The Champion (Racing on the Edge) (31 page)

My brutal glare stopped her before she gave in a muttered
a “sorry.” It was still very sore.

“You were saying?”

“Nothing
...
I
wasn’t saying anything. What did you want?”

“You,” I tipped my head toward her.

“No, not happening.” Her eyes widened when I cornered her
against the wall. “We have a party going on out there.”

“Like I give a shit about that,” I kissed along her jaw
before I slowly swept my tongue along her bare collarbone. Her arms tightened
around my neck and I knew I’d won.

Having sex while your wife was eight months pregnant was
difficult but in a tiny bathroom it was damn near impossible and Sway was not
helping by moaning wildly.

Just at the point where I’d be moaning myself, Aiden
knocked on the door.

“Hey Jameson, are you in there?”

Shit, do I lie?

“Uh, yeah dude.” Sway’s horrified eyes met mine
frantically. “I’ll be out in just a minute.”

He laughed. I’m sure he knew exactly what was going down
in here.

“We need to stop this.” Her attempts at pushing me away
ended when my fingers grazed her ignition switch.

“You were saying?” I leaned in to capture her lips with
my own.

Her whimper when my tongue entered her mouth confirmed she
didn’t want this to end.

“Shut up.” She told me with a scowl. “I was telling you
to shut up.”

I reached down to widen her stance against the countertop
she has hunched over so I had room to maneuver around the engine I knew so
well. My lips moved from hers to graze across her shoulder blades and the nap
of her neck where I gently bit. It worked.

“Oh god Jameson!” she screamed.

Hearing the chuckles outside the door from Spencer and
Aiden was the last thing I cared about when I let out a groan that could have
shook the entire goddamn house.

“Holy shit,” Sway gasped bracing herself against the edge
of the sink.

“That’s right.” I nodded haughtily pulling my jeans up.

“Such a jackass,”

“You weren’t saying that a moment ago.” I reached forward
drawing her against my chest. “It was something along the lines of
“oh
Jameson, you fuck so good!”
yeah that was exactly what you said.”

“Jesus,” she shook her head, one eyebrow quirked at me.
“I didn’t think your head could get any bigger. I was wrong.”

Once outside the bathroom, I had some explaining to do.

“Where’d you go daddy?” Axel asked dragging his little
friend Lily around with him.

Lily West was Justin’s daughter who was just a few months
shy of Axel’s age. Those two were just like Sway and me growing up, pretty much
inseparable.

Still buttoning my jeans since Sway left the goddamn door
open while I still wasn’t fully dressed, I answered him. “I had to shower.”

“There no shower in there,”

Shit.

“I just splashed some water over my face.”

He glared in my direction before looking over at Sway. He
was more perceptive than I give him credit for.

“Sure dad.”

Dumbfounded that my 4-year old son realized what his mom
and I were doing in the bathroom, I slipped back into the kitchen to give Sway
shit for leaving the door open to find her crying in the kitchen.

“Honey, what’s wrong.”

She turned to face me, smashing her face in my chest. Her
hands grasped at my shirt.

“I’m sorry
...
I
don’t want this baby to be born yet.”

“It won’t,” we still didn’t know the sex of the baby.
Just as Arie had done, this new little one refused to cooperate with us during
ultrasounds so it was a mystery as to what the addition to the brood would be.
“You still have another month to go.”

The baby wasn’t due until the beginning of February. We
had time to get Sway used to the idea of giving birth again. It didn’t dawn on
me that her water had broken right there until I noticed we were standing in
it.

Sway looked down and started crying harder.

“I can’t
...
I don’t
want to do this again.”

She hated giving birth but once it was over, she was
ready for more.

“It’s all right honey. We’ve done this two other times.”
I soothed gently stroking her back. “You’ll do fine.”

“No, I won’t.” she shook her head. “That’s easy for you
to say. You’re not shooting kids out your crankcase!”

“Well I should hope not.”

Her expression turned furious. “Jameson?”

“Yes,” I smiled trying to coax her into laughing.

“Shut the fuck up and take me to the hospital!”

 A few things happened in the matter of four hours.
Sway screamed loud enough that I was sure my eardrum had ruptured. Axel and
Arie were awarded blizzards for helping me control their hysterical mother
and
I got a speeding ticket.

Much to Sway’s surprise, and the cop who tried to pull me
over, I didn’t stop and now had three local police cars and a county sheriff
following me to Saint Peter’s hospital in Olympia.

“Daddy tobble,” Arie giggled when I pulled her out of her
seat to give the kids to my mom before I was arrested for resisting arrest.

Another four hours later and I was heading back to the
hospital when Aiden caught me in the hall.

“Dude, get in there.” he motioned toward the door to
Sway’s room. “She’s having the baby
right now
!”

When I entered the room, Sway was doubled-over, screaming
in pain.

“What’s wrong? Should she be in this much pain?” I
panicked when I looked into her eyes and saw fear. This was beyond the normal
childbirth pain, something else was wrong with her.

Dr. Sears stepped in front of me before I could reach
her. His hands came up in capitulation when he took in my impious glare.

“Everything is fine, Jameson.” His voice was urgent. “We
just need to take Sway for a cesarean. The baby is wrapped around the cord and
I can’t get him out naturally.”

I nodded and reached for Sway who was limp against the
bed, exhausted by hours of pushing.

“Honey, are you okay?”

“The baby
...
” was
all she managed to say before crying out in pain again. I felt the punch to my
gut hearing her cry out in pain, pain I couldn’t take away.

The doctors worked quickly; not as quickly as I would
have liked them too but eventually she was wheeled into an operating room where
I was forced to stand in the hall until I barreled through the doors with two
security guards on either side of me.

Dr. Sears shook his head. “I’m amazed you stayed out this
long.”

Disregarding his comment, I headed straight for Sway.
“Jameson?” she looked over toward the door and our eyes met. Hers were laced
with tears, confusion and concern, as were mine. “Is he okay?”

My eyes darted around the room looking for the baby. They
focused on the small infant struggling to breathe on his own while doctors
assisted him. He was blue and motionless.

Immediately I was beside Sway, reassuring her everything
was fine and praying I was right.

“He’ll be fine honey.” I choked out when I didn’t hear
any sounds coming from him.

“Jameson, don’t lie to me
...
I
don’t’ hear anything.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks. “I don’t know. I don’t know
if he’s okay.” I finally told her.

How could I tell my wife, who she had carried our child
for the last nine months that he wasn’t breathing and might not make it?

I couldn’t was the answer.

It was only another few seconds before we heard the
scream.

“Oh thank god,” Sway breathed into my cheek I had resting
against hers. “Go check on him. Please
...
tell
me if he’s okay.”

I could still hear his faint cries when the nurse
appeared beside me.

“See for yourself, Sway.” She said showing him to Sway.

Looking at him, it was as though we were looking at an
infant version of Axel again.

“He looks just like Axel did.” Sway said peeking over at
him in amazement.

“He does.” I agreed taking him gently from the nurse.
“He’s beautiful.” My eyes focused on Sway. I smiled when she smiled at me. “We
made some cute kids.”

“I was wrong
...
your
head can get bigger.”

Later that evening, the kids returned to see the new
addition.

“What his name?” Axel asked holding his newborn brother
later that night. “He cute,”

Sway and I exchanged a quick glance before I nodded and
winked at her. “What should we name him buddy? Mom and I thought you and Arie
could help us.”

Arie, who’d been squirming around in my arms, finally
relaxed enough that she’d fallen asleep. I shifted her weight to adjust my hold
on her prone sleeping position.

“Re-re sleeping,” He told me. “How we name him then?”

“How about you name him?” Sway suggested. “Arie would
call him “no” if she got to name him.”

It was true. My little rusty haired angel replied to most
everything with “no” or “daddy”. She thought I was the best thing in the world,
besides apple juice of course.

Axel, still holding his baby brother stared at him for a
good three minutes before looking up at us.

“How about Stagger?”

Sway looked over at me for assistance. She has a hard
time telling the kids no. She once brought home a monkey from the zoo because
the kids pressured her enough that she caved and purchased it. I didn’t even
know you could purchase a monkey from the zoo but apparently with enough
persuasion from a four-year old and a frantic mother, they offered up the
monkey.

The monkey Axel named “Mr. Pooter” was adopted by Spencer
and Alley a week later when he felt the need to wear Sway’s underwear around
our house.

“I don’t think Stagger would be a good one. What about
something a little more modern?”

“Modern?” He looked down at the baby again. “How ‘bout
Casten?”

I smiled, as did Sway.

My grandpa Casten had passed away this past summer of a
stroke. It was hard on our entire family, which I knew didn’t go unnoticed by
Axel.

“I think Casten is a great name for him.” Sway said
reaching for the baby Axel handed her. The baby whimpered the way Axel and Arie
both did when they were newborns. “Casten Anthony?” Sway smiled over at me.

Nodding in approval, I laid Arie beside Sway and then
picked up Axel.

“Why don’t we go get mama some ice cream?”

“You read my mind.” He said nodding readily. “I was just
thinking that she need owc cleam.”

Once in the cafeteria he confessed what I expected he
would.

“Daddy,” he began with the serious intense stare he had
when he wanted to get his point across. I had the same look so I knew this was
important to him. “Are you
...
I still
your little buddy?”

I stopped walking.

“Of course you are,” I knelt down to his level forcing
him to look at me. “What would make you think you’re not?”

He was silent for a moment before his nervous expression
met mine. “You have another boy now.”

Instantly, I scooped him into my arms.

“You’re always going to be my little buddy, no matter
what. Even if Mama and I had another ten boys
...
you
,”
I pointed to him. “are always going to be
my
little buddy. Do you know
why?”

“Because I race?” he offered.

“No,” I smiled softly. “You and I share something, just us.
We understand each other,” I tapped the side of my head. “and we have a special
bond buddy.” I wasn’t sure what else to say to him to convince him that I had a
special bond with
him
. I loved all my kids the same but you have
different bonds with each one. Axel and I, well we thought the same, acted the
same and looked identical. I’d always relate better to him for those reasons.
Axel also held a special place in my heart that reminded me of Sway and how we
got together in the first place. Something that was complicated as hell
resulted in something beautiful, Axel Charles.

Eventually we made our way back to Sway’s room where Axel
climbed into the hospital bed with Sway. She wrapped her arms around all three
of our kids.

Later that night after Aiden and Emma had taken Arie and
Axel for the night, Sway and I laid in bed with our newest addition.

“I can’t believe how much he resembles Axel.” Sway said
softly, her head rested against my chest.

“I know, it’s really weird,”

It was weird. They could have been twins. Arie looked a
lot like Axel and now Casten as well but she resembled Sway more with her wide
green eyes and heart shaped face whereas the boys were a mirrored image of me.

“I love you,” I told her pulling her closer to my chest
without hurting her.

“You better but I think I’m done popping out your kids
for a while.”

“I think three is enough.”

She was quiet for another few moments before she said the
words I expected to hear.

“I wish Charlie could have been here.”

“I know honey, I’m very sorry.” I murmured kissing her
forehead and then Casten’s.

Losing Charlie never got easier for Sway and it was part
of the reason we now lived in North Carolina. Being in Elma reminded her of
Charlie too much. But the thing about Elma was it always brought up back to where
we truly felt like a family.

15.
           
  Pit Board - Jameson

Pit Board – A
board used by the crew to inform drivers of lap times, lap until pit and other
various information. The board is used along with team radios to keep in constant
communication.

Taking care of Axel and Arie for a few weeks after Sway’s
C-section was a lot of fucking work. I never realized how much energy those two
had until I was alone with them. It wasn’t so bad when I just had one, but both
of them together—I couldn’t understand how in the hell Sway did this every day.