Page 21 of Be Still My Racing Heart
I quickly tug on Ryder’s shirt as the group walks away. “Trust me, you’ll eventually hear the story. For now, I need your help to unload the pallet of supplies that was just delivered. It’s why I came to find you. Let’s get Mina and Trevor and see if they’ll be willing to assist.”
Ryder shakes his head. “Mina is helping Trevor do his homework. That’s more important than helping unload a few boxes.”
Taking Ryder’s hand in mine, I drag him down the hall and outside to where the truck dropped off the supplies. I giggle when Ryder takes in the number of boxes. “That’s more than a few.”
“At least we’ll work up a good appetite. Are you still coming to the family dinner tonight?”
Last week didn’t end well since my dad threatened Ryder, which is likely the reason he’s shaking his head. “We’re assuming he’s tracking you and knows that we are seeing each other behind his back, but until we’re certain, I don’t want to risk it.”
I understand his position since we’ve only been seeing each other for a week, but I’m willing to walk away from everything my dad is offering since I don’t want it with the strings he’s attached. It’s time for me to take a stand for what I want no matter how things turn out on the relationship front. “We can’t let him win,” I blurt.
Ryder tenderly caresses my cheek and tenderly brushes his lips against mine. “I don’t intend to. Regardless of what happens between us—and I very much want there to be an ‘us’—no one gets to tell me how to live my life. I’ve been under my father’s control before, and it’s not a place I ever wish to be again. I simply need to get a few ducks in a row. Were you serious about Wheelie Good Tires being interested in adding a driver to their team?”
Since no one is around for the moment, I wrap my arms around his taut waist and kiss his slightly clenched jaw. “Yes. With one phone call, I can set you up with an interview.” I let go and step back, removing my phone from my back pocket. I unlock my screen. “Just say the word.”
Ryder takes a moment to ponder the gravity of the choice in front of him, but then the edges of his lips quirk up.
“Word.”
The drive to my father’s house is far from lonely, despite Ryder not coming along for the ride. Mark Daugherty—the owner of Wheelie Good Tires—wasn’t available when I first called, but the sound of his exuberance fills the car now.
“I’d love to have Ryder Stone as part of the team, and an interview isn’t necessary. You’ve told me enough about him to quell any fears I would have had, and I trust your judgment. I had planned to make the offer to him at the end of the season. If we were to poach him mid-season without a trade, then the cost of breaking his contract would far outweigh the benefits.”
“Mark. Mark. Mark. You know as well as I do that my father has been wanting to poach Reggie from you. He wasn’t concerned about offering a trade, but maybe you should consider it.”
There’s silence on the other end, and the only indication that the call hasn’t been cut off is the call timer still ticking upward. There’s a huff before Mark asks, “Are you sure that’s the right move? I don’t really want to lose….”
“It’s just until the end of the season, Mark. Next season, you can have both of the drivers you want. My father is trying to control Ryder by hanging his career over his head. While I don’t have any proof, I also believe my father paid someone to rig the inspections on the vehicles to frame Ryder and discredit him.” I take a few minutes to explain to Mark the nature of my newfound relationship with Ryder, well aware that my boss is a sap for romance. He’s been married to his wife for more than three decades and still brings her flowers for no other reason than to show he’s always thinking about her.
“All right. Text me Ryder’s number and I’ll give him a call. If he’s amenable to the trade, then I’ll call your father with the offer. No one should stand in the way of love. On that note, when you decide you don’t want your current position, I have a CEO spot with your name on it. Janice and I are ready to spend some quality time together cruising around the world. Ryder isn’t the only one who could use an escape outlet. You need one too.”
“That’s very kind of you, and I’ll most definitely consider it. My father still has a chance to make everything right and see the error of his ways. Hopefully, he will.” After thanking Mark and hanging up, I pull off to the side of the road to text him Ryder’s info.
I quickly call Ryder, who picks up on the first ring. “Miss me already?” he asks playfully.
“More than you know,” I tell him with sincerity. “I’m only a few miles from my father’s house, but I wanted to give you a heads-up that Mark Daugherty will be calling you shortly with a trade offer.”
“A trade? He’d give up Reggie for me?”
“He’ll get Reggie in the end, trust me. Ryder, if you want out from under my father’s thumb, this is the best way to do it.” I send up a silent prayer.Please let him take the offer.
“He’s calling me now.”
I pull onto the long stretch of driveway that leads to my father’s mansion. “I’ll let you go and talk to you later.”
Before Ryder hangs up, he says, “I don’t know what to say. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough.”
I chuckle. “You can say ‘Goodbye’ because you really need to take the call.”
I sigh as I park in the circular drive, bracing myself for what’s about to come. I don’t bother knocking as I enter my father’s home. I seek out my brother, who is napping on the couch in the living room. “Where’s Dad?” I ask, jostling Teague from his slumber.
He swats at me like I’m a pesky fly. “Who knows? I’m getting my beauty sleep. Leave me alone.”
I grab his hand and pull him off the couch, his butt hitting the floor with a thud. “You and I need to go for a walk. When’s dinner supposed to be ready?”
“Now,” Dad says as he walks into the room and then right back out. Teague and I are expected to follow him into the dining room.
We do, and I sit in silence until the food is set in front of us. I’m about to open my mouth when a staff member that I don’t recognize enters and whispers in my father’s ear. Standing up and excusing himself, he says. “I have an important call to take. Don’t wait on me.”
