4. Blake
Blake
“Y ou’re a billionaire, Blake. You could buy ten of these cars without batting an eye,” Ryder blurts out. “You’d need a garage larger than your house, but for babies as sweet as this one, it would be worth it.”
I motion for us to leave because Ryder still has to complete the necessary paperwork and choose which program he wants to pursue. I’m guessing he’ll opt for the one that requires the least commitment and responsibility.
“I’m not the billionaire, Ryder. My father is. While he could—and would—buy me the car if I asked him to, I’d prefer to earn my way and invest myself in this project with the kids. I enjoy having a sense of accomplishment and achieving a goal, even if it requires patience and perseverance. I haven’t accepted a dime from him or my mother since graduating college, and I paid for this fixer-upper out of my own pocket. Everything in my house was bought with money I earned, not what was handed to me.”
The few men I’ve dated were more interested in the bank account they thought I had and not in the one I actually had. It makes finding true love a whole lot harder when you end up second-guessing everyone’s motives for wanting to get to know you.
“I can respect that,” Ryder says as he waits for me to close the door. Keeping pace with me as we head back to the main facility, he adds, “But wanting to be recognized for your achievements and not just your name requires twice the effort when the name carries weight. You’re fortunate that Morrison stands for something of value. It could be worse. You could be a Stone, which is synonymous with being a criminal. Count your blessings, Blake. You may not be a billionaire now, but you are the heiress to your father’s empire. You won’t be living in your father’s shadow for long, and you’ll be in a position to truly make a difference.”
I huff. “I make a difference now. Giving time is equally important as giving money.”
He raises his hands to placate my growing irritation. “I meant that you’ll be able to make a greater impact. As much as I admire your father and value the opportunity that he provided me, Morrison Motors isn’t recognized for its charitable contributions—unless you consider the end-of-year bonuses.”
He’s right, and I loathe to admit it. “Honestly, I don’t want the job, but it’s what has been expected of me since Teague chose to give it all up. I wonder if I had been born with different chromosomes, would I be racing under Morrison Motors right alongside my brother? For some reason, my dad doesn’t believe the track is any place for a woman.”
Much to Ryder’s credit, deep lines form on his forehead, and the corners of his mouth pull downward. “Women race in NASCAR, especially since the inception of the Drive for Diversity program over 20 years ago. Assuming you can handle a vehicle, why would your father have a problem with it?”
“None of those women are his baby girl. At least, that’s the excuse he’s given me over the years. Ironically, it’s his fault I love the sport in the first place. He enrolled Teague and me in karting lessons when we were little, and I won my first trophy at seven. But once it shifted from karting to cars, it was game over. Kaput!”
As the main building looms closer, Ryder slows our pace to continue our little tête-à-tête. Much to my surprise, he’s a good listener and seems to be on my side. Besides my mom and my brother, none of my friends ever understood my need for freedom. “So, get back in the game and drive for another team, Blake. You haven’t taken a penny from your father since you graduated, and you’re a grown woman who can make her own choices. Show him that you have what it takes to follow your dreams. You aren’t taking over the company tomorrow, are you?”
“If I race, I’ll never take over the company. When I was 16, my father threatened that if I got behind the wheel, I’d lose everything. That’s part of the problem. Like you, Teague wants to become the next Morgan Shepherd and race until he’s 77. He doesn’t want to take over Morrison Motors if it means giving up racing, as I’m sure you are aware. The reality is that, as a woman, I wouldn’t have nearly as long of a career. I want to get married and have kids one day, and driving while pregnant isn’t a good combination.”
Ryder shakes his head as he pauses to gaze at the youth playing various sports with several professional athletes and other volunteers. “That would be sacrificing one dream for another when you can have both. Have you always worked for your father? Are you dependent on him for a job?”
I chuckle. “No, I’m not dependent on him for a job, and I don’t technically work for my father yet . I’m just getting my feet wet and learning the ropes until the end of the racing season. I’m working remotely while I finish tying up loose ends with the company that currently employs me. Why do you ask?”
With a slight shrug of his shoulder and an adorable smirk, he says, “There are some regional short-track races you can enter. Sometimes Teague and I race in those to keep our skills sharp during the off-season or when there’s a gap in the schedule. You can prove to your father that you are as capable on the track as you are in the boardroom.”
It’s sweet that he wants to help me succeed, and certainly not what I expected him to do. “I could stand to get in a few laps. You know, work out the kinks.” I tilt my head from side to side to crack my neck, not anticipating the loud pop that comes from doing so. “Did you hear that? Kinks!”
Cringing at the noise and massaging his neck as if he’s feeling sympathy pains, he says, “That sounded like it hurt.”
I hold the door open and wave my hand to usher him inside. “It wasn’t too bad, but what will hurt is the paperwork and background check we need to complete. Are you ready?”
“Are you ?” he retorts. “You know about my past. Is that going to send up any red flags?”
“The Play It Forward Director, Milo, has already been informed. As long as there isn’t anything else that we don’t know about, you should be good to go. You’ve made great strides in turning your life around, and that’s precisely the kind of example we want these kids to see. We want them to understand that they can triumph over adversity. You’re practically a poster child for this organization.”
I sit in the lobby, waiting for Ryder to emerge from Louise’s office. He’s been in there for almost an hour for paperwork that should have taken no more than half that time. Chances are, Louise is regaling him with stories of her days as an Olympic swimmer in the 70s, or she’s telling him all about her most recent trip to the doctor. Either way, Ryder likely needs to be rescued.
As I’m about to knock on the door, I notice Trevor running down the hall straight toward me. I raise my hands in the air to shield myself from the impending collision. “Whoa! Slow down, Trevor. Where’s the fire? Is there an emergency or something?”
He huffs and puffs while trying to catch his breath, bending over and resting his hands on his knees. “Or something, Miss Blake! Missus Louise sent me a text saying I’m finally going to get a Big Brother!”
I clap and then give him a one-armed side hug. “That’s so exciting. You’ve been waiting for almost six months! Who is it? Is it one of the players from the Houston Rockets?”
Trevor lifts his head and stares at me as if I’m the most oblivious person on the planet at this moment. “Uh, no. It’s your boyfriend. I thought you would have known that.”
“I don’t have a boy.… Oh, you mean Ryder. He’s not my boyfriend; he’s my brother’s best friend. Today is the first time we’ve officially met.”
“But you want him to be. I can tell,” he says with a self-assuredness that would rival Ryder’s cockiness. These two are either going to be perfect for one another or a disaster waiting to happen.
“We. Just. Met. Trevor,” I huff. “And why is Ryder your Big Brother? He’s not a basketball player. That’s still the sport you want to be mentored in; am I right?”
Trevor’s eyes light up when he peeks over my shoulder, but I don’t need to turn around to know that Ryder is standing behind me. A deep baritone voice washes over my skin, wiping away any doubt. “Drive, determination, physical strength, and mental fortitude are characteristics of every athlete—even for a professional badminton player like yourself. The will to persevere—even when the odds are stacked against you—comes from within.”
“What about teaching him actual basketball skills? That’s also important,” I argue.
“I can hold my own in a game of basketball, Blake, and I look forward to Trevor showing me what he’s got.”
“You two should argue about this over dinner,” Trevor adds unhelpfully as his eyes full of mischief and darting between Ryder and me.
Before I can respond, Louise calls me into her office and defuses the tension that’s building out in the hallway. “Blake, if you have some time to spare, I’d like to discuss the upcoming annual event and get your input.”
Ryder hooks a thumb over his shoulder. “Trevor and I are going to hang out for a bit, but why don’t you come to the track on Wednesday? You can practice with Teague and me as we take the cars for a test drive. Then we can come here and maybe grab a bite to eat afterward.”
Is he asking me out on a date? “Oh. Well, I um….”
It’s as though he can read my mind when he says, “It’s not a date, Blake. I was hoping to pick your brain about Play It Forward, but if you have other plans, I understand. It’s no biggie.”
“I can probably meet you at the track, and Wednesdays are my scheduled days at Play It Forward. The only reason I’m here today is to show you around and make introductions. Can I get back to you about dinner? Since Teague leaves on Thursdays like you do, our father prefers to have us over for a family dinner on Wednesday nights.”
Ryder winks. “I’ll see you Wednesday, Blake. Oh! And bring your A-game. There’s no way Teague is going to go easy on you, and neither will I.”
I laugh as I bid them farewell and enter Louise’s office.
“You wanted to see me about the event?” I ask her. The Annual Tour is organized by the corporate offices, and each location invites the community for a fun day for athletes to team up with the kids and compete in various games. I participated in a few while I lived in Maine, but this is my first in Texas. I helped organize last year’s event up North, which is probably why Louise is seeking my input.
“Yes, but first, I want to discuss the conversation I just overheard in the hallway. While we strive to pair athletes and youth with similar interests, that isn’t always feasible. When you questioned whether Ryder is a good fit for Trevor, it broke my heart, Blake. Our purpose is to inspire and teach skills that will benefit a child, regardless of whether they ever become an athlete. Some of these children simply need someone to believe in them. In the long run, does it matter if that person doesn’t play the same sport?”
I feel like a child sitting in the principal’s office, getting scolded for starting a playground fight. Louise is right, and I was totally out of line. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. It’s just that he’s so infuriating. He says both the wrong and the right things. Half the time, I was tempted to kiss the smirk on his face, and the other half of the time, I wanted to wipe it off!”
Louise blushes at my outburst. “I do hope you’ll be professional while on these grounds. No kissing or fighting. You need to lead by example, Blake.” She fiddles with the stack of papers that Ryder had signed and circles back to my earlier faux pas. “How well do you know Ryder?”
“That’s just it! Today is the first time I’ve met him! I shouldn’t be having feelings for him already.”
“Well, I wasn’t referring to your mixed-up emotions, Blake. I was referring to his dossier. ”
My cheeks flush from embarrassment, and I let out a small cough. “Mostly what the articles have said, but only what has been confirmed as truth by my father or brother,” I admit. “I try not to put stock in gossip.”
“Did either one of them tell you how Ryder was able to afford to go to college?”
I nod. “He received an academic scholarship, several grants, and a loan. He also had a job as my brother’s racing partner.”
“So, you didn’t know that Ryder was also offered a sports scholarship? If he had accepted it, he wouldn’t have needed to take out a loan at all. He turned it down because it would have taken away time training on the racetrack with your brother.”
Shaking my head, unable to comprehend what Louise is telling me, I say to her, “My brother offered him that job the moment he learned about Ryder’s past, and after classes had started. Why would he have turned down the scholarship beforehand?”
“You’ll have to talk to him about that, Blake. It’s his story to tell. But do you want to know what sport he received a scholarship for?”
I nod, but in the depths of my heart, I already know the answer.
Louise uses the tip of her pen to point toward the closed door where Ryder and Trevor were last seen. “Basketball.”