Page 158 of Trading Paint

“Yeah, just before we left the track after I met with Gordon.”

Gordon Reynolds, the Director of Competition, was the warden for NASCAR. If you got in trouble, you saw him.

“And she said?”

“Nothing really,” I shrugged. “She saw the fight on ESPN and wanted to make sure I was all right.” I took a bite of my hamburger.

“Are you?”

“Yeah,” I straightened my posture chewing slowly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’re different when she’s not here.”

“How so?”

“You’re just different, almost like you’re running on seven cylinders.”

“I feel like I’m running on seven.”

“Is the pressure getting to you?”

“Yes and no.” Even though I knew how I felt about Sway now, I wasn’t ready to tell anyone. “I guess I wasn’t prepared for how political and commercialized everything is.”

“Kind of makes racing the weekly races appealing huh?”

I smiled taking a drink of my iced tea in front of me. Pouring ketchup on my plate, I began to dip my French fries in them. “You don’t see how demanding the sport is until you’re in the middle of it.”

“You don’t have to do it. You know that right?”

“I do know that...but it’s what I want. Even if it comes with all this and more...I still wouldn’t change anything.”

“You know Simplex said they may be interested in sponsoring your outlaw car. Justin is doinggood. Little shit beat me the other night.”

“He is doinggood.” I agreed. “So is Tyler. I was thinking—” My phone buzzed just then causing me to jump backward. Jimi laughed when my drink spilled on me. It was Charlie calling me, which was strange. He never called these days.

Worried something was wrong withSway,I rushed through the rest of dinner and called him in private.

“Charlie?” he answered on the first ring.

“Jameson?” his voice sounded tired and worn, similar to the way I felt.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

He was silent for a moment before speaking. “I need to speak with you, in person.”

I was on the phone with Wes, the pilot of our private jet, to arrange a flight immediately. Charlie wouldn’t ask me to come unless it was important.

24.Tear offs – Jameson

Tear offs – A plastic cellophane strip attached to the visor of helmets designed to improve vision when racing on dirt. When vision is obscured the driver can yank the tear-off, providing a clear view. During a feature eventit’scommon for a driver to use around 20 tear-offs.

The afternoon light streamed in through the windows of their living room, the rays of light reflecting off the glass in front of me as I sat there in their living room and though it was familiar to me, it was different. It was different because I wasn’t with Sway and different because Charlie needed me. Hell-bent on keeping me away from Sway for the last few years, now he wanted me to take over ownership of his track, which would mean always being around Sway.

“Why do you want me to take over?” I asked.

I couldn’t understand why he would offer up something like this. Grays Harbor Raceway meant everything to him. He turned a struggling track into a thriving business that drew hefty crowds each week.

Charlie was only forty-one so how could he possibly be thinking of retirement? My next thought was why me? Why not Jimi or hell, even Mark, who ultimately contributedtomuch of the track’s success. Either man would be better, so again, why me?

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