The Champion (Racing on the Edge) (25 page)

The offseason was passing quickly and before we knew it
Thanksgiving had arrived.

“You’d be surprised where your life can take you, Andrea.
Hell Jameson and I got drunk on Purple Rain drinks and slept together. Look
where that landed us.” I motioned to Axel sitting beside Mr. Jangles on the
floor while he took a few handfuls of his fur from him.

Andrea and I were discussing her recent involvement with
Van. I kind of thought something was up between them when they left together
after our Fourth of July party, but I didn’t want to assume anything.

Turns out, Andrea needed a woman to talk to.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Andrea asked
peeling potatoes for dinner.

“Yes, did it?” I stuffed a cookie in my mouth.

We were waiting for everyone to show up for Thanksgiving dinner
at Emma and Aiden’s house. Andrea and the twins flew in last night and when
Van’s eyes lit up, I knew something was up.

“Well
...
I think
you just told me to get drunk and sleep with Van.” Avoiding eye contact, her
eyes focused on the beer I was holding. I knew that look. I’d perfected it in
my pit lizard days.

I angled my beer toward her. “Pretty much,”

She smiled.

“You whore!” I giggle snorted.

“You’re one to talk!”

She had me there. I shrugged once. “True, what did he say
afterwards?” I asked wondering what it was like for others that this happened
to.

“Umm
...
it happened
after the Fourth of July party.” Her eyes did that please-don’t-judge-me
sideways glance. “I freaked out afterwards because of the whole Charlie thing
and being too soon and that he would think it was a mistake
...
anyway,” she shook her head reaching for
another potato in the bag. “He said one thing that I’ll always remember. He
said: I just want to feel
...
feel
anything. For so long I’ve hidden myself away but I want to feel something. I
don’t want to be like this forever.”

When she looked up, I was emotional eating and stuffing
cookie after cookie in my mouth. “Oh my god
...
poor
Van! I had no idea he felt like that.” Another cookie, “He just seemed so
...
together
.”

“That’s what you see. When he’s not working or
...
he’s
just
different.”

“I guess so.”

Our conversation soon drifted as everyone made their way
into the kitchen to check on the food we were cooking.

I should clarify. Nancy was cooking and Andrea and I were
catching up and peeling potatoes. I hadn’t seen them since the Fourth of July
party. I couldn’t believe how much the Lucifer twins had grown.

Logan was finally as tall as Lucas and they seemed to
have been acting more mature. The other thing I noticed was how much they were
starting to resemble Charlie.

Emma waddled into the kitchen, holding her side. “Is
there anything to eat in here? I’m starving.”

Just about then, Spencer walked in too, looking for food.
“Careful sis, if your ass gets any bigger you’ll need a beeper when you back
up.” He snickered popping a couple deviled eggs in his mouth and sat down on
the stool next to me.

“You’re such an asshole, Spencer.” I told him shaking my
head in disapproval when Emma burst into tears that someone called her fat.

“Hey
...
I’m honest.”
Spencer crammed another egg in his mouth. Jameson walked in right about then
and leaned against me. “You’re just lucky you didn’t have twins with all the
ice cream you ate.”

Jameson stuck up for me and smacked the back of Spencer’s
head.

“What the fuck are you talking about? Sway was never fat
when she was pregnant.”

“Ow fuck!” Emma screamed and clutched her stomach.

Aiden ran into the kitchen to grab her but slipped on the
water she had spilled.

Only problem was, that wasn’t water from the sink. Emma was
in labor.

It’s just like the women in our family to go into labor
on a holiday or a major event. All the Riley children were born after a race
that Jimi won. Lane was born in the pits at a dirt track. Axel was born on
Christmas. Lexi was born after the Daytona July race and now the twins
...
Thanksgiving.

What can I say? We specialized in excitement.

The next few hours were spent calming Emma and Aiden
down. They were freaking the fuck out, worse than Jameson and I when we went
into labor. At least she didn’t need to get dressed and spend hours just
getting her husband to wear his own clothes.

Once they were at the hospital, Emma delivered the twins
within two minutes of getting there. Jameson drove them because he insisted
that he was the only qualified driver. Smartass.

Everyone stayed out in the waiting room until Aiden came
out with a huge grin.

“Emma is doing great
...
after
being sedated
...
but she’s great.” He
waited for a moment, as though he practiced saying that in the mirror or something
before his eyes went wide. Clearly, we wanted to know more. “Oh
...
the babies are great too.”

I don’t think you could have wiped that grin off his
face.

For someone who didn’t want kids, he sure seemed happy
that his boys had arrived safely.

Alley and I jumped to our feet at the chance to see the
twins. Nancy stayed at the house with Jimi to watch the Lucifer twins, Lane,
Axel and Lexi so we could assist Aiden with Emma.

Emma was in a bit of a frenzy once the doctors told her
there was no time for pain medication. Can’t say I blame her on that one.

“What are their names?” I asked when I peered down at the
one in my arms. Alley was holding the other.

Emma and Aiden exchanged a loaded glance, as did Jameson.

“What?” I looked back and forth between the three of
them. Spencer and Alley were too caught up in staring at the other baby.

Jameson, who had been standing against the door just
watching me smiled and made his way over to pull me against his chest gently.

“The one you’re holding
...
is
Charles James.” He whispered softly kissing the side of my head.

I burst into tears. Another moment in my life when I was
crying and not in a normal way, snot, tears, heaving, slobber
...
had it all.

Jameson even had to take baby Charlie from me.

“Shhh
...
shhh
...
it’s okay, honey.” He soothed against me.

“I know
...
it’s
just that
—
” I gave up trying to answer
and cried into his hooded sweatshirt.

Once I finally calmed down—took me a good twenty
minutes—but once I did, I was able to hold Charlie again and learned that the
baby Alley wouldn’t let go of was named Noah David.

Two new little Gomez babies arrived on Thanksgiving.

Giving birth seems intense and maybe even magical but the
act itself is disgusting to me. Even though it’s disgusting it still holds
something incredible which is new life.

11.
           
    Adding Spoiler –
Sway

Adding Spoiler –
This is a term used to describe the changing of the direction of a spoiler or
wing on a race car. Usually adjusting the angle of the spoiler creates down force
and gives the car more grip on the track.

It wasn’t long after the birth of Emma and Aiden’s boys
and we found ourselves heading to New York for the championship banquet.

Watching my husband give his second championship speech
was probably right up there with the day our son was born. I was so proud of
him. He worked so hard for everything. He deserved this.

I sat there in my cream
stupidest-idea-ever-with-a-baby-in-your-lap evening gown with Axel, elated. He
was wearing a tiny tuxedo that resembled Jameson’s and I don’t think I had
stopped smiling since I put it on him.

He was adorable.

My smile widened when they announced my husband. My eyes
locked with Jameson standing in the shadows of the stage; his head bent forward
displaying the nervous energy he fought so hard to disguise.

“What this young man has done in the last two years most
spend their entire careers trying to accomplish and this twenty-four year old
kid has done it with poise and reverence. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome
your Nextel Cup Series Champion, Driver of the Ford number nine Simplex Shocks
and Springs, Jameson Riley!”

When Axel heard his daddy’s voice, his head shot toward
the stage.

Jameson made his way to the podium and stopped. His head
remained bent forward staring at his hands before he smiled and slowly met the
gaze of the audience as they cheered.

He then laughed and shook his head as the cheering
continued longer than it had last year. In the background, they played a video
montage of his season highlighting each win and then a few of the disappointing
finishes he’d had. I watched closely as Jameson turned and watched the video
until the screen stayed on the image of him holding the championship trophy
beside his dad in Homestead.

With a smirk, he faced the podium again. He nodded again
and took a deep breath, a nervous energy radiated from him.

“There are so many people I need to thank this year and I
know I can’t think of all of them so if I forget you, I’m truly sorry.” He
smiled and looked over at Axel and me sitting on the side of the stage and
winked.

He went on to thank his crew, sponsors, family, and a
handful of drivers. I knew I was crying when he started thanking his family and
naming each one and the strength they brought to the team. I could feel the
tears tickling my cheeks as they ran down my face. Axel, who was still seated
on my lap, looked up at me when he sensed my hysteria. I thought maybe I should
control myself but all I could do was sit and watch my best friend, my husband
and the father of my son, thanking everyone he thought deserved this title more
than him.

Kyle looked at me with wide eyes at one point. I waved
him off and continued my girly-emotional-breakdown.

As I couldn’t stop crying, Axel had wiggled loose and all
but ran over to Jameson. My dress wasn’t exactly the dress to wear if you
needed to chase a kid around but before I could make a fool of myself, Jameson
waved me off.

When Axel reached him the crowd
awwd
in response.

Jameson bent down and picked him up. “This is my son,
Axel.”

Everyone, including me,
awwd
again at the look
they exchanged with each other and Axel gave him that big cheesy grin he was so
good at.

“This little man and that
absolutely
beautiful
woman sitting right there,” he pointed at me, keeping his eyes locked with
mine, “are my inspiration. They never let me down and late at night when
everything else fades away, they are there for me
...
no
matter what
.” He winked at me again. “I never thought I’d win another
championship this soon. Hell, I never thought I’d win the first one but
everyone I thanked
...
they deserve this
just as much as I do, if not more.”

The proud Mama Wizard I was lost it completely and cried
against Jimi’s shoulder.

Adding Spoiler – Jameson

After the championship banquet we planned a birthday
celebration for our little spaz. It seemed, though it seemed this way every
year, no matter what I did to slow the off season, time flew by.

Emma really did out do herself on it once again. It
looked like a winter wonderland, complete with an ice-skating ring, which I
found dumb seeing as he was one and could barely walk let alone skate.

What really annoyed me was the white fake snow
everywhere. Somehow, the shit kept ending up in my mouth somehow.

How did someone put up with all those flakes?

It got everywhere and it was impossible to get rid of. It
was so grainy and obtrusive and no matter how much I tried to brush the shit
off, it stuck to my skin and clothes like tar. How was I supposed to enjoy
myself when miniature microbes were attacking me?

Van approached me as I tried to put together Axel’s
go-kart Justin and I built for him.

“It looks like a goddamn snow globe exploded in here.”
Van huffed brushing the white flakes from his JAR Racing sweatshirt.

“It’s annoying.” I agreed brushing more away.

“Have you seen Lucas?” he asked handing me a wrench I
needed but couldn’t reach.

“No
...
why?”

“He ate a quarter.”

“Kids eat quarters all the time.” Spencer said when he
walked up. “I wouldn’t worry about it.
Now
...
if
he shits two dimes and a nickel
...
then
you should worry.”

The guys stood joking around with me as I finished
putting together the kart.

Over the last year, Van was like part of the family. He
still served as our bodyguard but most of the time he was hanging out with us
like he was our brother and it suited all of us just fine.

Looking around, I searched for my wife to let her know I
had finished up with the kart. Sway was busy with the kids since we had a shit
load here. Just a year ago, it was only Lane and the Lucifer twins around. Now
we had Axel who turned one a week ago; Alexis, who was just shy of five months
and then Aiden and Emma’s twins, Noah and Charlie who were a little over four
weeks old.

I repeat—we had a shit load of kids.

Lane jumped on my back before I could make it over to
Sway who was chasing Axel across the yard.

“Uncle Jameson!”

“Hey buddy!” I reached around and pulled him into a
headlock, his legs dangled around me as he fought to get loose. Alley
approached us carrying Lexi in her arms.