Bump and Run (Wide Open #6)

Chapter Forty-Four

Jones

It hadn’t been my best race. I was too caught up in my own head. Worried about what might happen if I left Richardson Racing. Would I get blackballed for leaving a gift I was so generously given? It had happened before. What would people say when they found out I was married to Charlie? Not that I was embarrassed. I loved Charlie. I would shout it from the rooftops without a second thought. I just didn’t want anyone to think less of him . Charlie was the moon and stars. I only wanted to make him happy. And I would hate for someone to say something horrible about my husband.

Finishing twenty-fourth wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for. A couple of bad pit calls had put me a lap down halfway through the race, and I couldn’t seem to come back from it. But that wasn’t what everyone was talking about, and for that, I was grateful.

Right now, the hot topic was the fight that had happened just as the race ended between Rand Shepard and Watts Brooks. And it had been a big one. Punches were thrown. Blood was shed. I had even overheard someone saying that Rand’s nose might be broken. Ollie had stopped by and said it was just as bad as everyone was saying. Since the fight had happened on pit road, he’d had a front-row seat to the chaos. It had started on the track, like a lot of fights between drivers did, and it looked like Rand had wrecked Watts on purpose. That was never a good thing.

“Jones!” Charlie knocked into me and grabbed me in a hug. He smelled like sweat, gasoline, and the beach. He smelled like mine. “That was a rough one for you, huh? Everything all right?”

I nodded. “Yeah, sure. My head just wasn’t into it. But you...” I beamed up at him. “You were amazing out there, Charlie. I’m so proud of you.”

He had finished eighth in his second race. People would have no choice but to notice him now.

He kissed me then, his lips slamming against mine. I groaned when Charlie’s hands sifted through my damp hair and tugged lightly. Everything else seemed to fade away. No worries, no fighting, just us. I curled my hands into the front of Charlie’s fire suit, not wanting to ever let go. When he pulled back, he smiled down at me, his dark eyes sparkling under the bright lights of the track.

“Get a room!” Someone called out, and when I glanced to my right, Kit was watching. He wiggled his brows, then shot us the bird and walked away. Jerk.

Charlie laughed and hooked his arm around my shoulders. “I have some interviews to do. God, I have no idea what that’s going to be like. This is serious business for me. Do you have any words of encouragement?”

“Everyone is going to love you.”

“You’re the only one who matters.”

Charlie stopped and moved to stand before me. “Can I tell them about us? I mean, only if they ask, but I want them to know. That you’re my husband. That we’re in love, and that you’re mine.”

“Yes, of course you can tell them.” I reached up to touch his cheek. “Tell the whole world, baby, because I want them to know about us, too. I don’t give a fudge what anyone thinks, because we’re happy and in love.”

Charlie’s mouth was on mine again, and I could feel the way his lips curved up into a smile, the happiness that radiated off him. “Fuck, I love you so much, Bashful.”

“I love you, too,” I whispered. We stared at one another before I shook my head. “You should go. I don’t want to keep you.”

Charlie nodded. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he assured me. He kissed my forehead before he turned to go. But when he stopped and turned around, I felt my stomach fill with butterflies. “Come with me.”

“You want that?” I asked, my feet having a mind of their own as I walked over to him. I laced our fingers together. “This is your big day, Charlie. I don’t want to ruin it.”

He shook his head. “Jonesy, you could never ruin anything. Having you there would just be the icing on the cake.”

“Okay.”

“Okay then.”

I beamed up at my husband as we walked hand-in-hand to the where they were holding the post-race interviews. When we walked into the room, I could feel all the eyes on us, raised eyebrows and puzzled faces as they watched. Charlie squeezed my hand, his chin raised high, and when we stopped where he was instructed to wait, he pushed a piece of hair from my face.

“Nervous?” he asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

I nodded feverishly. “A little. Everyone is watching,” I whispered and felt a flush creep up my neck. “I’m not used to being the center of attention.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, Bashful.” He winked. “You’ve clearly never read what people have said about you. How cute you are. How beautiful your smile is.”

I flushed. “They don’t say that.”

“They do.” Charlie chuckled. “You’re very popular when it comes to most-attractive driver.”

I shook my head. “Please, stop. I don’t... Really?”

“Oh, now you’re interested?” Charlie popped a brow, then laughed. “Girls and boys are just waiting for their chance at Jones Matthews.”

I shrugged. “Good luck. I only have eyes for one man.”

“Do you? What’s his name?” Charlie lifted my chin, so I was forced to look at him.

I leaned up onto my toes. “Charlie.”

“Why Jones Matthews, are you saying that you’re in love with me?” Charlie wrapped his arm around my waist. “That you want to spend the rest of your life with me? Because, I have to say, I stand behind that, one hundred percent.”

I pressed my face into his shoulder and tried to hide. “People are staring, Charlie.”

“I know, and now they all know who you belong to,” he whispered.

** *

People asked questions. They asked a lot of questions, and then I somehow got dragged out to sit next to Charlie. It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. If Charlie hadn’t placed a hand on my leg, I might have knocked the whole table over with nervousness. But what surprised me the most was the kindness I felt, the heartfelt smiles and sincerity in their eyes. It was as if they cared about us. I was exhausted by the time we headed back to the RV.

Charlie helped me undress, dropping my fire suit and compression garments onto the floor before he guided me into the bathroom. In the shower, he washed my hair, then scrubbed the sweat and dirt from my skin. He dried me off, slipped on a clean pair of underwear, and guided me to bed.

“Charlie.” I could hardly keep my eyes open.

He brushed the damp hair back from my forehead. “Yeah, Bashful?”

“I love you,” I whispered. I felt his lips brush over mine right before I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I was alone in bed. I reached for him, only to find his side of the bed empty, the sheets cold. I sat up and brushed the hair from my eyes. Then I heard his deep voice in the other room. Worry laced my veins. Was everything okay? I quickly yanked the blanket back to rush out of the room.

“Charlie?” I called out and then came skidding to a stop. Not only was my husband talking to Ollie, but my best friend’s face was a mess of cuts and bruises. “Oh my god. ”

Charlie tilted his head. “Bashful, you might want to go put some clothes on.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I want to know what happened first, Ollie. Please tell me it wasn’t Kit.”

My best friend sank onto the couch, his face in his hands. I watched in horror as Ollie’s big, broad shoulders began to shake, and I didn’t care that I was only in my underwear. I was next to him, my arms around him and hugging him as tight as I could.

Charlie grunted. “I need you to put some clothes on, bashful.”

“Not now.”

“Yes, now.”

I ignored him and soothed the hair on the back of Ollie’s head. “I’m so sorry.”

“Well, you asked for it.” Charlie warned me and suddenly lifted me up and carried me out of the room. He tossed me gently onto the bed, where I bounced a couple of times. “Clothes. Now.”

I had never seen Charlie so angry. His nostrils flared as he glared at me, and I couldn’t help but think about how hot it was. That he was jealous. “No.”

“You little shit.” He pounced on me, shoving me down and splaying his body over mine. “Are you trying to make me mad? Is that what this is?” he growled. “Wait a second. Bashful, are you hard?”

My hips canted. “I can’t help it. Watching you go all alpha is kind of sexy. ”

“You’re in big trouble, but right now I need you to go talk to your best friend.” Charle snorted and climbed off me. “He needs you.”

I did as he told me but stopped right before I left the room. “Was I a bad boy, baby?” I widened my eyes innocently. “Are you going to punish me later?”

“Jesus Christ.” Charlie pushed me against the doorway and crushed his mouth over mine.

When his tongue slid between my lips, I couldn’t stop the moan that bubbled up my throat. He pulled away first and didn’t try to conceal the fact that he was adjusting his erection.

“You’re in big fucking trouble.” He grinned. “Now go be with Ollie.” He swatted my butt as I turned around.

I blew him a kiss as I slipped out of the room and tried to put a somber face on. I didn’t want to upset Ollie more than he already was. He glanced up at me as I sat down next to him, taking his hand and lacing our fingers together.

“I can’t do this anymore, Jones,” Ollie whispered. He sniffed softly as his eyes welled with tears. “I love him, but I can’t be with him if he’s going to let me get hurt me like this. It’s not right.”

I nodded. “I know.” I squeezed his hand.

“We went out. That alone should have been a red flag, because Kit never likes to be seen in public with me, but I thought maybe he was trying to branch out. That he wanted to see what people’s reaction would be. Only...” His voice cracked and he shook his head. “We ran into some of his so-called friends, and they...” A sob escaped his mouth, and he pulled away. “They were making fun of us. ”

I gritted my teeth. “I am going to murder him.” I didn’t want to hear anything else. All I knew was that Kit was no longer someone I wanted to associate with. “You need to block him and ignore him if he tries to talk to you again. I mean it. Don’t let him back in.”

“There’s only one problem.” Ollie chewed on his bottom lip.

My brows shot up. “And what problem is that? It’s easy. You blocked him, you don’t talk to him.”

“We’re sort of married.”