Watching Brooks get his ass beat last weekend was not how I wanted to spend my day. “Raincheck.”
“For Pete’s sake,” Violet grumbled. “Moral of the story,” she yelled. “Some people are worth second chances. Brooks didn’t know your name; he didn’t kill your dog. Give the man a second chance before you completely write him off.” She slugged Luke in the gut and stood up. “I’m going to make dinner. You two can watch racing or whatever.”
“Babe,” Luke called after her. “Don’t be mad at me.” Violet didn’t answer, and Luke hung his head. “I hate when she’s mad at me. It makes shit so much harder.”
“Don’t piss her off, and you wouldn’t have to worry about it,” I pointed out.
He waved me off and grabbed the remote from the coffee table. “Listen to what she said, though. I didn’t deserve a second chance, but she gave me one. It’s the best damn thing that ever happened to me.” He turned on the TV, and of course, put on the qualifying from last weekend.
I yelled to Violet asking if she needed to help with dinner, but she said she was good, so that left me with wandering down to my room to figure out what the hell I was going to do.
Brooks Cummings.
When I started working at Cummings Racing, I thought he was a pretty cool guy who had worked his way up to where he was and I was lucky to be working on his car. Then the shit hit the fan, and I thought he was a complete dick who didn’t care who I was because I was a chick. Then he did a complete one-eighty and apologized for the dickishness, and now I was more than completely confused.
Do I really give the guy a second chance?
Violet was right that he hadn’t really done anything horrendous. I mean, everyone had their moments where they act like a dick or bitch, right?
Hell, I had been a bitch and threw a wrench at his head. Even after I did that, he had hopped on a plane and asked me to come back to work for him. If Brooks could do that, I could give him a second chance.
It may be a second chance with a lot of conditions attached to it, but it was better than nothing. I was going to be weary of him until he showed me exactly what type of guy he was.
I pulled my duffel bag out of the closet and tossed it on the bed.
So, Brooks Cummings got a second chance, and I got my job back.
We both won, but for some reason, I didn’t feel like I was on the winning side.
*
Chapter Thirteen
Brooks
“What do you mean?”
“I’m leaving means only one thing, Brooks.” I watched my dad grab his coat off the back of the chair and shrug it on. “I can’t keep living my life this way.”
“This way?” I scoffed. “You live in a seven-thousand-foot mansion and have everything you could ask for.”
“Except the woman I want in my bed every night.”
“You’re fucking married, Dad. The only woman you should be wanting in your bed is upstairs.”
He pulled his keys out of his pocket and grabbed his duffel bag off the floor. “You mean the woman who doesn’t know my name today? The one who sleeps in the spare bedroom more than in our room because she’s afraid she’ll wake up not knowing who I am?”
“How can you leave her? She’s your wife,” I pointed out as if he had forgotten.
“She hasn’t been my wife since the stroke, Brooks. I hate to do this, but I can’t keep living my life taking care of her.”
He was a selfish fucking prick. “So what? You just leave to live your life and not care about the woman who was your wife for the past thirty-nine years?”
This hadn’t been what I expected when my dad called me over this morning. I tried to put him off because I had plans to pick up Frankie today, but he had insisted I needed to come. Apparently I needed to be here because he was taking back the life my mom had been withholding from him. I looked at my phone. “Fuck,” I grunted. I needed to be on the road to the airport in five minutes.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded.
I looked up and shook my head. “Nothing, I wouldn’t want my problems to keep you from living your life.” I pulled up Harlyn’s phone number and sent her a message that she needed to pick Frankie up at the airport for me. I knew it wasn’t her job to be a chauffeur, but I was desperate.
My idea to have Frankie’s car hauled here was a good idea because it stranded her at the airport, giving me the excuse to pick her up, but now my idea sucked.
Harlyn responded instantly. I can’t get away right now, but Remy and Jay are on the way to get her.
Thanks.
Well, that was one crisis averted. Now I needed to figure out what the hell I was going to do about my mom and dad. “What is Mom supposed to do, Dad? You’re really going to leave this house to her?”
“Hell no. I’m leaving long enough for her to figure out where she is going to go, and we’ll be back once she packs up.”
“We?” I was shocked at the next word that came out of his mouth, but I shouldn’t have been since he had just told me my mom who had a stroke was holding him back from living his life. He was a grade a prick.
“I’ve met someone,” he replied simply.
My blood boiled, and all I wanted to do was punch him square in the face. “Get out,” I demanded. He didn’t deserve to be in the same house as my mother anymore. He had put up a facade of loving her after her stroke, but obviously the jig was up, and he wasn’t here for the long haul. “Mom will be out by the end of the week.”
“Brooks, look.”
I cut him off and pointed to the front door. “Go be with your bitch, and don’t ever talk to me again. My lawyer will be in touch with you to buy your share of the team.”
“I’m not giving up that team,” he roared.
He was passionate about not losing Cummings Racing, but he could give six shits about my mother. “You will. I own more than you do. I hold all the strings, father.” As much as I wanted to take everything away from him, I knew I couldn't. I may be able to retain ownership of Cummings Racing since I was the one who founded it, but I was going to have to pay him a pretty penny to get lost. “As I said, my lawyers will be in touch to discuss the liquidation of you being part of Cummings Racing.”
He bared his teeth and took a step toward me. “Me leaving your mother has absolutely nothing to do with you.”
“Wrong. You’re so fucking wrong, I don’t even know where to start.”
“I’m not going to give up the team.”
When I started Cummings Racing, I had planned on running it forever with my dad. Now, it looked like things were going to change. “You will. But, you shouldn’t be too worried because though I know what a selfish prick you are, the rest of the world is mostly oblivious to the fact. You’ll rebound from this, figure out another way to make money, and Mom and I will be a distant memory.”
“You’re going to regret this if you decide to go through with these ludicrous threats, Brooks.” He stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind him.
Holy fuck.
How in the hell did that just happen?
I hated my father, and deep down, I always knew he was only in it for number one, and everyone else was there just as stepping stones or to support him. My mother had lost her ability to support him, and she wasn’t of any use to him.
She was out of the picture, and now, he was onto what he thought would be the next best thing.
He was wrong.
He would see that choosing himself would not only make him lose my mom, but me also.
Now, all I needed to do was figure out how I was going to take care of my mother and do it by Friday. I needed to have her out of the house before I left for Virginia this weekend.
I heard her muffled footsteps moving down the stairs.
“Brooks? Was that you I heard talking?”
“Yeah, I’m by the front door, Ma.”
She walked into the foyer with a smile on her face. “Did I also hear your father talking?”
I
t was a good day for her. She remembered not only me, but my dad too. Though I hoped to make him a faint memory from now on. “Yeah, he had some things he needed to do.”
“Are you okay?” She reached up and ran her fingers down my cheek that had two days of stubble on it. “You need to shave.”
I stroked my scruff and shrugged. “Maybe I’ll keep it for a bit. See if I like it.”
She nodded. “I do suppose you can do what you like seeing as you’re over thirty.”
I nodded my agreement. “Yeah, I guess that’s how it goes.” I sighed and reached for her hand. “We need to talk for a second, Mom. Some things have happened that are going to affect you for a little bit.”
“What is it?” she asked.
I didn’t know how to do this. How do you tell your mother that her husband of thirty-nine years had just left the house with plans to live with another woman? “Uh, Dad…well…I don—”
She held up her hand. “You don’t need to say it, Brooks. I know I have issues remembering things, but I know what’s happening. He’s gone.”
I hung my head.
“And he’s not coming back,” she said simply.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” I whispered.
She laughed lightly. “There isn’t a damn thing you need to be sorry for, Brooks. Nothing could have kept him here. He did well for a while, but you and I both know that your father only thinks of himself.”
“But it still has to hurt, Mom.”
She shook her head. “It does, but knowing that he wasn’t in it forever while I was makes me hate him instead of feeling sorry for myself.”
“He wants you out, Mom. By Friday.”
Her head snapped back, and she cringed. “Lord. That’s rather soon, isn’t it?”
“I want you to come and live with me.” I knew I had said before that having her live with me wasn’t something I could do, but if it came down to having her live with me to sticking her in some home where she would be neglected, I knew what I would pick instantly. “I’m not sure how exactly we’ll do it, but I know you’re going to be there.”
She tilted her head back and smiled sadly. “I don’t want to be a burden to you, Brooks.”
I shook my head. “You’ll never be a burden to me, Mom. Why don’t we get a bag packed for you, and then we can head over to my house?” I didn’t want to be here any longer than I needed to be.
“We have three days, Brooks. Do we really need to move that quickly?”
I wanted to do it right now because she was in a good state of mind. You couldn’t even tell that she had onset dementia or her body gave her troubles. “We need to get you settled before my next race, so we have no choice but to be quick.”
She nodded. “Then I guess I better head upstairs and get to work.” She reached up and cradled my chin. “I love you, Brooks. I just want you to know that I raised the best boy ever, and he became one of the best men.”
She headed back upstairs, and I sighed.
That went easier than I had hoped, but I knew we were just at the beginning of the road we were headed down.
Things were going to be tough for a while, but I knew that eventually Mom and I would come out on the other side stronger and happier.
My dad was out of the picture, and the only thing I cared about was getting my mother the love and support she needed.
It was crazy how one moment in time could completely fuck with the path you were headed down.
Racing had been my life, but that was all about to change.
*
Chapter Fourteen
Frankie
“Give it here.”
“No, I got it.”
Remy walked past me and crouched next to the car. “While you took a three-week vacation, the rest of us were working.” He looked over his shoulder and smirked.
“Is that why you guys lost last weekend?” I leaned against the workbench and crossed my arms over my chest. “I’ll wait for whatever lame excuse you have for losing.”
“Hey, I figured it out.”
I laughed. “Yeah, because I told you what was wrong.”
“Well, dammit, that’s what happens when you run tests without anyone knowing. If you would have let me know you were using two different brands of springs, then the problem wouldn’t have ever happened.”
“It was a test. I didn’t know if it was going to make a difference or not. I had planned on doing a couple of passes with the old springs, but I happened to heave a wrench at Brooks before I got that far.” But now I was back.
“You pack for tomorrow?” Remy stood up and wiped his hands on his pants.
“Not even close. What about you?”
Remy looked toward the front offices. “I have to say, it’s pretty damn nice having Harlyn. Not only does she keep my bed warm, but she also packs me all up for the races.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll make sure to let Harlyn know you appreciate everything she’s doing as your maid.”
“Do that and you’ll have to sleep with one eye open,” Remy threatened.
“You’d have to actually be at the house for me to worry about that.” Ever since Remy and Harlyn hooked up officially, he had been staying at her house according to Jay. I had only been back for two days and I had only seen Remy when he picked me up from the airport and when we were at work. The same went for Jay, but that was typical. He was always off chasing some chick and never at home much.
Once we were done with work for the day, Remy took off with Harlyn, Jay showered at the house and then he was gone for the night.
“Don’t hate,” Remy laughed. “You can’t blame me for hanging at her house instead of at the duplex with you two.”
“Hey, you two done with the car yet?” Roc stood at the entrance to the shop with his phone to his ear and a scowl in his lips.
“Yeah. Just buttoning everything up,” Remy replied.
“Good. Get the hell out of here when you’re done. We leave at the ass crack of dawn in the morning. It’s only a three-hour drive, but we need to be set up asap to make sure whatever voodoo you did to the car is working.”
“It’s gonna run good,” I promised.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” Roc grumbled. “If you hadn’t taken off, we wouldn’t be in this mess that we’re in.”
I had heard that same sentence at least ten times since my feet hit the ground in Leeds Square. “You just gotta trust me.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Roc walked back into office grumbling under his breath.
“You sure it’s gonna run?”
I looked over at Remy. “You really doubting me?” I knew what I was doing. Everything Remy had done to the car, I did the opposite because it was what needed to be done.
“I’m just glad you’re back, and I don’t want you getting fired for the second time.”
“Quit. I wasn’t fired,” I clarified.
“Technically you were suspended, and then you quit,” he laughed.
“Your point?” I snapped.
Being suspended sucked.
Quitting was hard.
Coming back was fucking torture.
It was like I was going through a damn hazing period before anyone trusted me again. The worst part?
I hadn’t even seen Brooks yet. I had figured he would be the one to pick me up from the airport, or at least be at the shop when I came in, but he wasn’t.
No one mentioned him, but that was probably because it wasn’t unusual for him to not show up every day.
“My point is, you’re back, and none of us want to see you leave again. I know you know this car inside and out, Frank. I have faith in you, but we’re worried about what is going to send you over the edge again.”
I took a deep breath. “I messed up, Remy. I won’t deny that. I have my pride, and it took a lot of hits the past few months. But, I’m back and ready to work with the team because I know together we make that car win. Not just me, not you, certainly not Jay,” I laughed, “but us as a team.”
Re
my held his fist out to me. “Team.”
I bumped my fist against his and smiled. “I’m back, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“That’s what we all asked for. Even Brooks.” Remy walked to his toolbox and worked on putting everything away.
I closed my eyes and dropped my chin to my chest.
Brooks.
I came back thinking things were different between the two of us, but it seemed like things were the same as before I left.
He showed up for the races, and then he was MIA the rest of the time. All I needed now was for him to walk through the doors, give everyone credit for the work I had just done, and it would be like I had never left.
*
Chapter Fifteen
Brooks
“Here is my number. Call me no matter what. If I don’t answer right away, call 9-1-1- and then call me again.”
The nurse pursed her lips. “I don’t think that will need to happen.”
I didn’t like this woman. She wasn’t nice to me, so it made me wonder how she was going to be with my mom. “I’ll be back Sunday night around eight. There are a list of things my mom likes to eat, and the fridge is loaded with anything you could possibly need. Just act like her friend, and not like someone who is babysitting her.”
After spending three continuous days with my mom, I was starting to figure her out. Her memory wasn’t that far gone, but she definitely had her moments where I could see the dementia getting worse.
“You won’t have anything to worry about, Mr. Cummings.”
I really looked at her and sighed. She was at least in her mid-fifties, short, round like a ball, and had the personality of a drill sergeant. I knew she wouldn’t work out in the long run, but I was desperate, and she was the only one who I could get on such short notice. “I’ll call throughout the weekend.” I needed to leave, and I didn’t have any other choice but to leave her here with my mom.
Mom was sitting in the living room crocheting a blanket she had been working on with the TV turned down low. “Heading out?” she asked as I walked to the edge of the couch she was sitting on.
Holeshot Page 9
