Chapter nineteen Cole
Chapter nineteen
Cole
February
Race day, Indiana
It was a harsh race. I didn’t win, but second kept me first in points, and I always appreciated getting on the podium.
Once the reporters were done with me, I made a beeline to the pits where Zeke helped me get my gear off.
I climbed the stairs of the trailer in nothing but compression shorts.
My adrenaline level was dropping fast, and I was hungry.
I grabbed a protein bar and a t-shirt, then dropped into one of the chairs at the back of the trailer.
My mouth was full of protein and chocolate when Zeke and Gavin joined me. “Great job today, Cole. You looked great out there.” Gavin folded his hands together on the table. I’d been getting to know him enough to figure out his gestures meant he had something on his mind.
I swallowed my snack. “We have a great team. I mean, couldn’t do it without you.
For sure.” I meant the extended team, including the mechanics, sponsors, and even Brian.
I was damn pleased with all of it, but I was also looking forward to the two-week break in the season ahead, and I was hoping to spend it finalizing a land deal and maybe finding a builder. All with Nix.
“We’re really happy with it, too, but we want to make sure you’re set to take this championship.
” The season was going well. I’d made podium, finishing third or better, every week with two wins.
That put me first in points with a moderate lead over Tate.
Rico was sitting in third with Craige Lee a close fourth.
The media was having a field day with Apex versus BikeMax with the top four racers all within a hundred points of each other.
As long as I was in first, I didn’t give a shit, and I meant to keep it that way.
“Right. So?”
Zeke glanced away, but Gavin looked directly at me. I had to respect that. “We want you to spend the next two weeks at Davey’s—”
I jumped up. “No fucking way.”
Zeke held his hands out to placate me. “Just hear him out.”
“No. I have plans. I need a break. Come on. Get Brian in here. He’ll understand.” I stormed through the trailer and flung open the door, calling out, “Brian!”
I didn’t look to see if he was even around. But the trailer shook a bit a minute later as he entered the trailer, followed by Johnny. I didn’t need him jumping on Gavin’s side, which is where Johnny always would be, but I didn’t say anything about it, either. I faced Brian instead.
“Hey, Brian, man. Tell these guys I need a break. I need to spend this time away from the track. Decompressing.”
“Sorry, Cole. I don’t agree. You need at least some time on the track.”
“Okay, so a few days before the next race.” I gripped his shoulder, trying to compel him to join my side.
“No.” It didn’t work. Brian shook his head. “I think you should spend most of your time on the track. And training with Tate is the best idea. If you want to win this thing, you need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can beat him. What better way than to train with him?”
“Motherfucker. You were in on this.” I pointed my finger so close to his face, I almost touched his nose.
“Cole, please.” Gavin stood and stepped closer to us. “It was Brian’s idea, but I agreed, and Davey’s already signed off on it.”
I crossed my arms and scowled at their betrayal. “I don’t even believe this.”
Johnny leaned casually against the cabinets on one side of the isle.
He looked fresh and together in a BikeMax shirt tucked into dark jeans that fit him well.
He crossed a foot over his ankle, showing off his loafers.
“What is it that’s really bothering you about this?
The Apex crew are not going to be mean to you or anything like that. ”
“I’d planned to spend this time with Nix. We’re trying to get a place to live in North Carolina, near Zeke’s.”
Johnny’s eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful, but the house hunting will wait.”
“Land.”
“What?” Johnny asked.
“We’re looking for land to build a house.”
“Also great, but it will wait. I have an idea, though.” Johnny turned to Gavin and grabbed his arm. “Let’s fly Nix out to the Ranch with him.”
I grabbed onto that. If I couldn’t do what I wanted at least I could have Nix with me. “Yes.”
“Bingo,” Zeke said from the back of the trailer.
I almost growled something mean at him, but instead I took a long deep breath.
I still didn’t want to go. It wasn’t that I didn’t respect Davey and his methods, and not that I didn’t like and respect Tate, but they had grudges to hold against me.
I didn’t know if I could deal with it. I’d be too uncomfortable under Davey’s roof to race. Plus, Tyler.
But if Nix could be there, he’d help me deal with it.
“Okay,” Gavin interrupted my thoughts. “I’ll pay for the plane ticket for Nix and smooth that over with Davey.
Maybe Nix and Jason can film more while you’re there?
I’ll ask Jason about that, too.” They had already been adding to my progress, so this would maybe be a good finish to the documentary and good for my PR.
It would show that we could put the past behind us and not only get along with them but could even train with Davey and Apex.
“I’ll make it happen. You call Nix and give him the heads up. Then get cleaned up.”
I’d at least had a small victory.
March break
The Ranch.
I knew this whole fiasco was wrong as soon as I ever stepped off the plane in the tiny little airport in Gallup, New Mexico.
The place was stuck in another decade with carpet that had once had some bizarre pattern on it but was now faded beyond recognition, particularly in the high traffic areas.
Not that the Gallup airport ever had high traffic.
There were only about twenty of us on the plane, but we all disembarked and followed the signs to pick up our luggage.
Nix, my lifesaver, walked beside me. “It’s not as bad as you think, Cole.”
“This trip or the airport?”
“Either.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“As far as this place goes, I’ve been in worse. As far as Davey goes, he’s a good guy and a good leader. If he forgives you, which he did, then everyone else will, too. Including Tate.” We turned the corner, and I could feel the heat of Nix’s body when he bumped into me.
“I’m not worried about Tate. He’s the kind of guy who couldn’t hold a grudge if he tried.
You know, happy-go-lucky and all that happy horseshit.
Oh, here.” We arrived at the luggage carousel, which was surprisingly modern and even had an electronic sign above it, indicating our flight.
“Although, he had more reason than the others to still be pissed. Parker hired someone who beat the shit out of him.”
“You’re kidding?” Nix’s camera bag came out first, and he quickly grabbed it. A few minutes later, he pulled his gigantic duffle bag off the belt. Then we waited.
And waited.
“I’m not kidding. He took it entirely too far. But I wasn’t involved in that. I’d already made my deal with Davey and Tyler.”
Nix shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Then you have nothing to worry about. Where is your bag?”
We waited some more.
Until every bag had been claimed, and mine was not rotating around.
I grabbed someone in an airport uniform and asked him to double check the back.
He came back, shaking his head. “Sorry, sir. Everything has been loaded up. Looks like it might not have made it onto the plane at your last connection. You should go to the ticketing desk, there.” He pointed at a small podium that in no way looked like it was an official ticketing agent station.
“And make a claim for it. My apologies, again.” He kind of leaned forward and bowed his head.
It was hard to take my anger out on him when he was being so polite, but I was furious.
Nix grabbed my arm, and I deflated with his touch. “Come on, Cole.”
I mumbled a thanks and headed to the counter. “That bag had my best jersey and chest plate.”
“Davey will have all of that.”
“And my underwear.”
Nix laughed and rolled his eyes. “I’m sure we can stop in town and shop for a few necessities.”
“I’m not being a diva. Everyone needs their own underwear.” I couldn’t help chuckle, though.
Davey had sent a big SUV to pick us up, and the driver was more than willing to stop in Gallup before heading to Davey’s famous Ranch.
And that’s how I ended up on my rival’s doorstep with three plastic bags full of new clothes.
I felt like I didn’t have my shit together, like a loser.
Davey took it in stride, and Tyler even expressed his sympathy.
With his questioning eyes and easy smile, he still made my heart thump a little too hard.
“Come in and get settled, then we have lunch in the kitchen, there.” Davey showed us around the large main house, then to our rooms down a long hall, where the gym was also located.
Our room didn’t have an adjoining bathroom.
“The bunks in the back do, but I couldn’t fix that here.
There is a shower room I added on behind the gym, though.
” He pointed in that direction. “There are plenty of extra towels and shampoo, and stuff back there.”
Nix smiled, his dark eyes twinkling in the overhead light. “Thanks, Davey. That’s perfect.”
“Let us know if you need anything.” He shook Nix’s hand, then glanced at me. “Cole.”
“I’m good. Thanks.” I gave him a little wave.
After Davey left us in the room, Nix tilted his head, examining me. “Are you still mad?”
It wasn’t that I was angry. “I’m out of my element. And coming here like this…” I held up my plastic bags. “I feel inadequate. I don’t like this. Not here. On Davey’s turf.”
“You make it sound like a gang war.”
I dropped my bags and sat on the edge of the queen bed that took up most of the room. “You have an interesting way of looking at things.”