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“Yeah,” I replied, but deep down, Darius’ threats didn’t settle. With his words, he’d put a target on my back.
Thirty-Five
Bristol
Back and forth. Back and forth. From the front of the RV to the bedroom door then back. Though I was “reading”, my eyes tracked Axel’s progress while he paced.
The race was tomorrow, and his pre-race jitters were running full tilt. I knew the confrontation with Darius had him agitated, too.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Um-hmm,” he answered, his voice distracted as if he barely noted his rote answer.
“Are you worried about the race?”
“No.”
“Are you like this before every race?” He’d rarely gotten antsy like this back before he’d joined Pendleton Motorsports.
“What?” he asked, pausing. He gave a little shake of his head, and this time actually focused on me.
I waved my hand, indicating the pacing. “Do you always get like this before races now.”
He sighed. “No. I… I guess it’s probably just the whole ball of crap getting to me. My uncle and all that bullshit. Then proving myself to Troy. I want the spot on his team. Bad.”
Setting aside my tablet with the book I hadn’t actually been reading, I stood and went to him. My hands slid up to rest on his chest. “You’re going to get that spot. You’re a fantastic driver, and everyone knows it. It’s clear Troy admires you, too. He might be your boss now and expect a lot, but he likes you. And you… You’re gonna go out there and drive your ass off, and no matter where you place tomorrow, it’s not your only race this year. You have a whole season of races to prove you’re as hungry for this spot as Troy thinks you are.”
“Bristol…”
“These two weeks have just been a whirlwind. So much has happened, but we both know it won’t always be like this. You’ve just been playing catch up ever since we arrived, since you came in late and you’ve never worked with this team. You’re gonna do great, and next week, you’ll have your feet under you.”
He nodded, agreeing with me that next week would be better.
I was sure it would. Besides the stress of racing for a new team, there was the novelty of it all. He was all over the news, too. So were Troy and Darius. If we’d thought the gossip would stop when the season started, we’d been dead wrong. It was just different drama now, and all the commentators were eating it up.
It sounded as if most of them were firmly in Axel’s corner, too. More than once, I’d heard them talk about Troy’s major coup in contracting Axel Pendleton. I’d even heard that another team owner had been interested in my man, and if Troy hadn’t swooped in as he had, they would have.
Axel ignored it all. He didn’t want to hear any of rehashing or speculation. He was too busy for it, and he claimed it was nothing more than a distraction. Me? I couldn’t really avoid it. While Axel worked, I hung out with Novie, and Novie had her ear constantly attuned to the NASCAR news.
She was in constant information-overload mode. I knew more things about the circuit, drivers and teams than I ever wanted to know. Not gossip; just straight up cut-and-dried facts. She’d also shown me around and introduced me to more people than I’d ever remember. I just hoped they’d all understand when I blanked on their names and their exact positions within the whole NASCAR operation’s hierarchy.
And in a way, it was an operation, a big business.
“You’re right,” he sighed. He pressed his lips to my forehead. “I think I’m going to go over and talk to Huck. I need to ask him—”
I caught his hand. “No, you’re not. Huck’s already in bed, and you need to be getting there, too.”
It wasn’t that late, but Axel never stayed up late the night before a race. I knew from Novie that Huck would turn in by eight-thirty tonight.
Axel looked surprised, then his eyes narrowed. “How do you know Huck’s habits?”
“Jealous?” I teased.
He raised his brow. “Don’t make me kick his ass. Troy would be pissed if I wrecked his other driver.”
My arms looped around his waist, and I peered up at him. “There’s only one driver who interests me, and he’s right here. And you know that.”
“Yeah, I do. You’re my world, Brisk. You’re perfect. And all the guys will be after you once they figure it out.”
