Page 106 of The Champion

“I hope it was good as you pretended it to be in therestaurant.”

Rolling my eyes, I laughed. “I know it was wrong but Icouldn’t help myself. It was funny.”

She removed herself from the lounge chair, grabbing hermidsection as she did so in pain.

“You okay?”

Sway winced and righted herself into a standing position.“Yeah, just sore.”

I stood beside her buttoning my jeans when she poked atmy chest.

“You shouldn’t do that with the kids present. What ifsomeone would have made a big deal out of it? You wouldn’t want your sponsorfinding out your wife was micro polishing with kids present, would you?”

Now that she put that spin on it, no, I wouldn’t. It wasin good fun and just a joke to rouse a few teenagers but in turn, I didn’tthink of how that looked to the outside. Here I was a NASCAR driver and I’dpretended my wife was on her knees under the table with my three kids present.Not smart.

I kissed her forehead. “You always know what to do.”

Sway laughed slipping into our bed. She patted my side.“I should know what to do. I write the pit board.”

I laughed. “You write the pit board eh?”

“Yep. I know when you need your next pit stop.” I laiddown next to her after removing my clothes. “I know what adjustments you needon your next stop. I know how much fuel to give you and the right air pressureadjustments. I know you.” Her index finger touched my nose.

Smiling that she was right, my eyes closed. “That you dohoney.”

Pit Board – Sway

Glancing around at the overflowing shopping cart, I knewwho was to blame for this. Having only come for coals for the barbeque, I had afeeling I wouldn’t be leaving withjustcoals.

“Axel Riley, get your ass over here right now.”

The mother next to me gasped at my crudeness.

“Sorry.”

I was thankful all the kids weren’t with me at themoment. It never failed. When I had them all together the little shits liked toscurry in different directions as I would try to get them in line or try tokeep from dropping everything in my hands. It’s like they knew I wasn’t anoctopus and could sense the fear any time I picked something up and had no freehands.

Axel came tearing around the corner with an arm full ofchips and marshmallows. Somehow, though I’m not sure how, he found room in thecart. “I got what I need. We can go now.”

“Smartass,” he snorted and smiled. “Why do you need allthis?”

He held out his hand with the same smirk Jameson gives.Without thinking, I pulled out a dollar and gave it to him. This no cursingthing was making my kids millionaires.

“Thanks mama.” His eyes focused on the marshmallows.“Lane and me...we gonna have a s’more.”

Anything Lane wanted to do; Axel wanted to do. AnythingLane and Axel did, Noah, Charlie and Cole copied. It was an endless cycle andsoon, Casten would be involved.

“S’mores, eh?”

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

A few hours later, we were heading back to the campgroundwith our s’mores, chips and whatever else Axel stuck in that damn cart.

Jameson laughed when he walked up to the Expedition asAxel and I tried to carry the bags. “I thought you were getting coals?”

“I did.” I slapped the bag with my free hand trying toconceal my own smile. He’d taken Axel to the store before and knew the drillvery well.

He grinned and leaned against the back of the car, hisarms crossed over his chest.

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