The Champion (Racing on the Edge) (41 page)

I
see how I rate. How’s Axel doing?

Good.
They’re getting ready to start the B-Main. He’s starting tenth with the inversion.

They’re
inverting them?

That’s
what I said but yes, Jeff decided to invert them when Axel won the C-Main by an
entire lap.

Let
me guess
...
they pulled the
engine for inspection after that?

Jameson knew USAC all too well.
Yep.

Tell
him good luck for me. I’m heading out for qualifying now.

Good
luck to you too then and yes
...
I miss you!

Miss
you too honey.

“Sway?” Emma called out on her hands and knees inside the
trailer. I tucked my phone inside my purse and peeked through the double doors.
“Have you see Charlie. Noah is over
...
”
she sighed and threw her hands up. “He was right there. What the fuck!”

“Emma
...
” I
giggled and pointed inside Axel’s back-up car. Both Charlie and Noah were
curled up in the seat, sleeping.

“Awww
...
” Emma
cooed and snapped a picture with her phone to send to Aiden. “They are so
cute.”

“
When
they are sleeping,” I amended with a smile.

I had to admit, with their black wavy hair and bright
blue signature Riley eyes, they were adorable but they were shit heads. Having
just turned four in November last year, they were slightly more behaved but
still assholes if you ask me. I had a feeling most would agree with me,
especially Aiden right now who had a broken arm because of those two.

The horn sounded in the pits letting us know if was time
for the kids to line up for the main so I made my way over to Tommy and Axel as
they lined up on the grid. My little boy was fumbling with his helmet while his
head rested on the wheel. Nancy, who had followed me over there with the kids,
motioned toward the stands and herded the rest of the kids into the bleachers
while I tended to Axel.

I crouched down beside him, rubbing his back. “Are you
okay little buddy?”

When he looked up at me, his eyes said it all. Axel was
very confident when he was on the track but his nerves got to him before each
race, something Jameson never had to deal with. I’m sure there were times when
Jameson had nerves but not like Axel. At times he would become physically sick
before a race.

“I’m scared.” He told me softly.

I very nearly cried when I saw him on the verge of tears
as well. With over 270 other kids here racing, the fact that he even made it to
the B-Main should have showed him he shouldn’t be scared. But with 270 other
kids, that’s what scared him the most.

Where is Jameson for this sort of thing? Or Justin,
yes, Justin would be good too.

Only another racer could have reasoned with Axel when he
was like this. I’ve tried before but it’s always been Jameson who has calmed
our little guy down. His fears broke through and he admitted, “I want daddy
here.”

I wasn’t exactly Axel’s favorite; I knew where I stood
with him. Jameson first, me second.

By the grace of god I think, Lily came hopping around the
corner of his car and kissed his helmet. “Good luck Axel, I’ll be cheering!”
she said with her excited blue eyes glowing toward him.

Axel perked up. “Really?”

“Yep, I made this.” She pointed to the sign in her hand
she made that said:
Go Axel
Riley #9!

 Awww, to be five again.

“See buddy,” I encouraged rubbing his back again. “We
will all be cheering with you. I’m gonna video tape it too so daddy will see
it.”

“You mean he get to watch me later?” His anxiety washing
away as he spoke.

“I will show him as soon as I see him.” I promised and
kissed him good luck leaving him alone with Lily for a minute. At five, they
hardly had much of a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship but they kissed on the
cheeks.

Ami walked up holding Kale on her hip. “How’s he doing?”

Shaking my head as Lily reached in and hugged him, I
leaned into Ami’s shoulder. “How come she can comfort him but his mommy can’t?”

“Oh sweetie,” Ami cooed rubbing my shoulder with her one
free arm. “I feel the same way. Lily told me last week when she fell off the
monkey bars that she wanted Axel.”

“How’d Justin take that?”

“He wasn’t there but when I told him later he wasn’t
thrilled that Axel rates higher than we do.”

We both watched as Lily skipped away to sit in the stands
with the rest of the kids and wave her sign as the cars rolled onto the track.

Tommy pushed his car off and then sat down beside me with
a huff. “That kid is pickier than his father.”

I just giggled as he wiped sweat from his brow.

“Poor fire crotch.” I reached over to ruffle his orange
curls.

“Cut it out, people are looking at us.” He pushed my
hands away.

“What are you talking about?”

“People
...
they’re
looking.”

I glanced around; no one was paying any mind to us. “No
one is looking at us.”

His eyes glanced toward a woman off to the left sitting
with her son. “Someone is looking.”

Oh, I get it.
Fire crotch had the hots for the
mama in front of us. Ami, sitting beside me, started laughing. This was my
chance to embarrass fire crotch and I took every opportunity I could to act on
this and now wasn’t any different.

When I went to stand, his arm caught mine and pulled me
back down roughly. “Don’t you even think about it shit head.”

“I’m thirsty.” I told him smacking my lips together. Ami
was now laughing so hard she was crying and snorting. I turned toward her.
“You’re not helping. Stop it.”

This did nothing for her attempts and made her laugh
harder. Our kids noticed from two rows in front of us and looked back at us as
if their parents had lost their minds. If only they knew we never had them in
the first place.

“Do not move.” Tommy warned and clicked his stopwatch. I
lost interest in embarrassing fire crotch when the four pace laps the kids ran
were completed, and the green flag was dropped. At this particular event, they
allowed for a one-way receiver in the cars attached to the helmets that helped
with safety for the kids.

“Green flag,” Tommy told Axel as the cars all raced
toward the line.

If you have never been to a quarter midget race, you’re
missing out for two reasons. The crazed parents and the little racers who
couldn’t keep their cars on the track. They never could complete more than a
lap or two without someone spinning themselves or someone else.

Not my little guy though, he kept his car straight, paid
attention to the flags and other cars with the help of Tommy and even passed
others. Their B-Main event was 20 laps—by lap 7, Axle was leading.

His fan club in front of us started cheering like crazy,
even jumping up and down. I made sure I got them on the video for Jameson.

“I think he’s gonna pull this off.” Tommy nodded with a
smile when Axel took the white flag.

I could hardly control my excitement, handed the camera
to Ami and started cheering just as loudly as the kids for him.

“Go buddy go!” I yelled acting like a complete idiot.

Everyone cheered. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of
the Jr. Animal 120 class, Axel Riley!”

Quickly, I sent a text to Jameson and Alley letting them
know he’d be in the A-Main tomorrow. I knew Jameson was in the car right now so
I figured Alley would tell him.

Later that night Emma, Nancy, Ami and me along with Tommy
took all the kids out for Pizza. I took some time to step out and call Jameson
to see if he’d be able to make it tomorrow since he didn’t reply to my text.

“Hey honey,” he answered in a low voice. I could hear the
faint sounds of engines revving in the background and assumed they were making
some changes to the car.

“How’d qualifying go?” I already knew he got third based
on ESPN playing in the restaurant but I always asked.

“Got third
...
we’re
changing out the gears though, hopefully that will make it better.” He told me.
“How’s Axel?”

“He’s missing you. He keeps asking when you will see the
video of him in the B-Main.”

“How about tomorrow?”

“What?”

“Tomorrow
...
what
time does the main start?”

“The Jr. Animal 120 main starts at ten.”

Jameson was silent for a moment before he covered the
phone with his hand and yelled for Alley. “Can Wes get me there by ten?”

“Yes, he will have you there anytime you need.”

“Really?” I asked. Not only would Axel be pumped but so
was I.

Jameson thanked her and then asked, “What hotel are you
in?”

“Radisson Garden Inn,” I told him. “Are you coming
tonight?”

“I think I will. That way I can spend more time with you
guys and then be back in time for happy hour Saturday afternoon.”

We ended our call soon after that when it got too loud
for me to hear him. He asked me not to tell the kids he was coming—he wanted to
surprise them.

When Axel saw all the kids who raced with him today, with
their dads, it took all I had not to tell him.

You don’t really see the strain our lifestyles put on
everyone until you see it in the eyes of our children. They didn’t deserve it
but they took the brunt of it.

Later that night most of us were back in the suite
getting ready for bed when Arie was telling Axel a very detailed description of
her encounter with a spider earlier in the day. He wasn’t nearly as into it as
she was but Casten thought it was funny—he thought everyone was funny.

“It was really big!” Arie motioned with her hand in a circle
that I’m sure a whale could stick his head through. There was no way the spider
was that big and if there was, I would never return.

Axel, who was brushing his teeth, spit in the sink and
wiped his mouth with his hand. “I’m sure.” He replied with a roll of his eyes.

For being five, he had quite the attitude, much like his
father.

Casten walked up to me and handed me his diaper he had
removed. “Ucky,”

“Monkey, you need to keep this on. I don’t want you
...
” I didn’t finish the words before I felt
the little trickle of pee down my bare calf.

“I’m not a fire hydrant kid!” I told him picking up my
laughing little monkey. He’d be two in January so I knew potty training was
nowhere close to the light, but I still hoped since he wouldn’t keep his damn
diaper on. Axel was nearly three before he was completely potty trained and
Arie was two. So far, every child was different but with Casten, he was in no
rush. He just liked to have fun and taking off his diaper and peeing on people
was funny to him.

Right before I put the kids to bed, there was a knock on
the door. I smiled and looked over at Axel who was pulling his blankets up over
his chest. Lily crawled into bed beside. “Hey, where did you come from?” I
didn’t remember Lily coming into our room.

“My mommy said I could sleep here.”

“Oh did she
...
?”

What a traitor. She knew I already had three in this
suite with me and now she’s adding to the madness. Ami thought it was funny
watching me parent. A lot of people did. I couldn’t understand what they found
so entertaining about it, probably because I had no idea what I was doing.

The person at the door knocked again, I figured it was
Jameson so I looked over at Axel. “Why don’t you go get the door buddy?”

He didn’t hesitate before he bolted out of bed with Lily behind
him.

“Who are you?” Axel asked when the door opened.

Who are you?
Surely, that wasn’t Jameson. Nervous
who was knocking on our door, I walked toward the door.

Before I could make it around the corner, the man
answered. “I’m Gab, is your mommy in here?”

“Gab who?” Axel asked, I giggled when I came around the
corner to see Axel with one hand securely around Lily and the other holding the
door from opening any further. My strong little boy.

“Gab Kinney,”

“We don’t know a Gab Kinney.”

The man sighed and looked in our room. “Is your mommy
here or not?”

I didn’t like his tone, not at all. It was demanding and
no one was demanding to my kids unless I said so. I did not say so to this
Gab
,
who I’d never met before. I quickly dialed Van and then hung up when he
answered. This was our silent way of letting him know we needed him. Like I
said, Van was never far from me and the kids—he had the room next to us.

“I’m his mommy
...
who
are you?” I saw Van appear behind him in the doorway.

This Gab fellow looked relieved to see an adult but
hadn’t noticed Van watching behind him. He looked around the same age as me,
maybe a few years older. Dark hair, tan, brown eyes, almost appeared to be
Mexican or at least someone in his family was Mexican.

Gab smiled. “I’m Gab Kinney—a representative with A-Tech.
I’d like to speak with you about maybe sponsoring your son here.”

Axel smiled and looked back at Gab. “Well then come in.”

I stopped him before this. “I’m sorry
...
I’d rather you speak with my husband about
anything to do with his sponsorship. JAR Racing is the primary sponsor but I’m
sure they would be willing to explore others.”

Van came into the room behind Gab. “Oh,” Gab looked
between Van and me. “Is this your husband?”

“No,” I told him. “My husband is Jameson Riley, I’m sure
you’ve heard of him.”

Gab looked confused. “No, actually I haven’t.”

He’s either lying about knowing Jameson or lying about
being a representative with A-Tech, a company that designed titanium engine
parts. Surely, being in racing, or at least representing a company that was so
heavily involved in USAC, he should know who Jameson Riley was.