The Legend (24 page)

This was
what the fans wanted on a night like tonight and those boys gave them it. They
wanted real people with real tempers. It was like watching open wheel racing to
me, tempers, passion, and a love for winning.

When I got
within earshot of their conversation, I heard Jameson talking in a low hard
tone. “For starters, you should stay in your own pit.”

“I just
came to see what your problem was!” Brody yelled back.

“My
problem,” Jameson’s brow raised in warning, “I don’t have a problem with you. I
have a problem with your racing.”

Brody
shoved Jameson, another mistake.

“Be
careful what you start kid.” Jameson warned steading himself against the car.

“Why?”
Brody snorted in disgust. “Because I’ll go missing like Darrin did?”

He went
there.

“Watch
your fucking mouth.” Jameson took another step forward keeping his eyes focused
on Brody. The cameras around them hovered in the air trying to catch the
reactions.

“You
scared that everyone will know the truth?” Brody taunted.

I grabbed
Jameson’s arm only to have him shake me off without regard and Kyle wrap his
arms around me out as Brody’s team surrounded us pushing and shoving to get to
their driver.

Brody knew
what to say to send him over the edge. He wanted him angry and he knew what to
do. “I heard he fucked your wife?”

My stomach
turned at his words, memories swept over me but I didn’t lead on.

That did
it. He was the stupid eighteen-year old I knew he would be and Jameson was
still the aggressive passionate driver he’d always been.

Sometimes,
on a Saturday night, the adrenaline fueled aggressive tempers; words have a way
of getting the best of you.

As if his
patience had ran out, Jameson acted quickly and had Brody by the throat and
pressed against his car. “Shut the fuck up. You have no idea what you’re
talking about and if want to start a war, you’ve got nothing on me. But you
will start a war so stop now.”

For once
tonight, Brody considered his words and pushed back. “Let go of me Riley!”
Brody seethed, blazing blue eyes finally seeing the wrath he was creating.

Kyle
pushed me to Mason who then basically carried me behind the wall. “Come on
Jameson,” Kyle pulled them apart. “Let him go. You got your point across.”

Jameson
said nothing to anyone, his shoulders tense and his eyes cold. He sat on the
pit wall drinking a Gatorade and then looked around for me. Kyle whispered
something in his ear only to have Jameson glare shaking his head at his
question.

I smiled
trying to comfort him. For a moment he stared as if he was remembering. How
could he not. Making my way to him, his arms ran up my legs tucking around my
waist drawing me to his lap. “Fuck, honey distract me before I kick that little
shits ass.” His knee bounced. “Goddamn he pissed me off.” His head shook
resting against my shoulder. “Keep me calm honey. Say anything.”

Mama
Wizard knew what to do.

Lowering
my voice to a seductive whisper I put my lips to his ear and then his throat.
“I’m going to fuck you senseless later.”

His neck
vibrated as a moan escaped, low and throaty. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

Kyle
shoved his shoulder. “Stop it lover boy. Get your game face on.”

“What?”

“They
inverted bottom five.” Kyle announced with a blinding smile.

“Fuck yeah!”
Jameson’s mood returned. “Goddamn, I love this race!”

He was
back in it.

Returning
his focus to me, he offered me a suggestive smile. “I’ll be holding you to that
promise.” His hand smacked my ass when I got up. I yelped and whipped around to
smack him.

“I can’t
take my parent’s anywhere.” Casten groaned coming to stand next to me with
Cole.

“You two
stay out of trouble down here.” Jameson said to them. Arie and Lexi came around
the corner with Noah and Charlie. It seemed the entire family was down here for
the final main event.

Jameson
smiled watching us ready to cheer him on, knowing his open wheel family would
throw down just as easily as he would.

Back in
the car, Jameson got over his deal with Brody but I had a feeling it wouldn’t
be the last words they had tonight. They weren’t out there all but ten laps and
the caution came out for debris and rain again.

They
allowed for a pit stop, Jameson and Bobby both took four tires whereas Paul and
Tate gambled for the track position and went with two. This left Jameson in
second.

“We’re P2
now bud.” Kyle said.

“I think
we made the right call there.” Aiden told them. “Most only did fuel only right
there.”

On the
restart, behind Jameson, Nadia went low, a pass she knew she wasn’t going to
make and you could see her jerky movements as she contemplated and then knew
she was about to over shoot the corner.

“She’s at
your rear, still out there
...
hang on to
it
...
there you go.”

“Fuck,”
Jameson said in surprise. “
...
did you
just see that kamikaze move she pulled? Jesus.”

“I did.
Stay away from her, she’s ballsy tonight.”

Shadows
draped the tracks, the rain clouds positioned once again with twenty to go. The
temperature dropped and the wind picked up. When the cars can down the front
stretch, the wind the kicked up was bitter.

It was me,
Alley, Emma, Nancy and Kyle on the pit box, all huddled together keeping warm
and the boys scattered around the pit watching the race from the wall. They
weren’t cold but I tend to think they had more energy than we did.

Jameson and
Brody were at it again, this time Brody had gotten a move on the outside of
Jameson and took over second with Bobby leading.

“Cautions
out,” Aiden told him and I let out the breath I was holding. Casten stood, pacing
back and forth in the pit box. “They’re
slowin
’ in
two. Watch up high.”

Knowing
the rain was gonna dump any minute they quickly got the field of twenty-four
back to green. Brody blocked Jameson on the restart and protected the inside.
I’ll give him that, he was a good racer. But he wasn’t the legend Jameson was
becoming.

Jameson
saw his opening with three to go and just like the hungry driver I always knew
him to be, threw caution to the wind and went all out coming out of four and by
turn one, he was slipping up the track but pulling away.

“Fuck,
it’s raining. Please tell me this is the last lap?”

“Last lap
bud!”

“Whew!” He
was racing like an open wheel racer, scrapping for everything he was worth.
Casten, Cole and Noah jumped up on the wall with the rest of the crew waiting
for them to come into view in turn three.

All of us
on the pit box got down, swarming the pit wall, as Brody and Jameson were now
side-by-side again fighting hard for the lead going into the last corner. The
bumped and banged, Jameson wasn’t giving up and fought just as hard.

Brody got
loose when Jameson slammed into him, sending him up into the wall, he came
right back and did the same to Jameson only to have him hold position through
the flag.

Jameson
won.

“Fuck
yeah!” Jameson screamed knowing he won.

And then
it started pouring. Not just pouring, lightening and wind picked up too but
Jameson still had his burnout to get done.

Once the
cars were on pit lane, our family and his team, congregated around the inside
wall across pit lane cheering for him. Jameson spun his car around, water
spraying in the wake, and with his arm hung out the window he held the
checkered flag doing his signature burnout down the front stretch sideways. It
wasn’t quite as smoky as it had been in the past given the rain, but it was
just as impressive that he could keep the car sideways that long. The view I
had was one I would remember for years to come. It was of Casten jumping up and
down, screaming out in excitement for his father, and Jameson, holding the
checkered flag, and smoke surrounding him.

The fans
were in an uproar. Not just at the burnout but the hard fighting racing they’d
just seen.

With smoke
rolling from all four tires, Jameson pulled the car right in front of us and
then got out and stood on the roof. The boys climbed up the hood as did fans
all celebrating with him. We weren’t making it to victory lane this time. The
party had already begun on the track.

Wanting to
keep some composure, I stayed back and let the boys celebrate, all screaming
and throwing beer around.

Jameson
held a microphone in his hand bowed to the crowd and shook with laughter.
“Thank you guys THANK YOU!” he screamed throwing his head back and tipping the
microphone up as if he was belting out the lyrics to a rock song. Fans grabbed
at his legs, all trying to get a piece of him, much like a rock star.

Jameson
jumped down, or I should say he slipped down, when the rain got so slick on his
car that he couldn’t hold his balance in his racing shoes.

The rain,
which had turned into a tropical storm, wasn’t stopping the party that night.
The fans, our families, the teams, we all had a little something to celebrate.
No one ever did get a direct interview out of Jameson. No, he was too excited
for that. You couldn’t get him to focus on anything.

When I
finally got to him, I’m sure he was drunk. Actually I am positive he was.

Rain drops
fell from the tip of his nose, his hair swept in his eyes. “I asked you to
marry me on a night like tonight.” He said smiling down at me.

“That you
did.” I smiled pushing his hair from his face. “It wasn’t exactly like this.”

“I want to
ask you something tonight too. Honestly, it was kind of similar. It was dark
out and I was celebrating a victory.”

Shivers
from the rain and his body heat attacked me building up through my spine to my
shoulders, “Oh yeah,” Twisting in his arms, I took at his flushed cheeks and
bright eyes. His hands found the curve of my spine holding me against him,
soaked in sweat and rain. “What do you want to ask me?”

Fans and
the teams were still screaming around us, he leaned in to whisper. “Are you
really going to fuck me senseless tonight?” He drew back taking in my
expression, “Cause I
gotta
say, that would be
...
” he dipped back to my neck, his teeth nipped
at me. “
...
Jesus
, that would be fucking amazing.” Another throaty moan escaped his lips
and I was done.

“Well
then,” I said clearing my throat, “I say it’s about time we check my bearing
alignment.”

“And honey?”
his nose brushed along my jaw, I could hear the smirk on his face in his tone.

“Yes?”

“I hope
you stretched.” He giggled slightly. “I’ve got some aggression to get rid of.”

Fuck
me. Well, he was about to.

His words held
just as much promise as the ring on my left hand did; unfortunately, he still
had press to do. Tonight was different though, it was about the fans so they
asked the questions, they got in the pictures and they celebrated the Monster
Million with him.

“What’s
with all the confetti?” Jameson asked when they started the concert in the
infield.

“It’s
victory lane. Be happy you’re in it!” Kyle said through a smile and a good
amount of confetti in his hair.

“I know
but let’s do that without all the confetti.” Jameson shrugged. “That’s all I’m
asking for.”

To the
side of the stage, I saw the kids starting their own party with the younger
crowd, Brody included. He was attached to Lexi and I was sure Spencer had a
thing or two to say about that. Thankfully him and Alley were drunk enough not
to care.

“What are
you thinking about dirty girl?” Jameson whispered over my shoulder, his lips at
my ear again.

I spun
around on my heel trying to draw his focus elsewhere and not to the spot where
the kids were now.

A slow smirk
crept across his face before he spoke. “I think I need to hear this.”

“Nope,” I
pushed him forward. “I assure you that you don’t.”

Just then,
we both looked to see our daughter dancing with the group when screams from
their crowd erupted. In the middle, Arie and Easton were pressed together as a
heavy beat thumped out a seductive rhythm and bodies swayed. One of his legs
was between hers moving their hips to the beat in an intimate way.

“Oh man,
is that Easton with her?” he groaned hiding his face in my shoulder. “And they
had to play that song, didn’t they?”

“Yep,”

“Damn it.
Now I
gotta
hate him too. He was a good kid.”

“How about
we go back to the motor coach and work on being senseless?”