14

 

“He’s gonna get the checkered flag!” Charlie bolted off his seat on top of the pit box and stood close to the rail. “Go, buddy! You’ve got it!”

“What?” Rori squealed, rising to lean against the rail next to Charlie. He was still a few cars back. How could Charlie predict that? “Graham’s going to win?”

“Looks like it.” He tore his gaze from the race to glance at her briefly. “He’s had a few close races lately, but no wins. You must be the incentive he needed.”

“I don’t think so. This is purely Graham’s doing.” She would hardly consider herself anybody’s incentive, let alone Graham’s. She turned her attention back to the car speeding towards the finish line.

“Go, Graham, go!” She chanted, not bothering to scream. Graham wouldn’t hear her, and she’d only blast poor Charlie’s eardrums.

“There’s a certain pretty lady cheering you on, buddy. Go get ‘em.” Charlie’s voice sounded over her headset even though she couldn’t hear him talking right next to her.

She glanced towards the crew chief, but Charlie only chuckled. Her attention returned to the race, and Graham’s severely dented car. Could he push it to the flag first?

Seconds passed.

Graham zoomed past the last driver that stood between him and the win, staying well to the inside.

The cars raced underneath as the checkered flag waved above them.

Laughing, she threw her arms in the air.

“Woo-hoo! Thanks, everybody. Great job today!” Graham’s voice hollered through the headset, clearly exhilarated.

Across the track, Rori made out Graham’s fist pumping through his open window.

“Backatcha, Graham. That was some spectacular racing. Way to steer clear of Salinger,” Charlie said. He tugged off his headset and faced her. “Let’s go.”

“Go?” Fear churned in Rori’s belly as she pulled off her headphones.

Charlie moved to the stairs and turned to extend a hand.

Rori’s legs refused to cooperate. “Go where?”

“To see Graham.”

“Oh. OK.” She was good with that. More than good, she confessed to herself. She followed Charlie, slogging through the masses of racing teams. She kept her gaze glued to Charlie’s back, ignoring the swarm of bodies as they scurried to prep cars to leave the track. A bead of sweat trailed down the hollow of her back.

These men and women were just trying to do their job.

No cause for alarm. If she kept telling herself that, she might be all right. There was a break in the crowd, and she looked around Charlie’s side to peer ahead. She caught a glimpse of the throng hustling in the same direction they were headed. Men and women toting cameras and microphones. Her heart plummeted, and her brain zapped an instant message to her legs. No. She wasn’t going in there. No way. She slowed her pace, allowing Charlie to widen the gap between them.

He must have noticed that she wasn’t directly behind him because he glanced over a shoulder, brows raised.

“I’ll catch up with Graham later,” she said, trying hard to make herself heard above the crowd’s din. She couldn’t stop the trembling that took over her body, rattling her shoulders and limbs. Her teeth started chattering. Would Charlie notice?

He turned around to face her, his expression uncertain. “Are you sure? Graham will want you to be there.”

He wanted to please his boss, but she couldn’t help. This was just asking too much. She nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure. You go. I’ll be all right.” And she would be. Once she reached the sanctuary of her home and was surrounded by her beloved animals instead of this horde of reporters. How she would manage that, she wasn’t sure yet, but she’d find a way even if it meant renting a car and driving all the way back to Harrison.

She turned around, scanning for the entry area to the RV section. So many people rushed by, jostling her from all directions. She closed her eyes, blotting them out of her vision, her pulse hammering with every bump and elbow to the back. She pressed a hand to her forehead, nausea welling up her throat. She had to get out of here. God, thank You for letting Graham win and allowing me to see it. But I can’t take this crowd anymore. Please help me find a way home.

A light touch landed on her shoulder. “Rori?”

She swung around, lifting heavy lids fraught with fear and tension.

“Oh, Sam. Hi.” Her voice came out husky. She sniffled and swiped her face with the back of her hand.

“Why aren’t you celebrating?” He flicked his head towards the mass of people thronging around Graham and the prized car.

She didn’t dare follow his gaze.

“I—” Wait a minute. Sam had been headed in the opposite direction of the crowd. Was the pilot her ticket out of here? Maybe he could get her to the airport. She could take it from there. “Sam, are you on your way somewhere?”

“I’m fixing to shuttle a few guys to the airport. Why? You need something?” His look was curious and friendly.

He could help her.

Thank You, God! You sure do work fast. “Do you think I could catch a ride?”

“Sure. Can you be ready in,” he glanced at his watch, “say, ten minutes?”

She nodded. She could leave right now if she had to.

“Good. Meet me at the spot where I dropped you off. We’ll be leaving with the first group to the airport.” He started to walk away, and then turned back around. “But, it’ll be a while before we leave for home. I have to make a couple trips back and forth before I get everybody to the airport and ready to go, and Graham has to stay for the interviews.” His brows sloped together, and a frown marred his face. “Graham may want you to wait—”

She shook her head, cutting him off. “No. That’s all right, Sam. Something’s come up, and I need to get home. I’ll take care of the return flight, but thanks. I’ll be ready and waiting for you.” You’ll take care of that, too, right, God? You’ve gotten me this far. I trust You to get me all the way home.

Now that the immediate area had thinned out somewhat, she looked around for the RV entrance. There it was. She hustled to Michelle and Geoff’s RV to collect her bag and write Graham a note. A goodbye note. She was a coward, but if God loved everybody like she’d heard in chapel that morning, then He loved cowards, too.

 

****

 

Where was she?

Graham ignored the woman in front of him, clutching a microphone, waiting for the camera guy’s signal. She could wait. He scanned the crowd, searching for a sign of a certain dark-haired beauty, the only female he really wanted standing next to him.

Charlie walked into the circle alone. Rori should have been with him.

Disappointment slinked into his gut.

Charlie clapped him on the shoulder. “Great race, buddy.”

“Thanks. You, too. Where’s Rori?”

Charlie took off his cap and scratched the top of his balding head. “Funny thing, boss. We were headed this way, and then she said she’d meet up with you later. She looked kinda pale, like she didn’t feel so good.”

Not good. His mouth opened to respond—

“In three. Two. One. We’re live.” The reporter turned her full attention on him.

He fielded her questions, forcing a smile to his face, but that was next to impossible.

What was going on with Rori? Was she sick? Had she stayed with Charlie the entire race? He should have warned Charlie about her condition and given him some kind of code to relay over the radio. As the interview wound down, he scrubbed a hand across his whisker-heavy jaw. Impatience made his answers terse and brief. He longed to get back to the RV and check on Rori.

“So would you like to tell us about your latest love interest?”

Graham’s head snapped back to the reporter, and although he smiled, his tone turned frosty and firm. “My personal life is off limits. I hope you all enjoyed spectacular racing today. Thank you.” He turned away from the microphone, signaling the end of the interviews.

Now to get these pictures out of the way, so he could check on Rori.

 

****

 

“Thanks for picking me up, Burk.”

Parked in the arrival lane at the airport, her brother stood next to the open passenger door. A couple cars waited further up the lane, but mostly the airport was deserted and quiet.

Burk held out his arms, and Rori stepped into them, drawing comfort from his strength. She pulled away and slid past him, sinking into the car’s leather seat, the leftover heat from the seat and the comfort of her brother’s kindness finally putting an end to her trembling. She stowed her bag on the floor. “Sorry to drag you out of bed.”

“I wasn’t in bed yet, so it’s all good. But even if I was, you know I’d still come for you.” He shut the door with a quiet click and walked around the back of the car, his long jean-clad legs sliding in the driver’s seat with ease.

How did her brother do it? How did he manage to stay strong while she and Beck fell apart at the seams? She sighed, hugging her arms. Her voice came out hoarse. “What are you doing still up? It’s after midnight.”

He shrugged, but didn’t answer, putting the car in gear and concentrating on the road.

Ahhh. Light bulb moment. She slapped a palm against her forehead. “You were expecting me to call, weren’t you?”

His dark head turned towards her briefly before angling back to the road. “Actually, you lasted a lot longer than I thought you would.” Pride and— was that amazement?—tinged his voice. He turned onto the entrance ramp to the interstate.

Just a few more minutes and she’d be home. Far away from the fast cars and the swarming media with their cameras. Far away from Graham. Her brother might be proud of her, but she wasn’t. And she was pretty sure Graham wouldn’t be, either. She closed her eyes and leaned her neck back against the seat, battling the longing and fear that threatened to tear her apart. She wanted to believe in love. Desperately wanted to believe. But a happily-ever-after ending just wasn’t a reality for her and Graham.

 

****

 

The fans had finally dissipated and most of the teams had pulled out. Graham hustled to the RV, his racing shoes pounding the grass in the quiet night. In the darkness, Graham made out the white piece of paper attached to the door. He clenched his fists, his heart plummeting to his toes. He snatched it from the door and scrambled inside to read it.

Graham, I’m so happy for you! You won! I had so much fun watching you race. Thank you for inviting me.

You probably suspect by now that I wasn’t feeling well, so I caught an early flight back home. I’m sorry that I couldn’t hang out with you after the race, but just seeing all the cameras and reporters swarming around you made me realize just how impossible a relationship between us would be. I can’t tell you how sad that makes me.

Hoping and praying all the best for you, Graham. You deserve it.

All my love, Rori

He crumbled the flimsy paper in his hand, a giant glob of emotion crawling down his throat and settling in his gut. What could he do? He could guard her privacy, could shield her from reporters and their nosey questions, but he couldn’t protect her from her own fear. That, she had to fight for herself. And for them.

Would she consider him worth fighting for?