“It is.” I walked over and opened the passenger door, then said, “Hop in.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Once she’d climbed in, I closed her door, ran around to the driver’s side, and slid in. I lifted the floor mat to retrieve the keys and, as soon as we were buckled in, started the engine and pumped the accelerator like my father used to do. Turning to her, I asked, “You ready?”
“Absolutely.”
I whipped out onto the track and hammered down on the accelerator. It had been years since I’d been behind the wheel of my father’s car, and it felt incredible. With each lap around, I picked up the speed, which instantly had Raelyn screeching, “Oh my God! This is awesome!”
“I thought you might like it.”
“Like it? I love it!”
After a few more laps, I coasted back to the paddock. Once we were parked, I turned to her and asked, “You ready to take the wheel?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.”
I opened the door and waited for Raelyn to come around, but she didn’t. Instead, she crawled over the seat and quickly buckled in. Once she was all set, she looked up at me with a bright smile. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
“I’m coming.” I chuckled as I made my way to the passenger side and jumped in. “Okay, wild one. Let’s see what ya got.”
“You might wanna hold on.”
Without further warning, Raelyn put the car in gear and whipped out onto the track. She pressed her foot against the accelerator and never let up. I was nervous about her taking the track for the first time, but she managed to keep the car steady and never came close to wiping out.
After several times around, she pulled back to the paddock and parked. “That was amazing!”
“I gotta say, you’re quite the driver.”
“I might’ve learned a thing or two from all those races my grandfather took me to.”
“You definitely did.” I motioned my hand towards the track. “You up for another go?”
“Heck yeah!”
We spent the next hour or so taking turns driving around the track. When we’d finally had our fill, I gave Stephen a call and let him know we were done. After assuring me he was on his way to pick it up, I hid the keys back under the mat, then led Rae out to my bike. As I handed Rae her helmet, I asked, “You hungry?”
“Yeah, I could eat.”
“Me, too.”
I swung a leg over my Harley, then waited for her to get on behind me. Once she was settled, I sent another text to Widow and Hawk, letting them know we were leaving the track and heading to my place.
I lived on the outskirts of the city near the lake. The house wasn’t nearly as impressive as Viper’s, but with two stories and a huge backyard, it was nice enough. I’d always liked its barn-style look, and apparently, Rae did, too.
As soon as we parked, she got off my bike and asked, “Is this where you live?”
“It is.”
“It’s so cool.” Her eyes were wide with wonder as she made her way down the walkway and up the front steps. “I always see these barn-style homes online, but I’ve never had the opportunity to see one firsthand.”
“Well, now’s your chance.”
I opened the door and motioned her inside.
Once she’d stepped through the doorway, I looked out front and was glad to see that Davies was out there. Knowing he was keeping an eye on things, I closed the door and watched as Raelyn checked out the house.
She spun around, taking in the large open floor plan and everything from the living room furniture to the loft railing. “Oh my, it’s amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it.” She continued into the kitchen and ran her fingertips across the granite countertops. “It reminds of me of you.”
“Oh, and how’s that?”
She giggled. “It’s cool and sexy but also comfortable and functional.”
“Cool and sexy, I can get behind.” I smiled and stepped over to her. “Not too sure about the ‘comfortable and functional’ part.”
“Well, you should be.” A soft smile crossed her face. “You have a way of making people feel safe and at ease. But there’s another side of you that’s all strength and dependability and leaves no doubt you can get the job done, whatever it might be.”
“You seem to know me pretty well.”
“Not really, but I’m working on it.” Raelyn walked over and sat down on one of the bar stools, then asked, “So, what’s the plan for dinner?”
“I thought we’d go all out.”
“Oh, really?”
“Well, yeah. Gotta do what I can to impress.” I stepped over to the fridge and grabbed the hot dogs and brats, then tossed them down on the counter. “I thought we’d have an old-fashioned cookout. A couple of hot dogs, some chips and dip. Maybe some toasted marshmallows for dessert?”
“That sounds perfect.”