Page 166 of The Legend
“But youdid at Charlotte and Dover.”
“Like Isaid, I can’t just go out there with half of myself. So until that last race inHomestead, I will continue to pour every last piece of me into this until I seethat checkered flag. To me, that’s what my team deserves from me.”
“Andthat’swhat makes you who you are Jameson. Andthat’swhy all of us have donewhat we’ve done for you. We see that dedication, that energy you put intoracing because it’s important to you. It’s import to us.”
We werenow sitting in Emma’s driveway. Noah was there standing outside with Aiden wholooked annoyed at his son once again. I can’t say I was surprised.
“Ugh…Iwonder what they’re arguing about now.” Emma slumped in the passenger seat.
“Who knowswith those kids,” Aiden waived toward us and then slammed the front doorleaving Noah standing by himself on their wooden wrap around deck that sprawledacross the front of the home. Noah leaned against the railing and hung hishead.
“Lookslike he’s upset about something,” I never knew either one of their boys to getupset as it was them usually upsetting others.
“Yeah,Noah’s been having some girl problems these days. Apparently...his girlfriend dumped him for another guy...” she quirked an eyebrow at me. “...that guy being Casten.”
“Saywhat?” That caught my attention.
“Castenhad nothing to do with it.” Emma jumped to his defense. “Girls just flock tohim, kind of like they did with you.”
“Uh...still do.” I pulled at my shirt as if I washot.
“Ohright,” she laughed sarcastically. “Still do.”
“Castendidn’t...uh, did he act on it?” I would hate to thinkhe would disrespect his cousin like that.
“Ohheavens no, you guys taught him well. Casten basically told her to get lost andtold Noah about it. He’s beenpissyever since.”
“Maybe heneeds his mom. Aiden never has dealt well with the girl problems.”
Emmalaughed rolling her eyes. “Yeah, you should have heard the sex talk. Itconsisted all of throwing a box of condoms at them and telling them to “Google”it.”
Aiden wasas shy as they came when it involved sex, I wasn’t surprised. I also knew thatAiden couldn’t make a decision to save his life and having an in-depthconversation like that problem gave him indigestion.
Emma wasabout to get out when she stopped and turned back toward me. “Thanks fortonight Jameson. It was really nice to hang out with you.”
“You tooEm,” I smiled down at her. “You may be annoying but you’vebeen a great help to me.”
“Well,you’re still an asshole so all’s good.”
Drivingback to my house just down the street, I felt good about tonight. I had to flyout to Pocono tomorrow but tonight, I was spending the rest of the eveningshowing my wife, just how much I’ve loved her over the years.
I made adetour to get her some ice cream and a new book that she had been talking aboutand drove back home. She was up in our room already while Arie and Casten werewatching movies in the movie room with someone. Ipeekedmy head in to say hello wondering if Axel was home only to find Easton andTate’s son Jacob in there with them.
“Oh, heyguys.” My eyes immediately caught the close proximity Easton was to Arie.
Not to mysurprise, they jumped when they heard me.
“Hey dad,”Casten said with a smirk, he nodded in the direction of Arie with a smart aslook. He was a little instigator, always had been.
Arieslowing scooted sideways away from Easton just a few inches and gave me a smilelike she knew she’d been caught. I told myself that I wouldn’t interfere withher and her dating but the fact that Easton was a racer was unnerving for me.Since the deal with Grady, I knew that she and Easton were getting closer butit didn’t make me feel any better that she was dating again.
Before Iembarrassed them, I went upstairs to deliver the ice cream and book toSway.
She was emergedin our tub, candles lit all around her.
“Is therea fire in here?” I joked stripping down to nothing in just a few seconds. Imanaged to grab two spoons from the kitchen on my way up so I set all thatbeside the tub next to the window and climbed in behind her.
Shegrinned and looked at my body as I did so. “It’s easy to get you naked thesedays.” She waggled her eyebrows in an adorable come-get-me-type of way.
