Who I Am with You

She envisioned it all so clearly that she wanted to turn away from it. But Taylor didn’t turn away, did she? No. She had made a promise and she would see it through, and that meant she had to look at this business as a real possibility.

“My mom and dad are more than willing to give me a loan, to invest in the track, but I’m afraid I will just disappoint them. I’ve never done anything like this. All I know about the racing world is how to race.” Was she trying to convince Martin she wasn’t worthy of doing this, or herself?

“If you really sat down and thought about your years in the circuit, I think you would be surprised with how much knowledge you have retained and how that could help others,” Martin pointed out.

“But training people on the track is much different from running an actual business,” she said as she walked forward and then kneeled down, digging into a soft spot in the dirt, letting the sand drift through her fingers.

Yes, she knew tracks, and she knew land and where it was ideal to ride, and where danger could be lurking. There were some dangers that were unexpected, though, but so many accidents could be prevented with more training, with more emphasis on regulations and rules, and always putting safety first.

That was the last thing a competitor was thinking about. They wanted to win, and most of them wanted it at any cost. Hadn’t that been her? Wasn’t that still her? She just didn’t know anymore. She’d been fighting so many people for so long that she couldn’t remember what she was truly fighting for.

“I think you have a lot to consider, Taylor. This land is not officially for sale, so no one is going to come in and buy it out from under you. Take your time, make sure this is the path you want, and then call me. I’ve run several successful businesses in my life, though, darling, and I know gold when I see it. This is gold.”

With that Martin turned and walked away, moving to his truck and jumping inside. He didn’t drive off, as no one Taylor knew in Sterling would do that without ensuring their companion’s car would also start, but he was giving her the space to look around, to think. She appreciated it.

Walking the land for the next twenty minutes, Taylor jotted down some ideas, made some notes, and decided she had a few phone calls to make. She’d been so focused on racing for so long that the thought of doing anything else had never even crossed her mind.

She was almost mad that there was now another idea in her head. Deciding she had thought enough about this for one day, she turned and moved to her dad’s truck, climbed in, and started the motor.

The drive back to the cabin didn’t give her any answers to the questions spinning inside her brain. Maybe she just needed some more time.

Travis saw his time running out. Only one week to go until her doctor’s appointment. Only one week until the doctor released her to the world of racing again. They’d ridden the bike he’d bought her every day. Sometimes for hours, sometimes just for a short ride.

But Travis couldn’t help but notice that she never grew tired of riding. If she did it every day for the rest of her life, he doubted that the way she felt when she stepped on a bike would ever change.

“Bryson and I spoke for a couple of hours today while you were out riding,” Travis told her as he added another piece of wood to the fire that was battling the evening chill.

“I thought they were coming out this weekend.”

“He got called away for work, but he said that he and Misty will bring the baby when he gets back. Your mother’s midsummer party is coming up in a couple weeks, though, so we’ll see them there.”

“If I’m still here,” she said, almost looking sad to go.

This was progress. This he could work with. “I have a meeting in Washington next month,” he told her.

She stopped fidgeting with the blanket over her lap and looked up, her eyes going wide. “Really, Travis? For the business?”

“Bryson and I both think it’s going to go well.” He felt good that his new career was coming together, but his worries about Taylor were putting a damper on his happiness.

He hated that he was letting it affect him this much, but when you fell in love with someone, wasn’t that how it always was? You cared more about them than you did yourself.

“That’s great, Travis!” She jumped up and threw her arms around him.

“What about your appointment, Taylor? You haven’t told me how the meeting went with Martin.”

“I don’t know, Travis. It seemed to raise more questions than answers. It just doesn’t seem like it could actually be a reality. I know nothing about running a business.” She backed away from him and sat down again, suddenly looking nervous.

“Why can’t it be a reality? I think opening a training track for kids is a great idea.”

“Isn’t that the kind of business people do when they can’t race anymore? And besides that, I know nothing about how to run a business.”

“You don’t have to be washed out to be a teacher. Why can’t you share your love of racing with a new generation? You would be the perfect teacher—you have more trophies than a sports museum.”

“I don’t have that many, Travis,” she said with an impish smile. “Just close to it.”

“You’re amazing, Taylor. People would come from miles around to learn from you. You could hold the summer camps that you were talking about, and so much more.”

“I do get excited when I talk about it. It could be great. There just aren’t enough facilities that teach safe racing methods, like what to do in emergencies, what pace to set for yourself, what hours you need to put into the sport if you want to succeed. I could do camps for all ages, from kids barely walking to teenagers. We could even have safety courses for adults, and for families who want to learn to ride safely for recreation.” Her face lit up as she spoke.