Page 33 of Be Still My Racing Heart
“Oh, no! Not me!” I point toward Milo, whose hair is standing up on end. Once I lobbed off a few chunks that were wrapped up in the gears of the copier, I recommended he go to a barber to get it evened out. As busy as he is, I guess he didn’t find the time to do what I had suggested. At the moment, he looks like he’s stuck his finger in a light socket. It must have been worth it, because the copy machine works like a charm.
Blake snickers. “Ace is in for a rude awakening.”
I chuckle. “Yep.”
Fifteen minutes into the competition, Ace exerts himself as he barely manages to bench 400 pounds. Sweat drips from his face as he completes his final rep and relies on his brother, Tim, to help lift the weight onto the rack. It’s an impressive feat because my personal record is 370 pounds. People clap for him, including Milo, who then takes Ace’s spot.
Milo removes an antibacterial wipe and runs it across the bar before laying down and wrapping his fingers around it. “One can never be too careful. How many reps are we doing again?”
“Three,” Ace says.
“Three it is.” Milo waits for Tim to stand behind him for safety, although he doesn’t need it. He lifts the bar off the rack and proceeds to do three reps without so much as a huff or sign of fatigue. “Shall we go to 425?”
Ace shakes his head in defeat but smiles warmly at the lanky man with a heart the size of Texas. “That’s not necessary. I concede.”
Milo turns toward the kids who were watching in awe. “As Ace and I have both shown you all, the mind is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger and more powerful it becomes. When your body feels like it’s about to give out, it’s your mind and your heart that push you further than you thought possible.”
I wave to Ace as Blake and I turn to leave, his gaze warning me that there will be retribution the next time we’re in the gym together. I laugh. It will be well worth it.
As Blake and I walk hand in hand, she says, “I’m happy that your father is enjoying his job and that he decided to stick around.”
Six months ago, when my father was released from prison, I feared he had no place to go. With Blake’s urging, I offered him my spare bedroom until he figured out what the next step was for his life. He declined because my Aunt Mabel’s husband, Wendall, had a small house that was unoccupied after he moved in with his wife. My dad has been living in Baggersville ever since and now works in construction for Farrin Enterprises.
“He’s happy, keeping his head down while he works hard and stays out of trouble. He’s still on parole for another year and a half. He wanted to be here but felt that his presence would make people uncomfortable.” Simon has been attending church every Sunday and speaking with Pastor Dale regularly. “He’s in a good place. I just pray that it lasts.”
“Me, too. I like your dad. It’s hard to imagine he was ever the leader of a biker gang,” Blake says with tender affection. “Even my dad seems to like him, which is saying something. I thought for sure he would refuse to let Simon enter his home.”
“Once they started talking about cars, it was game over,” I tease.
I gently caress Blake’s lips with my own for a brief moment before asking her to follow me. “Come race with me.”
She giggles as we near the new karting track and Teague flags everyone in so that the both of us can take a few laps without endangering anyone else with our antics. Two cars, one with the number 67 emblazoned on the side and one with the number 12, wait for us, primed and ready to go.
Teague waves a green flag to begin the race, and just like when we first met, Blake doesn’t take any prisoners and presses the gas pedal to the floor. People cheer and clap as we cut one another off at every turn, with competition and rivalry between us still very much in full force. After four laps, neck and neck, we eventually cross the finish line side by side. I help her out of the car, both of us grinning like fools.
As I drop to one knee, the cheers fade into silence one by one until only the soft breeze whistling through the leaves remains, accompanied by a few murmurs of excitement.
Blake gasps when she realizes what’s happening. “Yes!” she says, bouncing up and down.
I laugh at her enthusiasm. “I haven’t asked the question, yet.”
“Hurry up! I can’t wait to be Mrs. Ryder Stone!”
I smile because I’m ready to slip the ring on her finger right now and go to the local courthouse to make it official, but I prepared a speech, and I plan on giving it.
“I knew years ago when I first saw your picture that I’d fall head over heels in love with you if we were to ever meet. Your twinkling eyes and quirky smile were endearing.”
Teague coughs. “His exact words were, ‘Your sister is hot!’”
My cheeks heat and turn a bright shade of pink. “I did say that, and I still think it’s true to this day. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Even when we’re old, wrinkly, and our heads full of gray hair, I’ll still think that. I hope you’ll think that about me when I’m wearing socks with a pair of sandals.”
People around us snicker, but I hear Milo whisper to someone, “I don’t get it. What’s wrong with that?”
My shoulders begin to shake with silent laughter, but I quickly compose myself. “Blake, we were once rivals on the track, but now we’re on the same team. You have always pushed me to be my best self from the moment I crashed into you.”
“Which time?” she teases.
“Uh, when I bumped into you outside of Play It Forward and your coffee spilled. It was you who crashed into me on the raceway.”
