Hart's Victory (18 page)

B
Y
M
ICHIGAN
, Hart was out of sorts, taking nineteenth. He chalked it up to a slow car, but he wasn’t much better the next weekend in California, taking twentieth on the road course. He’d always been decent on the road courses, but both driver and car had tanked. Worse, the media had commented on the lack of Kellie and Charlie’s presence at both events, citing those as the reason for Hart’s poor performance. Two weeks were enough to make a man extremely irritable.

Oh, he’d seen Kellie. He’d flown to Myrtle Beach twice since Pocono. However, he’d been unable to get close to Kellie in the way he’d wanted. Sure, he’d stolen kisses, but he hadn’t gotten promises of a future. She’d pull him close and then push him away. He knew that kissing her in Victory Lane had freaked her out, sent her back into her shell.

He’d moved too fast.

For a man used to women tossing themselves at him, Kellie was driving him absolutely crazy. “You’ve got a call,” Russ said. They were on the tarmac, ready to board Hart’s plane for the way home.

“Who would be calling me on your phone?” Hart asked, but he took the cell. “Hart Hampton.”

“Hi,” Kellie said.

His voice instantly softened. “Hi.” Then he panicked. California was three hours earlier than the East Coast. “Nothing’s wrong with Charlie, is there?”

“No,” she said. “Nothing except that he’s mad at me. He went to bed in a huff tonight. He’s very disappointed we haven’t been there for you.” She sighed. “I’m sorry I’ve been distant.”

“No, it’s as much my fault,” Hart said. “I thrust you into the limelight.”

“I’m not good at handling this,” Kellie said. “Perhaps we can talk this week? Could you come to a small birthday party for Charlie on Wednesday?”

“I’ll make sure I’m there,” Hart said, realizing he probably sounded quite desperate. Kellie had him wrapped around her finger and she had no idea. Maybe it was time to tell her exactly how much she meant to him, where this relationship needed to go. Hart wanted more�everything. He wasn’t going to settle for anything less. “What time?”

“Five,” she said.

“I’ll see you and Charlie then.” He quickly said goodbye and hung up before she could say anything more. He felt guilty afterward for being rather abrupt, but instinct told him not to call her back. It was better to talk face-to-face. They could work things out Wednesday.

B
Y THREE
W
EDNESDAY AFTERNOON
, Kellie found herself nervous. By four-thirty, she understood the term walking on eggshells. Charlie, however, was as enthusiastic as one could be for turning sixteen. He had a spring to his step today, as if finally reaching this milestone had taken a load off his shoulders.

By five, the small house had started to fill up as Anita, Kellie and Charlie welcomed guests. The next-door neighbors dropped in, as did Charlie’s homeschool teacher. A few of the nurses were friends, and they popped by. Hart didn’t show until almost six, and while Kellie’s blood pressure had skyrocketed by his late arrival and failure to call, Charlie simply took everything in stride and greeted him with a huge hug.

“You’re getting quite a haul,” Hart said, gesturing toward the table where a bunch of opened presents lay.

“Most people couldn’t come so they mailed things,” Charlie said. “The Muldoons�you remember Brad, don’t you�sent me this cool new computer game. Hampton Racing sent me last year’s NASCAR yearbook and look, this ride-along book you did.”

“I didn’t do it,” Hart said. “They just sort of followed me around for a season.”

“Do you think I’ll be in the next one?” Charlie asked.

“I don’t know. Russ or Cynthia approves those. I don’t even see them before they go to press. Show me the book later and I’ll give you the real story.”

“Will do,” Charlie said. He showed Hart a few more of his gifts, explaining each one. Kellie found herself proud of her son as he offered Hart pizza, cake and ice cream. Not once did her son ask Hart for anything, or act as if he’d expected him to bring him a gift. Hart had walked in the house empty-handed, and Kellie knew she’d asked for a lot when she’d requested he fly to see Charlie.

“So you haven’t been doing well these past two races,” Charlie said as Hart ate a bite of now room-temperature pizza.

“No. I think you’ve been making the difference,” Hart said, honestly. “Maybe the press is on to something when they call you my lucky charm.

“The media might say that, but don’t believe the hype. You were doing fine without us,” Charlie said.

“I’d still rather have you there,” Hart pointed out, his gaze finding Kellie. She flushed and turned away. Hart finished his pizza, ate a piece of cake, minus the ice cream, and stood up. “Hey, Charlie, want to take a walk? I need to stretch my legs and work off the cake.”

Kellie blinked. It was the last week of June and hot outside, as sunset wouldn’t be for another three hours. Even though both Hart and Charlie wore T-shirts and shorts, she didn’t want the summer sun to tire Charlie out. But Hart was here and Kellie knew this was a time when she had to let go.

“We won’t be long,” Hart told her. He glanced at his watch. “Only a few minutes.”

“Just put your hat on,” Kellie said. Her son’s hair was in desperate need of a trim, but she’d been unwilling to take him to the barbershop since, when he started chemo next week, the brown locks would all fall out again. Kellie hadn’t yet told Hart that Charlie was going to celebrate the Fourth of July in the hospital. She also wanted to ask if he’d let her and Charlie attend one more race�New Hampshire, this coming weekend. Afterward, they’d immediately come home and start treatments Monday.

“So you ready?” Hart asked as Charlie put on his baseball cap. He adjusted the plastic frame of his glasses behind his ear. “I’m good,” Charlie said.

“Then let’s go.” Hart stopped a moment. “You can come, too,” he told Kellie.

“I’m…” Kellie paused and changed her mind. “Okay.” She walked outside with them and the heat instantly enveloped her. Even though they lived away from the beach, the smell of the ocean still reached their house, filling the air with a sweet tropical scent.

Charlie made it down the walk�then saw the car at the end. “Wow! Did you drive here? Sweet! Look at that car.”

Kellie was looking. In fact, her mouth had dropped open slightly as she stared at the shiny new Corvette parked at the end of her walk. The dark green paint gleamed, the clear coat polished to a sheen so reflective that she could probably see herself in the hood. The chrome was buffed and shined. The convertible top matched the tan interior. “It’s very impressive,” she managed to say.

“Glad you like it,” Hart told Charlie. He reached into his pocket and withdrew some keys.

“We’re going for a ride?” Charlie asked, hope growing.

“Yes,” Hart said, that famous grin widening.

“That’s so awesome.” Charlie’s excitement was infectious. Kellie hadn’t ever seen him this thrilled to be taking a car ride. Then again she didn’t own a sports car.

“It gets even better.
You’re
going to drive it. Although, first you need to climb in and fire her up.” Hart tossed Charlie the keys, the remote control and silver keys arcing through the air. Charlie reached out with one hand, capturing everything firmly in his fist.

“Nice catch,” Hart said. He reached over to the car and opened the driver’s side door. “Happy birthday, Charlie. She’s all yours.”

S
HE WAS GOING
to kill him. Hart Hampton wouldn’t be racing this weekend for he was going to be dead. She was going to tear him apart limb by limb for what he’d done.

“It’s really not that bad,” Anita said, spooning more chocolate ice cream into her mouth. “So the man bought the boy a car.”

“A very expensive, next-year-model, new car! Loaded with every option.” To say she was shaken by the gesture was an understatement.

“He paid the taxes, licensing and car insurance,” Anita said, finishing the portion in her bowl. Whereas Kellie stopped eating when stressed, Anita dug in. She reached over and cut another slice of birthday cake.

“Him paying for everything doesn’t make it okay.” Right now Hart and Charlie were out tooling around Myrtle Beach, the top down. Since Charlie didn’t have his permit, after letting her son start the car, Hart had switched places with Charlie and taken him for a ride. However, Kellie had no doubt they’d stop at a deserted parking lot somewhere and switch places, letting Charlie drive around the wide-open space at no more than twenty miles per hour. Admittedly, if she’d just turned sixteen and received a car�no, a Corvette, she amended�that’s what she’d do.

Kellie sighed. Somehow her life had entered
The Twilight Zone
. “I only wanted him to celebrate with Charlie, not buy him a gift that costs double what I used to make in a year. It’s got a V-8 engine. How am I going to afford the fuel for that?”

“Sweetie, Hart didn’t give that car to Charlie so he could go driving around all over town at your expense. I’m sure Hart realizes that the Corvette will sit covered under the carport most of the time. But giving it to Charlie made him happy. That’s Hart’s only motive. He cares.”

“Charlie can’t keep it,” Kellie stated. “I don’t make millions like Hart.”

“Oh, honey.” Anita reached across and covered her daughter’s hand. “It’s not a competition. It’s not your world versus Hart’s. Giving that car gave Charlie hope and incentive. Be happy for that. Charlie needs a father figure in his life. So what if that’s Hart?”

“His actions undermine me as a mother. Now I have to let Charlie get his driver’s license. Hart had no right give him a car without asking me first,” Kellie insisted.

Anita chuckled. “Do you remember when you were little? Your dad used to bring you gifts when he returned from a business trip. He’d be gone for weeks, and the day he’d come home you’d go stand at the window and wait. Once you were there for almost an hour, just standing and staring down the street waiting for your dad.”

“He was never home,” Kellie said. She realized she’d married a man just like her father, constantly out seeking the adventure of being on the road. Her father had driven semis for a living until his sudden and fatal heart attack ten years ago.

“No, he wasn’t,” Anita said. “But that still doesn’t change the fact that you’d run to your dad and throw your arms around him the minute he got home. And when you did, it always felt like a knife stabbed me right here.”

With her free hand, Anita patted her chest. “Here I was, with you day in and day out, cooking, cleaning, taking you to school, and your father seemed to be the love of your life. It took me a long time to realize that you loved us differently and that your actions didn’t mean you loved me less. It wasn’t a competition for your affections.”

“I always loved you. You’ve been my rock my entire life,” Kellie said. “I’m sorry if you ever felt otherwise.”

“Ever since JT’s been gone, I think back on that time and realize how foolish I was. I know how much you cared and loved me. But I never got the running, throw-yourself-in-my-arms excitement. I got other things. What I want you to learn from my story is that you shouldn’t compare yourself with Hart. Don’t make my mistake. There’s no competition between you two for Charlie’s affections. He’s not trying to take Charlie away. If anything, that man is trying to win
you.
”

“No, he’s not.” As soon as the denial left her lips, Kellie sat there for a moment. Hart had always been a fantasy. Sure, she’d indulged, but not everything was good for you long-term.

“Okay, let’s say he was,” Kellie suggested. “But he’s like Dad and John. Constantly traveling. On the road. He works seven days a week. My weekends would be spent at the track, hanging out in a motor home, my life dictated by a prearranged schedule I have no control over. What kind of a life would that be?”

“It would be a life,” Anita said simply.

“What do you mean by that?” Kellie asked sharply, not liking her mother’s response. “I have a good life.”

“Oh, honey.” Anita’s sympathy was obvious. “Your life’s on hold.”

Hart and Charlie’s return kept the conversation from continuing. “We need your keys so we can park,” Hart said, standing in the back kitchen doorway. “I need to move your car.”

“Hart’s going to let me park the ’Vette,” Charlie said.

Anita and Kellie both went out to the backyard, watching as Hart jockeyed cars. Then he let Charlie drive the Corvette underneath the single carport. Hart then pulled a box out of the trunk, and together he and Charlie worked to protect the car with the custom cover. Her son’s grin covered his entire face as he pressed the remote, locking the car.

“I think this has been the best birthday ever,” Charlie said as he settled into a kitchen chair a few minutes later. Anita cut him a second slice of cake�he’d had one earlier.

“Well, I have one more surprise,” Hart said. “I contacted an old friend of mine from when I raced on the track here and we’ve found someone safe and reliable who will give you driving lessons. He’s got a car built for driver’s education�basically, two brake pedals�and he’s ready for you to start anytime. I’ve already paid him for a full set of lessons, so he should be calling you tomorrow to set up your appointments.”

“Too cool,” Charlie said. “But what about the ‘Vette?”

Hart had an answer for that. “He’ll teach you on his car first, and when you’re ready to learn how to handle yours, he’ll teach you using it. He’s also going to take you to get your permit. That way, your mom can have some free time.”

Kellie sat there, stunned. Hart had thought of everything, including how to get around her procrastination. Her son’s blue eyes shone with unbridled excitement. “Isn’t this great, Mom?”

“It is,” she agreed as a fist clenched her heart. Hart Hampton had made her son’s dreams come true. It might not be a competition, but she still felt a profound loss. The pain was tangible. Maybe misguided, but real. Hart could give Charlie everything.

Charlie yawned suddenly and Kellie resisted the urge to touch his forehead and check for a fever. “Even though it’s still early, I’m going to call it a night. I don’t want to wear myself out before this weekend,” he said.

“Are you coming to New Hampshire?” Hart asked, surprised.

Charlie gave his mother a pointed glance, as if he’d already expected her to have told Hart. “Mom?”

Kellie sighed. “Yes, we’re planning on being there, if that’s okay.”

“Of course,” Hart replied.

“Let me help you take some of this stuff into your room,” Anita said, rising to her feet. She and Charlie grabbed the gifts and left the kitchen.

“Classy and tactful exit,” Hart said.

“Yeah, they’re real subtle,” Kellie answered, her anxiety level rising now that she and Hart were alone.

“So you’ll be there? I’ve had my parents’ motor home there every weekend just in case you’d change your mind,” he said. “I’ve missed you.”

That admission shook her.
This wasn’t real.
“You shouldn’t have bought him a car,” Kellie stated. “It’s too much.”

Hart shook his head. “Doesn’t matter if I’d gotten him a Malibu or a Ferrari. You wouldn’t have liked it. He’s growing up, Kellie.”

“Yes, but he’s special.” She slumped back in the chair. She and Hart had had this discussion before. There was no sense retreading old ground. “You’ve been more than generous. You made Charlie’s day. Maybe I’m just nervous. Charlie starts chemo Monday. It’s usually pretty hard on his body. Often he develops secondary infections because the chemo destroys all his cells, both the good and bad.”

“Ah, so that’s part of what’s been bothering you.”

“Yes. I always have a mixture of dread and hope. He’ll be in the hospital for a few weeks because after that he has to get treatment to produce more cells, and hopefully they’re not cancerous “

“I’ll stop by as often as I can,” Hart said.

Although she was scared of her own feelings growing even more for this man, Kellie would never deny Charlie access to his hero, especially in a time of need. “He’d like that very much.”

Hart touched her fingers, weaving his through hers. “I want you to like that, as well.” She said nothing and Hart exhaled his frustration. “I’m sorry I pushed you too fast. I was so excited about sharing the win with you that I kissed you on national television.”

“Maybe some of your other women like that, but I…” Kellie sighed, trying to find the perfect words to say. “I’m a private person, Hart. I heard about our kiss at the hospital, from my neighbors, even the checkout girl at the market looked at me and exclaimed, ‘Hey, didn’t I see you kissing Hart Hampton?’ I mean, the media used my name. There I was. I’ve had people ask me for tickets. They’ve asked me if I could get them autographs or free underwear. We let the home phone go to the answering machine first because of all the calls.”

“I’ll get you caller ID.”

She shook her head. Stuff wasn’t a solution. “No. You can’t keep getting me things just because you can. I like you, Hart. I feel a connection between us. But I’m afraid. I don’t want to become dependent on you.”

And have you leave.
She didn’t say the words, but she heard them deep in her head. This man could let her be a queen for a day or maybe a week. But after his interest waned, she’d just be a scullery maid again, returned to her daily grind. Upon arriving home, her father had always hugged her, kissed her and given her gifts. Then he’d always been too tired to play and had wanted to watch television instead. John’s interest in her had also faded quickly, so much that they’d been like two roommates in the same house long before Charlie developed his illness. There was no guarantee that any other man, even Hart, would be different. No certainty that the third time’s a charm. She couldn’t risk having her heart broken again, especially when she had to use all of her mental, physical and emotional energy to be there for her son.

Hart’s phone rang, the call indicating that the car service had arrived to pick him up. “I understand you’re conflicted and I think I can alleviate some of your fears. I want to talk about this more, but unfortunately, there’s some bad weather headed this way. I have to go. “

Of course, he did. Hart didn’t live nearby. Kellie’s emotions tumbled inside her head. Didn’t he understand that long distance never worked? He rose to his feet, and suddenly, without warning, pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her and brought his mouth to hers. Gone were the sweet kisses he’d bestowed earlier, and in their place was a thorough exploration of her mouth that left her ravaged and wanting more. He drew back, his face inches from hers so that his breath was hot on her cheek. He’d laced his fingers into her hair so that his hands framed her face.

“That’s what I raced for at Pocono. I kept seeing you waiting for me at the end. I didn’t kiss you to put you in the spotlight, but rather because that’s something I’d wanted to do for miles. I’ve had girls in Victory Lane before and couldn’t have cared less. I care about you, Kellie. God knows how I’m going to prove that and get you to believe that you’re different, but I’m willing to pull out all the stops if that’s what it takes. I’ll see you in Loudon on Friday.”

And with that he was gone, leaving her trembling.