Racing to Love: Eli's Honor (21 page)

Movement at the kitchen door caught Eli’s attention. Watching Dallas quietly slip outside, Eli gave him a full ten-second lead before he turned, discreetly kissing Honor’s cheek while he whispered that he was going to go check on him.

Her hand reached out against his chest. “But—“

“No, let me. Please?” Eli tilted his head in hope.

Eli waited for her nod of approval before smiling and nonchalantly stepping away from the table.

He waited on the patio for a moment, knowing exactly where the kiddo was going. When he got close to the gate, Eli grinned as
Dallas climbed over it and jumped back down on the other side. Walking a track in the early night was one of Eli’s favorite things to do as well. Something about the peace and quiet against the painted sky, the smell of the dirt, and the sounds of the birds always made the track a place of refuge for him. Making his way to the gate, Eli simply opened it. It was never locked, but Dallas wouldn’t have known that.

“Hey, buddy. Watcha doin’?”

Dallas jerked and spun. “Nothing.”

“It’s okay, I didn’t mean to scare you. Mind if I walk with you?”

Dallas looked up at Eli, the puzzlement visible in his gray eyes, as if he had no clue why he’d even ask. “It’s…your…track…” There wasn’t any sarcasm laced in his voice, it was purely the confusion of a young child. He shrugged and started walking again.

“So…how do you like the academy?”

With no hesitation Dallas answered on a dime, “I love it!”

Eli smiled. He knew the young rider did. His enthusiasm was unmatchable by any other student. He was so eager to learn and grateful at the same time. The other boys were great kids with the one exception, but they just didn’t have what Eli saw in
Dallas. He knew he wasn’t being biased either. Carter, Jess, Brody, and even James all said things, made comments, and dropped compliments multiple times.

Dallas
was the next
great
. Now, if he could work up the nerves to approach his mother regarding their plans, they could set the wheels in motion. After this morning’s pitfall, it looked like a long shot, but he’d promised James he would put it out there.

“I’m glad. You’re doing an amazing job,
Dallas. I couldn’t be more proud of you than I already am.”

Reaching down to pick up a larger rock, Eli threw it off the track so it wasn’t a danger for the following morning’s session. “So, eh…I wanted to talk to you about something since it’s just the two of us.”

“I knew you liked her.”

He blinked multiple times in shock. So much for guiding the conversation, and
Dallas’s simple statement was just that…simple. No venom in the words, just a plain fact given about the obvious.

“You did?” Eli didn’t mean to blurt out his question, it just sort of fell off his tongue as his mind raced for a better response.

They made their way to the tabletop and sat down on the flat dirt surface. Facing the house, the glow from the windows and doors lit up the night sky. Inside, dinner was being cleaned up, and every so often, light laughter could be heard clear out on the track as it drifted through the opened windows.

Dallas
looked up into the sky that had darkened in just the short time the two of them had been outside. Tilting his head as if he was looking for a particular star, he stretched out and laid down, his arms behind his head.

Eli copied the lead of the child.

“I told my mom, back when we were still at home, that you liked her.”

The eleven-year-old was way more observant than he’d been given credit for. Eli had been entranced by the woman upon seeing her for the first time. How
Dallas could have picked up on that he had no idea. The conversation he had wanted to have with him just did a one-eighty, and his breath caught in his throat as he racked his brain trying to decide where to go with that statement.

Fishing around for the right words, Eli was careful to tread lightly. In reality, he was more afraid of saying something that would piss off Honor, than he was of scaring
Dallas.

“You’re right, I did. So…um…about what you saw earlier. I’m not going to get all mushy and gross and ask you about your feelings. We’re guys. That’s girl stuff.” Eli tried to smile, but knew his mouth tipped with a nervous grin. The exaggerated he-man comment earned a snort, and when he heard the soft chuckle from
Dallas, he said, “But, I do want to ask you if you’re okay. I mean…after all, she is your mom.”

“You know, my mom always tells me that stars are people in heaven looking down, watching over me.”

“I like that.” Eli smiled at the simplistic view, especially since Honor and Dallas had lost close family members.

“My dad wasn’t very nice to my mom.”

If Eli hadn’t already stretched out and lain down beside Dallas to stare up at the same stars, he would have probably fallen down to his knees. What was he supposed to do with that piece of knowledge? He knew that Honor and her late husband were barely more than two people living under the same roof. He had assumed they did so because of Dallas and money.

To hear that come from
Dallas was proof that her world was way worse than just lonely. Dallas still would have been fairly young at the time, since his father had been gone for over two years. If he, as a child, picked up on the turmoil…it must have been bad.

He gasped for a breath and the right words to say, willing his stomach not to revolt, but he had to know. “
Dallas? Did your dad…did he yell…or…” Leaving the question hanging, he clenched his jaw and waited for the child to fill in the blanks.

Dallas
didn’t answer.

Instead, he seemed to study the sky with even more intent.

Eli had never felt the type of pain like he had crushing him at that moment. His gut response was to go pull Honor out of the love-filled house and ask her for more details about her marriage. The marriage that was way uglier than she’d made it out to be. But patience won out. He’d get more answers from Dallas than he ever would if Honor felt threatened. She’d shut him down and shut him out, and he’d never work his way back in again.

Even though his heart was pounding, Eli gave all outward appearances of being calm. He waited several long moments, hoping
Dallas would give him more insight without having to be asked a second time. Praying the answers weren’t as ugly as the scenes playing through his mind.

“My uncle Mac stopped him once.”

Eli’s worst nightmare just unfolded in his lap. His ears were buzzing and his breath caught in his throat for a second time.

Oh. My. God.

“He brought me home one time, and when we walked in they were fighting, really bad. My dad was holding her by the arm…I saw him getting ready to hit her.”

Eli had been inside their house in the tiny town outside of
Nashville, and he could easily picture the scene Dallas was painting. The small living room, the half-wall separating it from the kitchen, the meager furniture, and a couple yelling at each other in the middle of it all. Although he didn’t know what the bastard’s face looked like, he knew he’d never forget the image of what Mac and Dallas had walked in on, of what Dallas was describing, out of his head.

The
what if
that spun through his mind had his blood turning to ice, chilling him from head to toe.

“Uncle Mac ran in and grabbed him and then pushed him outside. My mom pulled me into my bedroom. I couldn’t hear what they were saying because my mom was crying, but it never happened again. Not like that. Just yelling, door slamming. Or sometimes he didn’t come home.” He paused again. “Mostly that.”

“Mostly he didn’t come home?”

“Yeah.”

“God, Dallas, I’m sorry you had to go through that, son.”

“Mom isn’t as sad now. Unless Mac tells her I need something for my bike. They always try to talk in secret, but I hear them sometimes. Then she’s worried. I know she can’t afford it.”

Oh. My. God
.

Eli had no clue in hell how this boy was turning out to be such a great kid when he had the weight of the world, and then some, on his shoulders. He took a moment, willing himself to keep the protector in him tamped down. When he thought he could speak with a feigned aloofness, Eli propped himself up and looked over at the young child with the surfer boy looks.

“That won’t ever be a problem you or she has to worry about again.”

Even in the darkness, the moonlight was bright enough for Eli to see the doubt on
Dallas’s face.

He shook his head. “Na. We can’t accept that kind of help. It’s too big. My mom didn’t even want to come here, but Uncle Mac made her.”

Putting his heart aside, Eli took Dallas’s words at face value. They didn’t have anything to do with him romantically, it all boiled down to money.

“It’s not help, Dallas. You’re a smart guy. Who do you think pays for pro riders to race?”

“Sponsors.”

“Exactly.”

Dallas broke eye contact and stared back up at the stars. Eli took a moment to study him, to watch the lines come and go across his face, to see the tug and pull at his mouth, knowing he was biting the inside of his cheek. He had met thousands of children over the years. Granted, until the academy opened, he hadn’t gotten to know very many of them well. That didn’t change the fact that there wasn’t another one out there like him. His riding aside, the way he carried himself, the way he acted, was more mature than a fair amount of adults Eli knew.

It all just added to the growing pile of reasons he wanted Honor and
Dallas to stay with him. Eli knew he could wrap the money up in different wording, but judging by the doubt still present on Dallas’s face, it was going to be hell trying to get Honor to accept it. That was okay. He had a bigger, much more involved plan than what James was proposing.

“Thanks for being nice to my mom, Eli.”

Eli blew out a breath at the meaning. He wasn’t thanking Eli for the money to race, he wasn’t thanking him for the training on the track they were laying on. Dallas was thanking him for being a good man to his mother. Something a lot of children took for granted. Molly wouldn’t though. And she’d be a good person for him to talk to if he ever needed to. He would have to bring that up later, after he discussed what Dallas revealed with Honor. He’d give her the option and let her make that decision.

At the thought of Honor, Eli dropped back to the ground, the truth of her past and knowledge of what he wanted for her future swirled and fought inside his head.

The desperate promise rushed out immediately to reassure the child lying next to him. “Always…Dallas. I promise. Always.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Sunshine and a warm breeze combined with the cool afternoon made the perfect conditions for practice. Three-fourths of the dirt track was surrounded by maple trees, their new leaves fluttering in the spring air. It was a picturesque view, but for a racer, it was paradise.

The track wasn’t too dry, and Brody had just tilled it during the early morning hours. With the academy booked to capacity, it was going to be a long day. Sometimes the sessions could be split so all four men didn’t have to stand trackside all day every day, but not this week. By the looks of enrollment, Brody, Jesse, Carter, and Eli would be spending every waking minute trackside this season. Great for the school…not so much for his back.

It made Eli proud that their dream became a reality, but it surpassed even their wildest dreams. Now their next ambition was the last piece of the puzzle to put in place.

The track was larger than some of the boys were used to, so after seven to ten laps, they’d pull off for a drink and further pointers. Even with traffic coming and going, it still made for a busy track, with fourteen other bikes running at the moment. It was still the number 108 bike that the instructors were all watching with a keen sense of pride and expectation.

Their golden child.

The distinct pause in the otherwise steady roar of the motor sent Eli’s stomach lurching.

“Oh…My…God,” Eli yelled as he sprinted across the track.

He heard Jesse’s frantic scream in the distance calling out for Emery as they both went running toward the inevitable.

Dallas
had landed hard on the backside of the double, then with no power from the stalled engine, the momentum he had going threw him over the handlebars. He landed a few feet away, rolling over like a rag doll.

“
Dallas!” Eli reached him first and crouched down, gently pulling his goggles off. “Son, what hurts?”

Coming from different directions, the sound of feet running in the dirt, heavy breathing and layered conversations became louder as Brody, Carter, and Jesse reached them.

“I’m okay, Eli,” he said through labored breathing. The shock and pain was evident in his voice and across his face.

He started to roll over, trying to sit up. Eli on one side and Brody on the other, both helped ease him into a sitting position, hearing the quiet grunts of pain in the process.

“Son, we need to take you in and have you looked at,” Eli replied quietly as he patted Dallas’s back.

Dallas
unlatched the brace around his neck, removing it so he could unstrap his helmet. “I’m okay, really, Eli. Just don’t tell my mom.”

Eli already had his cell lying in his palm getting ready to dial. With his thumb hovering over the screen, he looked at
Dallas like the child was nuts. “You’re freaking kidding me, right? She’d kick my ass then so would every other woman on this property.”

Dallas
’s legs were bent at the knee and his forearms rested on his thighs. He looked shaken, but the corner of Dallas’s mouth turned up for a split-second. Then he closed his eyes and dropped his head into his hands.

The fall had taken more out of him than he was letting on. Fear heated Eli’s skin. Hitting the number one on speed dial, Eli waited, forcing himself to sound as close to calm and normal as possible.

“Hello?”

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said with a smile plastered in place. Inside, he cringed every time
Dallas winced.

“Oh hi, Eli. How’s it going? I was just about to make you guys a special treat.”

“Good. But, hey honey, are you where you can stop and head to the track? The keys are on the counter. Just take the truck.”

“I am…but. I don’t know, Eli. I mean…it’s, well, your truck.”

He nodded again, expecting her hesitation on driving his vehicle. “I’m sure. Just head over and meet me at the shop.”

“All right. I guess.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye.”

“You didn’t tell her?” Emery raised an eyebrow.

Eli shook his head. “Not over the phone.”

Dallas started to get up. “I’m okay now, Eli. I’m ready to get back on.”

“Rest, son.” Eli clasped his shoulder to keep him on the ground. “You took a hell of tumble. Just sit for a bit.”

Between Brody, Carter, Jesse, and himself, they asked poor Dallas a hundred questions.
How does this feel, does that hurt, how’s your head, are you dizzy,
and on and on. They had years of firsthand knowledge between the four of them. They knew what to ask and what to look for. He passed with correct answers to each question.

“Well, we’ll see what your mom says when she gets here. I’d still feel better if we took you to get checked out.”

“Really, Eli. I’m fine. I’m ready to get back on my bike.”

Emery had gone to
Dallas first, and after giving him a quick assessment, she must have assumed the four men had things under control because she’d been kneeling by the bike since.

Shaking her head, she glanced at
Dallas. “Your bike isn’t going anywhere for the rest of the afternoon, honey. Sorry.”

Emery pulled her cell phone out of the back pocket of her jeans and dialed. “Karen, I know James is working from the house and he’s terribly busy today, but we need him. It’s urgent…it’s
Dallas. We’re by the North double. Thanks.”

With Emery’s words and tone,
Dallas’s eyes went scared, his face darting toward Eli, searching for answers.

The fact that the bike had cut out at all was dangerous. The fact that it was mid-air during a jump could have been a catastrophe. Especially since it was a child on the bike. Eli ran a hand over his tightly shaved head and blew out a breath.

He didn’t have much experience in handling a kid. He’d had his fair share of house guests enrolled in the academy, and he’d been trackside for accidents in the past. However, none of them were Honor’s son. There was an attachment to this child, to Dallas, that he didn’t have with other children. The twins and Brody’s son being the exception.

The protector in Eli knew enough to call Honor, he knew enough to take a stand to keep him off the bike a little longer. But what came next? And like
Dallas, Emery’s mannerisms and cryptic words had him passing nervous and skating into freaked out.

They didn’t call James with problems on the track. They never bothered him with accidents. Accidents were inescapable. Put a butt on a bike and put the bike on a track. At some point there would be a crash. It didn’t matter how good the racer was. They were prepared, though for even the most severe injuries. They had been meticulous in formulating plans, and they had the system down pat. Those plans…never involved bothering James.

Unless.

No fucking way.

Sucking in a deep sharp breath, Eli’s head tilted, and his eyes fixed on Emery’s as he silently questioned her actions and her words. The wide green eyes locked on his told him everything he needed to know.

Dallas
…
didn’t…wreck
.
No. Shit. This couldn’t be happening.

The sound of the Gator coming up from behind had them all turning. James pulled up with Honor in the seat beside him.

“You weren’t at the sho—” Honor looked between the legs surrounding the boy. “Dallas!” Hopping out hastily, she dropped to her knees by his side. “Are you okay, honey? What happened? Eli, damn it, why didn’t you tell me he was down?”

He pulled her back standing and without thinking, he pulled her into his arms. “He’s all right. I’d still like to have him checked out, but he’s arguing. Wants to get back on his bike.” He kept his words light for
Dallas’s sake, but pulled Honor in closer, whispering in her ear. “We are all going back to the shop. We need to talk. Do you want him there for this?”

Honor withdrew enough to look him in the eyes. Eli didn’t hide the seriousness or worry in his face. He felt her stiffen in his hold, felt the fear in her grow from just scared to flat-out panicked.

“What’s going on, Eli?” Her question, meant for Eli’s ears only, was more than a whisper.

The golden child surprised them all once again. “Someone messed with my bike, Mom.”

In that moment, the world went still.

How he knew that was beyond Eli. Judging from the wide eyes and dropped jaws of the adults surrounding the boy still sitting on the ground, Eli wasn’t the only one shocked. This kid was so much older than his years, and so much wiser than his school back home gave him credit for. He was also in control. There was no fear resonating from him. No freaking out, screaming, crying for his mother, wanting to quit the sport.

Dallas started to get up, and Brody went behind to help him. Turning, Dallas looked Eli dead in the eye. And waited.

Eli watched him swallow, understood the slight narrowing of his eyes as he continued to remain silent.

He was a hard worker. Dallas wanted this—wanted to be the next great racer, and he would put in the hours it took to get there. He and Eli had talked about it many times. Eli had gotten to know Dallas. He knew what made the child tick, he knew his dreams and fears, knew the past, knew the routine they followed at home. They had become as close as any parent could be to a preteen who let him in, maybe more so.

At that moment what he saw in
Dallas’s eyes, the penetrating gray staring at him, was plain, good old-fashioned vengeance.

He also knew well enough that this was a silent plea for permission, one being asked man-to-man, father-to-son. Words
Dallas didn’t want his mother to hear.

A second wave of heat rushed over Eli. How in the fucking hell did he answer that?

This wasn’t his child. This was unknown territory. He didn’t know his way around parenting. He didn’t know how far Dallas would push, but he did know Dallas. It would be an even match. Fair. Honest. There wouldn’t be the dirty business like screwing with a bike.

They all knew who it was, and
Dallas wanted the opportunity to make a stand face–to-face. To prove himself as a man. To prove to them all he could take care of himself.

Eli couldn’t be more proud…or more scared to death.

Pulling a steeling breath, Eli counted to ten as he slowly let it out. With a half nod, he gave the boy what he was asking for.

“Honor, you ride with me and Dallas, honey. The rest of you, walk that bike up to the house, not the shop, and meet me in the kitchen,” James said, his words clipped.

Honor knew his anger wasn’t directed at any of the people surrounding her son, or Dallas himself, but the man was fuming and intimidating. The tic in his jaw and the white knuckles gripping the steering wheel of the Gator were just the tip of the iceberg. His presence demanded respect in general, but he was ten shades of livid at the moment, and Honor almost felt sorry for the person or persons on the receiving end of his anger.

Emotions were swirling through her. The shock of seeing her son on the ground, knowing he’d been hurt, and then go from accident to possible vengeful tampering was overwhelming. She should be freaking out, screaming, lashing out because it was their fault her son was hurt.

Instead, she was weirdly calm.

Somehow, in the midst of the storm circling around her, she knew her son would be taken care of. There was no explanation for her slight feeling of serenity. Her son was on the ground, taken down allegedly on purpose, but she knew these people surrounding him would go to the ends of the earth to protect him. Unspoken, but so true.

Karen met them at the door, and Honor saw how pale she’d gone. She appreciated the worry the older woman had for her son. They had been spending an hour here and a couple of hours there together, every day for the last couple of weeks, working on his schoolwork. From the dropped comments and pieces of conversation from Dallas, Honor knew how much her son had grown to like Karen. The distress mixed with love on Karen’s face and in her actions made it apparent the feeling was mutual.

“James! What happened?” Karen flew to the passenger side of the utility vehicle, her arms already out to help
Dallas. “Why didn’t you call me?”

If Honor hadn’t already been informed about what was going on, the fiercely protective and angered look on James’s face when he stared at his wife would have sent chills down her spine.

Thirty plus years of marriage had solidified their communication.

Taken back, Honor had never witnessed anything like it before. The silent conversation was chilling, watching as Karen’s shoulders slumped, the one word plea said on a whispered sigh as she shook her head slowly, “No.”

Watching the way Karen so naturally opened her arms, seeing how easily Dallas sagged against her, accepting the love she offered, should have made Honor’s heart soar. Instead, the crack widened. Going back home was going to hurt Dallas as badly as it was her. She always suspected it was going to be sad, but seeing what he’d be missing was excruciating.

Honor’s heart stopped for a quick second.

This wasn’t their home, and although Eli had continued to be a sinful flirt, he’d left it at that. It was only a matter of days before reality would force them back to their world. Watching Karen dote on her son turned the knife in her chest another quarter turn. She blinked away the revelation for another time. One when she could let the tears fall in the dark of the night.