Page 41 of Down & Dirty (Holden Cove #1)
CHAPTER 41
CORY
Bruce: Heard the shoot went well.
Cory: Yeah. I’m still not sure how motocross sells furniture. But you keep lining up these contracts, I’ll keep posing.
Bruce: As if you made sense for diamond-encrusted watches way back when? Don’t overthink it.
I laughed; Bruce knew me better than to worry about me overthinking any of the jobs he’d sent me on over the years. Being a model was one of the most bizarre twists of my career, but so long as people kept calling, I’d keep cashing the checks.
Still, the timing of this shoot couldn’t have been worse. I shuffled past a couple of slow walkers, cruising toward the taxi stand on the other end of the terminal. Being away from Sky after last weekend had been brutal.
Even if she said she’d forgiven me, there was a lingering distan ce between us. Some gap I couldn’t find a way to close. And losing four days in Indiana on this shoot when I would have rather spent them buried deep inside my wife, proving to her repeatedly just how much I loved her had left me punchy and raw.
With my nerves frayed, I dropped my stuff at the hotel and booked it to Angel Stadium. The second race in Anaheim had always been a strong one for me, but I was still sore from the fall in San Francisco, so I was only cautiously optimistic I’d be able to hold onto the rank I had going in.
“You like cutting it close,” Billy said, his face lighting up when he saw me. When I’d told him Sky and I were okay, he’d deflated so dramatically you’d have thought it was his relationship on the line. But I smiled at the guy now, enjoying the friendly face after being away for days.
“I’ve got another hour before the first heat,” I told him, slipping my bag under my chair.
He opened his mouth to respond, but then clamped it shut, looking toward the front of the bus. I followed his eye line and spotted Tommy standing with Micah in his arms. He was looking around the tent, but with only Billy and I there, he was searching real hard for nothing.
“Hey, bud,” I said, pushing up and going over to them.
Micah’s face lit up as he said, “Hi Cory.”
I held up my hand and he gave me a high five as his father scowled. “Missed you, kiddo.”
“Where’s Sky?” Tommy said, turning to put himself between me and Micah.
I looked around, seeing the same empty area he was still scanning. “Not here yet. I think Ronnie had an early interview. Last week’s top three really jumped him up on the lists.”
Tommy nodded, his eyes finally landing on me in a harsh glare. “Yeah, it’s good at least one of you is doing your job over here. ”
The tone of his voice was so cold, even Micah frowned as he looked up at him.
“I think we’re doing just fine.” I fought the urge to rub his own shitty performance last week in his face. At least Ronnie and I had placed. Tommy hadn’t even qualified.
He sniffed. “Yeah well, let’s see if you can stay upright this time.”
The only sure thing in motocross was that everyone was going to fall at some point. It was when , not if . So, Tommy’s remark would have been easily laughed off it if didn’t immediately bring to mind Skylar’s tear-streaked face, the memory of the fear in her eyes lancing through me all over again.
I took a breath through my nose, fighting to keep my cool. Micah was already looking between us like he could tell something was wrong, and I refused to scare the little kid, no matter what Tommy did.
“I can take Micah till she gets here. Come on, bud, you can help me and Billy check my tires.” I smiled at him, seeing his eyes light up as he wriggled to get out of Tommy’s arms.
But Tommy didn’t let him go. He shifted, hoisting him up on his hip again as he shook his head.
“I’m not leaving my son with you.”
My head jerked back. I’d picked Micah up on my own a handful of times in the last few weeks, but it had always been Geena doing the hand off.
“What are you talking about? He’s fine with me.”
“I don’t even know you, man,” he said, huffing out a laugh, like I was overstepping and he was going to put me in my place.
“Micah and Sky know me just fine,” I said, grinding my teeth as I fought to keep my tone light.
“That’s not good enough,” Tommy spat, sticking his chin out at me, daring me to start something, even as he held his kid in his arms.
A shuffling noise came from behind him, and the three of us whirle d around to find Sky’s parents standing there with scowls on their faces.
“Well, it’s good enough for us,” Grant Stone said, his tone firm. “Considering you and Geena aren’t yet married, but Skylar and Cory are, you might want to extend to him the same courtesy Skylar does you when it comes to who is capable of watching your son.”
“Geena loves Micah,” he said, giving Sky’s parents a grin that neither of them returned.
“And so does Cory.” Her father’s eyes landed on me, making my palms sweat. I nodded, and he tipped his chin at me with a smile. “And if we trust him with our grandson, you should too.”
Micah held his hands up and Mr. Stone scooped him out of Tommy’s grasp. He wrapped his little arms around his Grumpy’s neck and I let out a long breath. Tommy said his goodbyes and disappeared, the tension he’d kicked up going with him.
“Grammie, can we go get popcorn?”
“Sure can, sweetheart. Come on,” Darla Stone gave me a wink before she took her grandson’s hand and they headed for the concessions.
Mr. Stone let out a loud sigh, taking a seat in the chair beside mine, so I joined him. “I can’t keep track of how many times I’ve wanted to lay him out,” he said, scraping his hand down his face.
I only nodded, not wanting to admit how close I’d come just then to doing that very thing. But when he turned to look at me head on, I froze.
“That you haven’t done that yet tells me a lot about you. I know the only reason I don’t is because I love my daughter too much to make her life any harder.” He laughed, his smile growing wider. “I’m going to guess you feel the same.”
Letting the air rush out of me, I nodded. “I’d never do anything to make her or Micah uncomfortable. He’s not going anywhere, so we’ll figure out how to get on the same page.”
“I wouldn’t bother with getting Tommy on any page. Just so long a s you and Sky are aligned, that’s all you need. You can handle anything if you’re both on the same side of the fight.”
I appreciated his advice. Just like I appreciated him going to bat for me with Tommy just now. But being around them, as warm and welcoming as they’d always been to me, made me feel guilty all over again. Skylar must not have mentioned anything about last weekend to her parents. And the closer we got to race time, the more anxious I felt.
When Sky gave me a hug before I headed for the gate, I saw the wariness in her eyes. My grip on her tightened, and I kissed a line across her cheek. “I’ll be right back, baby,” I whispered, my lips to her ear. She gave me a quick nod before I finally let her go.
I did as I’d promised her, keeping myself on the safest line, holding back when I normally would have pushed. I qualified in the number eight spot and then in the main I finished ninth. It wasn’t the momentum building I’d hoped for, but the relief on her face when I found her back at the pit felt better than a top five finish ever would.
And when she took my hand as we left the arena for dinner with her family, she looked up at me with a smile so easy, so content, that it felt like we might finally be back on track. Like the gap between us was nearly closed, and every time I kept my word, I’d be able to build back what I’d almost broken.