The Legend

by Shey Stahl

  As if his patience had ran out, Jameson acted quickly and had Brody by the throat and pressed against his car. “Shut the fuck up. You have no idea what you’re talking about and if want to start a war, you’ve got nothing on me. But you will start a war so stop now.”

  For once tonight, Brody considered his words and pushed back. “Let go of me Riley!” Brody seethed, blazing blue eyes finally seeing the wrath he was creating.

  Kyle pushed me to Mason who then basically carried me behind the wall. “Come on Jameson,” Kyle pulled them apart. “Let him go. You got your point across.”

  Jameson said nothing to anyone, his shoulders tense and his eyes cold. He sat on the pit wall drinking a Gatorade and then looked around for me. Kyle whispered something in his ear only to have Jameson glare shaking his head at his question.

  I smiled trying to comfort him. For a moment he stared as if he was remembering. How could he not. Making my way to him, his arms ran up my legs tucking around my waist drawing me to his lap. “Fuck, honey distract me before I kick that little shits ass.” His knee bounced. “Goddamn he pissed me off.” His head shook resting against my shoulder. “Keep me calm honey. Say anything.”

  Mama Wizard knew what to do.

  Lowering my voice to a seductive whisper I put my lips to his ear and then his throat. “I’m going to fuck you senseless later.”

  His neck vibrated as a moan escaped, low and throaty. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

  Kyle shoved his shoulder. “Stop it lover boy. Get your game face on.”

  “What?”

  “They inverted bottom five.” Kyle announced with a blinding smile.

  “Fuck yeah!” Jameson’s mood returned. “Goddamn, I love this race!”

  He was back in it.

  Returning his focus to me, he offered me a suggestive smile. “I’ll be holding you to that promise.” His hand smacked my ass when I got up. I yelped and whipped around to smack him.

  “I can’t take my parent’s anywhere.” Casten groaned coming to stand next to me with Cole.

  “You two stay out of trouble down here.” Jameson said to them. Arie and Lexi came around the corner with Noah and Charlie. It seemed the entire family was down here for the final main event.

  Jameson smiled watching us ready to cheer him on, knowing his open wheel family would throw down just as easily as he would.

  Back in the car, Jameson got over his deal with Brody but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last words they had tonight. They weren’t out there all but ten laps and the caution came out for debris and rain again.

  They allowed for a pit stop, Jameson and Bobby both took four tires whereas Paul and Tate gambled for the track position and went with two. This left Jameson in second.

  “We’re P2 now bud.” Kyle said.

  “I think we made the right call there.” Aiden told them. “Most only did fuel only right there.”

  On the restart, behind Jameson, Nadia went low, a pass she knew she wasn’t going to make and you could see her jerky movements as she contemplated and then knew she was about to over shoot the corner.

  “She’s at your rear, still out there...hang on to it...there you go.”

  “Fuck,” Jameson said in surprise. “...did you just see that kamikaze move she pulled? Jesus.”

  “I did. Stay away from her, she’s ballsy tonight.”

  Shadows draped the tracks, the rain clouds positioned once again with twenty to go. The temperature dropped and the wind picked up. When the cars can down the front stretch, the wind the kicked up was bitter.

  It was me, Alley, Emma, Nancy and Kyle on the pit box, all huddled together keeping warm and the boys scattered around the pit watching the race from the wall. They weren’t cold but I tend to think they had more energy than we did.

  Jameson and Brody were at it again, this time Brody had gotten a move on the outside of Jameson and took over second with Bobby leading.

  “Cautions out,” Aiden told him and I let out the breath I was holding. Casten stood, pacing back and forth in the pit box. “They’re slowin’ in two. Watch up high.”

  Knowing the rain was gonna dump any minute they quickly got the field of twenty-four back to green. Brody blocked Jameson on the restart and protected the inside. I’ll give him that, he was a good racer. But he wasn’t the legend Jameson was becoming.

  Jameson saw his opening with three to go and just like the hungry driver I always knew him to be, threw caution to the wind and went all out coming out of four and by turn one, he was slipping up the track but pulling away.

  “Fuck, it’s raining. Please tell me this is the last lap?”

  “Last lap bud!”

  “Whew!” He was racing like an open wheel racer, scrapping for everything he was worth. Casten, Cole and Noah jumped up on the wall with the rest of the crew waiting for them to come into view in turn three.

  All of us on the pit box got down, swarming the pit wall, as Brody and Jameson were now side-by-side again fighting hard for the lead going into the last corner. The bumped and banged, Jameson wasn’t giving up and fought just as hard.

  Brody got loose when Jameson slammed into him, sending him up into the wall, he came right back and did the same to Jameson only to have him hold position through the flag.

  Jameson won.

  “Fuck yeah!” Jameson screamed knowing he won.

  And then it started pouring. Not just pouring, lightening and wind picked up too but Jameson still had his burnout to get done.

  Once the cars were on pit lane, our family and his team, congregated around the inside wall across pit lane cheering for him. Jameson spun his car around, water spraying in the wake, and with his arm hung out the window he held the checkered flag doing his signature burnout down the front stretch sideways. It wasn’t quite as smoky as it had been in the past given the rain, but it was just as impressive that he could keep the car sideways that long. The view I had was one I would remember for years to come. It was of Casten jumping up and down, screaming out in excitement for his father, and Jameson, holding the checkered flag, and smoke surrounding him.

  The fans were in an uproar. Not just at the burnout but the hard fighting racing they’d just seen.

  With smoke rolling from all four tires, Jameson pulled the car right in front of us and then got out and stood on the roof. The boys climbed up the hood as did fans all celebrating with him. We weren’t making it to victory lane this time. The party had already begun on the track.

  Wanting to keep some composure, I stayed back and let the boys celebrate, all screaming and throwing beer around.

  Jameson held a microphone in his hand bowed to the crowd and shook with laughter. “Thank you guys THANK YOU!” he screamed throwing his head back and tipping the microphone up as if he was belting out the lyrics to a rock song. Fans grabbed at his legs, all trying to get a piece of him, much like a rock star.

  Jameson jumped down, or I should say he slipped down, when the rain got so slick on his car that he couldn’t hold his balance in his racing shoes.

  The rain, which had turned into a tropical storm, wasn’t stopping the party that night. The fans, our families, the teams, we all had a little something to celebrate. No one ever did get a direct interview out of Jameson. No, he was too excited for that. You couldn’t get him to focus on anything.

  When I finally got to him, I’m sure he was drunk. Actually I am positive he was.

  Rain drops fell from the tip of his nose, his hair swept in his eyes. “I asked you to marry me on a night like tonight.” He said smiling down at me.

  “That you did.” I smiled pushing his hair from his face. “It wasn’t exactly like this.”

  “I want to ask you something tonight too. Honestly, it was kind of similar. It was dark out and I was celebrating a victory.”

  Shivers from the rain and his body heat attacked me building up through my spine to my shoulders, “Oh yeah,” Twisting in his arms, I took at his flushed cheeks and bright eyes. His hands
found the curve of my spine holding me against him, soaked in sweat and rain. “What do you want to ask me?”

  Fans and the teams were still screaming around us, he leaned in to whisper. “Are you really going to fuck me senseless tonight?” He drew back taking in my expression, “Cause I gotta say, that would be...” he dipped back to my neck, his teeth nipped at me. “...Jesus, that would be fucking amazing.” Another throaty moan escaped his lips and I was done.

  “Well then,” I said clearing my throat, “I say it’s about time we check my bearing alignment.”

  “And honey?” his nose brushed along my jaw, I could hear the smirk on his face in his tone.

  “Yes?”

  “I hope you stretched.” He giggled slightly. “I’ve got some aggression to get rid of.”

  Fuck me. Well, he was about to.

  His words held just as much promise as the ring on my left hand did; unfortunately, he still had press to do. Tonight was different though, it was about the fans so they asked the questions, they got in the pictures and they celebrated the Monster Million with him.

  “What’s with all the confetti?” Jameson asked when they started the concert in the infield.

  “It’s victory lane. Be happy you’re in it!” Kyle said through a smile and a good amount of confetti in his hair.

  “I know but let’s do that without all the confetti.” Jameson shrugged. “That’s all I’m asking for.”

  To the side of the stage, I saw the kids starting their own party with the younger crowd, Brody included. He was attached to Lexi and I was sure Spencer had a thing or two to say about that. Thankfully him and Alley were drunk enough not to care.

  “What are you thinking about dirty girl?” Jameson whispered over my shoulder, his lips at my ear again.

  I spun around on my heel trying to draw his focus elsewhere and not to the spot where the kids were now.

  A slow smirk crept across his face before he spoke. “I think I need to hear this.”

  “Nope,” I pushed him forward. “I assure you that you don’t.”

  Just then, we both looked to see our daughter dancing with the group when screams from their crowd erupted. In the middle, Arie and Easton were pressed together as a heavy beat thumped out a seductive rhythm and bodies swayed. One of his legs was between hers moving their hips to the beat in an intimate way.

  “Oh man, is that Easton with her?” he groaned hiding his face in my shoulder. “And they had to play that song, didn’t they?”

  “Yep,”

  “Damn it. Now I gotta hate him too. He was a good kid.”

  “How about we go back to the motor coach and work on being senseless?”

  His head popped up from my shoulder. “Sounds great.” he reached for my hand, “I can’t wait any longer!”

  Hot damn.

  Our hands were busy as we road back to the drivers compound in the golf cart. I was practically undressed when we reached the door. His hands everywhere all at once, grunts and groans as he worked quickly getting my clothes off. We did one important thing, locked the goddamn door.

  Open mouths, tongues, hands, hips meeting with a desire that couldn’t be broken, twisting to get closer, it was a blur but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My husband, the legend in the making, commanded the respect of thousands of fans tonight and dominated once again. That always made me a little…well…in overdrive.

  Jameson let out a groan as his mouth found my breasts. He ripped my shirt up and over my head quickly, his mouth finding the same spot again.

  My clothes and his racing suit were soaked, the sheets of the bed now soaked but it made it that much more exciting. It felt like we were horny teenagers again and rushing before the parents came home. Now we were rushing before the kids got home.

  I could feel him, sweat, rain, the thunder cracking outside, our chests rising and falling, heavy breathing, this was us. A dance between two people, just like the hold before the race, this was something special, something between a husband and wife, something between the Dirty Heathen and Mama Wizard.

  Somewhere along the way, Jameson’s movements became forceful searching for his rev limit when I giggled after meeting mine. “Are you going to come?”

  “Fuck honey,” he moaned the tendons in his neck evident as they were when he thanked the fans earlier. “I don’t wanna. I wanna stay right here until tomorrow. I want you to fuck me senseless. He rolled, I rolled and then I was in control, his hands on my hips, tight but comforting.

  It wasn’t long when his hips rose jerking and off rhythm when he grunted in my neck. “Goddamn, you were right.” He said breathlessly as he rolled to the side. The motor coach burst with light as another flash of lightening shot across the sky, the wind rocking it slightly.

  “About what?”

  “You did fuck me senseless.”

  “Damn straight I did.” I said throwing my hands behind my head. “The Mama Wizard doesn’t joke about fucking.”

  9. Compound – Axel

  Compound – The rubber mixture for tires. A softer compound tire provides better traction but wears out faster than a harder compounded tire which doesn’t provide much grip.

  When I think about racing, a lot of things come to mind. Mostly my dad and grandpa but there were others that influenced me too.

  I don’t remember how old I was but I was sitting on the wing of my grandpa’s sprint car watching my dad and him talking about racing and setups wondering when I could do the same. I wanted to be part of those conversations with them and their buddies.

  I’ve always wanted that. I wanted the connection between them and racing.

  School never mattered, I barely graduated with a passing GPA but I did and from then on it has been racing. Now at eighteen, almost nineteen, racing was still the only thing that mattered. Only now, it was my profession. I had never held the 8-5 job nor would I ever, that wasn’t me.

  What did matter outside of racing was my family, including Lily. That’s one very important part about all of this that I learned from my parents and our family.

  My dad once told me it’s hard to see past the speed when it’s going 200 mph.

  Boy was it. Since stepping into grandpa’s car at the beginning of the season, I was in a different city, different track each night. The outlaws ran and 82-race schedule in 10-months. That’s a lot of racing at time away. When we went to the live out on West Coast and run those tracks, I didn’t see my own bed for three months.

  Soon I had a motor coach of my own and was traveling around just as my dad and grandpa did; only I never felt like them. I’m not sure why but I just didn’t feel like I had what they had. They were legends. Me, I was just a rookie trying to fill big shoes.

  After Williams Grove I flew home to see Lily. We were living together now in a condo on Lake Norman a few miles from my parents’ house. Since it was a day off, we spent the greater part of the day on the lake wakeboarding with Casten and some chick he was seeing. I was sure it wouldn’t be past this weekend but I was kind to her regardless.

  While I was a one woman man, my little brother had other ideas about that. He didn’t disrespect them, he was nice to them but he still wasn’t a one woman man. At fourteen, he wasn’t a man but he had other ideas about that too.

  All the stress was getting to me so it was nice to just hang out with my brother. Arie would have come too but she was visiting Lucas in Texas for the week with Lexi and Macy, Van’s daughter.

  “Do you think Arie will be home next week?” Kale, Lily’s younger brother asked while Casten took his turn wake boarding.

  Kale was in love with Arie but she had no feelings toward him. Since we all grew up around each other, she looked at him as though he was her little brother.

  Kale was not accepting that though. I also didn’t tell him that since Brian, Arie had absolutely no plans of dating any time soon. I was okay with that. I wasn’t wild about Arie dating anyway, and since Brian, I was even more against this.

  “She shoul
d be.” I told him as I guided the boat through the rippled waves the other boats created, pulling Casten on the rope.

  He sucked by the way. He spent entirely too much time trying to impress this Erin girl with him than actually attempting to wakeboard. The thing about my brother was he didn’t care about competition. Where I strived to be the best, Casten was just happy and content being himself. He didn’t care whether he won or lost, just as long as he was having a good time.

  I was sure by his loud cackling every time he fell that he was having a good time.

  After a full day out there, and sunburn, we headed back to our parents’ house where the food was. Mom did a good job keeping the house full of food with all the boys in the family. I was also sure she had some aloe for me there. I did not tan, I don’t know why but I just didn’t. I burned.

  “I hope she got those Jalapeño chips again,” Casten said jumping from my truck when we pulled into the driveway.

  At any given time on the weekends, my parent’s house was empty. During the week, it was scrambling with people from various team members and family. We were all very close and usually never went a week without seeing each other but sometimes it happened. Like this week, mom flew to Washington, then to Martinsville and then back home to Mooresville for a day and now she was heading to Martinsville to watch dad there on Sunday.

  We saw her for a brief moment and then she was out the door in a mad scramble to catch Roger, my dad’s pilot of his private plane. Lane and Cole snuck in just as she was walking out the door.

  “Do you guys have food here? Our house doesn’t have shit.” Cole announced slumping on to the couch in just a pair of board shorts. My brother and Cole were constantly running around half-dressed. It was as though they thought nothing was wrong with this.

  Casten’s little playmate for the weekend walked inside in just her bikini causing Lane and Cole to both watch her walk by. Casten smirked. I quickly averted my eyes the other direction to avoid the questions I would later be asked. Lily wasn’t exactly confident in my popularity. She was constantly asking if I thought other women were pretty or not. At least once a month I got asked if I was sleeping with someone else. It got old quick but I also loved Lily and wanted to prove to her that I did.