24. Grace
Yesterday was overwhelming to say the least. Matt’s family was amazing and reminded me a lot of my own. His mother has a heart of gold, and when she hugs you, you just melt into her and feel safe, exactly like I do when my own mother hugs me. Our moms will be close when they finally have a chance to meet one another.
I know I need to dress the part of the race car driver’s girlfriend as I pick out my outfit for the day. The media is going to be following us, not only because they think we are news, which is still silly to me because honestly, we’re boring, but also because Matt is a part of the final four with his teammate, Ryan. Which is so exciting, especially because Tinley will get to hang out with me while they attend the press and signing event.
“Ready to go, Red? We need to head out in about ten minutes,” I hear Matt say as he comes into the room to make sure we have all our bags ready.
“Keep your pants on, McCall. I’m trying to find an outfit that says NASCAR wife but also doesn’t scream, ‘Girl, what the hell were you thinking?’”
“Babe, you look good in everything. Just throw on some shorts and a ‘Matt McCall’ shirt and call it a day. It’s hot as Satan outside; you’re not going to want to put a lot of effort into your outfit. I promise, you and Tinley are going to want to stay in the AC all day until we have to make the pit walk.”
I pick my favorite vintage McCall shirt that I stole from Matt’s closet my first few nights at the house and pair it with some cute shorts and my Vans. When I make my way out to the living area, I find Matt on the phone with a deep frown forming on his face.
“Cowboy, what’s wrong?” I ask as I go to stand next to him.
“It’s nothing, Red. My guys were just calling to let me know that there was an issue with the inspection, and unless they can get the spec right, I’m going to be starting at the back of the pack, which is the last thing I want to do at this track. It’s easy to get caught up in the big one, and being a part of the final four group, honestly, a wreck is the last thing I want to think about with this race. It’s never good to tempt fate,” he says, wrapping his arms around me.
I can feel how tense he is, and I want to take that away from him, but there is nothing I can do. The cars go through a machine full of sensors to make sure that everyone has the same components in place. We just need to have faith that the team will make the necessary changes so the car can go through the machine again and pass. Time will tell if that’s going to happen.