“How do you feel about that?” she asked.
He considered how he felt at this moment, since everything before this new clarity had settled on him was of no import.
“A little scared,” he said. “But also kind of at peace with the fact that sooner or later, this is going to happen. And I guess if it does happen, I might be a little relieved, too.”
“Relieved?” she echoed.
“Huh. Yeah, I guess so. I didn’t know it until the word slipped out, but I’m tired of not having any fun. As the kids say these days, it has been one fun suck of a season.”
“No fun?” She gave him a mock stern look. “Ben Edmonds, what’s the Edmonds family rule?”
“Have fun,” he automatically replied.
“That’s right. Have fun. And if it’s no longer fun, Ben, stop. Please. I promise we’ll all be okay.”
Stop. That was where the fear came in.
“If I stop, what will I do?”
“Whatever you want to,” Susie replied. “If you still want a job in the NASCAR world, you’ll have one. You’re smart and well-respected. Whether you work with a supplier or go into management, you know there’s a home for you. So the question is, what do you want?”
“I guess I want to find the fun again, then go out on my terms.” He shook his head when another thought occurred. “It’s kind of sad the way I’ve been riding Chris Sampson to talk to me, when I’ve been avoiding the same thing with you.”
“You know, it’s possible he’s scared, too,” Susie said.
“Take it from me, it’s just as tough to step into a new venture as it is to step out of an old one. Put yourself in his shoes. This is his first season as a crew chief and he’s been paired with a grizzled old veteran.”
Ben laughed. “Grizzled?”
She ran her hand along his jaw. “A little, but I like it.”
“Good thing,” he replied. “Because you’re stuck with me.”
“And thankful for it.”
“I think you’re right about Chris,” he said. “I think he’s just been trying too hard to establish himself as part of the team.”
“I guess you should have talked to me sooner, eh?” she asked in a teasing voice.
“I guess I never should have stopped,” he said, then hauled her onto his lap. “And I never will again. And I won’t stop doing this, either.” Ben let word follow deed and kissed his wife. “I hope you’ll forgive me.”
She shifted in his lap as she reached into her pocket.
“I forgive you enough to give you…these!”
She waggled the keys to the SUV in front of them.
Ben tipped back his head and laughed.
“And so the splash I heard?” he asked when he was done.
“Just some old keys from the kitchen junk drawer,” she replied. “I might be crazy, but I’m not that crazy.”
But Ben was. He was crazy in love with his talented, aggravating and perfectly wonderful wife.
EPILOGUE
SECOND PLACE!
Second freaking place!
Ben couldn’t stop smiling. From start to finish, the Talladega race had been magic. And when the magic returned, so did the reporters…in droves. He had barely cleared the pit area before being surrounded.
“So, Ben, from forty-first to second in a week. What do you attribute the turnaround to?” asked one microphone wielding woman.
He attributed it to Susie. It had been all Susie and the Edmonds family rule. He knew that she’d been glued to the television the whole race; he’d felt her love and support even though she was hundreds of miles away. And he needed to thank her now.
“Hang on,” he said to the reporter. “First things, first.”
He looked for his crew chief and spotted him about ten feet to his left. They’d had one helluva talk late into Wednesday night; there would be no more turf wars. In fact, there might even be the start of a friendship.
“Hey, Chris, toss me your phone,” he said. “I need to call my wife.”
“Sure thing,” Chris replied, and then reached into his pocket.
The phone flew to Ben in a perfect arc, and his hand closed around it in a sure grip. The fun was back, and for as long as it was here, Ben would let it roll.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7576-2
THIS TIME, FOREVER
Copyright © 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
OVER THE TOP
Copyright © 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Pamela Britton is acknowledged as the author of “Over the Top.”
TALK TO ME
Copyright © 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Dorien Kelly is acknowledged as the author of “Talk to Me.”
NASCAR® and the NASCAR Library Collection® are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
For questions and comments about the quality of this book please contact us at [email protected]
® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.eHarlequin.com
This Time, Forever Page 17
