Hot Summer Nights (6 page)

“Did you get it?”

“Sure did! Didn’t even need your help either.”

Knowing that the other bolt was on just a little bit more snug, he pointed to it. “I’ll help you with this one. Traditionally it’s on a little bit tighter.”

Stepping up behind her, her back to his chest, he leaned in, placing his hands over hers. She watched as his forearms tightened, helping her loosen the bolt. So focused was she that as it gave way she lost her balance and squealed, knocking into him. With his arms on either side of her, he grabbed hold of the car, using it to support them.

“I gotcha. I ain’t gonna let you fall,” he assured as he steadied them.

Inhaling deeply, she didn’t make a move to disengage their bodies. There was something very scary but also very exciting about being here with him like this. They were alone, it was hot, and she was very aware that his arms enclosed her tightly. Clearing her throat, she turned to face him. “So now what do we do?”

Wayne caught the look of excitement but also the look of trepidation in her eyes. Almost reflexively her hands came up to rest on his bare chest. Deciding not to take notice of them, he also cleared his throat. “Now we switch it out. It won’t take long at all.”

Working the same way they had to loosen the bolts, they replaced the carburetor and tightened it so that it would stay in place. When it was done, he slammed the hood down, handing her a towel to wipe her hands off.

“Do we get to test it out now?” she asked, eyes sparkling.

“We sure do! We have a test track on the property, nothing big. Just something we like to get out and play on every once in a while. Let’s go.”

The two of them hopped in the beat-up car, and she buckled her seatbelt as he turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life and then purred as it idled. “It’s a kitten I tell you, a kitten, until you get it out onto the track. This baby can fly.”

In the heat of the night, the two of them rolled down the windows and took off for a pasture. If it had been anyone but Wayne, Clementine would have been scared out of her mind, but he knew how to drive. Even in the dark, he knew exactly where he was going, and she trusted him with her life.

“You scared?” he asked loudly over the engine as he maneuvered his way through the grass and dirt.

“Not with you,” she answered honestly.

A wide smile spread across his face, brightening it up. No one besides his crew had ever given him their absolute trust. It wasn’t something that he was used to, but figured he definitely could get used to it. Especially if it was her blindly offering her trust to him.

“This is it,” he said as they made it to a tiny dirt track in the middle of the land.

He stopped the car and turned it off. “So this is where you guys make all your practice runs?” she asked, getting out to take a look.

Reaching into the backseat, he took out a flashlight. “Sure is! Give me just a second, gotta turn the lights on so that we can see.”

She watched as he got out of the car, turning the flashlight on. He ran a few feet from the car and then fumbled with an electric box. With a flip of a switch, lights appeared above their makeshift track. The dim bulbs gave just enough light to see the outlines of the small dirt track. He jogged back to the car and climbed inside.

“Tighten your seatbelt. We’re gonna see what this baby can do.”

Eyes widening, she did as she was told. In all the years she’d hung around a race track, she’d never had anyone take her for a spin. Revving the engine, he kicked up dirt and started a stop watch before they took off around the track. She laughed and squealed as he went into the turns, accelerating and then braking at the last second. Her head moved from side to side as he negotiated the track, fighting to keep from spinning out every lap. As he finished ten laps around the dirt oval, he slowed the car to a stop. When he finished that last lap, he pressed the button on the stop watch to record his time.

“How’d you do?” she asked, unable to keep the smile from her face. The excitement of what they had just done had her stomach in her throat.

Checking the stop watch, he frowned. “Not as good as I thought I would do. It’s okay though. For every ten ideas I have, only one ever works out to my advantage. I leave most of the trying to Lee. That way I don’t get so frustrated by it. Did you have fun?”

“It was a blast. I’ve always loved the smell of gasoline and loved to watch the cars go around the track, but to be riding in one, it’s the ultimate adrenaline rush.”

“Finally someone who understands!”

The two of them sat in the car staring at one another for the longest time. Dirt thrown up from the track into the car streaked her face. Reaching out, he tried to wipe off one of the more prominent streaks. “You’ve got dirt.”

“Do you have a mirror?” she asked worriedly. Clementine was almost positive that in these cars you couldn’t flip down the visor and check your makeup.

“No, I’ll get it. You look cute, but you gotta scoot a little closer.”

You look cute.
Nobody had ever told her that before. Without hesitation she scooted over on the bench seat of the old car. Trusting him, she waited as he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the spots from her face.

“There, I think I got all of it. At least now you don’t look like you’ve been rollin’ around with pigs in shit.”

She sputtered. “Thanks, Wayne. I really like to know I look like a pig in crap.”

“Can you not say it, honey? Can you not say ‘shit’?”

“Daddy don’t like cussing, and all my life I’ve heard it’s not proper for a lady to say those kinds of things. I find it difficult,” she admitted, looking a little bit uncomfortable.

“You’re one in a million, Clem. You know that, right?”

Shaking her head, her eyes moved down to the hands in her lap. She didn’t know she was one in a million, not at all. Seeing him here, she knew he was telling the truth. It shone in his eyes, and she wanted to scream to the world that someone finally saw her. The real her.

“Well you are! Don’t let nobody tell you any different.”

A smile couldn’t help showing on her face. It brought out the twinkle in her eyes, the dimple on her cheek. Wayne couldn’t help himself. Leaning towards her, he placed a kiss on her lips. It was tentative at first, but then she gasped which automatically pulled his tongue into her mouth. He pulled away, not sure what they were doing, not sure if he could control himself. This hadn’t been his plan when he’d invited her out, but now that he’d tasted heaven, he wasn’t sure he could ever let it go.

‡

W
ayne awoke with
a start, sweat pouring down his body. In his mind he heard the roar of the fire, the crunch of metal. Almost as if he was still in the car, he could feel the heat and taste the smoke as it filled his lungs. Chest heaving for air, he set up straight in his bed.

“What the hell?”

Glancing at the clock he realized it was 5 AM. His brain fought through the haze to realize it was Saturday and he was racing tonight. It had been a long time since he’d woken up this early the day of a race. It’d been an even longer time since he’d had a dream like that. Back when he’d first started racing they had come often. There had even been a point where he had been scared to get behind the wheel of a car. As he had proven his ability, especially with himself, he had been able to let go of the dreams. There had even been a time where he thought he would quit. The nightmares seemed so real. Sometimes his skin would even wake up hot, almost like the fire had burned him. Shaking his head to clear it, he got out of bed, needing a cold shower to make him feel like normal again.

Across town, Kevin Grimes woke up screaming for help as well. His hair sticky with sleep and his voice hoarse, he sat straight up in his own bed. Running his hands over his arms, he made sure there was no fire on them. For him too it had been a very long time since he’d had a nightmare about being in a wreck. This, however, had been so real he had all but committed murder. According to his dream, he’d killed Wayne Harper.

*

“You ready for
the race tonight, David?” a customer asked as he stepped up to the counter to pay for his gas.

“Ready as I’ll ever be. I never worry ’bout it though. I just put all my hopes and dreams into Wayne and leave it in the Lord’s hands. If it’s meant to be, he’ll pull it out. If not, well then, we’ll get ’em next week.”

The customer nodded as David counted out his change. “That’s the attitude to take. That Grimes bunch takes this stuff too seriously. While I know that everyone puts their hearts and souls into this, it’s all about havin’ fun in the end. You can tell Wayne has fun out there, and you can tell that you enjoy it as well. I’ll be in the stands tonight, and I’m expectin’ some free ice cream.”

Laughing, David ran a cloth over the counter. “We’ll see what we can do for ya tonight then. As long as they go out and don’t lose their heads we should see a good race.”

“As always, see ya tonight.”

David watched as the customer walked out of the store. Had it not been for his ability to see that Wayne had a lot going for him, he wasn’t sure his store would have stayed afloat. Yes, he sank a lot of money into the Harper Racing machine, but overall he got a lot more than what he paid for. Wayne’s popularity afforded him the opportunity to do things in the community he had never thought possible. For that he was grateful.

“Hey, Pops!” Clem called as she walked into the store.

He watched as she walked around the counter, storing her magazines that she had for later underneath. There was something different about her, he noticed. She held her head high; she was no longer painfully shy and scared of what people thought of her. Wayne Harper was to thank for that, he knew. Part of him wanted to ask what their relationship was. The other part wanted nothing to do with it. No matter what, she was his little girl and nothing would ever change that.

“You ready for the race tonight?”

Rolling her eyes, she placed a hand on her hip. “Duh, Daddy. I’m always ready for the races on Saturday. It’s pretty much what everybody in this town lives for. I’m no different than they are. ’Sides…I always get to have my picture made in Victory Lane with the winner. What’s not to like?”

He chuckled. “You do have a point there. Were you out with Wayne last night?”

“Yeah.” Her face lit up as she bit her bottom lip. “He took me out racing on this old dirt track he’s got. If I wasn’t so scared of the speed and knew how to drive a stick, you would be sponsoring me and not him. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. It’s like you’re on the edge of outta control and you have to hang on with both hands to keep from going over the edge. I tell you what, dad, it’s awesome.”

He knew what it felt like, but he dare not tell her that. That was one thing she didn’t know. He had raced before too, but things had happened and those things had scared him. After the wreck with Billy and Justin, he’d decided never to race again. A lot of people in the town had made the same decision. Such a tragedy it had been, it had caused everyone who spent the weekends on the ovals to re-think if they really wanted to do it. No matter if they loved it or not. They all had to ask themselves one thing: Were they willing to risk their lives? He had not been.

“I bet it is, baby girl. Maybe one day Wayne can take me out, but until then, I’ll just take your word for it.”

*