Chapter 23
‘Thank you for fetching dessert.’ Bonnie waved the box of pastries as she took it from Marco, who had clutched them on his lap the whole drive home.
‘Did you find everything you were looking for, Marco?’ Calvin was hauling coal out into the back yard where he had his barbecuing gear set up. Savi’s dad loved hosting, and he’d spent the afternoon building a campfire while they were out.
‘Three pairs of boots, two denim shirts, a flannel, a denim jacket, a suede jacket, a pair of jeans and a very fancy belt. Also, my hat, which as you can see is already a staple.’ He pointed to his head. He’d only knocked it against the roof of the car once while getting in.
‘You’ll be requesting that the team’s private jet lands in a field on the ranch just to get your new purchases to France,’ Calvin chuckled.
The next race was Le Mans and Marco was determined that he and Savi were going to be matching with boots, hats and jeans.
She had pointed out Le Mans was set to be too warm for jeans, and they would spend most of the week in full racing gear due to the amount of work they had to do in the garage and all the practice sessions out on track, but he’d fired back with the excuse of team dinners and their initial arrival in the paddock.
‘Do you need any help with dinner?’ he asked, looking like he was desperate to help in some way. He was sat at the kitchen counter, watching Savi and her ma peel and chop vegetables for the kebabs they were making.
‘Wanna chop the sweet potato up?’ Savi wondered if he knew how. He’d grown up with a chef and still had one to this day, and while she knew he could make chocolate chip pancakes, that didn’t mean he had been taught the basics.
‘I’m on it.’ He took a knife from the drawer Savi pointed to and got to work. ‘So, Wes is pretty great,’ Marco commented quietly. Weston was downstairs on his games console, but sound travelled.
‘I’m glad you guys are getting on. I think he’s really missed having male company other than Dad, and he ignores his friends for the most part. He’s really isolated himself and pushed them all away, so they’ve been sentenced to a friendship based on online gaming.’
‘I just can’t believe he asked if he could come with you today,’ Bonnie said, welling up.
‘Bonnie, don’t cry.’ Marco put the knife down and gave her a quick cuddle. ‘I’ll do my best to bring him out of hibernation for you, and hopefully when I’m gone he’ll stay out.’
‘You’ve been here less than a day and I already want you to stay forever,’ she laughed softly, gratefully squeezing his hand. ‘Savi is very lucky to have you as a teammate. I mean, what kind of man steps up in the way you did?’
Savi knew what her ma was referring to. First it had been the photos, then swooping in to take care of her when her world was falling apart.
And she was right; not many people would do what Marco had done.
But their connection went far beyond all that.
‘Ma, Marco said he’ll help me fix up the extra stall in the stables, so you can get another horse for the kids’ riding lessons.
’ She spat it out while everyone was feeling vulnerable and emotional, hoping her mum would be more receptive.
‘Oh,’ Bonnie frowned. ‘Savi, we shouldn’t be asking that of him. He’s a guest.’
‘And you’ve got him chopping sweet potatoes,’ Savi shrugged.
‘It would be my pleasure to help, Bonnie. I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to go full cowboy, I really meant it.’ Marco presented them with the result of his chopping skills. ‘Plus, you and Calvin have plenty to do around here, so let us take a project off your hands.’
‘I suppose it would get it done a lot faster, and we could finally take some names off the waiting list for lessons. We’ve had some kids on there six months plus.’
‘Thanks, Ma.’ Savi kissed her on the cheek.
‘We won’t spend a fortune or do anything crazy, promise. Just make it liveable.’
‘Who wants to come and watch me barbecue?’ Calvin called through the back door.
‘Is he serious?’ Marco glanced at Savi for confirmation. ‘He wants us to watch?’
‘It’s his thing. He’s very proud of his barbecuing skills, does all sorts of tricks with the utensils and drinks whiskey the entire time.
We’re basically watching him get progressively more drunk and risk setting fire to his apron with every sip, but it’s good fun.
’ Savi had fond memories of helping when she was little, but for the most part it was his and Weston’s time to bond while she and Bonnie sat back with their feet up.
‘I’ll just call Wes up.’ Bonnie rolled her eyes good naturedly and headed to the basement.
‘Woah, Cal. You didn’t tell me you had this beast.’ Marco took in the size of the grill.
‘It was a birthday gift from Sav,’ he beamed. ‘She knows me well.’
‘I also get him magnets and bottle openers from as many places as I can. The magnets go on the mini fridge, and he’s got a tin full of the bottle openers.
We’ve got a collection of beer mats which is a new thing.
God forbid we get a mark on the table.’ Savi showed him some of her favourites.
‘If you ever find something with Monaco on, he’d love you forever. ’
‘I can get you a beer mat from my parents’ hotel, but I think that might be the best I can do.’
‘I’ll take it. Appreciate it, bud. So, this hotel of theirs, is it really posh? I guess it probably is, being in Monaco.’
‘Yes, but when there’s racing on and the streets turn into a racetrack, we always provide huge discounts. It means we get fans from all over the world flocking to us, and they get the full Monaco experience without spending an absolute fortune.’
‘I’d love to go to Monaco.’ Calvin looked wistful as he grilled some halloumi.
‘Really, Dad?’ Savi frowned.
‘Yes, but your mother doesn’t want to go and we can’t really leave Wes on his own anyway, even if she did want to.’ He shrugged it off.
‘You’re welcome to stay in our hotel for free, Calvin. Always. Or even in my family’s home, with us. As long as the Monaco Grand Prix isn’t on when Savannah and I are racing elsewhere, I’ll come with you. I’m sure Savannah would, too.’
‘You’d do that?’ Calvin looked like he might cry, whether it be with excitement or gratitude or both. Savi felt like she might do the same.
‘Of course. You’ve welcomed me here with open arms, it’s the least I could do.’
Calvin pulled him in for a hug. ‘You are the best fake son-in-law a man could ask for.’
‘Dad,’ Savi laughed. ‘That’s such a weird thing to say.’
‘Your actual boyfriend never even offered to let us attend a local show, with or without you in attendance. He does realise nobody knows who we are, doesn’t he? Your ma and I weren’t going to blow your cover if we were in the crowd amongst thousands of people.’
‘You don’t even like his music that much,’ Savi tutted.
‘That’s beside the point.’
Savi sat down with her cocktail, homemade with a little too much alcohol as per usual.
She was never able to get it quite right, even when she followed a recipe.
She spent her summers as a teenager making punch bowls for her friends’ house parties, playing beer pong in basements and drinking in the fields and the mountains, not having much else to do when she wasn’t riding the horses, doing schoolwork or karting.
But cocktails were an art, and she had given up trying to perfect her attempt at a tequila sunrise.
She watched her dad in his element, happily grilling away.
Marco was allowed a couple of goes before he somehow set fire to a mushroom and was sent to join her, Bonnie and Wes in shame.
He told them stories of his own childhood and summer evenings with his family.
Despite the clear divide in wealth, his stories weren’t all that different to hers.
They played board games, charades and did karaoke, all things that her family did.
Maybe he was right; maybe their families would get on.
‘This food looks incredible.’ Marco took the piece of corn Savi passed down the table to him.
They’d laid out all the food like a buffet in the middle of the table, all the mains and sides and condiments they could want.
Not once did Savi or her family complain about the lack of meat available tonight.
They weren’t hunters like a lot of people around here.
‘How’s the corn?’ Weston asked, right as Marco was mid-bite.
‘Amazing,’ Marco mumbled through his mouthful.
‘So, your next race is Le Mans?’ Calvin asked them.
‘Indeed. Savannah’s first time racing in such a prestigious event.’ Marco had butter dribbling down his chin, and Savi couldn’t resist getting a napkin and dabbing at it. ‘She’s in for a hell of a ride, but it’ll be the best race of her life. That I can assure you.’
‘If I even make it to the finish line this time,’ she muttered, staring down at her plate.
‘Will you stop beating yourself up about that? The car had issues, and the team made the wrong call. None of that was on you, Cowgirl. And hey, us guys won in the other car so we still got a podium and won the hundredth race.’
‘I just know Kodie and Miko won’t forgive me if there’s a repeat. I’m already skating on thin ice within the team for launching what they think is a very real relationship to the public so early in the season and taking the spotlight off them.’
‘The three of you just need to get in that car and give it your all. So much happens at Le Mans, it’s a miracle if anyone crosses the finish line. Mistakes are made, things go wrong, but as long as you have done the best you can, that is truly all that matters.’
‘Fuck me, it’s like Ghandi is here with us,’ Weston said, munching his way through the beetroot salad. He’d taken the whole bowl and gone in with a fork, rather than putting some on his plate.
‘Mars is pretty wise, actually. He’s not just been there for me with the Jesse drama, but he’s helped with my anxiety on a couple of occasions.’