Crash and Burn (20 page)

“But Hank always made me breakfast,” she whined. He saw her stomping her foot in his mind’s eye.

With a smile in his voice, he answered, “I’m not Hank.”

He slammed the door and climbed into his RV. He hit the button to brew a cup of coffee, then sat at his desk and sorted through the papers. Her number had to be here somewhere. He’d call her even if she might not talk to him. Hell, he didn’t even know what he’d done wrong to make her leave. Maybe it was in his cellphone. He glanced around for it.

There was a knock on his door and he groaned. Taking a swig of the coffee, he went to the door.

“I’m glad I caught you, Stone, honey,” Divina said. “I need to talk to you about getting a maid. You’re not here much and I can’t be expected to do everything.”

He chuckled. “If you want to pay for a maid, then do it.”

“I don’t have any money. You’re the one with a job,” she sulked.

“I’m not paying for a maid for you.”

She came up to him and rubbed her scantily clad body up and down his chest and crotch. “But, honey, we’re married. It would be for both of us.”

“Divina. I’m not sure where you got the idea that I want to be married to you. I’m not interested in staying.”

“But, Stoney.”

“But, nothing. You won’t go to my races and I have no use for your shallow, self-centered BS. So get off me and go put some clothes on. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

“This is Grace’s fault, isn’t it? She’s trying to steal you from me. I think I’ll make a call to my mother to tell her what’s going on here.”

Stone threw his hands in the air. “You put us together when it suited you. It’s your fault.”

“Nope. It’s not, it’s hers. She’s always been jealous of me.”

Stone cleared his throat. “Get...out...of...my...RV...now.” He held his temper in a tentative check.

She must have sensed the tension and anger in his body because she took a few steps back and scurried down the stairs and into her house. Stone tried to take a few steadying breaths. It wasn’t working. He shuffled through more papers, but he couldn’t find Grace’s parents’ phone number. He’d been to the house once, but he wouldn’t be able to find it without directions. Divina wasn’t going to give him the info he wanted, that much was obvious.

Trials were at three and he planned to show up at one. Thankfully it was the home track and only took ten minutes to get there with traffic. There would be a lot of press tomorrow. Even though it was a local race, there would be media. Since he’d signed the national sponsor and completed the magazine spread with Grace, the media mobbed them daily.

He should have thanked Bill for getting them to kiss, which had lead to the best sex of Stone’s life. Had Grace left because of the media circus? He didn’t think so. Had she left because of him? Again, probably not.

She was bowing out of the race with her sister. In typical Grace fashion, she was letting Divina get what she wanted.

Stone slammed his fist on the table, rattling the whole RV. It was only eleven when he left for the track. He couldn’t stand sitting around anymore. At least there would be other people he could talk to.

* * * *

“Stoney,” he heard a woman call to him. He was signing autographs and shaking hands with fans, so he didn’t look up until someone yelled.

“There she is. Stone’s wife. She’s here!”

Stone’s heart jumped into his throat. Grace was here? He turned to see who was causing the commotion behind him. Walt was grasping Divina’s upper arm. She was acting indignant all the while smiling and waving to him. “Stoney, honey. I’m here.”

Bile rose in his throat. He didn’t want to play this game today.

“Divina? I didn’t expect you to come today. I thought you would be busy with other things,” he said in a nice voice with sarcasm.

“Nothing’s as important as seeing my man drive his little car.”

Stone gritted his teeth. He wasn’t a Shriner, for goodness sake. He drove a full-sized car that he’d consider driving over her toes later.

Walt gave Stone a look that said, “Don’t screw this up.” Walt knew. He understood the woman he was holding back was none other than the woman Stone had married–Divina Cromwell.

Stone pecked her cheek and took over for Walt. He pushed Divina back toward the RV one of the crew had driven over to the track. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m here for my husband. Isn’t that what you’ve wanted all along?”

“No.”

She tsked at him. “Yes, it is. Remember, before my sister agreed to come cheer you on you wanted me here.” She rested her hand on his arm.

“You can stay, since you drove all the way over here, but don’t talk to anyone or say anything.”

Divina put her hands on either side of his face and kissed his lips. The interlude lasted maybe fifteen seconds, but to Stone it was an eternity. “Good luck, darling,” she added.

Stone took the steps two at a time into the RV with Walt right on his heels.

“Who the hell is that?” Walt demanded as soon as the door closed.

Stone shrugged. “My wife.”

“Man, you’re screwed. She’s so different from your previous wife. And they’re supposed to be the same person. The reporters are bound to notice.”

Stone ran both hands through his hair. “I’ve got to come clean. Grace is gone. She left to give Divina the opportunity to be married to me.”

“I got the impression the other wife liked you.”

“Me too, but it’s a pattern for Grace. Let Divina win every time.”

“George may drop your sponsorship, you realize that, right? He won’t be happy to know his nice family man has turned into a liar who knowingly deceived everyone.”

If it was possible, Stone felt more like dirt than he’d felt his entire his life. “I’ve got to go out there and race now. Wish me luck?”

“Dude,” Walt said, clapping him on the back. “You’re going to need a whole lot more than luck.”

Chapter 16

Grace picked up the morning paper and flipped through the pages. She took a bite of her bagel and read an article on property values in southern Connecticut. She pulled out the next section and stopped chewing, ceased breathing. There, in color, was a picture of her sister sitting at yesterday’s race, filing her nails.

In the background cars blurred from speed. Divina had shown up at Stone’s race and ignored everything going on around her. The media had noticed too. The headline screamed,
What’s Up With Stone’s Wife?
The subhead said,
Hot and Cold, Is the Marriage Over Already?

Grace ground her teeth. All the work she’d put in to being Stone’s wife–playing her part, supporting Stone, falling in love–had been unraveled with one photo of Divina.

Slamming the paper on the kitchen table, Grace stood and paced back and forth from the kitchen to the living room over and over. What was she going to do? How could she fix this mess? In the kitchen, she paused.

Nothing.

She was going to do absolutely nothing.

Stone and Divina weren’t her problem anymore. As much as she wanted Stone to love her, not just say the words. Words were easy and he was still married to her sister. A relationship between Grace and Stone wasn’t in the cards. She wasn’t going to fix this problem. She wasn’t going to do anything.

She picked up the newspaper and tossed it into the recycling bin, the rest of it unread, and headed for her car.

* * * *

The drive to the rehab center gave Grace time to clear her mind and focus on what was important. Her parents, a new job and a hobby that didn’t involve racecars or tracks or anything with wheels.

Chess. Maybe she’d take up chess.

She pushed open her father’s door. “Hi, Dad,” she said, passing by his roommate, an elderly man who never spoke.

“Grace. I’m so happy to see you. I’m tired of these old people and fussy nurses. I want to see your mother and get home to my house, with my couch.”

“Glad to see you’re in such a good mood,” Grace laughed, kissing her father on the forehead.

“Tell me what’s been going on with you and your sister. I hate being out of the loop. Your mother says everything’s fine, but I get the feeling you’re both hiding something.”

Grace patted his hand. Her dad always knew when something was wrong. He could tell, but her mother never got it.

“Things are fine. Divina and Stone are still married and Stone hasn’t killed Divina and Divina hasn’t burned down the house.”

“What about Hank and the wedding? Divina stopped calling to ask for money for the big day.”

“Divina can’t get married to Hank, Dad. She’s already married to Stone. Plus Hank stormed off when Divina refused to give back the gifts sent to congratulate Stone and her.”

Her dad pursed his lips and nodded his head. “She always was impetuous.”

“She’s impossible. Dad,” Grace began, brushing a stray lock of hair off her face. “I need to talk to you about something important. I need your advice.”

Asking her dad for advice was second nature to Grace. She’d been doing it for years. Her father’s sage guidance usually ended with Grace covering for Divina.
Someone has to watch out for Divina, she doesn’t make good decisions. You be the good girl and take care of her.

“Dad,” Grace began. “I don’t want to take care of Divina anymore. I know you’ve always told me that she needed to have help making good decisions, but this time she’s gone too far.”

“She’s married to a good man isn’t she?”

Grace paused for a moment. Her answer would make her the homewrecker in this scenario. “Stone is a very good man.”

“Then what’s the problem? Seems I made out well in this deal. Divina is married and it didn’t cost me a cent. Now if we could get you married off.”

“Here me out, Dad,” Grace started, sitting on the edge of his bed. “When I moved into the house with Divina, Hank and Stone, Divina didn’t want anything to do with Stone. So I pretended to be her. Since I already liked racing and was single, everyone thought it was a great idea.”

“Okay, sounds good so far.”

Grace raised her hand. “It gets worse. While I was living as Divina, I fell in love with Stone. I don’t want Divina to have him. I want him. Thus the quandary.”

Her father shifted in bed, stretching and trying to push up on the pillows. “Grace, you’ve always been a good sister to Divina and I don’t think you should ruin your relationship with your sister over a man. Divina is married to him, not you, and you’d do well to remember that. Find another man. What about the boy who took you to the vineyards a few weeks ago?”

She grimaced at the reminder of the failed date she’d been on the night Stone had kissed her and the picture had wound up in the paper. Letting her father down was the hardest part, but it had to be done. Divina didn’t love Stone. She only wanted a meal ticket, which had been obvious from the picture in the paper.

“Dad. I love you. I never want to let you down, but I’m going to try to get Stone back. I’m sorry for Divina, but he’s not hers. She doesn’t care about him. I lived with them, remember? I know.”

Her dad pursed his lips and shook his head. “You do what you need to do. I know you deserve some happiness. I only wish it wasn’t with your sister’s husband.”

He made it sound so sordid. It was like a soap opera on television and she was a lead villainess. She stayed with him for an hour before picking up her purse, kissing his forehead and leaving. It was time for her to make some plans before Divina ruined everything.

* * * *

“Mr. Peterson will see you now,” the receptionist told Stone. He’d arrived a few minutes early to the appointment Walt had scheduled.

Stone’s aggressive stride brought him to Walt’s desk immediately. He reached his hand out to shake the man’s outstretched hand.

“Sit.”

Stone sank to the chair. His stomach kept going. Had George Halkins found out before he could come clean and dumped his sorry ass? Was Divina already asking for more money?

“Have you seen today’s paper?” Walt asked, tossing the rag at him.

“No. I came right in when I got your secretary’s call.”

“Front page of the sports section,” Walt said, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed, his mouth a grim line. “Remember when I said the media would notice the difference in your wives?”

Stone took the paper, flipping the sections. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “I knew it was a bad idea to have her there.”

“You think?”

“Walt, what the hell am I supposed to do? Has Halkins called?”

“Not yet, but I’m expecting it.”

Stone rubbed his temples, the beginning of a headache blossoming. “I’ll call him and preempt him withdrawing our funds.”

“Maybe you could tell him your wife was having an off-day and it won’t happen again. Or perhaps he could forget this ever happened.”

“Not likely,” Stone said. “I could tell him and beg him not to say anything until after Tuesday’s race. I can make an announcement after I win.”