“Good, because I don’t know how you put up with them. I kinda want to do a documentary about them, but I sort of don’t want to acknowledge they exist.”
I laugh. “Sounds interesting. Why don’t you tell me all about it while I have my afternoon snack,” I say as we walk up the steps to the house.
“What are we having for a snack?” she asks, and I know she’s feigning innocence and it drives me even more crazy.
“Playing coy, Miss Baldwin?” I ask, raising an eyebrow as I take her hand and escort her to our bedroom.
“Never, Mr. Daniels.”
I shut the door and pull her top over her head, followed by her shorts and underwear. When she’s lying naked on the bed, like a fucking dream, I crawl up between her legs, tracing between her legs with light touches.
She squirms. “You still haven’t told me what you’re going to eat,” she whispers in a low seductive voice, the one that drives me fucking crazy.
“You, baby. I’m going to eat you,” I reply as I lick her. I don’t stop until she’s screaming my name. We have nothing to do this afternoon except this, and I swear with every touch of her body, she heals me a little more. I’m not sure we’ll ever be the same after that day, but maybe, just maybe, we’ll be stronger for having survived.
Epilogue
Six months later…
Emma
I have earplugs in my ears because I learned after my first race that the cars are loud, very loud. But it only slightly dulls the roar of the engines and screams of the fans.
Colton helped Grady put together a charity race for his dad. All the proceeds go to the charity that Grady had created, Racing for the Rainforest. Until now, that charity had been his only public tie to his past racing and his father. I think it’s been cathartic for him to finally show the world that he still loves to race. The race car drivers even did a lap in missing man formation to honor Ken Daniels before the race started.
“For someone who’s been out of the business for a long time, Grady’s doing great,” Quinlan yells. She’s standing next to me alongside Hawke. The rest of Monumental Mistake stand on my other side. Blythe is on the other side of Quinlan, talking with her parents and Colton and his wife, Rylee.
I nod. I haven’t shared my secret that the man spent years practicing on a private track. “He’s still got it,” I answer because it’s the truth. I’m happy for him. He now has a chance to compete in charity races like this one. He doesn’t have to pretend anymore. He can show the world that he still loves racing. The band’s late summer tour is now over, and after this race, Grady has promised me that we can head out to his grandmother’s house on Maui.
We have a big week this week. The day after tomorrow is the first showing of my documentary at a film festival. And after that, we’ll leave for a month. I decided to wait and walk at graduation in the spring with my fellow classmates, but as of four days ago, I’m officially finished with my master’s program. It’s strange to be done. Part of me wants to go back for another degree, but I also have a million and one film ideas that I want to work on at some point.
“You decide on any of the job offers yet?” Quinlan shouts.
I shake my head. I’ve had a few offers to work for various film production companies, and I’m considering them, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.
“Well, don’t wait too long,” she says.
I nod and look back out at the track. I know she’s right and the clock is ticking.
I watch as Grady’s car buzzes past us, and I cheer loudly even though there’s no way he can hear me. Grady’s in second place, and I couldn’t be prouder. Only three more laps left.
My eyes stay glued to the track as I watch Grady’s car, once, twice…and as the final lap approaches, I hold my breath. I want him to get in the first three spots. He needs to see his potential never went away.
I don’t move a single muscle as I keep my eyes glued to the track. His car emerges from the bend, and I scream in delight when I see him neck and neck with a car. The other car pulls ahead, and he comes in second. I make my way down to the track, wanting to be there to celebrate with him.
“Wait up!” I hear Quinlan yell, but I’m too focused on Grady. I wave my badge at security, half-laughing as my own security follows me. Grady’s team is already gathered on the side of the track, waiting for him. He pulls up to them and gets out of the car as guys pull him in for hugs and high fives. But I see him searching above their heads, when he finds me standing to the side, he makes a beeline for me.
“Congrats,” I say with a big grin as he approaches me.
His smile is infectious, and I feel myself shake with pure joy. I’m so happy for him. He stops in front of me. If we were alone, I’d show him the checkered flag underwear I’m wearing. I feel a blush form on my cheeks as I think about all the dirty things he will do to me later.
“You did it!” I squeal, breaking away from my inner thoughts. “How does it feel?”
“Great,” he says. “But, do you know what would make this even better?”
I shake my head, utterly unsure what could possibly top this moment. I’m contemplating it when Grady falls to his knee in front of me. I start to reach out to help him, wondering if he’s alright when he reaches into a pocket on his suit and pulls out a ring.
I stare from it to him and back again.
“What would make this day perfect, is if you would agree to be my wife. That would make this perfect,” he says. His eyes shine bright as he gazes up at me. I don’t hear anything else as I look at him, not the fans screaming, or the cheers of those around us, all I hear is my heartbeat as I realize the man that I love just asked me to marry him.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“Yes?” he confirms.
“Yes!” I scream and nod. I hold out my hand and he slides a giant diamond ring onto my finger. I’m shaking again out of pure excitement this time.
“Oh my God!” I yell at him.
He laughs and stands up pulling me against him as he kisses the ever-loving shit out of me. I hear hoots and hollers, but I don’t care because right now, it’s just Grady and me. Such an unlikely pair, bonded by both good and bad. Yet, it’s perfect. We are perfect.
Grady
After spending twenty-four hours celebrating my second-place win with my fiancée, we are arriving to see her documentary at the film festival. I grin like a total asshat just thinking the word fiancée. Then I grin all over again at how giddy I am about coming in second place in a charity race. It’s sort of lame, I guess, but for me, it was like baring my true soul to the world. I finally got to put a piece of me back together. I love singing, and I’ll never quit that to race again, but knowing that I can still keep a foot in the racing world means everything to me. It’s as though I have a small piece of my father back.
There’s a red carpet and my mother made sure that Emma had a designer dress to wear. Mom is riding behind us with Andy Westin and his wife. Our friends and Emma’s family are behind them. The door opens, and we are ushered along, cameras clicking. Journalists shouting at us about our engagement. The media is abuzz with it right now. I’d rather that they focus on something good than all the bad that they’ve been asking about for months.