Slow Ride (Fast Track #5)(56)
Author: Erin McCarthy

“I know, it’s amazing.” She beamed up at Diesel. “I think it’s amazing that you restored this car all by yourself.”

He had a bit of an “aw, shucks” moment. “It wasn’t that hard.” Just four months of his life and twenty-five grand of his cash, but who was counting?

“I think you’re amazing,” she murmured.

Her eyes were covered by her sunglasses but he recognized that tone of voice. It was the one she used when she wanted to hide genuine emotion behind lust. “Well, you’re pretty amazing yourself.” Diesel wanted to kiss her again and was about to when his uncle cleared his throat.

“Are you both trying to make me sick to my stomach? Good Lord, write the woman a poem and read it to her in private. Don’t subject the rest of us to your mutual adoration.”

Tuesday laughed. Diesel rolled his eyes at her and admonished his uncle. “Mind your own damn business.”

But he knew his uncle wasn’t really criticizing him any more than he was his uncle. His family was pleased for him. Johnny was giving him lots of knowing grins and Beth was already dropping hints that she was available for ring shopping.

It made him feel even better to know that his aunt and uncle liked Tuesday. He wouldn’t be able to deal with it if they disliked the woman he loved.

“So are you just here to check on the car? Or you missed my pretty face?” he asked her.

“Neither.”

He appreciated that Tuesday never bothered to stroke his ego.

“I’m here to show you the mockup of the magazine article. They’re running it with the new issue next week.”

Diesel tried not to groan. She had told him that the racing magazine she freelanced for wanted to go ahead and run the interview he had done with Bob Jones six months earlier. Doing the interview in the first place had been an impulse, a moment of weakness where he hadn’t been able to say no to the man who everyone knew most likely had terminal cancer.

But then he had thought it would never see the light of day, and he wasn’t entirely unhappy with that prospect. He didn’t like to talk about his previous career or his accident, and that was what everyone wanted to know about. It was the only thing interesting about a retired driver who had never won a championship.

Tuesday had tried on at least three occasions to discuss the article with him, ask him more questions, picking at him for more details but he had put her off. He didn’t want to talk about it.

“Oh, yeah?” He took the envelope she was thrusting at him. “Thanks.”

“It’s great timing. It hits the shelves just a few days before the auction, which is fantastic exposure for the car. I had a picture included.”

Diesel stared at her, suddenly feeling really uncomfortable. Why did he have a feeling he was about to be thrust into the spotlight in a way he wasn’t going to like? “When did you get a picture of the car?”

“I went out in the garage and took it. You were sleeping and I was bored.”

That seemed reasonable. Yet somehow he felt like she should have asked permission. “You could have told me. I would have pulled it out of the garage.”

“I like it with all the clunky garage junk around it. It looks real.”

Johnny had moved away to say something to the hauler and Diesel was grateful because for some reason he had a feeling like they were skidding down the track about to crash into an argument. “It might have been nice if we had discussed it.”

She just shrugged. “Aren’t you going to look at it?”

“I’ll look at it later.” He really didn’t want to see it, read it, in his driveway in front of her. It was going to make him uncomfortable.

“I worked hard on this. It was hard for me to finish my dad’s last article.” An edge crept into her voice.

“I know that,” he said in exasperation. “I’m sure you did a fine job. But it’s hard for me, too. I don’t like people poking into my business.”

“I’m not just ‘people.’”

“No, you’re not. But everyone reading it is.” How could she not understand that he wanted his life to remain private? It was the one good thing to come out of his accident. The media left him the hell alone.

“Argh, you’re so frustrating sometimes. You don’t tell me anything, so how am I supposed to know what’s going on in your head?”

“If anything is important I’ll say it. Don’t get all worked up.” He wasn’t sure how they’d gone from embarrassing eyegazing to sniping at each other, but he didn’t care to continue.

Her forehead went up at his words. It was so pronounced her eyebrows lifted above her sunglasses. “Okay, I think I’ll leave now. I have some errands to run before dinner tonight, and after this conversation one of those errands might be picking up a jug of wine.”

Unfortunately, she probably wasn’t kidding. “Oh, come on, you don’t need a drink. It’s two in the afternoon and we’re just having a discussion. You go run your errands. I’m going to finish up with the car here and then I’ll go in the house and read your article.”

She reached up and gripped his chin. Scratching his beard and sighing, she told him, “You’re stinking cute, you know that?”

Apparently they weren’t going to argue. That worked for him.

He kissed her. “Hell, yeah, I knew that. But you’re foxy.”

“Foxy?” She laughed. “Alright, I’ll see you tonight.” She backed up and blew him a kiss. Then she waved to his uncle. “Bye, Johnny.”

His uncle strolled back over to him and Diesel watched Tuesday get in her car and pull away. “I was thinking maybe I’d ask Tuesday to move in with me. What do you think?” The idea had been kicking around in his head for a while, and the more he thought about it, the more he liked it. Having her with him, every day, sharing a bedroom, sharing meals together, it was really appealing.

“As long as she’s not the type of woman to be insulted by that. Some girls still like a ring first.”

“I don’t think she’s that type.”

“Then go for it. But expect your aunt to have a word or two to say.”

He imagined Aunt Beth would lecture him, but it seemed a natural step to him. They weren’t ready to get married, but living together would make what they were doing even better. “Oh, I’m sure.”

“But just so you know, I’m happy for you. She seems like a fine woman and she’s put a grin on your face, which is all that matters to me. Now let me have a look at that article.” His uncle held his hand out.