, and Bayleigh’s standing there on the porch, facing someone who sits on the porch swing. Her arms are on her hips and she’s standing like she’s kind of hostile. I get out of my car and walk over to the passenger seat where I’ve set the rose to make sure it didn’t get messed up. I close the door and look over at her house, wondering if I should wait until her visitor is gone before I go over there. Then whoever is on the porch stands up and he’s shouting something.
He steps into the porch light and throws a punch at a wooden post. “You need to learn to let shit go,” he says.
Oh hell no.
I walk straight over there, rose in one hand and my car keys in the other. I shove the keys in my pocket and some tall skinny douchebag says, “Who the fuck is that?”
Bayleigh turns around, her eyes wide.
The guy, who I’m guessing is the idiot who got her grounded, walks to the end of the porch and glares daggers at me. Too bad he’s not the least bit intimidating. “Bro, this has nothing to do with you,” he says, holding out a hand as if his scrawny hand will actually stop me.
I step up on the porch, putting myself between her and this idiot. “It is my business if you're yelling at Bayleigh.”
“Like hell it is,” he says in this way that’s trying to be all badass.
I ignore him and turn to Bayleigh. “For you,” I say, handing her the rose. Even in the dim lighting I can see she’s both terrified and blushing at the same time. I wink at her.
The douchebag shifts on his feet. “What the fuck is this? You’re gone two weeks and you replace me with this dipshit?”
“I'm guessing you're Ian,” I say.
He glares at Bayleigh and then looks at me. “If you know who I am then you know you need to leave now.”
I shove my hands in my pockets and lean against the wall. “If you'd like directions back to the interstate, I'd be happy to help you out.”
“I'm not going anywhere.”
I lift an eyebrow. “I'm afraid you are.”
Ian scowls then grabs Bayleigh’s arm and tries pulling her to the other side of the porch. “Tell him I'm not going anywhere.”
I let him do it, because it only fuels my anger right now. Bayleigh pulls out of his grip, her gaze going to the flower in her hand. “I’m sorry,” she tells him, but she doesn’t sound very sorry. “I think you need to go.”
