Fly Away, page 8
part #5 of Baxter Boys Series
He dropped his hand. “I didn’t realize there was a race tomorrow.”
“Yeah, it’s not too far away in Dry Run.”
“Were you planning on going?” His heart hurt a little to think that she hadn’t mentioned it to him. Not that she needed to or anything.
“No. I wasn’t.” Her mouth quirked up. “I guess I am, now.” Her face brightened into a full-on smile. “It’s easier to just go along with Max than fight him sometimes.”
“Do you mind if I go, too?” Spending time with her would be fun. He’d also never seen a motocross race. Plus, he figured if he went, she would have less chance of overdoing it.
If possible, her smile widened. “I’d love that.”
They stared at each other. He shoved his hand in his pocket to keep from reaching for her.
“So, I really didn’t have big plans for this evening, but I need to get you out of here for a while. Let me take you for a drive.”
Relief eased the lines of tension on her face. “You don’t have to. I do appreciate you going along with it at the table, though.”
“If you don’t want to go anywhere with me, say so.”
Her mouth stayed closed.
“Okay. Let’s go.” He grabbed her hand and tucked it into his arm, giving her his stability.
He drove to the small memorial park where Cassidy and she had seen him jogging. It was mostly deserted but still a public place. Neither of them spoke until he parked. “You want to stretch your legs a little?”
She nodded, and they got out. He took her hand again, skin sliding against skin, an intimate connection. He allowed their joined fingers to swing between their bodies as they walked along the path.
“You were telling me about Janice,” Dusty said so softly he almost missed it.
He glanced down at her, thinking she would have forgotten. Stopping on the footbridge over the creek, he turned to face her, leaning against the railing. The gurgle of the water filled the evening with happy music, and it struck him then how romantic the setting was—fading sky, beautiful woman, water sounds. The slight scent of cut grass on the breeze mixing with the other earthy scents of summer. It was a little early in the season for lightning bugs, but he saw an occasional glow.
He leaned his head back, not sure he wanted to go into Janice. It could ruin the evening. How long had it been since he thought of her and had pain slice through him? She’d come to his mind quite a bit since he’d met Dusty, and it was like he prepared for the pain, expected it, then just assumed it was there. But it wasn’t. Not as bad. Maybe some of it would never leave. Her screams. The stench. The burning pain in his legs.
“We were both medical students. Second year.”
Dusty nodded. “You said something about that in therapy. You really were going to be a doctor?”
“Yes.” Back in some other lifetime. “We were engaged, but we weren’t expecting to actually get married until we were settled in our residencies or maybe even later. We hadn’t set a date.”
Their hands, still linked together, rested on the handrail. Dusty stared at their fingers before lifting her eyes. “Go on?”
He shrugged, not wanting to get into the details of that day. Janice’s airplane. The beautiful, dark blue sky. How free it felt to be flying with the woman he loved. How he’d trusted and admired her skill at the controls. How proud he’d been of the multitalented woman who had chosen him.
All of that shattered as the engine sputtered, died, restarted, died again. The fear. The panic. Janice’s calm control. Her hands shook, but her assurance that they would survive never wavered. They didn’t say goodbye. They didn’t think they were going to die.
He breathed out. “We were in an accident, and she didn’t make it.”
Dusty’s head tilted like she knew it wasn’t everything. She waited.
“She survived the accident. I was able to pull her from the wreckage. But she died shortly after.” He met her eyes as he spoke, hoping she understood why, even if he wasn’t her therapist, being with her would be almost impossible for him. What she did was dangerous, and she could die any time. She almost did.
Dusty’s hand squeezed his. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. It was hard. But it was a lot of years ago, and honestly, time really does heal, if you let it.”
They stood in silence for a while, the creek gurgling beneath them, their hands joined. Dusty’s thumb rubbed back and forth, slow and light, over his skin. The change from comforting to attraction snuck up on him.
His breath quickened, and he swallowed.
He straightened. “Let’s get an ice cream before I take you home.”
~~~
The traffic wasn’t bad for a Saturday morning, and Roland pulled into Dusty’s drive shortly after ten. He hadn’t even made it out of his car when she came down the walk around the side of the house. No brace.
Roland stared at her as he closed his door and walked slowly forward. She’d done everything perfectly so far. Why jeopardize her recovery now?
He understood. Or at least thought he did. She didn’t want to look weak to her fellow competitors. That’s what he figured. He could be wrong.
He stopped with his arms crossed. He wasn’t her dad, and he didn’t want to be. Should he let his therapist side come out? Or the friend side? While his mind debated, his heart admired her in her blue jeans and t-shirt. Slender and graceful, with an inner strength he greatly admired. Her blond hair was caught up in the normal ponytail. If she let it down, it would probably hang past her waist in a graceful waterfall. He’d love to see it.
Looking at Dusty, he had totally forgotten his inner turmoil. In the end, the words just came. “Where are your braces?”
“In the house,” she said flippantly, like she didn’t know why he’d asked.
He put his hands on her shoulders, waiting until she met his eyes. “Don’t do this.”
“What?” she asked, her blue eyes huge. He wasn’t falling for the innocent act.
“It’s a really bad idea to ditch your braces when you’re going out with your therapist.”
“Oh.” Her brows raised in surprise. He found himself getting lost in her eyes. “This is a date?”
“It could be...if you wear your braces.” The words came out soft and low. He didn’t even know he could speak in a tone like that. He certainly hadn’t meant to bargain with her about wearing her braces. Like she would even care if he offered to make it a date.
But she bit her lip. He could feel her wavering—she really didn’t want to do irreparable damage to her body because of her pride—so he pushed. She was always alone, no family to support her, no one standing by her. Maybe the promise of someone having her back would overshadow the weakness she felt over a body that wasn’t healed.
He tried softening his hands and running them over her shoulders and around her neck. Feeling soft skin with his fingertips. “No one today will know I’m your therapist. So, let’s just have a good time. We’ll call it a date, and we’ll forget about all the complications and enjoy ourselves. Together. With your braces on.”
“I could pretend to be your boyfriend, too.”
Shock coursed through Roland’s body at Tucker’s voice, but he didn’t take his eyes off Dusty. At least this way, Tucker would know that he wasn’t overstepping the bounds of a therapist.
“I don’t need two.” Dusty cut her eyes to Tucker, who had come up beside them. “But you know we’re just pretending.” Dusty watched until Tucker nodded. “Plus, our eyes are exactly the same. People might guess we’re related.”
Tucker nodded.
Dusty’s gaze returned to Roland. “The kid thinks I’m desperate.”
Tucker snorted. Roland grimaced. “That’s saying something about me?”
“No. That’s saying I need to hire a pretend boyfriend by wearing leg and back braces.”
“Dusty, you’re beautiful and kind. No one thinks you’re desperate.” His thumb ran over the side of her neck, lightly. She shivered, and he smiled. Slow.
“Come on, you can help me get these awkward, annoying things on.” She glanced at Tucker, who had his hands in his pockets and wore a slight grin. His face was open and friendly. Roland really wouldn’t mind getting to know him. Seemed like once he got out of his dad’s shadow, the kid wasn’t half bad. And he kept saying kid, but he thought Tucker was only a couple years younger than Dusty. Maybe his dad’s overbearing presence made him seem younger.
“We’ll be back in a few,” Dusty said to Tucker.
“That’s fine. I’m going to drive separately anyway.”
“You don’t have to,” Roland said.
“I’d better. Dad goes to these wine tastings, and they’re not supposed to get drunk, but they always do.” He shrugged. “Dad’ll call around six, needing a designated driver.”
“Okay, then. I doubt the race will be over by then.”
“Nope.” Dusty looked at her nephew. “We can get a driver for him if you want to stay.”
“Nah. I know he’s annoying, but he’s my dad. I have a friend who lost his dad when he was a kid. He’d love to have my problems.”
Roland looked at Tucker with new eyes. “Good point.” He put an arm around Dusty’s shoulder and carefully turned her. “Don’t twist your knee and rip those tendons apart again.”
“I have a dad,” she said as she gave him a look.
“He’s MIA. I have a lot of roles to fill.” They started walking back toward the house.
“Just be my boyfriend. Don’t worry about the other ones.” She bumped him with her shoulder.
He would have bumped her back, but he didn’t want her to lose her balance. He realized with the restrictions off, and him free to not be her therapist, this could be a great day.
Chapter 11
Dusty surveyed the parking lot as Roland opened her door. He lowered a hand. She stared at it a minute before grasping it. She could get herself out of the car. She should get herself out of the car.
But she allowed him to help. There was something nice about having someone take care of one. Not that she’d ever felt that before, other than her friends, who were great, but they had families of their own now, and Dusty felt more guilt than anything when they took time from their families to help her. She should have her own family.
Tucker walked up. He seemed a little surprised at the warm smile Dusty gave him. “Does this place have food?”
“We just ate breakfast,” Dusty said.
Tucker took after their side of the family with his slender build, although he was tall with broad shoulders.
“That was an hour and a half ago.”
“Didn’t anyone tell you you’re not a teenager anymore?”
“I ate like this through college, and I know everyone says I’ll regret it someday, but not today. I’m starved. You guys want anything?”
“Not for me right now. Maybe later. If I remember right, this place has a homemade soup stand that’s pretty good, along with all the other typical food.”
“Got it. You?” Tucker asked Roland.
“I’ll eat when the lady eats,” Roland said.
Dusty almost rolled her eyes, but Roland’s face was serious, and it made her feel treasured somehow that he was adjusting his schedule to hers.
“Good for you.” Tucker grinned and strutted off, garnering more than one second look from the ladies milling around the lot.
“I guess he could have stuck with us and hoped that one of us paid his way in. He’s not a leech, anyway,” Roland said.
“No, I talked with him a little this morning. I actually think he’s a nice guy. For a bank loan officer.”
“He’s a loan officer?” Roland asked in surprise. “He seems so young.”
“Yeah, that was my reaction, too. His dad treats him like a little kid.” Dusty looked out over the full parking lot and breathed in the hot summer air. The sky was an amazing shade of blue with not a cloud in sight. The mountains sat in the distance like guards, keeping watch. The buzz of the bike motors as they made their practice rounds mingled with the sound of the announcer and the crowd of happy people spending a relaxing day out with their friends and family members.
The whole atmosphere brought back every memory from her early childhood of the happy times they’d spent at the track. It was really the only time her dad made time for her. He made sure she never missed a race or practice, and no expense was too big.
“Miss it?” Roland questioned beside her as they made their way between the long rows of cars toward the gate.
“Oh, yeah.” She smiled, a little sad. “I don’t think I’ve ever been at a race just to watch. You have no idea how much I wish I had my bike here.” The urge to be out on the track, racing with the other competitors, was almost overwhelming.
“No bad memories?” Roland asked suspiciously.
She thought for a second. “You mean from the accident?”
“Yeah.”
“Nope. It happened right after the start. So, maybe my first race...I don’t even think then it will be a problem. I’ve started so many times, and nothing happened. I just don’t think I’ll let one bad start overshadow all the great ones I had.”
“That’s a great attitude. I’ve seen so many people who think the exact opposite.”
“I’m a natural optimist.”
“About racing.”
“Definitely. I always think I’m going to win.” She gave him a cheeky grin. “I usually do.”
He smiled along with her, and she realized that some of the reason the day seemed so bright and her spirit so happy was because she was with someone she cared about. Not that she didn’t care about her mechanics, Adam and Derrick, and the guys she knew, riders and workers alike, but Roland was different. Better.
She loved his straightforward honesty and how it was important to him to keep the line between them drawn.
“Hey, Dusty!” A tall, skinny fellow shouted across the parking lot, waving to a group of people walking toward the ticket booth. “Hey, guys. It’s Dusty.”
Dusty braced herself. She didn’t realize she squeezed Roland’s hand until he squeezed back. She glanced up, and he was looking down at her in concern.
“I’m fine,” she said reassuringly. Either for him or herself. The competitor in her didn’t want to show weakness. She already had to overcome the fact that the guys wanted to treat her differently because she was a girl. Now she’d been injured. It could change things, although this group was just family and friends of some of the other competitors.
But all her worry seemed in vain. A few in the group asked how she was doing, and a couple of them wanted her to sign things like a hat or a t-shirt, which was normal, although Roland gave her a strange look when she took a sharpie and scribbled her name while the guy was wearing it.
“Thanks!” The kid was probably still in high school, and he wore a smile a mile wide. She handed the sharpie back to his girlfriend.
“Anytime.”
“How soon are you going to be racing again?” someone asked for what seemed like the thousandth time, although she was sure she’d be asked that question a lot more before the day was over.
“I don’t know. Soon, I hope.”
Beside her, Roland stiffened. She gave him a curious look. It wasn’t like she said “next week” or anything. She would listen to the doctor. If he wanted her to take another month or so off, she would. It would completely ruin her chances of winning the championship, but hey, she wanted to heal properly. And, she realized, she wanted to make Roland happy. It was an odd realization, and she definitely wanted to spend some time examining that thought. Later.
More people recognized her and greeted them while Roland paid for their tickets and they walked through the gate.
He kept ahold of her hand, and she didn’t let go either. Several people who knew her well gave them an odd look, and Dusty smiled to herself. She’d never been with a man at the track before.
“Hey, Dusty!” She turned, recognizing Gary Jenson, mechanic for Cody Kurtz, one of the other bikers who had been in the accident with her.
Her stomach cramped, and she tightened her grip on Roland’s hand. “Gary. How’s it going?”
“It’s going great for us.” Gary, thin, wiry, and short, had to tilt his head up to look her in the eye. “With you being out, Cody’s the points leader. We couldn’t be happier with where we are in the standings.”
“That’s great.” Dusty tried to mean it. After the crash, she’d gone to the hospital, and Cody had picked his bike up and gone on to win the race.
“Derrick’s been turning wrench for us.” Gary drew a fry out of the container he carried and put it in his mouth. He spoke around it. “You already knew that, though.”
Actually, she hadn’t. Both of the guys who worked as her mechanics had visited her in the hospital, and she’d informed them then that it would be weeks before she was back. She couldn’t blame them for wanting to do what they loved. But Derrick went to Cody? It felt like she had hot wire wrapped around her chest.
Beside her, Roland shifted, like he could feel her pain.
“We’re going to go find our seats,” she said.
Gary’s eyes shifted to Roland then down to their joined hands. His eyes twitched, like he hadn’t realized they were together before.
“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.”
Dusty moved against Roland’s side and dropped his hand so she could slip her arm around his waist. He understood exactly what she needed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
He held his right hand out to Gary. “I’m Roland, and yeah, Dusty’s been with me for a while.”
Gary took his hand. “Gary.” He looked Roland up and down. “Dusty’s a handful. It’s going to be hard to keep up to her.”
“It’s not a competition. I like watching her fly.”
Gary’s brows pulled in, like he couldn’t understand what Roland had said. Dusty smiled. She couldn’t have written a script for him any better.
Gary scratched his nose then shoved another fry into his mouth. “Yeah. Whatever,” he mumbled.
