Chapter Twenty-Five
Iris shifted positions in bed, squinted one eye open and immediately noticed the hard body pressed against hers.
She couldn’t help but smile as she came fully awake.
It was hard to believe it was already the third week into the new year.
It seemed like yesterday when they had practically danced the night away at the Westmoreland Charity Ball.
Every time she had glanced over at Pam, her friend would have an “I told you so” look in her eyes.
Iris figured by now most of the Westmorelands knew she and Matt were an item.
He never left her side, and they had danced together more than any other couple that night.
The next morning, and she wasn’t sure how he’d done it, they had seats next to each other in first class.
When she asked how he had managed to do that when she’d paid for a coach fare, he’d only smiled and told her not to worry about it. So she hadn’t.
Now they were back in their regular routine of spending time together every day.
Some nights he stayed over at her place, and other nights she stayed at his.
Their football team was in the playoffs, and they were keeping their fingers crossed the team would be going to the Super Bowl.
And she loved those times when they cooked meals together, sharing recipes.
Last weekend, his godparents, Marcello and Megan, were in town on business, and Matt took them to dinner and invited Iris to join him.
It was nice dining with the Saxons, Matt and Deena.
Now she could see why Matt thought the world of his godparents.
They were good people, and she could tell they simply adored their godson.
This weekend, they would be in Charlotte to attend Bronson Scott Motorsport charity ball that was held the night before the race.
Pam and Dillon would be attending, along with other Westmorelands who had become friends of Bronson’s through his friendship with Quade.
She’d heard it was to be a star-studded affair and wondered who all would be in attendance.
“You’re awake?”
She smiled and turned toward Matt. He had to shift the leg he’d thrown over her at some point during the night. “Yes, I’m awake. What do you have in mind?”
He smiled. “I’m beginning to think you only want me for my body.”
She smiled back. “I can see how you might think that, but I want you for other reasons, too. Your kindness, your intellect, your laid-back persona, which is the total opposite of my high-strung one, your character and emotional maturity.”
He chuckled. “You make me sound like a super guy.”
“As well as a super stud.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Well, I think we need to get out of bed now before we get into other things. If you recall, we’re playing tennis today, a few practice sessions using my backyard tennis court,” he said, easing out of bed.
She pulled the cover over her head, and he pulled it back down. “Honestly, Matt. Do you expect me to have the strength to play tennis after a night like last night?”
He grinned. “I only gave you what you asked for.”
She laughed. “You’re being nice. I actually begged for it.”
“I wasn’t going to mention that part, Iris,” he said, sliding into his pj’s bottoms.
“Like I said, you’re nice. You’re the kind of guy any woman wouldn’t have a problem cheering for.”
“Are you volunteering to be a flag girl?”
She chuckled. “A flag girl?”
“Yes, a flag girl when I do my two laps around the race track next Sunday.”
She went still. “Flag girl? Race track? What are you talking about?”
Her voice must have alerted him that something was wrong. He came to stand by the bed. “You do recall next weekend, right? We’re flying to Charlotte to attend the Motorsport Charity Ball Saturday night and then on Sunday, the charity car race.”
“Yes, but what does the car race have to do with you?”
“I’m a participant.”
“Participant?”
“Yes. Each year, five of the sponsors race their sponsored car around the field for two laps.”
“But you’re not a race car driver. Don’t you know how dangerous that is?”
“I had special safety training last summer, Iris. I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know that,” she said, pulling herself up in bed, unable to stop the tears welling in her eyes. “I couldn’t handle it, Matt.”
Confusion filled his eyes. “What’s wrong, Iris? What can’t you handle?”
She felt the wetness of tears stream down her face and touched her cheeks. “I couldn’t handle it if another man I love dies in a race car.”
She then pushed past him and rushed to the bathroom and closed the door.
* * *
Matt watched her with a dropped jaw. Her words still ringing in his ears… “I couldn’t handle it if another man I love dies in a race car.”
He stared at the closed door, shocked. Did her words mean she loved him?
Picking up his phone from the nightstand, he searched for information on stuntman Garlan Michaels.
He sat on the edge of the bed when the information appeared on his phone screen.
Garlan Michaels had been killed while doing a movie stunt in a race car.
Matt rubbed his hand down his face. No wonder she had gotten so upset.
Easing to his feet, he went to the bathroom door and knocked.
“Come in,” she said with a sob.
He entered to find Iris standing by the vanity wiping tears from her eyes. He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms.
“I’m sorry, Matt,” she said brokenly. “I should not have come apart like that. I’m so sorry.”
“No, sweetheart, don’t apologize. I never knew what your husband was doing when he was killed. I understand.”
“It’s been over twenty years. But knowing you will be risking your life the same way he did, I can’t handle it. I want to be there with you this weekend, Matt. But I can’t.”
Sweeping her up in his arms, he left the bathroom and slid down in the chair in his bedroom with her in his lap. “Like I said, sweetheart, I understand.”
She pulled back and looked up at him. “Do you really?”
This was the first time he had seen her this upset or broken up over anything.
She had cried over a movie they had seen once, but never like this.
“Yes, I really do. My mom died of breast cancer. I recall when Deena got older, I was fearful of her inheriting a genetic mutation from Mom, which could increase her risk. The thought of losing her the way I lost my mother would keep me up at night. I would read everything I could get my hands on about it.”
“How did you get over your fear?”
He chuckled softly. “What makes you think I’ve gotten over it?
I think every person who’s lost someone to tragedy or sickness has this fear that it could happen again to someone they care deeply about.
That’s why I understood your fear of Garlan becoming a stuntman.
And I understand your fear of me competing in that auto race. ”
He paused for a moment before saying, “What I have done is accept a few things. Namely, the quantity of a life isn’t promised to anyone, but each individual decides on the quality of their life.
You can live each day in fear or you can rejoice in and appreciate the lives of those around you.
Those you love. Make every single day count and strive to make them special. ”
He hoped he had given her food for thought, the same nourishment his godparents had given him when it had been hard for him to let Deena out of his sight while she was growing up. When Iris didn’t comment on what he’d said, he wasn’t sure that he had said the right things.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go to Charlotte either, since you’re upset about it.”
“No, Matt, you’re committed to going, and you should. You must. I’ll be okay. Who knows? Time by myself this weekend might be what I need.”
He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that. The last thing he wanted was for her to find a reason to put distance between them. Since they would be apart, he needed to make sure she thought of him this weekend.
“Iris?”
When she looked up at him, he lowered his mouth to hers. When he heard her moans, he stood with her in his arms and moved toward the bed.