Colby returned her embrace. It might not have seemed like it, but Colby was happy to see her cousin. The woman always had energy to burn, and today was no different. Which was the absolute opposite of Colby, who was running on fumes. “I forgot you were coming in today.”
“Gonzo!” she yelled into Colby’s phone. “I’ll make sure this chick is there. It’s been a while since we’ve all partied together. I could use some good music, good food, and to see all of my old friends.”
“Promise?”
“Promise!”
“Okay. Cool. I’ll see you both there.”
Colby hung up the phone. She was trapped. No way was Lila going to let her crawl into bed. “When did you get in?” she asked.
“About an hour ago.” Lila inspected Colby as she ran her fingers through Colby’s hair. “It looks like I got here just in time too. You should let me tame that nest on your head. It’s all over the place. You can’t go to a party looking like that.”
“It’s not a real party.” Colby waved her hands away. She loved Lila, but the woman could sometimes be a tad bit too much.
Lila liked all things soft and pretty. She was a beautiful dark-skinned woman with incredibly smooth skin and super-model tall with a body to match. Whereas, Colby was curvier with rounded hips and a slim waist—and a pair of breasts that Colby would love to downsize. Lila liked to wear her dark hair bone straight with a part down the middle. Colby mostly wore her hair in a big curly natural afro. From time to time, she would flat-iron it straight. The biggest difference between them was the fact that Lila hated cars unless one of her rich boyfriends gifted her one. And unlike Colby, she wouldn’t be caught dead in a pair of gym-shoes. It was heels or bust.
“It’s a work thing,” Colby said.
“Just change into an outfit that you would wear when you attended those fancy parties in Washington because I for sure know damn well you wouldn’t show up in,” Lila glanced down at Colby’s feet and wrinkled up her nose, “those.”
Colby smiled. Some things never changed. Even when Lila was little, she would play dress-up in her mother’s clothes and shoes. The girl always wanted to wear dresses and would absolutely never play in the dirt.
“I know how to clean up when necessary, thank you very much.” Colby pressed her lips together as if she were offended.
“I don’t know,” Lila said with laughter in her eyes. “You seem to forget how when you come home. If you spruce up a little, you might actually meet somebody not named Derrick.”
An image of Liam Lockwood flashed through her mind. Where did that come from? Colby was caught between laughing and choking. She pushed the thought away. “Girl, please! There are only about twenty guys in our entire little town that are close to our age. We grew up with all of them. I can’t imagine.”
Lila couldn’t deny that. “True. Still, a woman can hope. Have you been dating much?”
Dating was a really uncomfortable subject for Colby. “Not really. Work kept me pretty busy.”
“Kept?”
“Yep. I took a leave of absence. I plan to be home awhile.”
Lila’s brows raised in surprise. “I know you claim y’all broke up, but you left Derrick in Washington? By himself?”
“Yep.” Colby exaggerated the p at the end.
“So, you two are really finished for good?”
“I should have left his ass at MIT.” Colby’s face turned stone cold. “Please don’t ever mention that man’s name to me.”
“Okay, okay. I just . . . well.” Lila attempted to change the subject, at least a little. “You and I can’t stay single forever. We have too much going on for that nonsense.”
“I’m happy being single,” Colby lied.
“I’m not.” Lila pretended as if she were crying. “I want a maaaaaaaaaan.” She wiped away imaginary tears.
“You came to the wrong place. This is East Moline, Illinois. Where do you think you’re going to find a rich man in this town?”
Lila shrugged nonchalantly. “They don’t have to be rich. They just need to be kind.”
Colby’s eyebrows rose almost to her hairline. “Since when?”
Lila’s voice softened. “I admit that I’ve had certain standards in the past.”
Colby twisted her lips to the side as if to sarcastically say, really?
“I agree that I’ve made some terrible choices when it comes to men. My priorities might have been a bit off. But it’s not entirely my fault. Among other things, my parents sucked at the job of parenting.”
Whoa. Lila admitting that was a big deal, Colby thought. It was true, though. Lila’s dad hadn’t wanted her. He was married to someone else when Lila was conceived and all but denied she was his daughter. Her mom, who was Colby’s Aunt Faye, was a lot like Lila. She chased men and money. At the hands of time, her beauty was fading. Lately, she had been borrowing large sums of money from Colby’s father. So, she was probably broke too. Lila had certainly been following in her mother’s footsteps. Colby didn’t want her to beat up on herself too much. “You don’t think the man who shall not be named wasn’t a mistake?”
“No. Not really. It just didn’t work out. You always make good decisions. It must be because Uncle Cyrus and Aunt Lauren were the perfect role models. They were relationship and family goals.”
“I won’t lie. I did hit the lottery with them. I just wish I had a little more time before my family was reduced to just Dad and me. We’ve all made some bad decisions, Lila. I followed that fool of a boyfriend to Washington after college. We all know how that turned out.”
“Actually, we don’t know the specifics. You never told us.” Lila smirked. “Regardless, I admire how passionate you are about the things you care about. You follow your heart. I’ve only been in love once, and I screwed it up so badly. Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened if things had been different back then.”
Lila sounded like a whole other person. “Um, Lila?” Colby paused. “Is everything okay?”
Lila looked up with glassy eyes and smiled. “I just want to make some changes. I don’t want to end up old, bitter, and alone.”
Colby wondered if Lila were talking about her mom.
“This house always felt like home, so that’s why I came to visit. I just need to catch my breath.”
Colby reached for Lila’s hand and squeezed. “You came to the right place.” She wanted to lighten the mood as they walked down the hallway to her bedroom. “Looks like both of our choices led back to my closet-sized bedroom. Just know this little cousin, I’m not giving up my bed while you’re here. And we’re too old for you to sleep at the foot. Your ass is sleeping on the floor or the couch.” Colby laughed, but she was not joking.
“Why can’t I sleep in the other room? It’s empty.”
The smile on Colby’s face faded. Such a simple question should not have caused a lump to form in her throat, but it did. Colby swallowed hard to clear it. She spoke softly. “You know why.”
*****
Lila got out of Colby’s car, wearing five-inch heels and a little black dress. She also wore a full face of makeup. She was certainly ready for her close-up. The second her heels touched the gravel of the parking lot, reality sunk in. “Remind me why I came to this podunk town?” It was hard for her to walk on the surface.
Colby couldn’t help but laugh. “Because this is where all the party people come, remember?” She wasn’t dressed as fancy as Lila, but Colby had been talked into wearing a cute little sundress that came down mid-thigh, showing off shapely legs. It didn’t take much convincing. For some reason, Colby wanted to look sexy. However, she was smart enough not to wear high heels but a cute pair of strappy flat sandals. “Okay, Lila. Before we go inside, don’t forget our agreement. One hour. That’s it. I promised I would come only if we left after one hour.”
“You also promised that we would have fun for this one hour,” Lila reminded her.
Colby pasted on a huge fake grin as she opened the door to the restaur
ant. “Fun. We are going to have tons of fun,” she said sarcastically.
Lila breezed past her. “Yes. We. Are!”
Lila walked inside and stopped abruptly, causing Colby to almost smash into the back of her. “Again . . . why does our family live here?” She spoke to Colby through her pasted-on grin. “Ain’t nobody in here but rednecks.”
“True. But they are used to the Daughtry Racing team, and we are the United Nations of diversity.” Colby tapped her watch. “Time’s a’tickin. Our group is probably in the back.”
“This was a wasted outfit,” Lila said under her breath.
“Girl! You already knew that. C’mon.” Colby laughed as she grabbed Lila by the hand and pulled her toward the back of the restaurant.
*****
Liam and Brian had been at Georgia’s for over an hour, getting to know members of Daughtry Racing. They were a rowdy bunch but seemed to be good, honest, hardworking people.
Liam sat at the same table as Brian, Cyrus, Ben, and a few others.
It wasn’t lost on him that Brian had been nursing the same beer the entire time he’d been there. Maybe he was finally growing up. Liam hoped that running this team would give his brother a real sense of purpose. Over the years, he’d been all over the place, not taking anything seriously. That wasn’t the case with this project. Brian seemed to be genuinely concerned about making things right.
Cyrus spoke to Liam. “You don’t talk too much, do you? It’s hard to know what you’re thinking.”
Liam chuckled. “Can’t say that I am a man of many words, but if you ask, I’ll tell you what’s on my mind.” Mostly.
“Good to know.” Cyrus couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice. “I can’t wait to get to work. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way.”
Ben nodded in agreement. “It’s like a rebirth.”
Their energy was rubbing off on everyone. “Initially, I’m going to have to lean on you both for advice and your expertise until I get up to speed,” Brian said.
“That’s fine.” Cyrus lifted his glass to him. “I’m here to help.”
“Like I mentioned earlier, prioritize a list of things we need to do. We’ve only got a couple of weeks before the next race, and I want to be ready.”
“I’ll get right on it. You’ll have something from me within the next day or so,” Cyrus promised.
“Asher has one helluva car. How about the other two? How well do they drive?” Liam was curious about how much more money they would have to invest. He wasn’t too worried about it since they bought Daughtry for almost ten million less than he’d anticipated, but being an analytical man, he was never comfortable with the unknown.
Cyrus and Ben passed a glance between them before Cyrus spoke. “The car you saw today is in a class all by herself. It’s going to take some elbow grease and a lot of work to bring the other two cars even remotely close to it.”
“Why is she so drastically different?” Liam asked.
Cyrus scratched the bottom of his chin as if contemplating his response. “Last night, they weren’t so different. We owe today’s performance of the car to my daughter.”
Liam got that look on his face that Brian was all too familiar with. The one that said he was more than a little intrigued. His reaction every time Colby was around or when her name was mentioned was interesting.
Brian asked the obvious question. “How so?”
Cyrus began to explain. “It’s no secret that Daughtry’s resources have been strained. We haven’t always been able to buy the best pieces for our cars, and even when we had the resources, politics would sometimes prevent us from getting them. A little over twenty-four hours ago, our engine blew. We did our best to patch her up, but we would never have gotten the performance you saw today if Colby hadn’t spent the entire night building a brand-new, technologically advanced engine.”
Brian responded in disbelief. “By herself? A whole engine?”
Liam piggybacked off of Brian’s skepticism. “Let me get this straight. First, you tell us that it was Colby James on the track earlier and not Asher, and now, you want us to believe that she is the reason behind the performance of the car? No disrespect, but she seems a little too good to be true.”
Cyrus acknowledged his skepticism. “She had an assist from Gonzo, but the design was all hers.”
Disbelief was still written all over Liam.
Cyrus continued to explain. “I don’t know how she did it, but it’s completely up to NASCAR’s standards.”
Ben chimed in. “You gentleman don’t realize it yet, but Colby is a prodigy. She’s your secret weapon. I told you before, and I’ll say it again, we are lucky to have her.”
Liam remained silent.
Cyrus took a long pull from his beer as he stared into Liam’s eyes. “Ben’s right. Colby is too good to be true. Anybody who takes the time to get to know her and not just discount her because of her race and gender would realize that.”
There was a silent conversation going on between Cyrus and Liam. Brian would ask his brother about it later. Liam was good at business, not so much with people.
Brian didn’t want to piss off his new team over a battle of wills if that was what was happening. “Then I’m glad she’s a part of Lockwood Racing,” Brian said.
His statement drew all eyes to him. “While I know Daughtry has a lot of great history, I want to create my own.”
Cyrus could understand that. A man needed to make his own mark. Slowly, Cyrus stood. Brian and Liam couldn’t tell if the name change was welcomed or if it pissed him off. “Boys!” Cyrus’ voice thundered throughout the back of the restaurant. “I have an announcement.”
The chatter in the room quieted down. Once Cyrus had everyone’s full attention, he continued to speak. “I want to propose a toast.” He faced Brian and Liam. “We’ve had a long run as Daughtry Racing. We need to cherish those memories. But we are embarking on a new chapter. A fresh start. A new owner. And a new name.” He raised his beer bottle. “To Lockwood Racing!”
The room erupted, and the echoing of Lockwood could be heard throughout. “Can we get a few words from our fearless new leader?”
Brian stood and again waited for the room to quiet down before making his pitch. “Thank you.” Cyrus nodded and took his seat.
“I’ve been told that Daughtry is more than just a team but a family. I understand that there is a long and proud history here. I plan not only to uphold your great traditions but to expand on it. All I ask is that you do your best, and I’ll promise to do mine. Together, we are going to achieve great things!”
The room broke out into chants of Lockwood.
Brian’s chest was tight with emotion. “With that said, the next round of beers is on me.” He took his seat then looked over at Liam.
Liam lifted his beer and tapped it against Brian’s. “I couldn’t have said it any better.”
“When are you boys heading back home?” Cyrus asked.
“I’m leaving in the morning,” Liam said.
“Unfortunately, I’ll be leaving tomorrow night, but I’ll be back Saturday,” Brian answered.
“Then I’ll see you at the garage in the morning?” Cyrus confirmed.
“You will.” Brian nodded.
“It’s been a long day and night for this old man, so I’m going to head out,” Cyrus said.
“Me Too,” Ben cosigned.
“Before you go, I was hoping to chat with Colby. Do you know if she is coming?” Brian asked.
Cyrus lifted a shoulder. “Not sure. She hasn’t been informed of her change in status. So, technically, she is not a member of Team Daughtry.” Cyrus corrected himself. “Sorry, I mean, Team Lockwood.” He smiled. “After twenty-five years, that is going to take a bit of getting used to.”
“I understand.” Brian returned his smile warmly. “She and Asher are the only two drivers I haven’t had a chance to speak with. I was hoping we’d have a few minutes tonight.”
Cyrus nodded. “
If not tonight, I’ll make sure that she’ll be at the garage in the morning.”
“Great. We’ll talk then.”
Brian and Liam shook hands with Cyrus, Ben, and a few others as they stood to leave then watched them walk out of the restaurant.
“You’re welcome,” Brian said as they took their seats.
“For what?” Liam looked genuinely confused.
“That last question was for you,” he said.
“You are not making any sense.”
“Are you really going to sit there and pretend that you weren’t wondering if Colby was coming?”
Liam’s mouth suddenly felt dry. He picked up his beer and took a drink before answering. “I’m curious to meet both Colby and Asher.”
Brian laughed. “My guess is for completely different reasons. I saw the way you looked at her earlier today. What I can’t figure is if you’re attracted or just intrigued.”
“Who wouldn’t be intrigued? She’s like a unicorn who has earned a heavy dose of respect from this team, and I don’t know anything about her other than she’s Cyrus’ daughter. You know how I hate being in the dark.”
“That I do. But that’s it? Are you only curious about her as it relates to racing? You’re not even remotely interested in the fact that she is gorgeous? It’s impossible to miss that fact.”
Liam laughed. “How can you tell? She is always scowling.”
“Oh, I can tell, and my guess is you can too.”
“My only interest in any of this is to make sure you don’t lose your trust fund and to keep the Luccesses out of our family’s business.”
“Okaaaaaaay. If that’s what you want to keep telling yourself.” Brian was skeptical as he got up to use the bathroom. “Just know that I’m keeping my eyes on you.” He used his index and middle finger to point to his eyes then back to Liam’s.
Chapter 9
“Ms. James in the house!” someone yelled from across the room. This caused Liam to glance up from his smartphone.
His back was turned away from the entrance so that he couldn’t see her. There was an unfamiliar tightening of his stomach at the mention of her name. It was akin to when he was about to close a big deal. It confused him since the deal with Daughtry had already been closed.
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