Page 87

I glared at Caden. “I thought you didn’t tell anyone.”
“I didn’t tellRager.”
“Hayden can’t keep a fucking secret to save her life,” I pointed out.
Caden winked at me. “Sorry.”
I shoved his shoulder lightly when Lily pointed to the track behind us. “Arie, there’s three laps left and Rager has a ten car lead on the entire field.”
My eyes widened. “What? Really? I thought he started last in the main.”
“He did,” she said, grinning. “Which makes it even more impressive.”
Rager hadn’t won since the accident at Eldora. A couple of second-place finishes, but nothing close to a win. Anticipation rolled through me and I reached for Pace and Knox. Hudson was already inside the trailer with Rowyn and couldn’t probably care less about his dad’s win. So I scooped up the other three and rushed toward the fence line to watch the final laps.
Caden and Kinsley came with me and we stood at the exit of turn four. “Last lap,” Caden noted, smiling and closing his eyes, breathing in deep. I wondered what he was thinking in that moment, regret or peace?
Rager’s car came flying into three. Clay roosted up, spraying the wall we stood next to as the powerful rumble of his car popped as he lifted. He blipped the throttle to slide into the slick corner, nearly bumping the wall before dipping down on the inside to take the checkered flag.
He’d done it. He’d won.
I rushed over to the flag stand with the kids while Rager pulled off the track to the weigh in before victory lane. I couldn’t stop smiling that we’d flown all this way today and arrived just in time to see him win.
Pace, Knox, and Bristol could hardly stand still as they danced around, screaming for their dad when he returned to the track and in front of the billboards of victory lane. The crowd behind us cheered and chanted Rager’s name. That was when I noticed Caden had come over with Kinsley.
“Let’s get you down there.”
Caden frowned. “No, maybe it should be just your family.”
I touched my hand to his shoulder. “And you’re part of that.”
His smile was emotional and he nodded, tears in his eyes. I motioned to Jerry, who’d made his way down and we worked on getting Caden’s chair onto the track.
Standing at the back of the car, Rager, who hadn’t noticed us yet, beat his hands against the top of the wing, the sheet metal rattling. You could hear his screams under his helmet when he lifted his arms in the air and the confetti flew through. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. There are two traits all racers must have. Desire and persistence. Rager Sweet, he had it in abundance. His home was a dirt track where he bled methanol for the thrill of racing on dirt. And tonight it showed.
I stayed back with Bristol. She was scared of all the fireworks and noise around his car. And then, he turned his head, visor up, and even under the lights of the track I could see those impossible blue eyes land on mine.
That look right there was what I flew thousands of miles to see. My dirt-driven boy, soaked in flashing lights and celebrating not only a win, but overcoming what it meant to be a lap down.
Controller – Used to describe a collective group of electronics that control the motor (e.g. drive, indexer, etc.)
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming,” I breathed against her neck, trying to catch my breath. “You’re really here, right? Am I dreaming?”
I could have been. Because if you would have told me when we pulled into Calistoga this morning I would be winning the race, I would have laughed at you. And if you would have told me that I’d break the track record that was set eighteen years ago by Jameson Riley, I would have thought you were smoking crack.
“You’re not dreaming. The kids and I wanted to surprise you.” She giggled and pulled back to look at me. Her palms cupped my cheeks, the love in her eyes never more evident than right now. “You won!”
I still hadn’t let go of her. Instead, I pulled her against my chest tighter. “Must have been because of you.” I breathed in deep, the excitement of the win coursing through me. “Fuck, I missed you.” And then I kissed her in front of thousands of fans and probably a tad too inappropriately, but I didn’t give a fuck. It got cheers from the crowd and a groan from Jameson, who’d snagged second place from Axel on the last lap. “That’s enough,” he told us, smacking his hand to my back.
“Thank you,” I told her, refusing to let go. “Thank youso muchfor coming, honey.”
“I couldn’t stand to be away from you any longer.”
If there was ever a win that was more emotional for me, it was that one. Especially when the kids made their way over to me, and Caden. I hadn’t expected to see Arie tonight, let alone Caden with her.
As Jerry helped Caden through the ruts in the track, Kinsley smiled at me and touched her hand to the side of my helmet I hadn’t removed yet. I smiled at her. “You guys didn’t have to come all this way.”
Tears surfaced in her eyes when she glanced at the sprint car behind me, and then focused on me. “You are his hero, Rager.”