by Amelia Jade
"I don't have many people I can show this to," he began, sitting up. Robyn glanced at him, and, realizing what he was about to say was important, sat up as well, giving him her full attention.
"It's so beautiful here, but there's no one for me to show it to."
"Have you ever brought your family out here? It would be perfect for a picnic," she said with an encouraging smile.
He didn't want to kill her intended good will, but he wasn't about to lie to her either. "I don't have a family, Robyn. My parents died when I was six, maybe seven. I don't even know how old I am, not exactly, at least."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Andy," she said, the sentiment reflected in her body language as she covered her mouth with her hand.
"It's okay. I've learn to come to terms with it, for the most part. But, I don't have a mate yet, either, so between that, there aren't too many people I can show. I've had a couple of friends out here, not many, only those that I feel could truly appreciate it. Like you," he said firmly, looking right at her.
"Did you grow up in the Bluffs?" she asked a moment later, their eyes still locked, looking deep into each other's souls.
"I did. I lived in the junkyard for several years, living off of nature. It was...no fun," he said with a grimace, remembering those wild, brutal times. He had used his bear ruthlessly then to secure food and shelter, which had left his bear with a short fuse on its temper that it had taken him a long time to try and wear off. He was still only partially successful these days.
"Eventually, the old man who owned the property where I am now took me in, took me under his wing. I learned everything I know from old Gene. Now, there was a man who knew cars. Just by listening to them, he could list off exactly what was wrong. It was a skill I doubt I'll ever master," he said ruefully, remembering his old mentor.
"What happened to him?"
"He was getting up there when he found me. When I was seventeen he passed away, unfortunately. He left everything to me."
"Wow," she breathed.
"I know, caught me off guard, too. So, to honor his generosity I set about doing my best to continue his legacy. Been fixing up the vehicles of Bear Bluffs ever since, really."
"Is that why you're helping me? Because of Gene?" she asked slowly.
"I think...I think that's part of it. He was big on helping those who needed it, especially if it didn't come at your own expense. So, for me to lend you some space, a bit of time and parts I wouldn't need anyway, well, that was a no-brainer."
"Is that all?" she pressed.
"No," he answered truthfully. "With you...it just, I'm not sure. It just feels right. Like I'm supposed to be there, to help you. I'm not sure how else to say it. Being around you just makes me feel complete."
He stopped abruptly as the last sentence left his lips, trying not to look horrified. Up until that point, he had tried his hardest not to get too emotional around Robyn. She didn't seem ready to talk about what was going on between them just yet, and the last thing he wanted to do was move too quickly.
He laughed at himself internally.
Listen to you. "Move too quickly". Like you have any idea what you're doing here.
It was true, he was fumbling his way through the entire thing. Andy was beginning to believe in his head what his bear had been telling him since the start, that the two of them were meant to be together. Even now, as he looked at her, admiring the curves of her body, the slow rise and fall of her chest, or the way her silvery-grey eyes seemed a bottomless ocean for him to get lost in, he knew it was true.
She was the one. But how did he approach the topic?
"What about you?" he asked, desperate to change the topic. "What's your deal? Why are you here?"
She looked away, gazing out over the stunning landscape. He could see it in her face, she was staring at it, but her mind was a long, long way away. There was something hiding in her past, something she didn't want to talk about. Whatever it was, he had a feeling she wasn't recovered from it just yet.
"It just seemed like the right thing to do," she whispered, just as he was beginning to think she had completely forgotten. "Do you understand?" she said, turning back to look at him, a haunted look on her face.
"Robyn, look,—"
He was spared having to extricate them both from the situation by her phone. It started ringing in her pocket. She took it out, looked at it, her eyes rolling skyward.
"Who is it?"
"Charlie," she sighed, stabbing her finger angrily at the answer button. "What is it?"
Immediately she began yelling at Charlie, telling him, "That's ridiculous!" He wasn't sure what, but it sounded like Charlie had changed something on her. Eventually, after calling him what sounded like every name in the book, she hung up on him.
"You cuss like a sailor," he said drily as she snarled into thin-air at her boss.
"What?" she said in surprise, eyebrows raising.
"I said," he began to repeat slowly, smiling broadly, "that you cuss worse than any sailor I've ever met."
She stared at him in silence for another moment. Then she began to giggle. It was, in his estimation, the cutest thing she could ever have done. Andy Hawes was quite positive that that moment was where he truly, fully, fell in love with Robyn. It was a raw and emotional moment, one that he suspected the carefully guarded woman rarely let out.
"I'm sorry that you had to see my raw side. I hope I haven't offended you," she said with mock seriousness as she recovered her composure.
"Not at all. But if you ever call me, what was it? Slower than sloth snot? Well, I may have an issue with that," he laughed.
"I won't, I promise," she said with a twinkle in her eye that promised even worse.
"What did he want?"
"So, you know how I said we don't go for round two for two days?"
"Yes..." he said, beginning to understand.
"Well, apparently we go early tomorrow morning now instead of the afternoon, he's changing it up. He wants to get the Saturday crowds for the derby, because it was such a hit. Which means..."
"Which means you want to get back and finish working on the car," he completed for her.
"Absolutely. I need to be ready, I have to compete," she said, her voice filled with vigor and raw emotion. It wasn't just a competitive side he was picking up either, there was something more, something deep-seated in her drive.
"Why?" he asked, hopping lightly from his right to hers, sitting down next to her.
"Why what?"
"Why do you need to compete so badly? I mean, I get not wanting to get screwed over by your lovely boss, but there's more, isn't there?"
She stared blankly at him for a moment, before sighing. "I need to do it, because of my sister."
Andy thought to speak, but one look at her face told him to shut his mouth and listen. What Robyn was saying now was painful for her. At last, he thought, she's finally opening up to me, telling me something about her. He hated that whatever it was had to hurt her so badly, but there was a profound sense of relief that she was even willing to talk to him about it.
"We were the best, you know. At the top."
"Of Charlie's circuit?" This time he felt it was okay to speak up.
"Of all the circuits. We competed against the best there was, Sarah and I. She was the better of us." A rueful smile crossed Robyn's face as some memory or another came to her. "I thought it would be like that until we decided to leave, to take our winnings and go back to school."
She swallowed hard. He reached out, resting his hand on hers. He didn't hold her hand, but simply set his there, letting her know he was there. She glanced between his hand and his face before nodding in understanding.
"She was competing in the final round. I had been knocked out already. Then she was hit from both sides at the same time. It was a freak accident, nobody could have seen it coming." Robyn paused, and he saw tears well up in her eyes, threatening to leave their tracks down her cheek. She blinked furiously, making a valiant effor
t to ensure they didn't fall, but her emotions were running too high. Sniffing, she wiped them away with the sleeve of her shirt, taking a deep breath.
"The impact whipped her around, snapped her neck. There was nothing we could have done, the doctors say they hit at the perfect time and angle. It was instant."
"Holy shit. Robyn, I'm so sorry," he gasped, putting his arm around her without thinking.
Before he realized what he had done, she was already tucked into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Frozen, he didn't dare breathe for fear of ruining the moment. It was the closest the two of them had ever gotten to acknowledging that something was happening between them. The last thing he wanted to do now was jeopardize that.
She didn't speak either, and he could almost feel her sit as still as possible. He longed to ask her if she was doing the same thing as him, not moving so that they could stay like this for longer, but he didn't. Instead, he closed his eyes and relished the sensation of how his mate felt against his side.
It was too real by that point for him to consider that perhaps she wasn't. Everything they did together just flowed perfectly. She was his mate, and even as he acknowledged it, his bear roared its approval. She was deliciously warm and cozy. He wanted to hold onto her for longer, for the entire night if he could. But they had to get back, they had to start work on her—
"We should get back," Robyn said as if reading his thoughts. "If I'm going to compete tomorrow, that car needs some serious work."
Andy laughed as she pulled away, amazed at the way they seemed to be so in tune with each other.
"I was just thinking the same thing myself." He didn't say more, not wanting to ruin anything, but he thought he saw her eyes light up in response.
Andy didn't think he was going to get any more details about Robyn's life that day, but as they were working on the car late into the night, she surprised him. They were just putting the finishing touches on welding a new set of anti-crumple bars onto the frame. Really, it was just steel piping he had found in the junkyard and reinforced, but it would be better than the current version, which were little more than scrap at this point.
"This looks great, Andy. I don't know how to thank you. This is the best she's looked in some time. Maybe I can do Sarah's memory proud tomorrow."
"What do you mean?" he asked. There had been some weight behind that sentence.
"I promised her at her funeral that I would win a competition for her."
"Well then I think you'll win another one out there this week," he said confidently, smiling at her.
"Not if my luck is anything like it has been," she snorted.
"What do you mean? How long has it been since you last won?"
"Five years. I last won the week before she died. It was just the two of us left, and I managed to knock her out."
"Five...years?" he choked, unable to believe what he had just heard. She hadn't won a single competition in five years? "How many times a year do you do this?"
"A couple dozen," she replied, as if it was nothing.
"You've been chasing a win for five years? Don't you only make money if you lose?" he asked, in shock.
"Yes," she said softly, turning to look at him. The look of determination in her eyes was intense, almost fanatical. "I have to do this. I promise Sarah I would, and I'll do whatever I have to, to keep my promise," she all but snarled.
Andy threw up his hands in a placating motion. "Okay, I'm sorry. I just..." he trailed off. He wanted to tell her that he cared for her, that he didn't want to see her waste her life this way.
It would do no good.
He could see that now, she was hell-bent on accomplishing this mission. If she had been doing it for five years now, a few words from him wasn't going to change her mind. Sighing in resignation, he came to a decision on what he was going to do, knowing he had no real other option.
"Well, let's get Staci ready for the show then. The least I can do is help you win this week."
She smiled, and went back to work. After another moment, so did he.
They decided to call it quits an hour or so before midnight. They had repaired or replaced as much of the car as they could to get it into shape, but now it would be up to Robyn to drive it well enough to advance. After the second round, they would have several days to really overhaul everything. He already had several ideas on how to reinforce the overall body.
"It's getting late," Robyn remarked as they stood back, cleaning their hands off on some rags.
"That it is," he said.
The sky had gone dark and the stars were shining brightly. The moon was high in the sky, only a small sliver of its fullest self. The temperature had held, making it a warm night for any who ventured out to see it.
When the two of them exited the garage, they both looked up into the canvas above, admiring the work of the galaxy around them. It truly was an awe-inspiring sight, one that he never tired of, despite having seen it night after night his entire life. It was a shame that so many people in the city were blinded by the ambient lights, unable to witness the spectacle of a brilliant night sky.
As they watched, several meteors trailed fiery lines across the sky before disappearing. Without thinking, he reached his hand out, brushing against Robyn's. He felt a tiny tremor run through her but she didn't shy away. They stayed unmoving, hands touched but not intertwined for several minutes longer.
You should ask her if she wants to stay.
The voice inside his head spoke without warning, the idea flashing through with such speed he couldn't shut it down before thinking about it further. His bear growled its agreement, desperately wanting him to step closer to her, to touch her, kiss her, and ultimately take her to bed.
He wanted to do just such a thing, but he didn't want to rush things with her. Robyn needed time and space for such a move. Now, he thought, was just such a time where it seemed inviting, but he probably shouldn't.
So instead, he simply enjoyed the moment.
Chapter Six
Robyn
Is he going to ask me to stay?
She couldn't get the thought out of her head. What would she say? Did she say no, and walk away? Or was she ready to admit that perhaps he was kindling some feelings inside of her that she had denied and let grow dormant?
Ever since her sister had died, Robyn had felt mostly numb when it came to relationships of any sort. Friendship, family, love, they had all become muted, background noises that she had, admittedly, let wither and die in her dogged pursuit of a win to honor her sister's memory.
Had she erred and taken it too far? What would Sarah think? Would she be upset that Robyn had let so much of her life slip her by, or would she be proud of what Robyn had done to remember and respect her?
You idiot. You know, if I was there now, I'd slap you silly for being so dense!
She blinked. For a moment, it had sounded like her sister was right there. That was one of her preferred phrases, one that she hadn't heard in ages, or thought about even. Now, in her mind, Sarah was back, telling her what she should do.
"Andy," she said softly, turning to face him.
His massive body shuffled around until they were looking at each other. She was tall enough she didn't have to crane her neck too much to see his face, but just enough that she was the perfect height to rest her head on his chest.
"Yes, Robyn?" he asked when she didn't continue immediately, his voice strained.
"I should go," she said.
He nodded, but made no move to let her by.
"Thank you for the help with the car," she said lamely, unsure of what to do.
Kiss him, you silly fool!
All her life, Robyn had done what her sister told her. This time was no different. Without thinking, she snaked her arm up and around Andy's head, pulling him down to her.
Heat flashed through her body as their lips pressed together. Her nipples hardened and fire roared out from between her legs in response to Andy's touch as his strong arms cam
e up and wrapped around her.
Her mouth parted, allowing his tongue to hungrily explore her mouth. She moaned softly as his hands threaded their way through her hair, pulling her closer to him. Something hard was pressing firmly into her, an instant sign of his arousal that she ground her hips upon slowly.
She didn't resist as his hands ran down the side of her body. This was it, she knew, they were going to fuck right here on the ground. Thick, warm honey flooded between her legs in anticipation of what was to come, her bear going crazy with lust and desire at the idea of finally being with a man again after so long.
Her cell phone began to ring loudly, smashing the mood aside with sudden finality. The two of the blinked and stepped apart. Cheeks stinging with embarrassment, Robyn pulled her phone out of her pocket, desperately hoping it was important.
It wasn't, just Amy checking in to make sure she knew that she was competing tomorrow. She hadn't seen her around, and didn't want her to get screwed over.
"Yeah, I know, Amy. Thanks, I'll see you soon."
"Bye," she said, hanging up.
Andy had taken a step back, giving her some room. The clearly visible outline of his hard cock beneath his jeans threatened to reignite the flames within her, but she knew the moment was past. Neither of them really knew what was going on between them, and she needed some time to think.
"I should go, get some rest," she mumbled, looking down at the ground as she kicked a foot at some dirt.
"Agreed," he rumbled, his voice having gone even deeper if that was possible.
"Will I see you tomorrow?"
"I'm going to try. I've fallen behind here, and I have commitments I have to keep, but I'm going to do my best."
"Okay," she said.
The pair exchanged looks for a moment longer before she realized she was standing still. Moving stiffly she walked around Andy and got into her truck after making sure her car was all locked up properly in the trailer. She pulled away, watching in her side-mirror as Andy stood at the edge of the road, not moving until she had rounded the bend.
