That wiped all traces of a smile off Chick’s face. “Is that why he brought her to the track today? To talk her into something? That’s not the deal.”
Kingston sent Rick a piercing look. “Not that I want to side with him, but I’ve got some tape I can roll back that shows all of you agreeing to letting them get a say.”
“Afinalsay,” Chick corrected.
I nodded. “That’s what I heard.”
“Et tu, man?” Rick shook his head at me. “Bernie mentioned something to Lucy about a girlie wrap. You know we don’t do that artsy shit for Lemons.”
“Inexplicable and ridiculous, but not artsy?” Kingston verified dryly. “Yes, we’re all aware of the team’s modus operandi.”
“Why is everybody speaking Latin now?” Dalton asked with a small grin on his face.
I tried to reserve judgment. “A wrap, huh?”
“Wade hates those,” Rick said smugly. “We’ve been using his paint-and-body pals for years.”
“Well, that’s a shame, because I already ordered a rush job due to the time crunch. I wanted to have it on hand when you all agreed. What’s your email, Wade?” When I told him, Chick tapped on his phone for a minute. “Sent. August spent two days and every minute she wasn’t going over my edits working on the design in Photoshop.”
“She didn’t mention it to me.”
He raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Spend a lot of time talking when you’re together lately, do you?”
“Not recently, and I’m staring at one of the reasons why.” When Rick whistled low, I sighed. “I’m only saying she’s been busy.”
“I’m not offended, and you’re not wrong. She’s got a lot going on right now. Including the work she’s been doing for free,” he added pointedly.
As if I didn’t realize she might have more time to spend with me if I hadn’t asked for her help. Yes, I was an idiot.
You’re still in bed together every night. That’s what you asked for. That’s all that matters.
Maybe it was just me. She hadn’t complained about not seeing me enough. She hadn’t complained about anything.
It worried me a little. She used to snipe at me all the time, back when I was acting like an asshole. Was this that honeymoon phase I’d heard people talk about? Or was she so laid back because she’d be leaving soon and wasn’t worried about where things were going?
Was I overthinking it?Hell yes.
“You ordered the wrap without the team’s approval.”
Chick was unimpressed with Rick’s intimidating look. “If you say no, I’ll have wasted a few bucks on a worthy cause. But you won’t, and you can go back to following your leader’s vision for the next race. Though you clearly wanted to go another way.”
“Not that way.”
“I saw it.” Kingston leaned closer to me and lowered his voice. “It’s good, man.”
“She letyousee it?”
Chick grinned. “I showed it to him. And she’s over that whole not-liking-him business now.”
“I was a senior with more hormones than brains. All I knew was that she was one of the kids my wingman had to take care of. And unlike his sister, who did her own thing, August was always stuck to my man like Velcro,” Kingston said petulantly. “I tugged her metaphorical braids so she’d make herself scarce. That’s no reason to refuse an on-camera interview now.”
A protective surge made my fists clench on the table. She’d been a smart, funny kid and I’d liked her company. “Where was I when this braid tugging happened?”
“Being the perfectly oblivious object of her young and hopeful heart.” Chick laid a consoling hand on my back. “They don’t call it a crush for nothing.”
Everybody was mentioning that lately.
“How about cluing us in on the clusterfuck of a theme that you’re so sure we won’t say no to?” Rick said impatiently.
