Falling Fast (Falling Fast #1) (10 page)

“You’re not lowlife.”

“According to Pax’s dad, I am. It didn’t help that we were always getting into trouble. He refused to believe that his son would do anything wrong, so it must be the older, unsupervised West kid instigating. Even when Pax confessed that it was his idea to take a beached sailboat for a joyride or go off hunting overnight without telling anyone.” He gave Mia his most guileless look. “Or, say, take his dad’s patrol car for a spin around the block.”

“You didn’t!”

He nodded solemnly. “We did.”

The sheriff, though, seemed to have a special kind of hatred for Raleigh, and he suspected it had something to do with his father. Hank had taken to hanging out at the Sullivans’ place, supposedly “checking on his son.” On several occasions, he’d ended up lounging by the pool with Pax, Raleigh, and Pax’s mother. Wearing Pax’s dad’s swimming trunks. And, possibly, when the two were alone, not wearing them.

Just another way Hank had screwed up Raleigh’s life.

“So Pax becoming a cop was his way of trying to finally attain his father’s approval?” Mia asked. “Doesn’t sound like the rebel I remember.”

“It was more like a deal with the Devil. Remember when I said Pax stuck around to help after the crash. Most of the kids scrammed, scared they’d be busted. Pax did get busted. His dad was only a cop then, but he managed to pull strings so Pax didn’t lose his ride and have to serve time in juvie for racing. In return, Pax had to promise to join the police force upon graduation to show that he was ‘straightening up.’ He claims he likes it, but I don’t believe him. I think racing is his way of keeping hold of who he really is. And he’s good, too.” At least, that’s what Raleigh heard from Pax, as well as from the race results he checked out.

“And you don’t race, too?” she asked. “You used to love it.”

Raleigh trained his gaze ahead. “I stay far away from it all. Pax has been trying to get me to come with him to the races, and recently out to the track, thinking I’ll be drawn in. I know he probably thinks I suck as a friend, but I’ve been tuning it all out.” He tightened his fingers over the top of the wheel. “Racing has too many bad memories.”

She pressed her cheek against the back of the seat. “Then let’s make some new ones.”

Again, he wondered if she was actually talking about driving. He was afraid to go there, too. “With helmets.”

“Helmets?” Cody whined. “I don’t wanna wear a helmet.”

Raleigh met his frown in the rearview mirror. “Like a real race-car driver.”

“Okay, the helmet’s cool.”

“And required if you’re in the car.”

“Awright, I guess.”

They sank into a comfortable silence. Mia did one of those arm waves out the open window, closing her eyes and completely absorbing the moment as they drove. Raleigh had to force himself to pay attention to the road.

“ ‘Chambliss Speedway, opening early fall.’ “Mia read the sign as they turned into the entrance to the track.

He saw the tall lights first, and then the buildings came into view. This place would be alive with activity soon. Because of Pax’s determination. A swell of pride and happiness overtook him for his friend. If Pax could make his dream come true, so could Raleigh.

He stopped at the gate and unlocked the industrial padlock with the ten-pound chain looped around the gates. Signs warned against trespassing or vandalism. A camera aimed at the gates from a tall pole. He pushed the gate open enough for the car to pass through.

“It’s like a fortress,” Mia said when he got back in.

“As soon as Pax finalized the lease, he installed the fence and the security system. Though the track had been blocked for racing with concrete barriers, the kids still came out here to party. And vandalize. They tore up the bleachers pretty bad. Plus, there are grown-ups who think the track will bring in the wrong sort of people. Some of them painted nasty messages on the buildings.”

Mia was trying to peer past the gate. “That’s awful.”

He relocked the gate once they’d cleared the opening and took in what he could see of the track as he drove past the ticket booth. Freshly laid turf filled in the center. Now the barriers lined the perimeter of the asphalt track as they’d been designed to do. He passed the concession building and the tower and came through the racer’s entrance to the track. Excitement curled through him as the breeze lifted his hair. This was the real thing, with rules and a setup that made it safe. Well, as safe as racing could be, anyway.

Pax’s truck was parked off to the side of the bent bleachers, and the man himself was climbing up the back like a monkey. His dog, Harley, was trying to meet him at the top by way of the steps. Pax waved at them, then leaned under the top row and tugged on the metal bar. The whole thing started to sway.

As Raleigh was imagining it toppling over and crushing Pax, Cody pounded on the back of his seat and about gave him a heart attack.

“It’s a real track, Raleigh!” the kid said. “An honest-to-goodness racetrack!”

Raleigh hid his amused chuckle. “Sure is.”

“Why haven’t we come here before now?”

“Too busy.”
Too afraid.

Pax waved as he jumped to the ground, then gestured for them to meet him at a metal building on the other side of the track. Raleigh drove around the back stretch of the track, and Pax raced his dog across the asphalt.

Harley won.

Mia watched man and beast reach the building. “Aw, cute dog.”

The black-and-white dog looked their way, ears perked. He darted over, his tail whipping through the air and what Raleigh swore was a smile on his face.

“His name is Harley Cuddlebug
Slobberbuckets,”
Cody announced as Raleigh came to a stop.

Harley barked at his name and sat patiently as everyone exited the car. Pax had taught him not to jump on cars or people.

Mia knelt down and scratched his head. “What a nice dog you are, Mr…. what did you call him?”

Pax had sauntered over. “Harley Cuddlebug
Slobberbuckets.
Harley, because when he was a stray pup he ran out in front of a Harley and got hit. I ran him to the emergency vet…and ended up keeping him. My sister named him Cuddlebug because he’s a snuggler, and—”

“I named him
Slobberbuckets,”
Cody cut in, nodding with pride.

Harley was in heaven as Mia’s fingers moved to his chin. “Does he slobber?”

“Only a little,” Pax said. “He had some kind of tooth infection early on, and, yeah, he was a slobberbucket. But not so much anymore.”

“He’s a pit bull,” Cody said, clearly proud of the dog. “They’re not all mean, y’know.”

Harley rolled onto his back and offered up a lean belly colored in a black-and-white pattern. He twisted his head and gave her an imploring look.

Mia laughed, giving the dog exactly what he wanted. “I gather.”

Pax shook his head as he took in his dog. “Harley, you’re embarrassing yourself. Have you no dignity?”

Harley looked over at Pax and whined, then gazed lovingly at Mia again.

“Nope, not a bit,” he groused.

Raleigh laughed. “You’re just jealous.”

Pax rubbed his chin. “You may be right, my friend. You may just be right. Offering my belly and begging doesn’t work that well for
me
.”

“Mm, I doubt that,” Mia said, coming to her feet after one last long tummy rub.
“Congratulations
on reopening this track.”

“Thanks. It’s been quite the challenge. Turns out the bleachers are probably scrap metal, thanks to vandals who played demolition derby here a few years back. We hoped to fix them, but the more I test them the more I suspect they’re not salvageable. We just keep finding more things to deal with.”

“Like having to remove a hundred pounds of honey from the announcer’s booth?” Raleigh said, because he wanted his friend to know that he was paying attention, even if he wasn’t out here doing the work. Which made him feel like a shit of a friend.

“Yeah, that was fun.” Pax saw Mia following Cody toward the storage building. “Go ahead and see if you can find some helmets that fit you.”

Raleigh took in the things that still needed doing. Painting the concession building and the tower. Bushes that needed trimming. Weeds that needed killing. “When I get done with the cottage, I’ll come help out.”

“That’d be great. I won’t even ask you about racing here—how about that?”

“Deal.” Was that why he’d been avoiding this place? “Your dad coming around on you reopening?”

“Now that it’s actually happening, he hates it even more. But I get more shit about my business partner.”

“That’s right. I forgot Wade was that girl’s dad.” Raleigh tried to picture the petite blonde who’d moved to town to live with her father the same summer he’d met Mia. The rumor was that she was too much for her mother to handle. “Gretta, Emma—something like that, right?”

“Gemma,” Pax said, his mouth curling into a snarl. “We agreed never to bring up her or that whole episode. Thing is, he wasn’t the adversary. I mean, he supported his daughter, sure. I wouldn’t have respected him if he didn’t. Good thing Gemma’s never come back. That would be…well, a lot of things.”

“Especially since you had the hots for her.” He remembered the girl with the flared black miniskirt, patterned black-and-pink stockings, and boots chatting up Pax about his car. How he’d watched her walk back to her friend with the same spark Raleigh knew was in his eyes when he looked at Mia.

Pax rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, didn’t matter in the end. She ditched the goth-candy look I found so intriguing to fit in with the popular crowd at school. Went out with my brother. And then tried to destroy him.”

Raleigh had been serving his sentence when the girl accused the captain of the football team of date-raping her. By the time Raleigh was released, the rape charges had been dropped, and Gemma Thornton had returned to her mother in New York City.

“I feel like a NASCAR racer!” Cody came out of the building with a red helmet on his head.

Raleigh stepped forward and tightened the helmet. “You look like one, too. I’m going to take a few laps with you, but if Mia’s okay with going over eighty miles an hour I’m sidelining you.”

“What? That’s not fair! I’m almost twelve! Practically old enough to get my learner’s permit.”

“Not nearly practically,” Raleigh said with a smile he was trying to hide. “And as a practical adult I can’t run you faster than that.”

Mia touched Cody’s arm. “He’s playing it safe because of what happened with me. You can’t really fault him for that.”

Yeah, Raleigh faulted himself enough for everyone. He gave Mia a subtle thank-you nod as Cody did his best slumped-shoulders-of-disappointment walk over to the car.

Raleigh picked up the second helmet and faced Mia. She stepped up in front of him, and he settled it on her head. Then he leaned close to secure the strap. Damn but he wanted to duck in and kiss her.

Not the reckless guy anymore. Stay in control
. “Feel good?” he asked.

“Very,” she said, her soft gaze on his. Then she patted the sides of the helmet. “Apart from having what feels like a bobble head.”

He couldn’t resist touching her chin, though. “It’ll keep you safe.” He slid on his helmet, used to it from his motorcycle days. “Ready?”

“Very.”

She was talking about going fast, right? She followed Raleigh to the ‘Cuda.

Pax let out one of those ear-piercing whistles as Harley tried to jump into the car, too. “You’re coming with me, bud.”

The dog let out a whine but followed dutifully.

“He’s just adorable,” Mia said, watching them depart. Pax wore a faded pair of jean shorts and sneakers, walking with his cowboy swagger.

“You are talking about the dog, right?”

Mia shot Raleigh a wry grin. “Of course.”

Damn. He’d been jealous there for a second. And he’d let it show.

He turned onto the track, his heart thrumming at all that beautiful asphalt. If only they’d had something like this back then.
But the past is the past.
He kicked it, and everything came back: the feel for the car as it gained speed, the way the handling changed, and how it took the turns.

He checked on Mia throughout that first lap, slowing a bit when her smile disappeared.

“You okay?” he asked.

She took a deep breath, and her smile returned. “Yeah. You can go faster.”

He continued watching her, inching faster mile by mile. Not fast enough yet for a true thrill, but both Mia and Cody were taking it in with big smiles on their faces. They both let out a
woot
when he took the turns faster and faster. They weren’t banked, like the big tracks, but the tug on his body was still gut-tightening. Satisfying. After they’d run a dozen or so laps, he slowed to a stop, put the car into park, and opened his door.

“Where are you going?” she asked as he came around the front of the car to her side.

“You’re driving.”

“What?”

“Then you can go as fast as you’re comfortable going. You’ll be in control.” He opened her door, bowed, and gestured for her to exit.

“Seriously?” She took his proffered hand and let him help her to her feet. Anticipation glowed on her face.

Raleigh escorted her around to the driver’s side, got her settled in, then leaned in to adjust the seat. Which put his face inches from hers. “About right?”

The engine rumbled, the perfect backdrop for the hunger rumbling through him.

Her smile drilled right down to his gut. “Yeah. Perfect.”

Did he recognize the same battle in her eyes that was going on inside him?
Lean forward. Kiss her
.

Cody made some noise in the back, no doubt watching the tense moment. Thank God for the kid, Raleigh thought again. He pointed out the basics. “Just do what feels comfortable. Ease in.”

Unlike the way they’d proceeded seven years ago. He moved back before he fell to temptation.

She slid him a glance. “You’re sure about this?”

“Absolutely.” He looked at Cody. “And just as sure that you should go hang out with Pax and Harley. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty more opportunity to come here with me.”

Cody’s frown transformed to a smile. “I will?”