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Dad lifted his sunglasses, eyeing her face, not her chest. “Because I don’t want to.”
“Told you he wouldn’t do it.” Wrapping her arms around Hayden, Mom giggled. “He’s getting too old for that shit.”
Mom said that on purpose. To piss Dad off.
Tommy, who was in line with us, and wearing cut-off jeans and a ladies’-sized wife beater, gave Dad a head nod. “We’re getting old, Jameson. Every day I wake up and when there is no morning wood waiting for me, I get so sad.”
Dad stared at Tommy for what seemed like a very long time, but in reality was probably only a second. “That’s never happened to me.”
Tommy clasped his hand on his shoulder. “Yet. It hasn’t happened to youyet. But it will.”
It was hard to believe—but then maybe not really—all this was taking place in front of fans and they were laughing. If only they knew this was daily conversation for our family.
We shuffled through the line again, forward two steps and I was now in front of my husband. I slid a picture over the table lined with memorabilia and photographs of him in his racing suit and standing next to his car. It was my picture I slide across that caught his attention. It was one of us in victory lane last year, his hand on my ass as he lifted me into the air, kissing me.
He raised his head, his bright blues hidden behind mirrored shades. After our fight this morning, I wondered what his reaction to me wearing my brother’s racing shirt would be. Inherently jealous by nature when it came to me, Rager lifted his shades to offer me a glare. No words, just a glare. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose, causing his nostrils to flare.
I laughed, winked, but I didn’t budge because he’d been mean and damn it if I couldn’t be stubborn when I wanted to be.
Hayden leaned into the table, her hands splayed in front of Rager. He was not smiling at her. “Hey, asshole, sign it and move along.”
Would you believe me if I told you he signed it?
He didn’t. Refused to and pushed it aside, reaching for another program a little girl handed him. He even winked at her. I was his wife and didn’t even get that.
Guess he was still upset and I’d made it worse.
As we were walking away from the tables, I noticed Olivia in line, staring at my husband like she wanted to eat him. And not like you’d devour a plate of tacos. Like how you’d ate a piece of chocolate cake. Slowly, savoring every last bite.
“Ugh,” Lily groaned when she noticed her. “Why is she here?”
“She’s working for Ricky’s team this year,” Hayden added, knowing the dirt on anyone. She knew everything in the racing world. Who worked for who, who fucked who. All the details. Which was another reason she wasn’t allowed to have social media. She called a late model driver out for cheating on his wife last year. Okay, he had it coming. He posted a picture of his wife and told her she was the most important person in his life. And Hayden jumped all over that.
I looked over at Lily, who’d had run-ins with Olivia too in the past. Much like myself. Hell, she slept with Easton while we were still married. I did not like her and the fact that she was now staring at Rager, well, I wanted to run over there and rip her fake eyelashes off her face. “She just keeps making her way around, doesn’t she?” I noted, watching Rager never look up at her. Neither did Axel.
Good boys.
“Bitch up and take her out,” Hayden told us, as if she was rolling up her nonexistent sleeves.
Lily gave her the look. The one we had to give Hayden daily. “We can’t fight her just because she works for another team.”
“Uh, yes you can.”
Mom wrapped her arm around Hayden’s shoulders. “You three reminded me of me, Emma, and Alley back in the day.”
“Does that mean I’m the outsider?” Kinsley asked, carrying Jameson Grace in a pack on her chest. Probably to keep Hayden from trying to chew on her baby.
Mom smiled at her and made a scrunched-up cooing face at the baby. “No, you’re like our little pet we went to the store and found.”
Kinsley laughed. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“I know what will.” Mom pointed at her motor home. “A nap. Let me hold the baby and I’ll let you sleep.”
“Deal.”
Lily, Hayden, and I took the kids back to the motor home for lunch when Jonah got stung by a bee. Right on the crease of his eyelid. It swelled up immediately. “Can you watch Jacen and Savannah for me?” Lily asked, loading Jonah into her mom’s car.
“Yeah, totally.”