Page 29 of Be Still My Racing Heart
One side of her mouth lifts in a cute smirk that works for her. “When you’re fully committed to winning the checkered flag.”
I press my lips to hers and show her just how committed I am.
Blake
IttookMinaacouple of weeks to calm down and get over her excitement after seeing the big reveal at the COTA raceway, which is why I’m perplexed by the level of exuberance she’s expressing as she runs toward me at full tilt. “Step on the brakes!” I shout before she crashes into me.
Huffing and puffing, she tries to catch her breath as she continues to bounce on her toes. “I just overheard Louise talking with Ryder about how Play It Forward plans to spend the five-million-dollar donation! We’re getting a karting track!Wahoo!”
I smile to hide my grimace. My father may not have tied any strings to me, but he did tie a few to the donation and how it was used. Thankfully, the cost to build a track is less than 20 percent of the total annual amount. I’d be more upset about it, but I’m aware that most donations from large corporations come with stipulations related to the sport they support or sponsor.
“Yes, that was one of the conditions for how the money should be used. Over the course of the next two decades, at least one track needs to be built each year at a Play It Forward location. The rest of the funds are to be used as the organization sees fit.”
“It’s so exciting! I’ll get to practice all the time! You’re going to drive with me, right?” she asks.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Mina. Now go and enjoy the event. It only happens once a year.”
Attendance can hit upwards of a thousand people because it’s a family event and open to the local community. However, we have nearly five times that number since word got out that Joelle Summers would be here and singing a few songs from her latest tour. I missed her concert in Houston this Saturday, not only because the tickets were sold out, but because I was going head-to-head with Ryder and Teague in Portland two days ago. None of us won the race, but the three of us placed well. I’ve continued to drive under the name Reggie Buchanon, but next year I'll be racing under my own name now that the word is out.
I meander around the event and search for Ryder, only to find that he and Trevor have been roped into manning the cotton-candy booth. There’s a long line, so I simply wave and blow Ryder a kiss. Trevor puts his hand in front of Ryder’s face and pretends to catch it, placing it on his own cheek instead. As Trevor winks at me with a sly smile, Ryder bops him over the head with one of the cardboard funnels, causing them both to laugh. For someone who didn’t think they’d be good with kids, Ryder has shown that he’s not only big brother material, but father material as well.
My next stop is the cornhole station, where Ace and Elise are teaching the art of throwing the bags. I always thought you kind of lobbed them, but depending on the situation, that’s not the case. There’s a finesse and art to it that takes plenty of practice, but it’s a game that anyone can do.
When Elise notices me standing nearby, she hurries over. “This is such a wonderful organization!” she exclaims. “We didn’t have anything quite like this in Baggersville, but we had people who mentored us using acts of service as a guide. We built cornhole boards to raise funds for our community. Our program isn’t in every state like yours, but we’re getting there.”
Wanting to learn more about Cornhole for a Cause than the few snippets I’d heard, I did a little more online digging. The town of Baggersville has become a well-known hotspot for charitable causes. The money raised helps kids attend college or trade schools, supports small business owners with grants, provides assistance to families in times of need, and so much more.
“Your organization is equally as wonderful,” I say as a child in a wheelchair rolls up to one of the cornhole lanes.
Elise grins when the kid asks Ace, “Can I play? There aren’t many sports for people like me.”
Ace hands him one of the bags. “There are plenty of sports you can do. A wheelchair doesn’t have to stop you. I’m Ace. What’s your name?”
“Benji.”
Ace lifts up his pant leg to show a prosthetic limb. “If I can do it, so can you. Let me see what you got!”
I glance over at Elise with wide eyes, having no idea that Ace was an amputee. Ryder never mentioned it to me. She answers my unspoken question. “He was wounded in the Army. It’s been an ongoing journey, but he’s finally healing.”
She doesn’t need to say more. I get the picture. Not all wounds are visible. Changing the subject, I ask the burning question in my mind. “Ryder once mentioned getting pulled over with you in his car. Were you two ever….”
“Together?” she says, finishing my sentence. “Not really. I was trying to get over Ace because he was being a stubborn fool. Mabel enlisted Ryder’s help to prompt Ace to step up, and it worked. Ace has been the only one for me. Believe it or not, Ryder is a romantic at heart and wanted to see me get my happy ending with the love of my life. He only played his role. You, on the other hand, are the real deal for him, Blake. The hollowness in his eyes has disappeared since you came into his life.”
I clear my throat. “I’m head over heels for Ryder.”
Elise laughs. “Dare I say that you love him? I’ve seen the way the two of you look at each other. I think you bring out the best in him.”
“He brings out the best in me.” Being with Ryder has given me the courage to stop hiding and stand up for myself.
Still grinning with a ten-mile smile, Elise says, “You bring out the best in each other, and that’s the way it should be.”
I play a few rounds with Elise and learn a few techniques to up my game, but I eventually say my goodbyes when Louise gets up on stage to make her announcement.
“Thank you all for attending the Play It Forward’s annual event!Yeehaw!”Louise pumps her arms up and down to excite the crowd. They whoop and holler their enthusiastic response.
“We’d like to thank all of the donors and volunteers who have helped make this event happen. Without your support, we’d still be playing dodgeball in a high school gymnasium! We’d also like to thank the kids for being such goodsports!”
I chuckle at Louise’s pun. Comedy has never been her strong suit, but bless her heart; she tries.
