Bang the Blower (Country Roads 3)

“I don’t know why,” he said, zipping his lips all at once, which made her realize her response didn’t sit well. “They ain’t gonna have another driver, Julie. If you don’t take the keys, this car ain’t coming out of the garage.”

“What?” she screeched. “Why?”

“That Hank is a stubborn man, and when he bought the car, he sunk a lot of money into her.” Frank strolled over to the vehicle and placed his palms on the hood, smoothing his hands over the waxed front end. “Yes indeed. This car was built with the best of everything, has more safety features than you can imagine, and will run like hell.”

“Frank, I don’t want to race

anymore.”

“Well, I suspect that’s about right for the time being. After a few weeks here, you’ll change your mind. The boys have a good team together, and I think you’ll see that after you meet some of the guys. Hinman Racing is family-oriented, and you’ll be right pleased with the way this group operates behind the scenes.”

“Frank…”

“I know. I know,” he said, placing his palms forward. “I’m pushin’ ya and trying my dead level best to get you to tell me what I wanna hear, but take your time. One of these days, you’ll see what’s right in front of you is where you’ve belonged all along. I believe that, little girl. I believe in you.” Frank backed away from the car and walked out of the bay housing the automobile.

“Why is that, Frank?”

He stopped abruptly and faced her. “What do you mean?”

“Me and you, we’ve always been close, but I never asked you how come you took me under your wing, so I’m asking now. Why were you there when no one else was? How come you loved me when no one else wanted me?”

Frank frowned, and for a minute there, Julie thought he might cry. Then, he gave her a surprise answer, a reply she never saw coming. He said, “I reckon it’s because I loved your mother so. I couldn’t have her. She didn’t want me, and that’s all right now. I took care of the only thing she ever loved outside of your father. I reckon I always thought your aunt told ya, but I guess it was my place.”

“You were in love with Mom?”

“She was the only good thing I had in my life,” he said somberly. “That is, until I had the opportunity to help raise you.”

“Oh Frank,” she said sadly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shook off the hand she placed on his arm. “Now we ain’t gonna have none of that here. I answered your question. You deserved to know. But discussing this like you might want to do will have to wait until later.”

Julie took a deep breath. “You dated Mom before she married Dad?”

Frank studied her. Sorrow took over his expression and he bowed his head. “No, Julie. Your mother and I had an ongoing affair for over twenty years. When you were born, I thought you belonged to me. There wasn’t any other explanation, you see, because your mother convinced me that she and your father weren’t intimate. I was the happiest man alive when I thought you were mine, and I reckon it really didn’t matter anyway in the long run.”

Julie swallowed hard. She noted the pain in Frank’s eyes, the deep-rooted agony the old man must’ve felt when he’d discovered the child he’d wanted to claim wasn’t his by birthright. “Frank, I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be sorry, little girl. You’re still mine in my heart. Now you know why I always thought I had a say in everything you did back in the day.” He grinned and snickered. “Lord ‘a’ mercy, you were a handful back when you were a toddler. You used to aggravate the ever-lovin’ beejeezies out of Hank and Duke. It’s a wonder they still talk to ya.”

“They talk to me, all right. Or should I say, they talk at me.”

“Ah, now, here,” he said, walking toward the stable office. “You know how they are. They’ve worked for everything they’ve got, and rightly think if they put some effort in you, they’ll win your hand, too.”

Frank pointed at the wall of countless photographs depicting Hinman wins at various racetracks around the country. “Who knows, maybe they just wanna see your picture up there.”

“I’m not sure they care so much about taking a photograph.”

Frank shook his head. “I don’t wanna know anything about that.”

“Good thing,” she teased. “Because I don’t, either.”

Chapter Five

Hank felt her eyes at his back. He didn’t turn around to greet her, but when she leaned on the board fence beside him, he said, “This industry consumes a driver’s every waking hour. When they’re not driving for the money, they’re practicing for the next event, going to meetings, or signing autographs. If you let it, the sport will devour you. The spectators and other drivers will eat you alive. Racing can take the best part of what you have to give. If you’re not careful, it will leave you with nothing.”

“Are you implying I don’t have anything left if I walk away from my career?”

Hank faced her then. The first thing he noticed was the new look of determination. Her entire persona had changed since she’d spent a little time with Frank. She possessed that raging fire in her eyes again. Her lips were set and tightly pressed together. She appeared more confident than she had been the hour before.