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“She’s not fat, she’spr—” I cut Spencer off.

To prevent beingexposed, I reached around in my purse and threw the first thing I could atSpencer’s head to just shut him the fuck up.

Ashley gasped ratherloudly when she looked at what I’d thrown.

What did I grab from mybag?

My pregnancy book, withmy ultrasound picture taped to the outside. It landed with a thud next toSpencer’s feet. He rubbed the spot on his forehead where the book hit. Foursets of eyes examined it closely.

By doing this, I justinadvertently told the entire world I was knocked up, with Jameson Riley’sbaby.

Did I say anything inthat moment to redeem myself?

No, instead I took thebook from Aiden, who was holding it out with a smirk of amusement, and repliedwith, “I’m really hoping it has Jameson’s hair.”

Ashley turned towardme. “Don’t expect him to marry you now.” Her eyes did thatgauging-judging-glance again as though she was now imagining whatIdidwith her and Jameson just moments ago. “Jameson will never be faithful to onewoman,”

Again, if I didn’tthink it would have harmed my baby, I would have pummeled her.

Later that afternoon, aportion of my dignity had returned and then left as quickly as it came.

There we were relaxingand eating ice cream in the motor coach, Jameson, his attention balancedbetween the television and laptop, he mindlessly flipped through the channelspausing on FOX Sports.

Distracted, hisattention flickered from the points standings to the flat screen television inthe corner when they told on me.

“It appears NASCAR’sRowdy Riley will be dealing with his own little hothead come March. Hisgirlfriend, Sway Reins, General Manager of Grays Harbor Raceway in ElmaWashington, confirmed this afternoon that she is expecting.”

They then showed theclip of me chucking the book at Spencer and my reply.

I should have known itwas being recorded.

Jameson glanced from meto the television, to the laptop, and then back again. His eyebrows pulledtogether in confusion and then arched giving me that what-the-hell-where-you-thinkinglook.

“Did you...say that?”

I shrugged andcontinued to eat my Chunky Monkey ice cream not letting on to my lack ofjudgment earlier in the day.

“Oh this I wanna hear.”His grin widened. “Come on honey. Don’t hold out on me now.”

After the mediashenanigans, I decided shrugging was safer than speaking. I should have hadthat revelation earlier today. It would have saved me a lot of grief andembarrassment.

Jameson laughedthrowing his arm around me. “I had bets it’d be Spencer that told the media—notyou. I just lost two hundred dollars to Alley.”

8.ShutDown – Sway

Shut Down – Turning theengine off to avoid mechanical damage. Drivers will shut down the engine to avoidmore severe and expensive consequences when an engine is vibrating.

After qualifying Fridaymorning, the night was open. Knowing he needed a break from everythingsurrounding us, Jameson decided it was time he hit the dirt.

There was somethingabout those cars where when he was in them, nothing else mattered. It was justhim, the rumble and eight hundred horsepower in his hands.

Justin had called onThursday letting him know he was heading out to race sprint cars at SummervilleSpeedway, a 4/10 clay dirt track about two hours south of Darlington.

Around one thatafternoon, and after a stop at the local Ford dealer, we found ourselvescruising down Interstate 95 toward Summerville where sweet tea and sunscreenheld memories for me.

For one night, it wouldbe nice to get away from the politics and go back to why Jameson loved racingin the first place—why any of us loved racing. It was for the excitement, thethrill and draws it held.

Summerville SouthCarolina, in my mind, might just be the hottest place in the south. Today wasno different. And did I mention Jameson’s Mustang didn’t have air conditioning?Well, it didn’t.