20. Grace
Last week was a bitch. I went out to California with Matt for his weekend race, and now, I’m playing the game of Tetris, getting a whole week’s worth of work into three days.
Thursday is D-day, as I like to call it. I fly to Boston to meet with my father, fully prepared to tell him just what’s going on and not planning on taking any of his pushback when it comes to Matt. My heart is slowly belonging to my fake husband, and he needs to understand that Matt isn”t the man the press make him out to be. The bright side to the weekend is that I do have the fundraiser with Cortney on Saturday, which is going to be the highlight of the weekend.
I’m looking forward to spending some time with Mila since we’ve only been able to see one another on FaceTime lately. She’s been packing and getting ready to move into her townhouse, close to Matt, that we set up for her.
As I finish up the day, I’m still missing a few things when it comes to getting sponsors interested in coming on board with Mila. I make myself a list of the things to do in the morning when I come in. It seems like lately the list is getting longer. Or is it just my worry or my perfection kicking in and me wanting this to go off without an issue?
I drive back toward the house. I knew that today would be quiet. Matt is still out west for the long stretch. I didn’t realize that I’d become accustomed to our routines each night. But now that he isn’t waiting for me, I take my time driving home.
Walking to the dark townhouse, I find it quiet. That’s one thing that I’ve gotten so used to when I walk through the door. Matt is always playing music. Yeah, I give him hell about his country music selection, but it is growing on me. I’ve started to add his songs slowly to my own playlist. Guess it”s my way of keeping him with me even when I’m apart from him.
I yell out, “Alexa, play Matt’s country playlist.”
The music starts to fill the room, and I notice that the song is one of Matt’s favorites. It’s an old George Strait song, “Amarillo by Morning.” The only reason I know the name of the damn thing is because it came on one morning when I was making our coffee, and Matt decided we needed an impromptu dance session in the kitchen to it. At the time, I thought he was just being silly and wanting to see how I’d react to being so close to him. But the longer the song went on, the more I relaxed into his arms. I enjoyed it, and that may have been the turning point when I started to see him as more than just a fuckboy. He’s a good guy. He’s just hiding under a man-child.
As the song finishes, I make my way to the bedroom to change out of my work clothes and get into bed. I’m dead tired and don’t even have the energy to get takeout delivered. I just want to sleep.
I plug my phone into the charging port and hear it chime as I get comfy to go to sleep. With the time difference in Texas, we’ve been playing phone tag. But for once, he catches me right before I drift off to sleep.
Hitting the button, I see his gorgeous smile come across the screen.
“Hey, Red. Are you in bed already?” he asks, concern written on his face.
“Hey, Cowboy. Yes, just laid down. It’s been a long day. Doing everything that needed to be done in three days is kicking my ass. So how’s my driver doing? Staying away from all those pit lizards, right?”
“Yes, Mom. In fact, I’m on my way out to dinner with none other than Ryan and Clint.”
“Augh, safety in numbers, Mr. McCall. Keep them in line.”
Looking at me, he gives me the biggest laugh. “You do know who I just said I’m going to dinner with, right? Clint doesn’t stay in line on a good day. We’re going to a public bar. If he doesn’t make a scene, then I’ll drop to my knees as soon as I’m home.”
I pause to think of any comment to say back to that—I have nothing.
“Well, y’all have a great time and be safe, okay?”
“We will. I’ll text you in the morning. Sleep good, Red. Night,” he says as he ends the call, and I drift off into sleep.
D-day—T-minus twelve hours.
Do not freak out, Grace. It’s just your dad. The man who has loved and cared for you your whole life. He’s also the man who taught you to be a bulldog and not roll over anymore. Because those are the people who cut your knees out from under you and walk away.
I step onto the plane at Charlotte, my palms getting clammy. Dear God, am I going to pass out? I have flown a million times, and this flight will be no different.
“Miss, can I get you something to drink?” the flight attendant asks as soon as we get the all-clear signs from the pilot.
“Yes, please. A vodka cranberry would be amazing right now.”
After taking my glass and drinking the whole drink before she has time to help the passengers behind me, I ask for one more since she’s still within talking distance of me.
Walking off the plane, I’m lost in thought when a man I don’t recognize comes up to me.
“Excuse me, miss, are you Grace Miller by any chance?” he asks, making me a little uncomfortable that people would know my name.
“Umm, I am.”
“I am so sorry; I’m Michael. I work for your father. He sent me to pick you up and take you to your parents’ house.”
“Okay, Michael. I’m gonna need you to show me some ID, and I’ll also need to call my father to make sure before I get into the car with you.” I’ve watched enough Liam Neeson movies to know that I could be sold on the black market at any turn, getting into a stranger’s car.
Turning, I grab my bags and hear Michael talking with someone. I can’t make out who it is because it isn’t on speaker, but soon, he catches up to me, handing the phone over so I can talk with someone.
“Hello, sweetheart. Michael is to take you to the house. I was planning on picking you up but got stuck at work, and your mother is cooking away, preparing for you coming home today,” comes my dad”s husky voice.
“Okay, Dad, I just wanted to make sure. Can’t have your only daughter being sold on the black market. What would that do to the Miller name?” I hand the phone back to Michael before following him to the waiting SUV.
I have always loved Boston; we have lived here my whole life. Most of my family live in New York, but my parents settled just outside the area so that they could drive to New York if they needed to. And I know my parents want me to come home so badly, but North Carolina is my new home, and I’m starting to love that it has adopted me and given me my new family.
Matt may have come into my life in a weird way, and it’s all my fault, but thinking back, I wouldn’t change what I did. It’s starting to turn into one of the best mistakes I’ve made.
We make our way to my parents’ house outside of Boston, and I’m compelled to watch the city roll past me. I have so many fond memories of spending summers with my cousins since they had a house near my parents, and it was always so great. We’ve always been a close family, and my moving away hasn’t changed that. Now, with this bomb that I’ve dropped on my parents via the press, I’m in survival mode. I think that may be one of the reasons I want to come this weekend while Matt’s in Texas. I honestly don’t want my family to become attached to him and then a month from now, he’s gone, and I’m left to answer a million questions.
Following the tree-lined drive to my parents’ house, and I say a silent prayer that tonight will go smoothly. My father is a responsive man, and once I tell him the truth, I’m sure he’ll see my reason for having the press think I’m married to Matt. Even though I know I’ll get the mother of all lectures about how reckless it was of me to do that. I went to North Carolina to get away from the Miller name and become my own person, yet, in one picture, I’ve blown that up too.
Pulling up to the beautiful old Tudor-style home, my father comes out the front door just as I step out of the SUV. I thank Michael for the ride and for not selling me on the black market. This causes him to laugh just as I close the door and head to my father.
“Hi, Dad.” I greet him before walking up to him as he wraps me in one of his big bear hugs. I relax into his hug and just pause. I love the smell of my dad. He reminds me of old spices and soap. A very dad smell. Ha ha.
“How is my little bug doing?” he asks, looking at me with more concern than anger. And I settle just a little, knowing he’s getting on board with what’s happening.
“It’s been one hell of a few weeks if you want an honest answer. But starting my new position at Mac has been amazing. The people are so nice, and I’m learning a lot.”
“Well, come on. Your mother’s been waiting on you all week, and I know she’ll want to hear all about it. I better not hog you all to myself,” he says with that signature smirk that only I get.
Walking into the house, it’s just as warm and welcoming. For most of my childhood, my house was the one my friends wanted to be at. It was because my cousins were always around or maybe because of the amazing lake view we had that I loved spending time out on the water each summer.
I head toward the kitchen and find my mom, pulling a lasagna out of the oven just as I make my way to a bar stool.
“My little peanut is home.” My mom comes, rounding the corner to give me the biggest hug.
“Mom, I only moved to North Carolina—it’s not like I went off to war, you know.”
“Yeah, but you move to North Carolina, then instead of coming to work for our family team, you stay there. Then hell”s bells, I find out from the news, not my own daughter, that you married a racecar driver. Darlin’, you forget I follow the tabloids like they are my second bible and I’ve seen things about the ‘husband,’ and I use that word very loosely. I don’t want to see you all over the page because he’s strayed,” she states, placing her hands on her hips.
Well, that explains where I got that move from. I may have got my dad’s aggressiveness in the business world, but the sass is all my mom. Here, I thought it was going to be my dad I would have to defend myself with. Nope, it”s the woman standing in front of me.
Rubbing my temples, I can feel the start of a headache coming on, so I close my eyes and count to five. Because if I open my mouth right now, I will say something that my mom is not going to like, nor will it be ladylike.
Taking a long breath, I open my eyes and look up at my mother.
“Mom, I get that you didn’t want to find out your only child is married from a newspaper. And to be honest, I didn’t want you to know that way either. Yet I also didn’t want a random dark-haired reporter trying to drug one of my drivers just to get information as to what’s going on at our race shop. So, if you really want to know, no, Matt and I are not legally married. Honestly, we aren’t even dating, But am I falling for him? Yep, I sure as hell am, and it scares the hell out of me.” I look over at Mom, who”s just standing with her mouth open like a fish as I continue.
“Miles was the man I thought I would be with for the rest of my life, and I ended that, so being with Matt now and developing all the feelings I have bubbling over, I’m not sure what to do. If I’m being honest with myself.
“We are trying to keep the media away now. But because of the way he’s been in the past and my name, they’ve taken such a freaking interest that we can’t shy away from it now.” I unload all the words that I have been keeping to myself for the last month.
“I have the next month to figure out my feelings because at the end of the race season, that’s it. We said two months to make sure that his image is what it should be, and I’ll help Mila launch her career.”
“Sweetie, we know it’s been stressful this last month. I know you wouldn”t have married someone out of the blue. You may try to play the hard nut at times, but your heart is so big,” Mom continues. “True, your dad handled it terribly when we got the news. You have always been so level-headed; we just didn’t understand. It came unexpectedly, and then when you avoided our call, and even Jamie’s, we were even more confused,” Mom says, coming to stand in front of me again. She pulls me into a hug this time, and it’s the comforting mom hug that you always want when you know that things have gone south.
Pulling back from our embrace, I look into my mom’s eyes. They’re the same as mine, and even though her blonde hair is starting to go gray, she’s embracing the change, and I can see what I might look like at her age. And I hope that when I am, I’m half the woman she is.
“Bug, you will never disappoint us. We just want to be a part of your world, even if it’s a few states away is all. And I’m sorry for the rough call. I know I didn’t give you much room to talk that day and explain yourself. Looking back now, I shouldn’t have told you not to embarrass the Miller name. Hell, your cousin, Cortney, has done that enough for the whole lot of you,” Dad says, laughing as he joins our embrace.
“Now, let’s all sit down, and you can tell us about Matt McCall because the way you just spoke it seems like he may be more than just a right-now,” Mom says as I follow her to the small kitchen table sitting off to the side of the living room.
“I know you have your views of Matt, but honestly, I had those same ones until I got to know him. He may be one of the most tender-hearted men I”ve been around. He cares for his family deeply, and he’s worked his way up through the ranks in NASCAR and made a name for himself that wasn”t just given to him. The first night I came home to his place after the media article came out, he made dinner for me, and knowing that I have a gluten issue, he made me things that wouldn’t bother me. It may have been the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. At one time, he stopped what he was doing just to dance with me in the kitchen because I’d had a rough day.”
I watched as my parents listened to me talking about Matt, and my mom swooned at certain parts when I told them what he had done.
Looking over at me and placing her hand on top of mine, I saw my mother with tears in her eyes. “My darling daughter, you just spoke of this man as if he’s been in your life longer than a month. Those feelings that you are questioning inside yourself—you shouldn’t because they are real. You love this man. It may have only been a month, but the heart knows what it wants or needs, and if you listen very carefully, it will bring you to just the place you are to be,” Mom states.
I look over to my dad, waiting for him to say something like, your mother is crazy and doesn’t have a clue, but all he can do is nod along and lean over and kiss my mother’s cheek.
“Listen to Mom, bug. There was a time when your mother wouldn’t give this old dog the time of day. But I was persistent and finally, she gave in. I got that one date, and the rest is history. Sometimes the best things are when you find what you didn’t even know you needed.”
My head is spinning. Am I really falling in love? Could Matt be the one I’ve been looking for this whole time, and I had no idea? Had I loved Miles, or had we just been in the college-lust bubble? Getting up from the dinner table, I excuse myself and head toward my old bedroom. I need a little time by myself to figure out what the hell happened. I went from feeling like I was going to throw up all over the plane on the way here to now having the wind knocked out of me by how supportive my parents were about Matt. They saw the papers and knew that he had a playboy past. But they also knew my judgment, and if I was willing to give him a chance and knew that he could change, then they could too.
Lying across my bed, I dial the one person who will understand my spiral better than anyone.
FaceTime connects faster than I’m expecting, so when her face comes onto the screen, I’m pacing the floor.
“Hey, bestie. How’s Boston? It”s hot as hell here in Texas. I really wish you’d come. I still don’t know a lot of the wives and girlfriends around here, so I’m spending most of my time reading in the hauler, which don’t get me wrong, I love. Grace, can you stop pacing around the room? I”m starting to get a little seasick watching you,” Tinley says.
“Sorry, yes. I’m just having a little freak out now and need to talk through it with someone who’s been in the same spot.”
Just as I start to tell her what’s going on, Ryan comes onto the screen too. Great, just what I need. He and Matt are very close, and I’m worried he’ll run back to him the second I hang up from Tinley.
“Well, if it isn’t the married woman. What can we do for you? You do know you called Tinley and not Matt, right?” Ryan says, laughing as he watches me pace the floor of my childhood bedroom.
“Thank you, captain. Obviously, I’m very aware of where Matt is. I don’t want to talk to him until I’ve had my freakout, and I thought that well, hell, since you and Tinley have faced the mountain, why not seek guidance from others? You’re his best friend, so you can give me some insight into what he might be thinking since you’re here now, I guess.”
“All right, lay it on me, Grace. What can we help you with?” Ryan asks.
“Grace, stop pacing and look at us,” Tinley calls.
Stopping my movement, I grab my phone. I take a deep breath and prepare myself to unload what I’m feeling.
“Grace, you”re kind of freaking me out. What’s going on?” Tinley asks, looking at me with so much concern. She’s been with me since our freshman year of college, and she can honestly say she’s never seen me like this.
“I think I may be falling for my fake husband,” I mutter a little lower than necessary, but I’m having a hard time getting these words out.
“What was that, Grace?” I hear Ryan ask.
“I said, I think I’m falling for my fake husband.” They both pause. Great! I just dropped this bomb and now they have no idea what to do with it. Awesome, that’s just freaking awesome. I have lost my mind—completely. Have fallen for the one person whom I shouldn’t. Honestly, he may be the one person who could break my heart into a million pieces, and I’ll never recover from it. I think that’s what scares me the most.
“OKAY, let me make sure I heard what I thought you said, OKAY? You’re falling for Matt? Is that a bad thing? You guys are so cute together,” Tinley says.
I sit down on the bed and can’t help but feel utterly defeated. Matt was just supposed to be a two-month run. Yet here I sit one month into this “relationship,” and I have fallen.
“Grace, look at me,” I hear my best friend say.
Looking up at her, I see that Ryan has left the frame of the phone, and it’s just me and her.
“Sweetie, are you falling for Matt? Hell, I fell for Ryan hard and fast. I wasn”t expecting it to happen, but when you find that person who makes you complete, it just happens. Is it just one of the scariest things I’ve done in hell? Yes. But it’s also one of the best because I’ve found my best friend and partner in him. Have we had our problems along the way? Yeah, but what relationship doesn’t? This life isn’t for the faint of heart with these men, and I’ve found that out. I also found myself in the process. So trust your gut and your heart. I know that you thought Miles was the end game, but he was just the layover before you got to your destination,” Tinley says.
“Tin, I just don’t know if I’m ready to jump in with both feet. Matt is a lot to take, and my family comes with expectations that I don’t know if I want him to have to meet.”
“Grace, Matt is a great guy. He was just a playboy. Oh, yes, but I’ve seen the way that man looks at you when you don’t even notice. It’s something. You should just let go a little bit and take the leap. You may just find what you need.”
Tinley is right; I can’t live my life scared of ruining the Miller name. Both my parents have seen that I’m falling, and now I just need to tell Matt. Guess when I get back from my trip, it’s time to lay it all on the line.
Standing up from my bed, I grab my phone off the bed and hold it up once more so that I can see Tinley. Ryan has come back into the frame and is grinning like an idiot.
“Have fun at the fundraiser with Mila. She can meet some of those Boston Rebels. Lordy, I”ve seen that roaster and talk about drool worthy,” Tinley jokes just as Ryan grabs her, throwing her over his shoulder.
Her phone abandoned on the couch.
“Well, okay. Bye, guys. Thanks for the help.” I hear Tinley squeal as I hang up the call.
Saturday night and I’m standing in a large ballroom, sipping fancy champagne and hoping I can just hide in the background until it’s time to go home. The only reason I’ve come tonight is to make promotion contacts and introduce Mila to a few potential sponsors.
“This may be one of the biggest events I’ve been to, Grace. Thanks for letting me tag along,” Mila says, coming to stand beside me. The woman is gorgeous on a normal day, but tonight, she’s next level. She’s wearing a floor-length, dark-purple dress with a slit up one side, and her dark hair is styled into loose curls down her back. As we walked into the event, I noticed more than a few glances our way.
Just as we refill our glasses, my cousin, Cort, finally makes his way over to us with a beautiful red-headed woman.
“Grace, Mila, this is Dylan, my other half and the woman who has finally stolen my heart,” he says, and damn, those heart eyes he makes when looking at her are so sweet.
“Dylan, it’s so nice to finally meet you. My cousins are talking about you all the time. The woman who tamed The Man Bun here,” I say, laughing as my cousin hates that nickname, but it stuck long ago.
“It’s just in the stars, I guess. Well, that and the little rug rats we have running around at home.”
“Thank you again for inviting us, Cortney. I’m just excited to get dressed up and not be around motor oil for a weekend,” Mila says, taking a sip of her drink.
Just as we finish up small talk with Cort and Dylan, I note a very sexy man looking our way. He looks like an Abercrombie and Fitch model in a baseball player”s body. Dirty-blond hair is styled exactly right with the slightest bit of highlights. He’s clean-shaven and is on the hunt. Lucky for me, he looks like his sights are set on Mila.
“Hello, ladies. I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. I’m Kyle Bosco. I play for the Rebels.” He introduces himself with a cool deep voice that I can only assume makes all the women drop to their knees. But he’s out of luck with this woman. The only man I’m going to drop for has a Southern accent and makes me scream all night long.
“Hi, Kyle. I’m Mila and this is Grace. You might know Grace”s cousin, Cort,” Mila says, turning to face him as I walk toward our table to get seated for dinner so she can flirt.
I know about Kyle’s reputation. I may not be in Boston but that doesn’t mean I don’t follow baseball. The man is a known manwhore. But hey, if Mila wants to take a turn on him, she can be my guest. I don’t think she should be ashamed for going after what she wants.
Sitting down in my seat, I reach for my phone to check if I have any messages and to get an update on the race.
Matt McCall 10th place—110 laps to go.
Matt’s doing great. He was so worried about Texas, but I told him he would do great. He’s on an uphill swing and has run great the last few weeks with a win and top-ten finishes. He only has one race left before the cutoff with the final four, and he’s sitting in a great place right now.
“Grace, you didn’t tell me that literally all the hottest guys on the planet would be in one room,” Mila shares, coming to sit with me minus Kyle.
“Ha ha, would that have been a deciding factor in you coming with me tonight?”
I can’t help laughing even harder at the face she’s making when she sees that Kyle is hunting her down like a dog with a bone.
“Girl, be careful with that one. He can be a handful from what I’ve heard,” I tell her just as he comes to sit with us, remembering I was saying this same thing to myself a few months ago.
The fundraiser ran into the night, raising money for the local women’s shelter, and when all was said and done, they raised more than one hundred thousand dollars. It’s amazing to see so many people step up and help the community. It’s even better to see my cousin finally finding his place now that his baseball career is over. He tells the story that Becket can’t run it without him and that’s why. But I think it’s more that he wants to keep this baseball program running a certain way, and with him at the helm, he can.
I lost Mila about halfway through the fundraiser, and as I’m a good friend, I had text her before calling my Uber to head back to my parents’ house.
Me:
Just wanting to make sure you’re not in a ditch somewhere and that you’re safe.
After waiting to hear back from Mila and wondering if she’s off somewhere right now having sex with Kyle, I finally see the thinking bubble pop up on my screen.
Mila:
Hey, girl. Oh yeah, I am just fine. I’ll see you back in Charlotte next week.
Me:
You better call me tomorrow. I expect all the details. Because I’ve heard some things about Kyle Bosco and want to know if they’re true.
She sends me a winking emoji and promises to call in the morning.
I order my Uber and wander just inside the building so that I don’t need to stand on the street corner where anyone can snatch me. Damn, I’ve watched Taken way too many times; it’s making me either paranoid or hyper-aware.
Checking my phone for the final rundown of today’s race, I see that Matt has come in fifth today with Ryan finishing third. Clint has ended up tenth.
Just as I get the alert that my Uber has arrived, my phone rings.
Seeing Matt’s face come on the screen sends instant butterflies to my stomach. It has only been two days since I saw him, but I have missed talking with him each day and having our back-and-forth banter that has become my routine.
“Hey, Cowboy. I saw you had a top-five finish today. That’s great.”
“Hey, Red. Damn, you look sexy. Why are you standing outside?”
Blushing at his statement, I reply, “I was waiting on my Uber to pull up when you called, and I didn’t want to be rude, getting in while talking on the phone. Hang on, let me get in the car.”
After making sure the driver is who he’s supposed to be, I slide into the back seat and pick my phone back up.
“You don’t look half-bad yourself, Cowboy. Where are you anyway?” Looking at him, I can’t see around his body. He’s still wearing his racing suit and looks sexy as hell in it.
Giving me that smirk that he knows I love, he slowly starts to remove his racing suit.
“Like what you see here, Red? Missed you at the race today,” he says, removing his fire suit under his driver’s uniform.
“Tell me again why it is that I needed to be here and you needed to be there. Because that’s just too far away. I want to be able to touch you, kiss you, and pull that hair of yours just the way you like when you come,” he rasps. My breathing picks up as I pray the driver can’t hear our conversation because we’re going in a whole other direction than what I wanted, but I am so turned on that I couldn’t stop this race car if I wanted to.
As he removes the remainder of his suit, I notice he’s in his hauler. Thank God he isn’t in some hotel room.
“You haven’t answered my question, Red. Now why aren’t you with me again?” he drawls in that Southern accent that drives me crazy.
“Honestly, I have no idea right now,” I reply with a laugh. My brain isn’t firing on all cylinders, and the more I stare at his gorgeous body, the worse it gets. I’m not even able to form a sentence.
“Do you want to know what I think? You ran. You started feeling things and didn’t know what to do, and instead of confronting them, you decided to go to Boston. I know you haven’t been to a single fundraiser since you left for school. Yet you make an appearance as soon as you can. Does that sound about right, Red?”
“You could be on to something there, Cowboy. But also, I needed to talk with a few contacts for Mila, and what better way than to kill two birds with one stone?”
“Yeah, so where is Mila? I’d love to say hey. You know, since we are gonna be teammates next year,” he questions.
And now I gaze out the window as we make our way down the long driveway that leads to my parents’.
“Funny thing about that—she met someone at the fundraiser and decided to have a little fun before she moves to North Carolina next week,” I reveal, paying the driver and then stepping out of the car into the cool air and heading toward the front door.
“Ahh to be single. We’ll let her have her fun,” he says as I open the front door, coming face-to-face with my mother.
“Grace, darlin’, I didn’t expect you to be home this early. I heard your car pull up when I was making some tea. Couldn’t sleep and thought this sleepy-time tea would help. Ooooh, who are you talking with? Matt? Well then, give me that phone so that I can say hello.”
Pulling the phone from my grip, she turns the phone to face her.
“Well, hello there, Mr. McCall,” she says, looking over the phone and giving me a wide-eyed look. I know exactly what she’s thinking; it is written all over her face.
“Hello, Mrs. Miller. Hope you’re having a good night. I was just checking in with Grace to make sure she has a nice night and that she doesn’t get into any trouble,” he says in his sweet Southern voice, coming over the phone, making my mother swoon just a little at each word.
“You will have to come to Boston soon with Grace so we can all have dinner and get to know you better.” Mom continued her ramble for what felt like half an hour. But truly, it was a few minutes because I heard the teapot whistle. Pulling her from her conversation with Matt, I say goodbye and promise to chat more later. She hands the phone back to me.
Looking back at the phone, I saw Matt”s smug face and wanted to both punch and kiss him. He was so easy to like, and that Southern hospitality made it even harder to not want to be around him, even more when he made everyone around him at ease. Damn him. Why can’t he just be an asshole and not make me want to stay?