Black Flag (Racing on the Edge) (69 page)

“I think you’re a
little young for coffee.” I took back my cup.

Another eye roll and a
sigh, “If I
havt
to be with you all day. I need it
more than you.”

By now, all the guys
were in the car and looking at Lane and me with a curious expression. Spencer
noticed his son’s hair and glanced at me. “Alley is going to kill me.”

“No
shi
...
shoot.” I corrected. Lane ignored us all
together as he became engrossed in his dirt bike magazine.

The wedding was being
held at the
Kiana
Lodge in Poulsbo, Washington. It
was secluded and exactly what we needed to keep the media and fans away. It was
a beautiful place as my parents actually renewed their wedding vows here when
we were younger which was how Emma got the idea to have the wedding here.

The grounds were
layered with beautiful flowers, trees and wildlife but you couldn’t see any of
that today with the snow.

Emma had gone with the
theme she thought appropriate for Sway
...
a
fairytale
...
it was perfect.

When we left Elma, it
had just started to snow. When we pulled up to the lodge, the grounds were
covered around three inches of snow. We drove Sway’s Expedition and I’ll admit,
we spent more time testing out the 4-wheel drive then we actually did driving.

I’m like any other man
out there—give me a snowy day and I wanna play.

“What the fuck is
that?” Spencer asked pointing at the princess carriage parked out front when we
pulled into the drive.

Aiden and Justin
laughed in the backseat.

“I didn’t think she was
serious about that shit.” I grumbled. “
Apparently,
we are supposed to
leave in that.”

“Hah!” Spencer snorted.
“Good luck with this snow.”

“Don’t even think about
going up there,” Alley told us when we walked into the lodge. “Emma will kill
you.”

“Nice to see you, too,
Alley,” I retorted leaning against the wooden banister. “Did you give her the
note?”

Spencer headed straight
toward her to pull her into a bear hug and a kiss with Lane on his back.

“Yes, she said to give
you this,” she handed me an envelope wiggling away from Spencer and then
straightening her dress. Her eyes narrowed at her son and then Spencer. “I’m
not going to freak out. I’m not.” She told herself forcing a smile. “Lane
honey, you will be growing your hair out.”

“But mama, it
look
awesome!”

There wasn’t much she
could say to him with the excitement he put forth at his hairdo. In turn, she
smiled and then punched Spencer. “You’re an idiot.”

“I’ll bet you I’m
allowed—” Aiden smiled oblivious to Spencer and Alley arguing beside us. He
started toward the stairs before my mom jumped in, holding an arm full of
flowers.

“No men in there.” she
said firmly pushing against his chest as he grinned at her. “Besides, I have
things for you to do. We have to finish setting-up outside. I’ll show you how
this goes, and you boys can take over.”

Spencer and I both
groaned. “Didn’t Emma hire people to do this shit?” I asked tucking the
envelope away.

“Certain things yes,
but not the decorating. Emma wasn’t about to trust that to anyone.” My mom
smiled and shook her head slightly, as though she knew Emma was just being
controlling.

“Besides, just because
you’re a NASCAR Champion doesn’t make you too good to help, Jameson.”

Spencer and Aiden burst
out laughing that my four foot eleven mother just put me in my place. I hung my
head in shame, indubitably pouting for affect.

“Besides, it will keep
all of you out of trouble,” Alley added smugly heading back upstairs with Lane
in her arms.

“All right, mom
...
” I turned toward her. “What do you need
us to do?”

“Follow me boys.”

An hour later, I felt
like those camels in the desert transporting shit. The only difference was I wasn’t
in some third world country and I wasn’t carrying anybody but I
was
sweating.

We did have to stop and
have a snowball fight but that didn’t last long before dad was yelling at us to
act like adults.

Once mom was finished
using us as her bitches, I made my way to where I was supposed to be getting
dressed upstairs. I was tempted to sneak a peek inside Sway’s room but in fear
of Emma chopping off my dick, I steered clear.

Instead, I found myself
reading Sway’s note.

Tucked inside the
envelope was a picture of me inside my sprint car at Elma when I was around
fifteen maybe sixteen with Sway sitting on the rear tire checking tire
pressures. On the back of the picture, written in what looked to be eyeliner
was:

Here’s to a lifetime
of making sure you have the correct tire pressure.

I burst into laughter
at the little stick figures she then drew underneath humping. We were the
perfect match.

I had just gotten my
tuxedo on when Spencer and Tommy came barreling into the room, Spencer’s tie in
his hand and his shirt unbuttoned half way, wrinkled. Tommy was all dressed but
looked like shit. He’d spent most of the drive up here puking out the window.
Might have had something to do with my driving but that’s beside the point.

“Sway and I just rewrote
her vows.” Spencer said slurring his words.

“What are you talking
about?” I asked tucking in my shirt as I glared in his direction.

Tommy rushed toward the
bathroom with a pale face holding his hand to his mouth.

“They were good,” he
sat down on the couch, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. “
but
they weren’t great. I helped
spice
them up a
bit.”

“Are you drunk already?
You stink like tequila.”

“No, no, I’m fine. I
just had a little shot.” He told me waving his arm around. “I’m nervous
...
are you?”

“I’m nervous you’re
going to embarrass me somehow.”

He threw his head back
in laughter. “As you should be little brother,” and then he let out a booming
laugh that made me cringe.

“Great,” I said with the
same excitement that I exuded after finding out about my date night with Dana.
“Why are you nervous?”

“I don’t know
...
it’s a big day.” He leaned forward to
peer around the corner toward the bathroom at Tommy. “Do you think he’s gonna
make it?”

“Probably,” Ripping my
tie away, I tried to tie it again. “Hell, I don’t know.”

I thought back to his
words,
“It’s a big day.”

It was a big day.
Finally, today, Sway Reins would be mine.

As egotistical as that
sounded, I still loved the sound of it.

Thinking back to when I
first met her. All those years I’d convinced myself my attraction toward her
was purely physical, avoiding the real underlying feeling. From the time I
first laid eyes on those beautiful green eyes of hers, I’d fallen. I didn’t
know it but I had. Looking back, I could pin point the warning signs now. When
we were thirteen other boys started becoming interested in her; that pissed me
off to no end because she was mine. That was just the beginning of my
possessive tendencies toward her. I basically chased away any guy that showed
interest in her in fear she’d chose them over me, telling myself she deserved
better. All those years of pushing her away, convinced I wasn’t good for her
and neither was anyone else, look who she chose in the end.

Before long, Tommy was
out of the bathroom and lying on the floor when mom made her way inside the
room to make sure we were ready.

“Oh my,” she gasped at
Tommy’s appearance. “What happened?”

“He drank too much.”
Spencer said with a yawn.

“Oh.” She checked
Tommy’s forehead. “Let’s get you boys ready.”

It was though she
thought we couldn’t do it ourselves. But when we looked at Tommy, we probably
didn’t look too capable.

“There you go.” mom
said fussing over my tie, ensuring it laid the proper way under my collar and
waistcoat. I was more than capable of tying a tie myself, but it made her feel
good to fuss over me, so I let her continue. She took my jacket from where it
was lying over the back of a chair and held it for me to slip my arms into.

When I had it on, she
reached for the boutonniere of white freesia blossoms and pinned it carefully
to my lapel. “Perfect,” she smiled, stepping back to admire her handiwork. “You
look so handsome.”

“Positively dreamy,”
Spencer said sarcastically from where he lounged on the leather sofa, his own
tuxedo jacket tossed over a plump cushion. “I can hardly control myself.”

“Oh you behave
shitdick
,” she said kicking him, and turned back to me,
still beaming. “Are you ready?”

Spencer, Tommy, and I
all gawked at her wide-eyed for using that word.

“What?” her cheeks
flushed as she began to fidget. “Sway said it to Aiden this morning. I thought
it was catchy and decided to use it.”

“
Mother
,”
Spencer scolded shaking his head at her as we all broke into laughter.

“Are you ready?” she finally
asked when she caught her breath, clutching her side.

“Absolutely,” I
replied, without hesitation, still chuckling to myself that my sweet mother
called my brother a
shitdick
.

I knew they were all
expecting me to exhibit some sign of nervousness, but to even my own surprise,
I felt one hundred percent calm. Even when I had started to hear guests
arriving about fifteen minutes ago, it still hadn’t changed. I’ve waited a long
time to make this woman my wife.

I simply felt,
innately, that this marriage was absolutely the right thing to do. I couldn’t
wait for the ceremony to begin.

We were in the small
room, where we would wait until it was time for us to make our appearance
before the guests. There was a short rap at the door, and I knew it was my dad with
Reverend Campbell and Lane. He had just arrived, and would be performing the
ceremony for us today.

“Hello, Jameson,” the
Reverend smiled at me as they stepped into the room, reaching to shake my hand.
“How are you doing son?”

“Very well, thank you,”
I replied. “Thank you so much once again for doing this for us.”

“Wouldn’t
have missed it.
Congrats on the championship.” he replied sincerely. “You ran a great season.”
He turned his smile to mom and Spencer. “Doesn’t this family look wonderful?
Mrs. Riley, your dress is stunning.” His eyes narrowed at Spencer, as I’m sure
he was remembering the skinny dipping instance with his daughter when we were
kids. “Spencer,” He said curtly.

Spencer just nodded in
his direction, avoiding eye contact with him.

“Thank you very much,
Reverend Campbell,” mom said, still beaming like the proud mother. “This is a
very special day for these two. Thank you for being part of it.”

“My pleasure,” He
smiled. “When will we know when to go out to start?”

“Spencer will go check
with Emma and Alley in a moment,” dad told him stepping inside the room with
Lane on his back.

“Fuck it, let’s go
now,” Spencer was on his feet in an instant, shrugging into his jacket. He let
mom straighten his tie and his lapels, then came over to pat me on the back
affectionately while she turned her attention to Lane. “This is it, last chance
to make a run for it,” Spencer teased.

“I think I’ll stay,” I
replied, still grinning. You couldn’t wipe the grin from my face today.

“Thought so
...
see you out there bro,”

Although I had seen it
earlier, now, with the guests in place I was stunned by the extent to which
Emma had outdone herself again. The room was, draped tastefully in flowing
bolts of white silk and organza, white ribbon and flowers everywhere, like a
fairytale. The whiteness outside made the room
seem
light and airy.

Dozens of smiling faces
turned toward us as our waiting friends and family looked to see us proceed up
the aisle to the white bower at the front, under which we would stand for the
ceremony.

There were a few
seemingly long moments after I took my place at the front under the bower, and
turned to face the congregation as I waited. Spencer, Aiden and Tommy, still
pale faced and Justin stood beside me.

Tyler, Bobby, Tate and
other various team members were sitting a few rows back handing money back and
forth, and I assumed placing bets on something I didn’t want to know.

Lane was the ring
bearer and spent most of the time walking down the aisle trying to stay away
from the flower girl who tried to kiss him every five minutes. He was not
amused by this.