Ignite

by Kelly Elliott

  Hitting End, Adaline walked over and handed Malcolm the cell phone. “Thank you for letting me use your phone.”

  Adaline looked at me with a disgusted face. Making her way over to me, she pushed me as hard as she could, causing me to stumble. “You asshole! You really thought I would just stop at the first guy I saw and fuck him?”

  “Well no, but I saw you come into his bus and my mind started racing.”

  Tears fell freely from Adaline’s eyes and it felt like someone had stabbed my heart with a knife. “I lost my cell phone. I was going to ask you to use yours but we got to talking and well, I saw Malcolm and asked if I could use his phone. Fucking around is not my thing, Emmit. That’s your m.o.”

  Adaline pushed me out of the way and took off again. Only this time, I didn’t go after her. I closed my eyes and dropped my head as I muttered, “Fuck.”

  “Lewis, this is going to be the one and only time I’m straight up and honest with you,” Malcolm said as I lifted my eyes to look at him.

  “You are a damn good race car driver. Probably the best I’ve ever seen and I will deny I said that until the day I die. But dude, you are handling this all wrong. Fucking other women to try and forget the love of your life will never work. Trust me. It. Doesn’t. Work. Stop approaching your feelings for Adaline like you do a race. Listen to your heart, not your head.”

  I opened my mouth to talk, I was rendered speechless. Squeezing my eyes shut, I opened them again and said, “Who the fuck are you, and what did you do with asshole Malcolm?”

  With a shrug of his shoulders, Malcolm said, “I have my moments. Now go back to your bus, focus on the race and worry about the rest tonight.”

  Not knowing how to even respond to Malcolm, I slowly made my way out of his bus, but not before turning one more time and looking at him. When he blew me a kiss, I huffed and said, “Asshole, I’m not going to let you lead one fucking lap today.”

  Malcolm laughed and called out as the door shut, “That’s the Emmit I know and love!”

  WRINGING MY HANDS TOGETHER, I sat next to my father as I watched Emmit race. The rain had caused a three-hour delay, but once they got to racing, Emmit had been leading a good portion of the day. Looking over to my father, I gave him the look. The look that silently asked if he thought Emmit might win.

  I knew better than to ask the question out loud. First off, Emmit started in the pole position, and for him to actually win the race as well wasn’t really a common thing. Second, Daddy had called for four tires when mostly everyone else took on two. Emmit fought to get back into the lead and was currently in second place, behind Malcolm Wallace, who was hell bent on keeping his position.

  Emmit’s spotter started talking over the radio. “Number twenty-three is one length ahead on the outside.”

  Emmit came over the radio and said, “I don’t give a fuck where he is. Just tell me who the fuck is around me. I don’t give two flying fucks who is in front of me and what the fuck they’re doing.”

  I shook my head and smiled. “I see his temper hasn’t changed any.”

  My father huffed as he said, “Calm down. Keep your cool.”

  His spotter came back over the radio. “Coming up on slow traffic. Keep your line. You’re gaining on twenty-three.”

  “Fuck,” Emmit said as came up on Malcolm. Sitting up, I held my breath as they approached the turn.

  I grabbed onto my father’s arm as I watched Emmit go for the lead. “Twenty-three is going high, go low.”

  Malcolm came down and bumped Emmit, causing him to go loose.

  “Shit!” I said as I closed my eyes and looked away.

  “Motherfucker. I want to talk to, Wallace.”

  “Emmit,” my father said in a warning voice.

  “Just wanting to say hi is all.”

  A few moments later, my father said, “You know you can’t.”

  “Fine, tell that motherfucker he cut me off and pay back is a bitch!”

  With that, Emmit made a move to the outside.

  “Bumper . . . door . . . clear!” Emmit’s spotter said as Emmit overtook Malcolm for the lead.

  Emmit was silent for the next twenty-five laps as he led. He had pulled five car lengths ahead of Malcolm and was gaining.

  “Man’s on a mission,” Daddy said as he sat and watched Emmit do what he did best.

  As I glanced down, I saw Ashley and her two friends. I couldn’t help but stare at Cookie. The insane amount of jealousy that was building up caused me to look away.

  “Green flag, no traffic!” the spotter called out.

  “Take it easy, Emmit. You’ve got this.”

  “Is Addie still there?” Emmit asked as my father and I looked at each other.

  “Yeah she is,” Daddy said.

  I couldn’t help but notice how my heartbeat increased and my hands shook. To know that Emmit was about to win a race and he was thinking about me did something to me. Smiling, I looked back at the track and watched as Emmit took the checker flag. Everyone started going crazy as my eyes never left Emmit’s car, even when Daddy hugged me.

  I smiled until it felt like my cheeks would be frozen in that state; I watched as Emmit did his normal victory spin outs and then took the checkered flag and drove down the track.

  “Come on, he’ll be looking for you in victory lane,” Daddy said as he took my hand. Shaking my head, I pulled my hand back.

  “Daddy, we’re not together anymore. I don’t think he’ll be looking for me.”

  My father gave me a look of disappointment. “Adaline.”

  Ashley and her two friends started toward victory lane. “Oh, I’m going to try like hell and kiss Emmit while the cameras are on him!” Cookie said as she skipped by.

  Narrowing my eye at her, I said, “Okay, I’ll go.”

  I stood off to the side as I watched Emmit crawl out of his car and hold up his fists and yelled out, “Yeah!” The camera crew was there waiting and ready to talk to Emmit. I couldn’t help but glance over at Cookie standing slightly behind everyone and behind Emmit’s sister.

  The last time I stood in victory circle, Emmit had won his first NASCAR race and he had searched the crowd for me. This time, he went straight to the camera and began talking as he took small sips of something someone put in his hand. Robert reached over and changed out Emmit’s baseball cap to another sponsor’s hat.

  My lower stomach tightened as I watched Emmit’s every move. His sweat-soaked hair peeking out from under the baseball cap lit a fire in my body that I tried desperately to ignore.

  Bastard.

  I wanted to be angry with him, but I couldn’t.

  “He’s so damn good looking. What I wouldn’t do to spend just one hour in his bed,” some girl behind me said. Turning, I gave her a fake smile. “Tell me you don’t agree,” she said to me.

  With a smirk, I said, “I’ve graced his bed plenty of times.”

  With a huge smile, she said, “Lucky bitch.”

  I rolled my eyes as I pushed all thoughts of Emmit and my horny body away.

  The freedom of not feeling the need to have Emmit’s hands all over my body lasted for a whole minute. Once his gray eyes found mind, I held onto my breath.

  There was so much more to Emmit than how he made my body feel during sex. One of my favorite things he ever did was place his hand on my lower back as he guided me through a room. Or, to a table for two in the corner of a romantic restaurant. Oh, yes . . . there was so much more to him.

  Giving me a smile, Emmit said something else to the reporter and then nodded his head and turned to his team as they continued to celebrate. Daddy had gone up and given Emmit a quick hug and said something to him that caused Emmit to let out a laugh and agree with whatever Daddy said.

  Emmit took the champagne and shook it up as he sprayed everyone. Security had allowed Ashley to go up to Emmit. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her for a good thirty seconds before pulling back and kissing the tip of her nose. Cookie was jumping and calling out Em
mit’s name, but he either didn’t hear her or he ignored her. Both thoughts made me happy.

  My heart dropped as I thought about how much I wished that had been me. I started making my way through the crowd. I needed to go back to the hotel and think over what Jack and I had talked about earlier.

  I chewed on my lip as I thought about his offer. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he had offered me a job. And a job that paid top dollar. I had until next Saturday to give him my decision.

  Glancing back over my shoulder, I watched as Emmit posed for pictures and continued to celebrate his win. Turning back to the front, I wondered if he would even notice I had left.

  I made my way past the garages and headed back to my father’s bus. After everything settled down, I’d catch a ride back to the hotel. The buses usually pulled out pretty quickly after the race. I was guessing Emmit would be here longer since he needed to do more interviews and pose for more pictures. I’d seen enough guys win to know what the deal was.

  As I walked, I glanced and saw another girl walking slightly behind me. Looking at her, I smiled. She gave me a smile back and said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”

  I reached my hand out for hers and that’s when I noticed she was pregnant. “My father is Waldo Morgan.”

  Her eyes lit up as she looked me over. “Wow. You’re the girl.”

  Taken aback by her comment, I asked, “Excuse me?”

  Holding her hand up, she said, “Oh my God, that was so rude of me. I’m so sorry. My name is Kristin Whitmore. Doug is my husband. Number seven. Doug and Emmit are pretty close, as well as teammates. We’ve spent many a night with him and well, when he gets to drinking too much he talks a lot . . . about you.”

  I pulled my head back as I stared at her with a dumbfounded look as my stomach dipped. “W-what?”

  “Adaline!”

  His voice invaded my mind, and my body immediately came to attention as I spun around and watched as Emmit ran up to me.

  He came after me.

  He noticed I left.

  A rush of excitement tingled throughout my body as I watched Emmit make his way over to me. Stopping in front of me, he gave me a smile that melted my heart and had my insides shaking. “Hey, before you go I wanted to ask you . . . well . . . I mean . . . I wanted to say thanks for sticking around and watching the race.”

  I was positive a look of disappointment washed across my face, I glanced over to Kristin and then back at Emmit. “Oh um, of course. It was one of the whole reasons I came this weekend.”

  Emmit lifted his eyebrows. “One of the reasons?”

  “Emmit! Emmit over here, can we talk to you for a few minutes?”

  I bit on my lip as I watched Emmit’s smile grow bigger. “Don’t leave yet,” he said as he turned and started answering questions.

  I turned before the whole world could see how Emmit Lewis just made my entire body flush with three words. I started walking again. Kristin walked next to me, and when we got far enough away she bumped me on the arm. “Please tell me you’re not going to leave ’cause I’m dying to know what happens! I’m a romance reader and this is like a live action romance book!”

  With a giggle, I shook my head. “I’m sure it’s nothing but Emmit wanting to apologize for our fight earlier. That’s all. He probably has a date with Cookie.”

  “Cookie? Like as in a cookie you eat?”

  I shook my head as I laughed. “No, her name is Cookie, and he didn’t get to hook up with her last night, so I’m sure that’s why she’s here.”

  Kristin’s eyes widened in horror. “He told you that? Why would he tell you that?”

  With a shrug, I didn’t even realize I walked right past my parents’ bus. “No. He didn’t tell me that, but he did fill me in on the last two and half years of his life. One thing about Emmit is he has always been one-hundred percent honest with me. I guess he felt like he needed to let me know he turned into a male slut over the last few years.”

  Kristin laughed and shook her head. “You have to know that men are stupid. They think mindless sex is the cure-all for everything. Doug told Emmit once to go out and just get screwed. He said it might make him . . . well um . . . oh gosh how do I say this?”

  My attention was dangling on the edge as I waited for what she was about to say. “Say what?” I asked.

  “Well, I don’t want you to have a bad impression about my husband, but he was the one who told Emmit, and I quote, ‘If you get laid, you’ll forget about her’. I guess you were pretty hard to forget because well, Emmit tried really hard to forget about you.”

  Jealousy flowed through my veins as I thought about other women in Emmit’s bed. We had been each other’s first and knowing that Emmit had slept with other women killed me. I knew it was my fault and I couldn’t be angry. Okay, I could be and I was. “Kristin, may I ask you one thing and I’m not even sure why I’m asking?”

  “Sure you can.”

  I glanced down at my feet as I kicked at the ground. “Did he bring them back to his bus?”

  I hadn’t been on the road with Emmit very long in the beginning, but the times we shared on his bus were some of the most amazing moments of our relationship.

  “God no! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a girl in that bus except for Lola and Emmit’s assistant.”

  I tried not to smile as I nodded my head and started toward the door of the bus. Going to open it, it was locked. When I turned to see I was at Emmit’s bus, I blushed and took a step back. Lola started barking and the door opened. A young boy walked out and said, “May I help you?”

  Kristin was smiling from ear to ear. “Funny where your heart leads you, huh?”

  I went to say something but instead, I stood there in silence. I had nothing to come back with.

  “Johnny, this is Adaline. She’s a very good friend of Emmit’s. You let her in and out of his bus until he gets back okay?”

  My head snapped over to Kristin as I said, “Oh no, I meant to go to my father’s bus and well we were talking about Emmit and—” I pointed to the bus and tried to think of the next words that should be flowing from my mouth.

  “And you decided to arrange for dinner after Emmit’s long day at work. So sweet of you, Adaline.”

  Lola came up and stood at the entrance of the door and wagged her tail in excitement. Blowing out a breath of air, I looked at Johnny and then back at Kristin. I knew what Kristin was doing by planting that in my head. “Well, I mean I guess he does have to eat and all.”

  Lifting her brow, she agreed. Waving as she walked away, she called out, “So amazing meeting you! Can’t wait to tell Doug. See you next weekend!”

  “Oh, no . . . I won’t be at that race!” I called out.

  With a brush off of her hand, Kristin said, “Uh-huh!”

  I dropped my shoulders and huffed as I watched her walk away. I knew damn well I would most likely be at next week’s race.

  “He likes fried chicken. A lot. He eats it all the time,” Johnny said.

  “Emmit does?” I asked as I reached over and gave Lola a pat on the head.

  “Yes ma’am. He’s always ordering it from either my daddy who works for Mr. Elliot, or somebody delivers it.”

  I got an idea as I gave Johnny a wink and said, “You want to ask your parents if you can take Lola for a ride in my daddy’s truck while we go get Emmit some real food?”

  Johnny smiled and nodded his head. “That sounds like fun.”

  I watched as he pulled out his phone and hit a number while I chewed on my lip. “Mom, Emmit’s girlfriend wants to know if me and Lola can go get him some real food.”

  With a frantic wave of my hands, I said, “No! No I’m just a friend. Not his girlfriend.”

  Johnny nodded at me. “She says she’s just a friend. Yes ma’am, her name is Adaline.”

  Wait. What? How in the hell did this woman know my name?

  “Okay, bye!”

  Reaching for his phone, I said, “No!
Wait, Johnny, who are your parents?”

  “Robert and Kate Elliot.”

  Robert was Jack’s son. He was a few years older than Emmit, and I was pretty damn sure he didn’t have a son three years ago.

  “How old are you, Johnny?” I asked as I watched him put the leash on Lola and step out of the bus.

  Johnny shut the door behind him as he smiled. “I’m eight years old. I’m adopted. My parents adopted me when I was six.”

  “Really?” I asked as we walked back over toward my father’s truck. “Do you like traveling with your parents from race to race?”

  The smile that spread across Johnny’s face said it all. “Oh, yes ma’am.”

  As Johnny and I got to know each other better, I found out he went to a private school that was four days a week. He and his mom flew in each weekend for the races. During the summer, they all traveled together. Johnny went on and on about his grandpa and how amazing he was. Then he turned to Emmit.

  “I love Uncle Emmit a lot. He’s super cool.”

  “Uncle Emmit?” I asked with a smile.

  “Yeah, he lets me hang out in his bus and plays video games with me. I always tell him he’s gonna make a great dad someday ’cause he’s lots of fun.”

  My heart melted on the spot. “Yeah, he will make a great dad.”

  Johnny carried a bag full of food and held onto Lola as he said, “You gonna be Emmit’s wife and have his baby, Adaline?”

  I shook my head and laughed. “Oh, I don’t know about that. Emmit and I are just friends.”

  As we got into the bus and Johnny gave Lola some water and helped me take the food out of the bags, he turned and looked at me. “Is it okay if I ask you something, Adaline?”

  “Of course it is, Johnny,” I said as I heated up water for the pasta dish I was making.

  “If you and Uncle Emmit are just friends, how come he stares at a picture of you all the time and told my daddy you were the only woman he’d ever love?”

  Tears built up in my eyes as I gazed into the eyes of this sweet, innocent little boy. Pressing my trembling lips together, I tried to let Johnny’s words sink in. “When, um, when did Emmit say that?”

  Shrugging, Johnny set the last of the contents of his bag out on the counter. “This past Christmas after we all ate. Uncle Emmit drank too much punch and got drunk. Mamma said some people get drunk when their heart’s hurt cause they think it will numb the pain. But she said it doesn’t. She said Uncle Emmit would always love you.”