“Wait until they go away,” his muted voice tells me from under the pillow, but the door won’t stop buzzing and after a minute it turns into knocking.
Heavy knocking.
I start to get frightened, but Steve’s more annoyed than anything else. He tosses a robe around himself and storms to the door, which I hear him tearing open from the bedroom.
“Oh! Mr. Billings,” I hear him murmur, making my heart freeze as I cover myself up, swearing to myself as I realize Steve’s just pinched my robe and the nearest one is in the bathroom.
I decide to stay put, craning my ear to see if I can hear better as they both move into the lounge area of the suite.
“Sorry if I woke you son… got a lot on my mind… need to have a bit of a pow-wow before the race though. Before anything else happens, really,” I hear the older man saying with what sounds like a heavy, reluctant tone in his usually sprightly southern voice.
Once I know it’s safe, I slip out of bed and creep across the doorway to the bathroom where my bag is. I finally get dressed in some of my own clothes quietly, but I’m still not sure if I should come out or not.
“Thanks for sending on my things,” I hear Steve say absently, and I can see the old man’s hand is up as I peek around the door frame.
I can’t help it.
“Steve, I’ll cut to the quick,” he says gruffly. “Mike, the new head mechanic, your buddy. I hear he’s done great things so far, saved us a ton with his new ideas… a little unconventional, but well within the rules and his fresh perspective is just what this team needs.”
“But?” I hear Steve asking, his own voice dropping low.
“But,” Buford continues. I can see them both now, I’ve stuck my head all the way around the door and can see the back of his head as he talks to Steve, who’s trying not to look at me.
“But it looks like you taking a fancy to his daughter isn’t helping things any. I just got word he’s already quit and wants blood… your blood to be exact,” he says, settling back into his seat a little, letting one of his arms rest along the back of the couch.
“Mr. Billing,” Steve starts.
“Call me Buford, boy. Mr. Billings is for a different time and place, we need to sort this out, Steve. I need you behind the wheel and I also need…” but he trails off.
“You also need what?” Steve asks, a hint of annoyance coming back into his voice.
“You can come out now, Missy,” Buford says, tilting his head before turning it to face me then patting the space next to him on the couch.
“C’mon now, don’t be shy. This is as much about you as young Steven here, or your dad.”
Steve shoots me a confused and slightly angry look, but something about Buford Billings has me coming around. Before I know it, I’ve trotted over silently and taken a seat next to him.
He’s looking at me with a warm smile and what I could only describe as nostalgia on his face, like he’s looking at an old photograph or something.
Steve stands up suddenly. “What the hell’s all this about!” he demands, but Buford, and I, find our hands gently going up and ushering Steve back to his seat.
“It’s alright, Steve,” I hear myself reassuring him, looking over to the older man again. “Isn’t it?” I ask him, feeling his hand in mine and giving it a squeeze.
“It certainly is, my dear,” he says, clearing his throat and ignoring a now fuming Steve.
“I had a daughter, Steve. A long time ago. She’s no longer with us, rest her soul… but before she left us, she had a child. A child she didn’t keep. A child until recently I never even knew existed.”
Buford pauses for a moment, and I figure it’s for effect but I can feel his hand starting to tremble a little in mine.
Steve settles down instantly, and looking from Buford to me, his eyes a question, but I don’t have an answer for him.
“I looked into your dad’s employee records, his whole history before I hired Steve,” he says softly, looking over at me with a tear at the corner of each of his pale gray eyes.
“I’m certain enough, without wanting to spoil the life you already have, Penny… that my baby girl was your biological mom.”
“So you hired me just to get Penny,” Steve says with a dry, almost sarcastic tone. “Why not just call her up and tell her? Why all the bluff of hiring me?” he says, looking over to me and I can tell he wants to hold me. Wants me to go to him.
Buford shakes his head. “I hired you because you’re the best damn driver in the country!” he exclaims. “My business with Penny, with her dad… that’s something else and something I’d prefer to keep amongst ourselves for the time being.”
He leans in close to me, patting the hand holding his. “That father of yours, he’s got enough to deal with right now, eh?” he adds with a sly wink and then a broad smile which he shares with both Steve and me.
“You don’t mind?” Steve asks.
“Hell, no I don’t mind, boy. You ask a lot of questions! I’ll have words with Mike, don’t you worry about that. We need you two to focus on the job at hand, not trying to beat each other up,” he exclaims again, sounding genuinely irritated, but settling himself down again once he looks at me.
“I had love, true love just the once in my life, Penny. And those were the happiest years of my life. If you and Steve can get even just a hint of that… Well, I’m all for it.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” I tell them both.
I should feel shocked, or sad
