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“It’s time,” he said. His hand, with the thick gold band on it now, squeezed mine before letting me go for the first time since we’d stepped out to the track.
“Be safe, but kick ass,” I told him.
“I will. Give me a good-luck kiss, then I’ll see you in a couple hours. You want to go out to dinner tonight?”
A startled laugh burst from me. “Yeah, sure.”
He leaned in, his brown eyes gleaming at me. “I love you.”
One of my hands curled into his fire suit, fisting in the center of his chest. “I love you, too.”
His lips brushed mine in a much more chaste kiss than either of us wanted.
“I’ll see you in a couple hours,” he said, stepping back all-too-soon. He winked. “Remember you’re cheering for me, not Huck.”
“I’ll try.”
His bottom lip curled between his teeth as he shook his head, holding back a laugh, then he turned toward his car where his crew waited to strap him in and hook him to his air system.
I fought back my worries while he climbed in. I wasn’t sure why I felt so uncharacteristically emotional. His jest proved he knew how tense I was, so he’d tried to make me laugh. I couldn’t help it. If anything happened to him… I wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Had it been just over a week ago I’d hoped he’d driven over a cliff? That had been all lies. I’d wanted to hate him, but hate was the last thing I truly felt. Axel was my everything.
“Mrs. Pendleton?”
The name still startled me. I turned to find a woman, wearing a track pass and navy blazer, had appeared at my side.
“Can I show you to your seat?”
I nodded then followed her as she escorted me to the box where I’d watch the race. Troy smiled at me, giving me a nod when I slipped into the space beside Axel’s mom. Benz sat on Troy’s other side, no doubt so they could talk about the race’s play by play. Novie, who was there since her brother was part of Troy’s team, sat a short distance away, and I gave her a small wave. She bubbled with effervescent excitement, the direct opposite of the nerves gnawing at me.
Molly squeezed my fingers much as Axel had squeezed my hand a few moments ago.
“Nervous?” she asked. She was always so sweet, and I felt a little guilty. I should be worried about her. She was doing great, but she’d been in the car accident just over a week ago. I couldn’t even believe she was here. She’d insisted she had to come—to see Axel and so she wasn’t sulking at home, stewing about the person who’d somehow forced her off the road. The police had no clues, and Molly couldn’t remember much other than glancing over to see a blond-haired guy looking at his phone. It was likely the man would never be identified.
“I’ve seen him race hundreds of times.” How many of his races had I been to over the years when we’d been together? So many. Too many to count. It had taken up part of almost every weekend for as far back as I could remember. How could I not have known we’d end up right here?
“But this is different?” she observed.
“Yeah.”
“Do you need me to distract you?” she asked as the cars roared to life down below us, my pulse rate accelerating right along with the sound. My fingers tapped on my thighs as the pace car led the pack around the track. I leaned forward and watched the cars drive in formation behind it, many like Axel, weaving back and forth as they warmed up their tires.
“No, I’m okay. How are you doing?” I glanced down at her leg, stretched out in front of her.
“As well as can be expected.” She wobbled her head back and forth, then leaned toward me and grinned. “I’m pretty buzzed on the drugs they gave me—nudge me if I start snoring, okay?”
I laughed. No matter what Molly said, we both knew she wouldn’t be falling asleep. I still couldn’t believe she’d come here so soon after her accident, but I supposed if it were my son racing in such a transitional, career-boosting race, I’d want to attend, too.
“You know he won this last year?” I commented then my face got hot. This was Axel’s mom. Of course, she knew.
She nodded, not calling me on my stupid comment. “We were here for it. Last year was nerve-wracking. All they talked about was him being a star, all his promise. So much pressure on him all the time, but he performed and delivered. Then there was that nonsense the past few months.”
She shook her head, and I wondered how much Benz had shared with her about the situation with Darius.
I grimaced, hating what Axel had been through but grappling with the fact I was grateful, too. “I guess…if it hadn’t happened, he wouldn’t have come home, and I wouldn’t be here with him.”
Molly wrapped her arm around my shoulders and pulled me in for side-hug. “I have to believe he would have come home. You two would have found your way back to each other, eventually. But who knows how long that would have been?”
