Page 69 of Wrecking Boundaries

“Not a joke.”

“Anxious.”

“About last night,” Jake begins before trailing off. He moves so his body is over mine. “We were hurting, both of us. I didn’t apologize for my part, so I’m doing it now. I’m sorry.”

“I am, too. You were right about last year, Jake. I’m sorry that we lost a year.”

He tips his head towards me. “We’ll make up for it.”

Knowing Jake, we will.

∞∞∞

Rivers Motorsports Headquarters, North Carolina

One task remains this morning, and then it’s time to go. It’s not particularly onerous, and the situation only exists because Jake arranged for us to partner up in the go-kart charity event. Surprisingly, I’m looking forward to it.

“Hi, Pete,” I say as he enters my office door, daughter in tow.

“I’m leaving Lily in your care,” he says without a greeting or preamble.

Lily frowns at her father’s choice of words but doesn’t speak up.

“We’ll get along great. She’s doing me a favor, after all.”

“He better behave himself,” Pete says.

“He will,” I promise, as I have several times already.

Julian is a shameless flirt, but he’s also wise enough to know when to turn it off.

I hope.

“Dad, I’m fine. You can go.” Lily affectionately squeezes Pete’s hand, and he leaves. “I’m Lily, like the flower,” she tells me.

She pointed that out when we met last year for Pete’s birthday. Either she doesn’t remember me or assumes we don’t know each other. “I’m Sarah. We’ve met before,” I say, and she frowns. “My big brother can be protective, too. It’s irritating sometimes, but it’s because he loves me.”

“It was Dad’s surprise party. I messed up his age on the birthday cake.”

“You salvaged it incredibly well,” I say.

This conversation is becoming painful. If I don’t think of anything else, we’ll discuss the weather soon.

I move towards the door and indicate for her to follow me.

“Have you ever been in a go-kart before?” I ask Lily, and she shakes her head. “Well, you’re doing me a big favor. Julian will be your partner. Do you remember him?”

Lily’s steps falter. “We met,” she says.

“Was he an ass? Please don’t hold that against him. Julian improves with exposure. He’s like poison in the movies where you need to build immunity first.”

Calling her weird is out of character for Julian. Of course, Lily wore ill-fitting clothes and messy hair that day. Maybe it’s more in character than I think, especially how he sometimes behaves towards women.

This may be one of my rare bad ideas.

“We didn’t speak to each other,” she says. “Do you want me to be an intern? You can say no.”

“Why would I say that? It was my idea. We always need extra help.” We might need more soon. If Jake’s future unfolds as he wants, it will split my responsibilities. If it happens, I want to be a part of it.

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