Victory Lane (Shady Falls #1) (18 page)

~oOo~

The next week was a tornado of activity in the shop. No one had time to do much of anything beyond prepare the cars and themselves for Speed Week. We spent most every waking hour together in the shop talking strategy, discussing the slight modifications that were being made to make the car handle better. We also discussed how we expected the week to go.

“So Friday, the seventh, we’ll be flyin’ down to Daytona. We’ll spend the next two weeks there. Qualifying is the ninth. The All-Star race is February fifteenth, the Duels are the twentieth, and the five hundred is the twenty-third,” Kyle stood in front of all of the guys explaining the schedule, what was going on each day. Then he called Toni to stand with him. “As we all should know at this point, the car being driven this week is the car Toni and her team built. She will be head on most things in the garage.” He eyed each of the guys. For the most part none of them seemed to have a problem with Toni, but after talking to Kevin and a couple of other guys we wanted to make sure. “Does anyone have a problem with this? Because if I find out there’s a problem in Florida, you’ll be sent home.”

One guy in the back of the room raised his hand, “Yeah, I have a problem. Most of us have been here for years and haven’t gotten the chance you’ve given her. This is bullshit. Just because she’s a chick, she gets special treatment? I could give a shit less about her, but she’s cuttin’ into my time being here.”

Kyle was ready to address the problem, Kevin stood and moved toward the front, and I had stepped forward. She was here on her merit and she earned her spot, not as a crew chief but as a member of the team. But another voice startled me, her voice. I wasn’t expecting her to stand up for herself. But I guess she wasn’t willing to stand by and let someone talk about her.

Toni stepped forward and smiled sweetly. “I understand havin’ a new person around is annoyin’, especially one who was chosen to work directly with the crew chief and car chief. I also understand y’all have been workin’ together for years. But I assure you, I’m qualified to do this work.”

“You’re qualified? Honey, we’re all qualified. You’re all of twenty years old, right?”

“Twenty-three. What does that matter?”

“Then you’ve probably been workin’ on cars for a couple years. Maybe five? Right? I’ve been doin’ this shit a lot freakin’ longer than you have.”

“Fair enough. You see, I’ve been workin’ in a garage since I was ten years old and on my own since eleven. I built my first go-cart when I was eleven. I built my first 426 Hemi in my ‘69 Charger when I was fifteen. Then when I was seventeen, I built an ‘85 Mustang from the ground up. The damn thing had freakin’ trees and plants growin’ inside the engine. When I was eighteen, I rebuilt my truck. The previous owner blew the engine and gave it to me real cheap because of it. I’m going to graduate with my bachelor’s in mechanical engineering along with my automotive training. I’m not new to any of this and I’m not tryin’ to take anything away from anyone.”

I was even more impressed with her. All of these guys were car guys, but they usually don’t start until they are old enough to drive.

“You’re so full of shit. There ain’t no way.”

“Actually,” Kevin said stepping forward and addressing everyone. “She ain’t full of shit. See, I worked with her on the car. And as ashamed as I am to say it, I didn’t believe her either. She told me about her dad’s shop in her home town, so I took a drive one weekend.”

“You went to see my dad?” Toni asked, surprised.

Kevin nodded. “Yeah, I did. He confirmed it all. She spent every livin’ moment in that garage tinkerin’ with somethin’. She has a gift, Joe. So back the fuck off.”

Joe looked annoyed, but he sat down. Toni smiled and looked back at everyone. “I’m not here to take jobs. My dream was to be on a race team and that’s what I’m doin’. I’m still an intern, so I have to work with Kyle and Kevin. When that’s done, I’ll be just like anyone else. I ain’t tryin’ to take jobs, but I ain’t gonna back down either.”

Axel smiled from his place in the front. “I think our girl has proven herself. She’s had an uphill battle since she arrived. Ky never made any of y’all prove yourself the way he’s made Toni. So back the hell off and do your job. Make sure y’all see Marg for your tickets and itinerary. You’re dismissed.”

They all left the meeting room, and no one seemed to question Toni’s presence anymore.

She turned to where Ky, Axel, and I sat at the table. “I’m sorry I’m causin’ so much trouble. I don’t need to be lead on anything if y’all don’t want problems in the shop. I’m happy just bein’ here.”

“And that’s why you’ll be leading things in the garage,” Axel said. “You don’t expect anything and you’re willing to listen to what others have to say. They’ll come around. I’d tell you to let me know if there’s problems, but I have a feeling you won’t. So I’ll just say good luck to y’all and I’ll see you in Daytona.”

“Well, I’m gonna go grab my pregnant wife and head on home. I’ll see y’all tomorrow. Be at the airport by nine in the mornin’.”

“Bye Kyle, see you tomorrow.”

“See ya, old man,” I said as he walked out the door. Toni and I sat in silence for a few moments. Then she stood.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow mornin’. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” I wanted to say something else. Ask her to go get food with me, to come back to my place to hang out, something. But none of it seemed innocent enough. I sighed as she walked toward the door. But then I heard her mumble something under her breath. She mumbled a curse. “What?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Nothin’ it’s just Mia brought me in today; Jake and Cade needed my truck to haul somethin’ from Shady Falls. Mia has some trainin’ in Charlotte, I was supposed to ask Kyle or Margie for a ride and I forgot. I also have no way to get to the airport tomorrow.” She looked uncomfortable. “I gotta run and see if I can catch Kyle.”

“No need. I’ll take you home,” I smiled. “And I’ll pick you up in the mornin’ too.”

“I don’t …” she started, but I immediately cut her off.

“It’s no trouble. Come on, we’ll go get somethin’ to eat first and then I’ll take you home.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t.”

Jeez this woman is stubborn
. I was having dinner with her one way or another. “Well either I take you to get somethin’ to eat, or we’re pickin’ something up and eatin’ it at your house. I’m hungry and I don’t wanna eat alone. So, your choice.”

She seemed uncomfortable as she stared unblinkingly at me. I could see her mind racing and I almost read every thought as it crossed her face. She didn’t hide her feelings well.

“All right,” she sighed. “But we’re getting something and taking it to my place. I’m not up for going anywhere. Actually, I’ll call and order something from my uncle’s bar. He’ll have it ready for when I get home.”

I couldn’t believe she was allowing me to accompany her to her apartment. We climbed into my truck and I pulled out of the parking lot. She sat stiffly in the passenger seat. She looked so uncomfortable and paranoid. “Toni, relax. We’re friends, right?”

She sat there for a long time, quiet. Glancing at her, I wondered if she was going to relax enough to talk. Maybe she didn’t think we could be friends. Maybe she didn’t want to be my friend. When she finally spoke, I could see her entire form relax. She looked over at me and smiled. “Yeah, we’re friends,” she whispered.

“Good … good.” I nodded my head, happy to see her relax. I was sure we overcame a big obstacle. I knew it took a lot for her to relax and let her guard down with people. She might not be completely calm and relaxed, but she was trying and that’s all I could ever ask for.

She fiddled with the seat belt as we flew down the highway. The cab of the truck was hushed, waiting for one of us to break the quiet, but neither of us did. We sat in a harmonious silence that I’d never once experienced with a woman. I’d never met a woman who didn’t feel like she had to keep a conversation going. Toni seemed more than happy to sit and relax into the plush interior of my truck. The slight smile crossing her face was my only indication that she was feeling at ease. It thrilled me to know I was able to bring her a calm she didn’t usually experience. Usually such a guarded person, she didn’t seem to let her defenses down easily.

When we arrived in front of the bar, I realized I knew this place. I’d been there many times before. A flash of a beautiful dark haired bartender helping out from time to time flashed in my memory. I’d seen her here before. It had been almost two years ago, but I was sure it was her. I was smitten with the beautiful bartender who seemed to be so distracted and extremely busy that night so long ago. Realizing now that beautiful bartender was Toni actually made me happy. Back then, I was only worried about fucking every woman I could. I could have fucked up any chance I had at this girl because my head was still in such a screwed up place at the time. I slid the truck into a vacant spot in the parking lot and killed the engine. After a moment, I finally broke the silence. “Your uncle is Bobby?”

She looked over at me, surprised. “Yeah, how’d you know?”

“I’ve been here before. He’s a great guy.” She stared at me for a moment, maybe searching her memory for a time she could’ve encountered me here. She wouldn’t have remembered me that night, however. I sat at a table, while Kyle and a couple of my other buddies ran for drinks all night. It was just after Axel and Ky had forced me to pull my head out of my ass and I had won my second truck series championship in as many years. That night, Axel announced he was giving me a shot at the Sprint Cup series. A bunch of us decided to go out and celebrate.

I climbed out of the truck and ran around to open her door for her. She looked shocked, as if no one had ever done this for her before. That pissed me off, because this girl deserved to be treated like the lady she was. I took her hand and helped her down from the truck. We were only inches apart, so close I could see every freckle on her nose and the dark brown dot in her right iris. I felt an intense pull toward her, and I desperately wanted to test it out. The draw was palpable, like the attraction between two magnets. Neither of us moved or even seemed to breathe. I wanted to lean in and close the distance. I wanted to pull her to me and wrap my arms around her. I wanted to feel her body pressed against mine, even if just for a moment. I had no idea what was going through her head, but I could see that she was visibly shaken and very nervous. She didn’t understand what was happening, and neither did I. I stared at her, her golden eyes fixed on mine but only for a moment. She broke eye contact, her lashes fanning across her cheeks.

“Maybe … Maybe we should go inside,” she whispered.

I stood there, her hand in mine for another moment. It took all of my willpower not to pull her into me but instead release her hand. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’m starved.”

I’m in trouble with this girl, more than I realized. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to stay away from her. For the first time in a long time, I think I want more.

Chapter Twelve

Toni

I’ve never felt so nervous in my entire life. All he did was hold my hand and help me down from his truck. But it was like I was going on my first date or like I was going to be in charge of the entire five hundred or something. I wasn’t even this nervous when I started at Fuller Enterprises. I loved how his hand felt wrapped around mine. My hand was small in his and was lost as he helped me down. I stood on the ground, only inches separating us. My heart pounded, threatening to escape my chest. I had to force myself to look at him, and I wished I hadn’t. The moment his mahogany colored eyes locked with mine, I felt like I would burst. I was acutely aware of his body so close to mine, his heat radiating from him in the cold February evening. He leaned in slightly, and for a moment, I was both terrified and desperately desiring physical contact. The feelings warred in me as I stood almost paralyzed, trapped by his gaze.

I had to look away, but it was harder than it seemed. I’d never met anyone who’s had this kind of effect on me. I was lost in the depths of his brown eyes. We weren’t touching other than with our hands, but his gaze alone felt like a caress all over my body, locking me to him. Never did Todd make me feel anything like this and no guy before or since him either. Somehow, Julius made me feel safe and made me forget. For the first time in years, I didn’t hear Todd’s venomous voice in my head. I didn’t feel so inadequate. For the first time, I actually felt wanted. No one has ever made me feel that way; no one has ever made me forget. Until now.

I broke our connection when I lowered my eyes to his shoulder. I had to gain some sense again, but I was transfixed by the perfection of his body. Never before had I ever wanted to press into someone or allow myself to be engulfed by him as I did now. His black leather coat fit his broad shoulders perfectly. It highlighted his immense frame almost as well as his fire suit did. I shivered slightly and I wasn’t sure if it was due to the cold or his proximity. But it was enough to bring me to my senses enough to speak. “Maybe … Maybe we should go inside,” I whispered.

We stood there, my hand still in his. The silence spread between us. He released my hand, reached up, and took the piece of hair that blew across my face. He ran his fingers along the smooth length before securing it behind my ear. He looked down at me and sighed, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’m starved.”

We walked together into the bar where my Uncle Bobby stood and waited. He smiled hugely when we walked in. My uncle was a lot like my dad in many ways, similar hulking frame, similar salt and pepper hair, the biggest difference was my dad had a long beard and was a bit round around the middle. Uncle Bobby was just about as tall as my dad, around six and a half feet, but he had a shaved head and only a little facial hair. He was also not round at all. My uncle spent hours every day working out, so he was built quite like the twins. Both my dad and my uncle were incredibly intimidating men and they loved to show off just how intimidating they could be. So color me shocked when Julius and I walked into the bar and my uncle didn’t go straight into protective mode.

Uncle Bobby walked around the bar, extending his hand toward Julius. “Julius, nice to see you again. How’s my girl doin’?”

Julius shook his hand. “Good, Bobby. She’s doin’ better than anyone could have imagined, actually.”

“No surprise there,” Uncle Bobby said. “She’s been tinkerin’ with things since she could hold a wrench. Her momma thought she’d gotten a little girl, imagine her surprise when this one refused any kind of dolls or dress-up. She blamed the Rizzo DNA.” He laughed; he loved to tell stories about how my momma tried to get me to be more girly, but even when I was little it never worked. His stories used to make me sad, but then I realized it was his way of keeping her alive for me. He loved to tell me about how she refused to date my daddy at first and how she avoided his pursuit.

Julius smiled. “Well, lucky for me she’s on my team. I’m expectin’ to do well in Daytona because of Toni.”

“My Antonia is special,” Uncle Bobby said in complete seriousness. His eyes locked with Julius’. “You make sure y’all take care of her travelin’ around the country.”

“Uncle Bobby, I’m fine,” I tried to argue. Everyone around me was so protective. Sometimes it made me nuts.

“No, Antonia,” Julius said. I loved the way he said my full name. It used to make me mad when people other than my dad and uncle said it. In Todd’s mouth, it had turned into a curse. But when Julius said my full name, it made my heart race. I felt like he had the power to erase all of the bad associations that came with hearing my full name. “He’s right.” He looked at my uncle. “I’ll personally make sure Antonia is well taken care of.”

I thought for sure I was going to hyperventilate. I didn’t think my heart could take any more of the assault it took every time I was around Julius Fuller. There was no doubt in my mind that I was infatuated with the man.
Leave it to me to start to fall for the most unattainable guy that I’ve ever met.

“Well,” I said, trying to break up their little conversation. My uncle seemed completely satisfied that Julius was taking personal responsibility for me. But I didn’t want anyone taking pity on me, least of all Julius Fuller. “We’re gonna go eat our food before it gets too cold.”

I grabbed at the bag, but Julius took it before I could. I led the way out of the bar to the garage that stood on the adjacent property. Walking to my door, I wondered what I was doing. I haven’t been alone with a man for years. I haven’t allowed any man to get even remotely close to me in any personal way. But here I was, walking into my empty apartment, alone, with the only man who has been able to spark any kind of genuine reaction from me. I knew deep down this was a bad idea. Letting him get close to me was a bad idea, because, inevitably, he would hurt me and I didn’t know if I could handle that.

“We can eat at the table,” I said, leading the way to the kitchen. “Would you like somethin’ to drink? I have soda and beer.”

“I’ll take a beer, please.”

I pulled out two bottles of beer and handed one over to him while I took a drink of the other. I gathered plates, utensils, and napkins for us to use, keeping my eyes down as I passed him his plate. I was having a hard time thinking about what to talk about, hell I was having a hard time looking at him. I continued to busy myself with nothing while he sat down to eat. I didn’t know why I was so hung up on putting dishes away from the dishwasher, but I just couldn’t seem to relax with him in my space.

He touched my arm. Startled, I flinched away. A reaction from my past, even after all this time I couldn’t always control my reaction to surprise. I looked up at him and could see the alarm in his eyes. “Hey,” he said gently, his soothing voice calming me. “We have everything we need. Just come sit with me and eat. Our food is gettin’ cold.”

I nodded, “Yeah, sorry. Just habit I guess.” I couldn’t look at him as I sat and unwrapped my food. I wanted to relax, but I couldn’t. I liked that he was there, but then again, it made me more nervous than I’ve ever been around a man. What if he betrayed my trust? What if he made me regret inviting him into my home?

“So tell me about yourself.”

He startled me out of my thoughts with his request. “Like what? You know about me.”

He grinned. A crooked smile that melted my heart. “I want know about Antonia, the girl. Not Toni, the mechanic. I know about that part. I want to know the other part.”

I sighed; I didn’t even think I knew who Antonia was anymore. She used to be bold and daring. She used to be fearless. But Todd killed that girl.

“Tell me what you like to do. Tell me about things you do just for fun or just for the hell of it. Tell me about your mom.”

A smile spread across my face. Most people were too afraid to ask about my mom once they found out she died. It used to make me sad to talk about her, but reminiscing kept her fresh in my mind. I often thought about her, but it was always nice sharing my memories. “My momma was amazin’. You’d think she had everythin’ she could ever want. She was never unhappy. She always looked on the bright side of things. Even when the cancer was killin’ her, she still was optimistic. She still smiled and enjoyed life. She always made me feel like I was the most important thing in the world to her.”

“Do you have any more pictures of her?” he asked. I knew I showed him a photo on my phone, but it was a poor picture. I took a picture from my living room and handed it to him. He looked at the photograph for a few long moments, seemingly studying the image in front of him. “Wow, she’s beautiful,” he whispered. “Do you know how much you look like her? It’s uncanny. I’ve never seen a mother and daughter look so much alike before.”

“Do you really think she was beautiful?” I asked quietly.

“Yes, Toni.” He looked at the picture of my mom, dad, and me when I was eight years old. He seemed to study it. “You were a little tomboy weren’t you?”

I smiled and took the picture from his hand. “Right before this picture was taken; Cade, Jake, and I had a competition to see who could jump over this big mud puddle. We were at a local stream, trout fishing and of course we were eight, so sitting for that long was out of the question.” I laughed a little remembering. “Anyway there was this huge puddle that we decided to jump over. Needless to say, I didn’t make it.” The picture of my dad with a fish on his fishing rod, my mom laughing while holding a mud-covered little girl with a dark ponytail and a huge smile. “It wasn’t long after this that my mother started her chemotherapy.” I placed the picture on the table.

“It looks like it was a fun day,” Julius said. He looked almost sad but then he smiled again. “Margie and I used to do stuff like that too. Of course if Marg got that dirty, she wouldn’t have been smiling she would have been havin’ a fit.” He looked down at the picture again. “You have your mother’s smile.”

I looked at him, surprised. A smile crossed my face again. I liked being compared to my mother. It made me sad but it felt good to talk about her and keep her spirit alive.

Julius gently placed the picture back in my hand. “Thank you for introducing me to your mother.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “It’s nice talking about her.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes, eating our food. My mind wandered. I thought about my mom and dad. I thought about how sweet and kind Julius seemed to be. I also thought about Julius complimenting my mother then saying how much I looked like her. He said she was beautiful. Did that mean he thought I was also? Was he complimenting me? I continued to consume the food in front of me, not tasting any of it, totally lost in my thoughts.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Julius said, bringing out of my thoughts.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“You looked like you were somewhere else. Where’d you go?”

I shook my head. I couldn’t tell him I was thinking about him. “Nothing. I wasn’t anywhere. I was just thinking about my mom.”

He smiled. “So, you told me about your family. Tell me somethin’ about you.”

“There’s nothin’ to know about me. I’m pretty boring.” The words came out in a whisper. I couldn’t seem to make myself focus on anything other than his words.

“I’d be willing to bet there’s lots to know about you. Let’s see, I’ll list what I already know and then you can fill in the blanks. You’re an awesome engineer and mechanic, you’ve got extremely protective friends and family, you like to read, you write in your books, and you’re beautiful as hell. What else should I know?”

I looked up at him, surprised. He just said I was beautiful, again. What the hell was he looking at? I was far from beautiful. Todd’s cruel and vindictive words flashed in my memory. He made damn sure I knew just how ugly he thought I was. Why would Julius think anything different? I couldn’t figure out why he would be so nice to me. I tried to ignore my raging thoughts and focus on his question. He wanted to know about me, but I wasn’t willing to share. “Jules, there’s nothin’ special about me, I promise.”

He smiled hugely at me. A look that melted my heart. I’d do bad things to see that look directed at me every day. “You called me Jules. You’ve never called me Jules before. I think you’re startin’ to get comfortable with me. That’s a good sign.”

I had no idea what that meant, so I called him Jules. It was just a name. But it was a nickname only a few people called him, the people who were closest to him. Did that mean I felt close to him? But how could I? We hardly knew each other. “It didn’t mean anything. I shouldn’t have called you that, I’m sorry.”

“I liked it,” he smiled, grinning. He stared at me for a few moments. I tried hard not to look away, but he made every atom in my body explode in feeling just from his gaze. He broke eye contact first when he took a bite of his food. We remained quiet for a few long moments. I was having a hard time getting a grip on this conversation and myself. How in the hell did I get myself into this situation?

“Tell me something, Toni,” he pushed, “what do you like to do for fun?”

I sat and thought. I then realized it had been so long since I did anything just because it was fun, I wasn’t sure what I liked to do anymore. “I like to read and work out,” I said lamely.

He nodded and smiled. He seemed to toss my words around before her responded. “That’s not quite what I was thinking about. I’m talking about things you do to have fun. Go dancing, hang out with friends, play sports, go to movies. You know things you do for fun, not to wind down and relax. Things you enjoy.”