“Well, at first the kids were babies, so it wasn’t safe. But like I said, I don’t see myself building a fire, and Pete’s schedule was intense. You know that schedule, you live it.”
“Yeah, I do.” The season ran thirty-six weeks a year and during those weeks he spent Thursdays flying to the next track. When he and Evan arrived, their coach was waiting for them, driven to the compound by their driver. Friday was for practices and last-minute adjustments to the car with his team, Saturday was qualifying, Sunday was racing. He flew back to Charlotte late Sunday night after the race and usually slept in on Mondays, his only real day off each week. Tuesdays and Wednesdays he had sponsor events, business meetings with his team and crew, discussions over the car he would be driving in the weeks ahead, and various other odds and ends to take care of. Then Thursday he started it all over again.
But he would still find time to light a bonfire for Tamara.
“Well, hell, it’s time we made that fire pit work for its keep. We’ll get a big old blaze going and have s’mores and beer, and when you’re giddy from alcohol and chocolate, I’ll take advantage of you.”
She laughed softly. “And where might my children be when we’re doing this?”
Good question. “I don’t know.” He wanted to say they could go to a sitter’s or her in-laws but that would sound like he was trying to farm her kids out, and he didn’t want her to think that he didn’t want them around, or that he didn’t appreciate her responsibilities.
Tamara sighed. “You know, Tuesday is the kids’ last day of school. Monday will be our last chance to meet during the day.”
He hadn’t even thought about that. “Damn, and we just got started on that.”
“I know, I wasn’t even thinking of that. But the school year is just about done. My students have already taken their final exams, and after Tuesday I’m spending two weeks at home with the kids, then I start summer classes, which are only part-time. And while I’m at summer classes, my kids stay at my house with my mother-in-law.”
Their schedules did seem damn near impossible. But Elec thought it would all go a hell of a lot easier if she didn’t insist their relationship be kept a secret.
“I guess we’ll have to make the most of this Monday and then see what we can do to sneak some time together.” Elec heard the door of the coach opening, but he had a point to make, and he didn’t care if Evan heard him or not. “I will be with you, Tamara. You can count on that.”
There was a pause, then she said softly, “What do you mean?”
“It means that no matter how complicated it is, I intend for us to be together.” He meant that, damn it. Maybe it was rushing things to tell her that, but he wanted to be honest about his feelings, and he had a lot of them when it came to Tamara.
His brother looked over at him, eyebrow raised in curiosity as he dropped his keys on the coffee table.
“Elec . . .”
She sounded like she was about to give him a laundry list of reasons why they wouldn’t work together and he didn’t want to hear them. “Tamara, my brother just walked in and he’s clearly got something he needs to talk about. I’ll see you on Monday, alright, gorgeous?”
Evan stopped on his way to the kitchen and scoffed.
“Okay.”
He dropped his voice to a whisper. “I can’t wait to see you.”
“Yeah,” she said, and her voice was a little raspy. “I feel the same way.”
“Good night.”
She said the same, and Elec hung up the phone and met the stare of his brother. “What?”
“I don’t have anything I want to talk about. Why are you using me as an excuse to get off the phone with your girlfriend?”
Girlfriend. He liked the sound of that. “Because she was about to give me a whole bunch of practical reasons why we shouldn’t be together and I didn’t feel like listening to them.”
“Like what reasons?”
“Oh, let’s see. Johnny Briggs hates our father, and now you, too, I’m sure, since you inadvertently insulted his dead son. Her two kids that she doesn’t want hurt if things don’t work out between us. Her work schedule. My work schedule. Our age difference. And I’m guessing she has a healthy dose of fear about being with a driver again since she lost Pete on the track.”
“How old is she?” Evan asked, like that was the only conflict in all those Elec had listed that really mattered.
“Thirty-two.”
“Oh, okay. I thought you were going to say she was pushing forty and I was going to be like, dude. Fifteen years is a bit much.”
“She doesn’t look forty.” Elec frowned at his brother.
“I don’t know what she looks like. I haven’t seen her since Pete’s funeral, and she looked terrible that day, with good reason. I didn’t think she was that old, but what do I know?”
“Obviously nothing.” Elec eyed a hole in the toe of his sock. “It’s friggin’ cold here,” he complained.
“And you’re a whiny ass. Just because you’re ‘in love’ doesn’t mean you own the right to sit on the couch and pout. You’ve been annoying as hell all week.” Evan rolled his eyes for emphasis as he made air quotation marks.
Elec dropped his feet to the floor. Evan’s words, joking or not, hit him hard, right in the chest, and he felt a little bit like he couldn’t breathe. “What makes you think I’m in love?”
“Dude.” Evan shot him a look of sympathy. “You are so gone. I hope you have a spare ten grand lying around.”
“What would I need ten grand for?” Was he in love? Elec pondered that thought. He couldn’t honestly say he’d ever been in love before, but he was fairly certain he wasn’t quite there yet. Almost. Falling hard and fast. But not quite yet.
“Mark my words, little brother. You’ll be forking over major cash for an engagement ring by Christmas.” Evan burped to punctuate his point.
“You’re disgusting. And why would I buy an engagement ring?” Though he had to admit, the thought had a weird and sudden appeal. Yellow gold was totally Tamara, classic and elegant. Elec frowned. He needed to halt those kinds of thoughts right there. It was ludicrous. “I just got done telling you all the reasons why she doesn’t even want to date me.
There is no way she’d ever agree to marry me. And I never said I wanted to marry her.”