Hot Summer Nights (4 page)

Grimacing, Billy stretched his leg out in front of him. Lately everything he did caused his leg to stiffen, and it frustrated him. Lee and Wayne told him it was just a sign of him getting old, but they both worried.

“I just wanted to have a talk with you. When you’re out with this girl, you remember who her daddy is. You remember who he is to you and what that means for you and your future.”

He fought not to roll his eyes. It was a childish gesture, one he was working very hard to get rid of. If he wanted sponsors to take him seriously, he had to show that he meant every word he said. “I know who he is dad and I know what he means. I’m not gonna screw up my ride. It’s what I’ve worked my whole life for.”

“I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page, Wayne. The older you get, the more you get like me, and it scares me. I wasn’t much older than you when the accident happened.”

Wayne grimaced. He knew his dad was right on with that. Billy Harper had been 25 when his racing days were abruptly cut short. Justin Grimes, in a fit of jealous rage, had all but killed him in a premeditated racing accident. His brake line had been cut, his roll cage taken apart. It really was a miracle he had survived with only a bum leg.

“I know, Dad. I don’t think Kevin has what his dad had in him though. Besides he’s not going to do anything when I’m out with Clem. I promise, I’m going to be careful with all parties involved. Don’t worry about me. I’m an adult now.”

Billy lifted his hat off his head and scratched his hair in an easy manner. “I’m always gonna worry ’bout ya. You’re my youngest, and you got way more balls than Lee ever had. You’re plumb crazy.”

Lee, who had been walking by when he heard his name mentioned, opened the door. “He’s got that right. You are plumb crazy. But I do take offense to you saying he’s got more balls than me. I’m just smarter when it comes to how to use them,” he argued, hitting Wayne on the shoulder.

As much as Wayne loved to argue with his brother and shoot the shit with his dad, he just didn’t have the time. “As much as I’d love getting into a pissin’ match with you two, I just don’t have the time. I’m already runnin’ late as it is.”

He grabbed his wallet and shoved it in his back pocket before walking out and making his way through the shop. Hopefully they would all be gone later; maybe he’d bring her back here.

“You better not drive too fast, Wayne. You know what Sheriff Miller said. He can’t let you off again. I can’t afford another ticket on our insurance either,” his mom warned him from the passenger side of his dad’s truck.

Grinning, he made a detour and walked over to her. She was sitting with her head down copying recipes, probably to share with her quilting circle. Quietly, he snuck up beside her, and threw his arms around her neck.

“I promise to be good, mom.”

She screamed loudly, causing him to laugh. He reached around, kissing her on the cheek.

“Wayne Harper, you’re gonna be the death of me. You almost gave me a heart attack.” She swatted his hands away.

“I’m sorry, Mama. I got to be goin’. Ya’ll don’t wait up.”

Finally he was out the door and in his car. With any luck there would be no cops and he could get there in time.

‡

W
ayne cursed softly
as he pulled up to the Lewis’ ten minutes after he initially had wanted to. On his way, he’d gotten behind a tractor, and on the curvy back roads in the dark he was cautious about passing it. Never getting a good chance, he’d stayed behind it until it had pulled off at a farm a few miles up the road. Quickly, he made his way up the front door and knocked loudly.

Inside, Clementine blew out a deep breath. The ten minutes delay had given her just enough time to finish getting ready. Grabbing her purse, she opened the front door, a smile on her face.

“Sorry I’m late,” he started to apologize before stopping. “Wow, you look amazing.”

She blushed. Throwing caution to the wind, she had decided to pick out an outfit that she normally wore when she and her girlfriends would sneak to Nashville to go clubbing. A pair of very skinny jeans covered her legs, while a tight shirt fit her chest to a T, leaving just a little bit of skin exposed between the bottom of the shirt and the top of her jeans. “Thanks.” She winked, knowing that when she turned around to lock the door he would see even more.

“You don’t look so bad yourself. You clean up pretty nice for a grease monkey,” she joked. He had even left his ever-present hat off. She was impressed.

“Yeah right.” He laughed, a bit embarrassed by her compliment. It wasn’t very often he was getting complimented on his looks. Usually it was his driving ability. “You ready?”

“Yeah, just let me lock up,” she said, stepping out of the door and closing it. As she turned around, she heard his sharp intake of breath. The shirt she wore was backless save for one teeny strip of fabric that held it up through the middle of her back.

“You okay?” she asked as she locked the door and turned back around to face him.

He cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah…um…where in the hell did you get a shirt like that?”

She laughed. “What you and a lot of other people don’t know about me is that I like to dance. My girlfriends and I go to a club in Nashville sometimes. I got this there and I wear it there a lot. I decided to live on the edge tonight though and wear it out here in town. Is it too much?”

“No, you look amazing. I’m a lucky bastard to be able to go with you.”

They walked off the porch and made their way to his car. When they got to the passenger side door, she grinned as he opened the door for her. “Such a southern gentlemen,” she teased.

“If my mama heard about me being anything less, she’d kick my ass.”

He came around to the driver’s side and climbed in. The roar of the engine caused goose bumps to show on her skin. Clementine loved being at the track, and she loved the roar of the engines. There was truly nothing she loved more.

“You like the way it sounds?” he asked, watching as her eyes got big when he revved the engine.

“Yeah, it sounds really good. I love the way a well-tuned engine sounds. I guess it’s from being at the track so much.”

“A girl after my own heart,” he teased as he turned out of the driveway.

She watched as he drove the back roads. His hands never wavered on the steering wheel, even when he took a curve just a little too fast.

“So where are we goin’?”

“Figured we could go to Sadie’s Restaurant and have some dinner. Then I thought maybe a movie, but seeing as how you love engines…you wanna go to my shop?”

A large smile covered her face. No one, not even her father, had ever taken her love of engines and the inner workings of a car seriously. She couldn’t believe that Wayne was actually doing so. As they made their way into town, he stopped at the light at the corner of the main drag that led to Sadie’s. Beside them, Kevin Grimes pulled up as well.

“Clem! Why don’t you hop out of that car, honey. C’mon over here to a winner!” he yelled, looking at the two of them.

Wayne revved his engine as Kevin did the same. He looked across the seat at Clem.

“So whatdya say? Should I smoke his doors or not?”

Clem looked up at the red light. Out of her peripheral vision she could see the light for thru traffic turning yellow. If she was going to make a decision it had to be now.

“Yeah, smoke ’em.” She giggled right as the light turned green.

Wayne grinned, shoving his foot on the accelerator and beginning the shift through the gears. Kevin hadn’t been prepared and stalled as soon as he hit the gas.

“Guess he was too scared.” Wayne laughed, pulling into the diner.

*

“You ever been
to a real shop before?” Wayne asked as they made their way into the shop he used.

Dinner had been a nice affair. He got to see the real Clem, not the airs she put on for everybody, and not the girl she wanted her daddy to know. He got to see the real her. She was way more intelligent than anyone had given her credit for. Being around racing and so many different types of people her whole life, she had picked up on a lot of things. He’d known she was intelligent, but she damn near knocked his socks off.

“Not a real one. Daddy never had one of those. He’s just always had the junkyard out back.”

He led them inside and turned the overhead lights on. She gasped. The place was immaculate. All the tools were in their proper spots, the car sitting in the middle of the shop looking spotless.

“It’s so weird seeing it here by itself with no other cars around it and without being covered in dirt.”

“It is a little different. Do you want me to open it up so you can look under the hood?” he asked.

Her eyes sparkled as she nodded enthusiastically. He opened the hood and leaned against the car with her.

“I have no idea what half this stuff does, but it fascinates me like you would not believe. It looks absolutely beautiful on the inside.”

“Yeah it is,” he said, glancing at her and not the inside of the car.

She noticed the changed in his voice and turned her face to watch him. He was looking straight at her. They turned to face each other at the same time. Carefully, he placed his arms around her, pulling her closer to his body. She leaned into him and he moved her hair back from her face.

“You’re so different than what I ever thought you were. It’s amazing I’ve known you my whole life, but never knew how much engines interested you.”

She dipped her head down a bit, embarrassed by how she had let her guard down.

“Wayne, there’s a ton of things people don’t know about me. They think they do, and they like to act like they know everything about Clementine Lewis because they see me every day at the store. They see me every weekend at the track, but they don’t know anything. There’s so many times I’ve wanted to yell at people, ‘stop acting like you know me, because you don’t.’ I think I’m really just getting to know myself,” she said, looking up into his eyes.

“I’d love to help you with finding yourself. Maybe you can help me find myself too. A lot of the time I’m what everyone wants me to be because the dreams of this town hinge on what I do. At least that’s the way I feel. Sometimes I just wanna let loose, ya know?”

“I know exactly how you feel.” She nodded. “It’s like you just want to break loose and say ‘Watch me—I’m going to do something I don’t normally do.’” She laughed, excitement ringing in her voice.

Wayne couldn’t help it. He had to kiss her. He’d wondered for years what it would be like. Now he had the opportunity in the palm of his hands. Carefully, he leaned into her and brushed his lips against hers. His fingers tangled in her hair as he pulled her closer to him, rubbing his body against hers. In the back of his mind, he wondered just how hot the fling would get.

‡

“I
’m hotter than
a preacher in a whore house out here,” Wayne complained as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

His father chuckled as he watched his youngest son take his shirt off and grab a bottle of water. They couldn’t let the heat bother them, though; they had to get their tobacco hung before it started raining. Judging by the moisture he felt in the air, it wasn’t far away.