Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
KINSLEY
“Hi-yah!”
“Ow,” I mumble into my pillow.
There’s a shuffle of fabric before a quiet voice whispers next to my ear. “Mummy? Are you awake?”
“Mummy isn’t here right now, please leave a message.”
His sweet giggle brings a sleepy smile to my face and I turn my head, peeking at my mini ninja. He hasn’t taken the outfit off since we got the boys matching ones two days ago. Well. Except for the mandatory cleaning I gave it yesterday after Soy-Sauceagedon.
“It’s race day, Mummy.”
“That it is, my little genius.”
He giggles, hopping on his knees. “Get up. Get up. Get up.”
I pounce, his shriek echoing off the walls as I drag him under the blankets with me. “Sleeper hold initiated,” I whisper.
His laughter is muffled against my arm but he breaks free when his elbow accidentally digs into my very full bladder and I let go of him with a groan.
“Cheap shot, kid.”
“Sorry. Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, baby.” I roll out of bed and stretch. “I guess it’s time to get up. Let me get ready and we’ll head out for some breakfast, okay?”
Today’s the first race since Jace pulled everything together so the boys could come with us. To say I’m a little nervous is quite the understatement.
What if all the noise is too much for him?
What if he needs me and I’m not there?
What if he gets lost?
What if this was a mistake?
Every scenario of what could happen runs through my mind as I get ready for the long day ahead and pack a bag with anything I think Cooper might need for the day.
There’s a knock on the door and I check in to make sure the little man is brushing his teeth before going to open it.
“Oh.”
“Well good morning to you too,” Jace chuckles and I snap out of my shock at seeing him standing outside my door.
“Sorry. Hi. Good morning. Would you like to come in?”
“Uh—”
“Is Cooper inside?” Beckham hops up on his toes, cutting off his dad.
I smile down at him and nod. “He’s finishing up brushing his teeth.”
“I started using grown up toothpaste.”
“Really? That’s so cool.”
“I don’t really like it.”
“Oh,” I laugh. “Then that is so not cool.”
“I’m still going to use it though because my dad uses it and I want to be just like him.” He looks up at Jace who’s smirking down at him.
“Alright. Alright. You can go in if you want, you don’t have to keep trying to butter me up.”
“Sweet,” Beckham cheers, speeding into the room when I hold the door open wider for him.
“So what brings the Collins boys to my door this morning?” I ask, leaning against the door.
“I was actually coming to see if you and Cooper wanted to join us on a track walk.”
“Track walk?”
“Yeah. We walk the entirety of the track, kind of plan out what our game plan is going to be. It’s a great opportunity to see the conditions of the roads on race day. We do it at every race and when Becks traveled with us last season, he came along on them too.”
“Oh, that’s actually really cool.”
He nods. “He loves it. He’s always making up his own plan for how he’d take on the race.”
“Does he make race car noises?”
“Of course. It’s required.”
“It’s required to make race car noises when you’re walking the track?” I laugh.
“Yep, we’ll be cursed if you don’t.”
“Well good thing I’ve been studying up on my racing noises lately.”
“Is that what that was last night?”
“No, that was just my snoring,” I shrug.
“But you don’t—” he cuts off abruptly, clearing his throat and ducking his head.
His phone goes off and he pulls it out of his pocket, shutting off an alarm. He looks up at me and smiles. “So what do you say? Do you and Cooper want to join us on a turn around the track?”
I pause, shocked for the second time this morning. First by his presence at my door and now by the hopeful sincerity in his… everything.
It’s in the way he stands, watching my every move for any hint at what I’ll say. In the way he drops his voice into a whiskey smooth timbre that would probably hypnotize even the most guarded mind.
I smile, tossing a thumb over my shoulder. “Let me grab my bag.”
“Vroom,” the boys race by us for the fifth time, crossing the finish line at the same time so both of them win.
That was the main part of the plan they concocted when we first set out on our walk. When Jace tried to tell them that the likelihood of them ending in a tie was unlikely, they blocked their ears and ran off singing that they couldn’t hear him.
No one, not even the realities of the world, will get between these two and their hopes and dreams.
I lift my camera, snapping a picture of the two of them cheering and I smile. A hand lands on my arm, bringing me to a stop and I look over at Jace.
“I think there is a requirement of this walk that you have yet to do, Miss Jones.”
“What?”
The noise starts low, slowly increasing in sound until he’s speeding around me before taking off towards the finish line.
I watch him with a disbelieving smile on my face, laughter caught in my throat. When he crosses the white line, he spins, cupping his hands around his mouth.
“Your turn,” he yells. I shake my head and he lifts an eyebrow. “I guess you want me to be cursed for today’s race then.”
My face drops and I quickly throw my camera strap over my head before holding up my hands like I’m gripping a steering wheel.
I lied when I said I’d been practicing my race car sounds. Why would I ever need to do that? But now as I’m standing here with my hands hanging in the air, I make a mental note to add it to my to-do list.
With the most embarrassing noise I’ve possibly ever made, I take off at a jog towards the boys at the finish line. I weave left and right like I’m battling it out with someone before zooming across the line and circling them.
I come to a stop in front of Jace and he watches me with a stricken expression.
“What?” I ask, slightly out of breath.
Adding more cardio to the to-do list as well.
“That was your race car noise?”
“Yes,” I draw out the word cautiously, yet I know exactly what he is going to say next.
“It… it could use some work.”
“Oh, I know.”
“I thought you said you’d been practicing it?”
A laugh bursts out of me. “Why would I ever need to practice that?”
He pauses, thinking of a retort. “You know what? That’s fair, but starting today we’re going to work on it. I can’t have you walking around making that noise.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“It sounds like you are pinning the accelerator and your engine is two seconds from exploding. No shifting, nothing. Just straight full throttle.”
“Yikes. Please, teach me the way of a proper race car noise.”
“Don’t worry, we will have you fake racing around everyone in no time.”
He chuckles and I smile, shaking my head. Someone calls Jace’s name and we look off to the side to see his race engineer waving him over.
“I guess it’s that time,” he sighs.
Side by side with the boys in front of us talking animatedly, we walk back to the teams garage where we will leave them with the woman Jace introduced me to last week, Anne, for the entirety of the race.
I’m bummed to be missing Cooper’s first race experience, but she promised to take as many pictures and videos as her phone would allow so that I got to see it afterwards.
With the promise to meet right back here after the race, she heads off towards the stairs that will lead them to the investors’ box above the garage. It’s a great spot where they’ll be able to watch the race without anyone having to worry about them getting in the way.
“Ready?” Jace asks, breaking away from his engineers.
“Yep,” I nod, following him out of the back of the garage and towards the team’s clubhouse.
My head is still a flurry of worries as I gather my camera equipment and I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t realize he’s saying something until I look up at him.
“I’m so sorry, what did you say?”
He studies me a moment before stepping closer and gently grabbing my arm. “You okay?”
I sigh, setting down my camera in its slot in my bag and zipping it up. “My mind is just all over the place. I just want him to be safe and have fun. And I’m just worried that maybe I should have stayed home?—”
“What? No.” I look up at the slight panic in his voice and he takes a deep breath, shifting on his feet. “It’s going to be grand, Kinsley. I trust Annie with my life because that’s what Beckham is. He is my life and I don’t hand that over to just anyone. Cooper is in great hands and he’s going to have so much fun, I promise. He’s good and you are good.”
I nod, sighing at the instant relief I feel because of his words.
He ducks his head, catching my eye. “But know that I’m here if you need anything, okay? Big or small, whatever you ask for, it’s yours.”
I smile, pushing his arm playfully. “Jace?—”
He chuckles. “I’m serious. You’re not in this alone, Kinsley. We’re all here for you and that amazing little boy. You’re ours now and we take care of what’s ours.”
And just like that, he eviscerates the rest of my worries.
I swallow, letting instinct take over, and step into his personal space. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I lean my head on his chest and close my eyes at the sound of his steady heartbeat.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
His arms slip around me and I feel him lean his cheek on top of my head. His fingers flex, arms tightening as he blows out a slightly shaky breath.
“Anything for you,” he says quietly.
I lean into the hug for a few more heart beats before pulling back and smiling up at him. He watches me with a small tilt of his lips and I freeze when he lifts his hand, tucking a rogue lock of hair behind my ear.
“I’ll see you after the race?” he asks nonchalantly. Like he didn’t just say the sweetest thing someone has ever said to me, then followed it up with a move I’d only ever read about in the silly little romance books Rose gives me.
“Yeah,” I whisper. “I’ll see you after the race.”
“Make sure you get my good side,” he smirks, walking backwards towards where his dressing room is located.
“Yes sir,” I salute him, blaming a trick of light at the quick shift in his gaze before he shakes his head and spins, walking down the hallway.
I watch his toned back as he goes, losing sight of him when he turns the corner. Rolling my lips, I reach up and touch the side of my face where I could have sworn I felt his thumb brush before he tucked my hair.
He was just gathering the pieces so it wouldn’t be in my eye.
Yeah, that has to be it.
Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I finish gathering my gear and head out to my assigned post. It’s a short five minute walk to where I’ll get a front row seat at one of the track’s shorter straights.
There’s a slight platform there and I climb the stairs, but come to a stop with my foot on the top step. I look over the small area and catalog everything.
Chair.
Safety helmet.
Cooler.
Wait. Cooler?
I set my stuff down by my seat and tilt my head at the mystery case. There’s a folded piece of paper taped on top and I pluck it off, a smile breaking across my face at the messy scribble.
Some snacky snacks and hydration for the best photographer ever. Now I can go out and win this race knowing the boys and you are taken care of.
—Yours, JC
I laugh, opening the cooler and sifting through the sweet and salty options as well as some different drinks. Shaking my head, I pull out a blue Gatorade and crack it open.
My eyes scan over the note and my fingers trace over his initials as a single thought creeps into my mind.
My nerves never really stood a chance did they?