The Champion (Racing on the Edge) (49 page)

“You’re right.” I offered. “I don’t know if he loves you
but I can tell you from a man’s perspective, he appears to.”

She was silent and then turned to hug me. Carefully,
trying not to lead her on any more than I already had, I wrapped my arms around
her returning the hug and then pulled her away to arms’ length.

“Go get him.” I told her with a wink.

There were times where I got lonely and I missed Sway but
the thought never crossed my mind to turn to another woman. Like I said, it
wasn’t an option for me, never would be.

Another woman to frequently try her luck was Nadia.

Now Sway never came out and said it but I knew her
feelings toward Nadia. It was the same as every other wife whose husband raced
in the series. They didn’t trust her.

I also never appreciated how Nadia thought she was better
than our wives. She thought because she was out there with us that she was
better than them as though they didn’t have the drive to do what she had done
in the sport.

Well to me, our wives had done more.

Nadia also thought the wives were gold diggers and never
took the time to think otherwise. What she didn’t know was that, Sway, for
example, ran Grays Harbor Raceway most days, made sure everyone with JAR
Racings got their flight schedules; drivers were paid, raised our kids and kept
me grounded.

To me, she had the hardest job out of all of us.

She was there when the spotlight wasn’t.

Something I knew a girl like Nadia wouldn’t be. She
reminded me so much of Ashley and Chelsea it was revolting.

But, I still was pleasant to her when needed.

Sometime after the summer race in Charlotte, I was at a
bar with Tyler having a drink when Nadia showed up. He’d yet to meet her so I
introduced them and that was that. We parted ways for the night.

Only problem was when Tyler went to the bathroom, Nadia
found me at the bar.

“So what, you’re gonna ignore me?” she asked when she
stood there for a good few minutes and I had yet to say anything to her. The
paper wrapping on my beer was more interesting than conversation with her.

“I was trying to. You’re making it hard.” I told her and
finally looked at her.

She had green eyes that I never noticed until tonight.
They shined in the lighting of the bar. But still, I wasn’t tempted by her even
though I hadn’t seen my wife in over a week. Yeah, it would have been easy for
me to act on impulse, driven with just hormones but that wasn’t me.

“You’re always an asshole, aren’t you?”

 “How would you know?” My eyes focused on hers and
laughed. “You made your mind up about me a long time ago.”

“No, you made it for me.” She replied and motioned for
the bartender to get her a beer and one for me.

“I’m not always a bad guy.” I said looking at her again.

She smiled. “I know. I was just giving you a hard time.”
Her hand came up and rested on my shoulder. “How bout a drink.”

Against my better judgment, Tyler and I had a drink with
her. When Tyler left around midnight, I got up to leave and Nadia reached for
my hand. I wasn’t comfortable with how close she was.

“Just one more?”

“Listen,” I stood from my stool and distanced myself from
her. “I think you got the wrong impression here.”

“You’re seriously going to pass up?”

I turned and looked at her over my shoulder. “Yeah, I
am.”

I then tossed a fifty at the bar and left without another
glance.

Like I said, these women were never an option. Did I tell
Sway about the encounter?

No.

I wasn’t trying to keep something from my wife but then
again, I didn’t want her worrying about something she didn’t need to.

Once September rolled around it was time for Dirt
Nationals in Eldora. Fortunately for me, the cup schedule opened up and I was
able to attend. Sway was with Arie at her dance recital. I’ve been to a dance
recital and though I loved watching my little girl and niece Lexi dance around
like the little angels they were, I could only handle so much pink and
screaming little girls.

So here I was, with my boys. Only problem was my little
guy was extremely temperamental tonight.

After hot laps when the USAC official told me Axel needed
to cool it or he’d be suspended, I felt the need to talk to him.

When he pulled the car beside me, slammed his helmet
against the side of his car and kicked the left rear tire, I intervened.

“What’s with you?”

“Nothing,” He snorted. “Nothing is wrong.”

“Bullshit.”

My little guy was a typical eleven-year old these days,
hormonal and aggressive, just like his dad. Laughing I pulled him with me
toward the concession stands.

“C’mon buddy, let’s get you a beer or something.”

Axel ended calming down after inhaling about three
hotdogs and begging for that beer (which he never received). Sway made it
before the feature events began and then ended up having to leave when Arie
puked all over her. This left me alone with Axel, Casten and of course Lily—who
refused to go anywhere if Axel wasn’t with her.

“Keep an eye on him.” Sway told me as I carried Arie to
the car. She had apparently been sick all day but wanted to see Axel race despite.
“He seems
...
like his dad tonight.”

“I know.” I grinned and kissed her and Arie goodbye. “We
should be home sometime after midnight I assume.”

When I got back to Axel’s pit, two USAC officials had
separated him and Payton, another quarter midget driver.

“What the hell happened?”

Casten laughed. “Axel punched Payton.”

I turned toward Axel, who was sitting next to his race
car, nursing a bloody lip. “Why would you do that?”

He shrugged and leaned his head against his arms resting on
his knees. “I just
...
did.”

On the way back home that night I got out of him what I
feared would someday happen. He was defending me. “Payton said you didn’t
deserve to win all those championships.”

“Don’t pay any mind to Payton.” I told him. I knew it wasn’t
Payton Raymond saying that. It was his dad. No twelve-year old knew who
deserved a championship and who didn’t.

“It’s not easy, is it?” he asked when we pulled down our
long driveway.

“What’s not easy?”

His mirror like green eyes focused on mine. That same
determination, that same fire I had flashed through him. “Being the son of a
legend,”

“I suppose it isn’t.” I never thought that Axel would
feel the same way I did growing up and I wasn’t prepared for that. But there
was no way for him to avoid. Now he not only had to face the same pressures I
did, but his were amplified by the fact that both his father and grandfather
have revolutionized the sport. Here he was, just a kid, trying to step into the
shoes. It’s not easy for any driver, let alone the son of two of the greatest
racers of our time.

I thought for sure Sway would have freaked out looking at
his black eye but no, she just smiled and looked down at him. “How’d that work
out for you? Did it go as planned?”

Axel being the smartass he was responded with, “Actually
yes. Thanks for asking.”

At some point in everyone’s career you ask yourself if
you’re happy. Up until now, I hadn’t had to even question it. I was happy with
my career. I was doing what I loved and my family was still a part of that. My
boys were tearing it up in the USAC divisions and my sprint car team was a
force to be reckoned with.

The question came for me when the off-season rolled
around and our eleven-year anniversary came around. Last year for our ten year,
we were in New York for the championship ceremonies and though it was nice, New
York wasn’t us. Sway and I needed
alone
time. With the way my schedule
was for the off-season, I wasn’t sure where that alone time could come in at
because once again the championship week was the same week as our anniversary.
Having come in fourth this season, I had certain obligations for the season.

It wasn’t even the day that we were trying to celebrate;
we both didn’t mind celebrating another day it was just the fact that there
just wasn’t
any
free time. So this left us with the week after
Christmas. The only problem was I was once again scheduled to be in Grand
Rapids for my sprint car team. I was working on a few new sponsors and needed
to tie up a few loose ends with them.

The morning I left, Sway encouraged me as she always did.

“Good luck.” She said enthusiastically for me. Her face
was hidden by the dark curtain of her mahogany hair as she tried to sew a
button back on one of Casten’s shirts. “I don’t know why I try. I can’t even
thread the goddamn needle.”

Chuckling I leaned down to kiss the side of her neck.
“I’m sure my mom can help you. She used to do that sort of thing all the time.”

“Yeah, I’ll ask her. She’s coming over tonight anyway to
drop off some new merchandise for you to approve.”

“Right. I forgot about that.”

“Make sure you update that twitter thing too.”

“What?”

“Twitter. Emma set you up with a twitter page.”

I must have had a complete “What the fuck” look because
she just continued to stare at me as I stared at her.

“I think it’s something like Facebook only not as
personal or something similar. Ask Axel, he has one.” She looked up at me. “But
I closely monitor that. I don’t want any creepos following my baby around.”

“He just turned twelve. He’s hardly a baby anymore.” I
sighed looking at my phone again. I didn’t like the sounds of this new stalker
site. “When did he get this twatter thing?”

“Twitter Jameson and he’s had it for a few years. He has
a huge following. It helps with his fans.”

I knew Axel had fans. His pit was constantly surrounded
by little girls screaming his name like they were at a boy band concert and the
younger USAC drivers wanting to be friends with him. Whereas I was an asshole
at his age, Axel was friendly to his fans and loved the attention he got.

“So what do I do with it?”

Sway took my phone and opened the twitter application
Emma had apparently installed. “There.” She handed it back to me. Looking down
at my phone, I looked at what she wrote.

@JamesonRiley
Heading
to Grand Rapids with my team

“Why in the world would you write that? Now these
assholes are going to stalk me.”

“Like they don’t already
...
it’s
a way for your fans to get a more
personal
experience.”

“What about my
personal
experience?”

This just seemed like some invasion of privacy and my
wife had something to do with it. Traitor.

Clicking on the profile button, I noticed I had close to
a hundred thousand followers. “How did all these people know I had this thing?”

“It was announced on your website. Do you pay attention
in any of the meetings we’ve had regarding the public relations side of Simplex
Racing or JAR Racing?”

“I do. I just didn’t understand what twatter was. I
thought maybe
...
let’s say I was
completely off base.”

Sway smirked and stood up to walk into the kitchen. “It’s
twitter, not twatter. You’re going to be late.”

Right, I was supposed to leave. “I should be home in a
few days.”

“All right,” she turned and wrapped her arms tightly
around my neck. “I’ll miss you.”

I breathed in deeply trying to hold on to her scent, making
the few moments of alone time last between us before my lifestyle interrupted
it. “I’ll miss you too, honey.”

I said goodbye to the kids after that. They were all out
back on the track. Lexi and Arie were the flaggers and the boys were all
racing. It took a great deal of effort to get Axel to actually get out of the
car but eventually I did and was on my way to Grand Rapids.

That’s when it hit me because I was alone with Tommy. In
between the moments where he had nothing to say, I thought of Sway. I was
questioning how happy I was with this entire situation.

I was thirty-three years old now. How long would this be
okay with me? Or her? Would she really want to have this lifestyle forever?

Sway supported me through everything. Even when I
wouldn’t have agreed with myself, she supported me.

“Hey Tommy,” Turning toward him he looked over at me.

“What?”

“Would you be able to handle the meeting with QT?”

“Yeah—why?”

“I need to
...
I
want
to spend some time with Sway.”

When we landed in Grand Rapids, Tommy went on to the
meeting while I flew right back to Mooresville.

Arriving home shortly before ten that night, Sway in the
movie room with the kids watching a movie. She nearly pissed her pants when I
said hello.

“Holy shit!” she screeched along with the kids.

“You’re home
...
”
the kids were enthusiastic, as was Sway.

“I thought you were in Grand Rapids.” She said moving
across the room to stand in front of me.

I chuckled.

“Tommy went for me.” I moved closer, my arms wrapping
around her waist. “He told me to tell you that you owe him a box of Krispy
Kreme donuts.”

“Oh—well that’s definitely worth seeing you.”

My mom came in the room behind me. “I’m here!”

“What are you doing here?” Sway asked her curiously.

Mom giggled. “I’m watching the kids while you guys get some
alone time.”

“We leave for Jacksonville Beach in the morning.”
Reaching down I picked her up bridal style. “But for now
...
” I left my mom with the kids giggling in the movie room as I
carried Sway up to our room.

“Thank you.” She whispered against my lips with more
urgency than I expected. “I needed this. I shaved my legs, I’m wearing a bra
and I look like a fucking lady so take me to dinner.”