looking at her.
“Hey, Grammy,” I sat down next to her at the table, my arms wrapped around her fragile
frame. “How was your day?”
She smiled and sighed, as if she’d been waiting all day for me. When we started having
our dinners, I didn’t realize how much she looked forward to it. But soon, I understood
how much it meant for someone who no longer had her partner, to have something to
look forward to.
“Oh, honey,” she leaned into me. “It’s so good to see you.”
“You didn’t think I forgot, did you?” Kissing her cheek, I moved to sit across from
her where we could talk.
“No.” Her eyes followed a little girl bouncing in with her dad, squealing in delight
when she saw they had ice cream. “Just good to see your smiling face.”
We got the same thing every time we came here. I got the chicken strips, fries and
extra creamy garlic sauce with my usual strawberry milkshake. Grandma got her hamburger
and chocolate milkshake, always chocolate.
Most of the time when we were together, I just let Grandma talk about anything she
wanted. It didn’t matter. She was heavily involved in the driver development program
Grandpa started years ago to help kids who didn’t have the money still race. It was
very important to him, and my dad, that kids get to follow their dreams regardless
of the fact they didn’t have any money.
“Do you think if Grandpa would have lived, he would have went back to racing?”
“Without a doubt. He loved it. Just because he retired didn’t mean he wasn’t going
to race. He just wanted a break. Nothing would have stopped a man like him.” Her eyes
got that misty far-away look she had whenever she remembered him. “Jameson is so much
like him in many ways my dear. Neither one of them could ever walk away completely.”
I knew the feeling. Most thought I gave up completely but they didn’t know me that
well, I guess. At the time when Ryder died, I was racing his USAC midget. His parents
said the car was mine if I wanted it. I thought about continuing back then, racing
for him even, in his memory.
Being eleven when he died, my heart wasn’t in it anymore. Much like my dad when he
retired, he needed a break. Just like Grandpa, I did, too.
I never raced with the intensity Axel did. Never won any major races either. I wouldn’t
go so far as to say I didn’t have the talent. I suppose I did. I just didn’t have
that Rowdy Riley thing going on.
“Are you thinking about racing again, sweetie?”
“Yeah.” I gave a small nod finishing my milkshake and then set the plastic cup down
on the table. “I guess I am. Ryder loved the Chili Bowl. Thought about running it
for him this next year.”
“Oh, yeah?”
I nodded, once again. “Dad and Tommy got a car for me from Leddy. Same number four
and colors that Ryder ran. Wouldn’t be that big of a deal to run. Barely any work.”
“That would be great for his family, honey. Ryder’s mom would love that.”
Grandma had a group of women she hung out with and always had. Ryder’s mom, Linda,
was one of them. Every year in April they went on a cruise to the Bahamas together.
I was glad she had some good friends to hang out with.
I was mid-bite of the tastiest chicken fingers around when I saw Hayden walk in. I
recognized her right away because she was still wearing that sexy black dress from
earlier only now she had a gray hoodie over it and flip flops.
She looked fucking cute.
I was never attracted to anything but blondes, but Hayden, even with her long straight
brown hair, had me take notice and I was definitely attracted.
Wide brown eyes found mine but didn’t say anything.
“Hayden?”
“Oh, hey, uh … yeah,” she was fumbling over words and sighs. “Hey …”
She was nervous.
But you know what?
I couldn’t for the life of me speak either. Maybe it was the fact that I was here
with my grandma and it threw me a little to see Hayden.
Not sure