Inching forward, dirt clung to my flip-flops, I considered that I should have worn actual shoes tonight, but I didn’t give it enough thought to actually change.
In the middle of the row, Rager sat next to Casten at the table, the blaring sun on their faces and reflecting off their mirrored shades. Every so often, Casten nudged Rager’s elbow when it was time to sign a rack card or program.
After the tenth time, Rager had enough and slammed his hand down on the table and knocked Casten’s stack of cards into the dirt. “Knock it off, asshole. I’ll shove this Sharpie up your piss hole.”
Casten frowned and reached down to pick up his cards. “I doubt it’d fit. Piss holes are relatively small, dude.”
Rager never lifted his gaze from the table. “Which is why it will hurt.”
Dad was next to them, laughing, but not because of their conversation. He’d spotted us and what we were wearing. I smiled, as did Hayden. She was wearing a tank top that said “Proud pit lizard” with Jameson Riley splayed across her chest.
Hayden—never shy, never quiet—loudly asked, “Will you sign my tits?”
At first, he stared at her tits, for the briefest of moments and then diverted his eyes like he hadn’t seen it. Shaking his head, he cracked a smile. “Nope.”
Hayden’s hands flew to her waist. “Why the fuck not?”
Dad lifted his sunglasses, eyeing her face, not her chest. “Because I don’t want to.”
“Told you he wouldn’t do it.” Wrapping her arms around Hayden, Mom giggled. “He’s getting too old for that shit.”
Mom said that on purpose. To piss Dad off.
Tommy, who was in line with us, and wearing cut-off jeans and a ladies’-sized wife beater, gave Dad a head nod. “We’re getting old, Jameson. Every day I wake up and when there is no morning wood waiting for me, I get so sad.”
Dad stared at Tommy for what seemed like a very long time, but in reality was probably only a second. “That’s never happened to me.”
Tommy clasped his hand on his shoulder. “Yet. It hasn’t happened to you yet. But it will.”
It was hard to believe—but then maybe not really—all this was taking place in front of fans and they were laughing. If only they knew this was daily conversation for our family.
We shuffled through the line again, forward two steps and I was now in front of my husband. I slid a picture over the table lined with memorabilia and photographs of him in his racing suit and standing next to his car. It was my picture I slide across that caught his attention. It was one of us in victory lane last year, his hand on my ass as he lifted me into the air, kissing me.
He raised his head, his bright blues hidden behind mirrored shades. After our fight this morning, I wondered what his reaction to me wearing my brother’s racing shirt would be. Inherently jealous by nature when it came to me, Rager lifted his shades to offer me a glare. No words, just a glare. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose, causing his nostrils to flare.
I laughed, winked, but I didn’t budge because he’d been mean and damn it if I couldn’t be stubborn when I wanted to be.
Hayden leaned into the table, her hands splayed in front of Rager. He was not smiling at her. “Hey, asshole, sign it and move along.”
Would you believe me if I told you he signed it?
He didn’t. Refused to and pushed it aside, reaching for another program a little girl handed him. He even winked at her. I was his wife and didn’t even get that.
Guess he was still upset and I’d made it worse.
As we were walking away from the tables, I noticed Olivia in line, staring at my husband like she wanted to eat him. And not like you’d devour a plate of tacos. Like how you’d ate a piece of chocolate cake. Slowly, savoring every last bite.
“Ugh,” Lily groaned when she noticed her. “Why is she here?”
“She’s working for Ricky’s team this year,” Hayden added, knowing the dirt on anyone. She knew everything in the racing world. Who worked for who, who fucked who. All the details. Which was another reason she wasn’t allowed to have social media. She called a late model driver out for cheating on his wife last year. Okay, he had it coming. He posted a picture of his wife and told her she was the most important person in his life. And Hayden jumped all over that.
I looked over at Lily, who’d had run-ins with Olivia too in the past. Much like myself. Hell, she slept with Easton while we were still married. I did not like her and the fact that she was now staring at Rager, well, I wanted to run over there and rip her fake eyelashes off her face. “She just keeps making her way around, doesn’t she?” I noted, watching Rager never look up at her. Neither did Axel.
Good boys.
“Bitch up and take her out,” Hayden told us, as if she was rolling up her nonexistent sleeves.
Lily gave her the look. The one we had to give Hayden daily. “We can’t fight her just because she works for another team.”
“Uh, yes you can.”
Mom wrapped her arm around Hayden’s shoulders. “You three reminded me of me, Emma, and Alley back in the day.”
“Does that mean I’m the outsider?” Kinsley asked,
