Victory Lane (Shady Falls #1) (38 page)

Epilogue

February 22, 2015

Daytona 500

Daytona International Speedway

NASCAR Season Opener

“Welcome race fans to the season opener for the 2015 season. I’m Bud Brockman along with my partner Gus Steward.”

“Today, ladies and gentlemen, we have a field of dreamers and long shots, favorites and champions all vying for their first win of the season in this the fifty-seventh running of the Daytona Five hundred.”

“This is the biggest day of any for the coming year of NASCAR, Gus. Every driver who’s ever had a dream of winning has wanted to win on its biggest stage. The icons of our sport have all starred on its biggest stage, today one of these drivers wants to join in the ranks of Daytona Five hundred champions. Who’s your favorite for today, Gus?”

“We all have our favorite drivers from the past and the present, Bud. I think it’s going to be a battle of the titans today. We have Turner Racing’s number fifty-five and number ninety-five Chevys starting in the front of the pack with Fuller in the pole and Upton in the tenth positions. Rhett returning as the series champion in his Toyota in the third position.”

“But today one name keeps coming up for me, Bud, and that’s Julius Fuller. Fuller was runner-up for the season championship last season, coming in second at Homestead. Even after a mid-season wreck that put him out of the driver’s seat for a race and on limited driving after, he still managed to slide easily into the second place.”

“Yeah Gus, the dynamic duo of Redding and Rizzo seems to have become an unstoppable force. Rizzo made a splash last season as the first female to earn a seat in the pit. We’ve seen many women in the garages, but none have found a place in the pit box.”

“Who would have thought our first woman crew member would have made such a splash, helping her driver and crew chief to make what they had even better. Now with Kevin Dunn’s retirement from car chief and moving to a more supervisory position, Rizzo has moved seamlessly into his position as our first female car chief. I have a feeling Toni Rizzo is going to have a lot of surprises for us this season.”

“We have some fast cars and great drivers in the front of the pack, Gus, I wouldn’t count any of them out.”

“We’re ready for the fifty-seventh running of the Daytona Five hundred.”

“Here we go boys! Let’s go racin’!”

                                          ~oOo~

Toni

“Jules, there’s a wreck in front of you. Stay high, they’ve settled to the bottom of the track.”

“Ten-four.”

“Alright, Toni. What’re you thinkin’? We’re running in third and after the yellow, we’ll have five to go,” Kyle asked.

“We’re on new tires and he’s not complainin’ about the car, I think we wait and see what Rhett’ll do. Jules is gainin’ on him.”

“Jules,” Kyle spoke into the radio. “We’re gonna stay out. But be ready for that to change.”

“Ten-four. The car’s runnin’ great.”

“Jules,” I said. “Be ready, just in case. If Rhett comes in, follow him in. We don’t want him on newer tires.”

“I love hearin’ your voice when I’m drivin’,” Julius said. He frequently made inappropriate comments over the radio. “It makes me–”

“Stop it, Jules. Just drive,” I giggled as I stopped him from saying more. Over the past couple months he’d gotten more and more affectionate. The guys quickly learned to ignore him when he talked to me. It made some uncomfortable and they questioned my being there. Kyle never questioned though, he just laughed when Julius flirted. He said I always turn bright red.

Everything for the team went well at the end of last season. We finished second in points which was great since we were so far behind because of Julius’ wreck. My biggest challenge came the day Margie went into labor. We were in Texas, preparing for the AAA Texas 500 when Kyle got the call that she was in labor. He immediately left the track to head home and I was left to be car chief for the weekend, following Kevin’s lead. I second-guessed every decision I made, but Kevin and Jules were great. My performance there solidified my position this season. Kevin announced he was stepping down as car chief after Homestead which placed me in the running for the position.

I finally moved in with Julius just after the Homestead race. It has been better than I could’ve ever imagined. We shared everything and he gave me free reign to decorate and change whatever I wanted. Julius always said he hated coming home to an empty house, but now he could feel me there, even when I wasn’t home.

The holidays were the best; we had both families at our house for the holidays. It was the best holiday since we lost my mother all of those years ago. It felt good to have such a big family.

“Rhett’s comin’ in,” Kyle told Jules, pulling me from my thoughts. “Your call, buddy. What do you wanna do?”

“I’m comin’ in,” Jules said just before turning down pit road.

“We’re doin’ two tires and fuel, guys,” I announced to the team.

“What happened to four?” Carl asked. He was the jack guy.

“Two, if we want a fightin’ chance for the win, we gotta go for two.”

“You boys heard her,” Kyle said to the team. “Two and fuel. Let’s make this the fastest pit stop of our lives, fellas.”

Coming down the front straightaway at Daytona International Speedway, Julius crossed the finish line in first place, winning the legendary Daytona 500.

~oOo~

Julius

I climbed out of my car to the cheers and shouts of the spectators and my team. My team. I never realized there was something missing from my team before. Toni was the missing piece that made my team and life almost perfect.

I tolerated the pictures and interviews for what seemed like an eternity. The same old questions, the same old speculations. They wanted to know how I felt about this season. They wanted to know what would happen in seasons to come. All I wanted to do was celebrate my win and the best start to a season I ever had. Winning the Daytona was my dream come true, and though I was thrilled, my mind was set on something else. My mind was set on finding Toni.

When it was finally time for the team pictures, I was taking my opportunity. Toni stood with Kyle and Axel, getting ready for the picture. I sucked in a deep breath and strode toward her. The smile she gave when I approached instantly gave me courage to do what I planned. Her smiles had that effect on me. Everything about her made my heart pulsate and my mind race. She was my life and my future. I needed to make sure that future was secure.

I stalked toward her, one thing on my mind. I was going to make sure this woman was mine for eternity. Unzipping my fire suit, I pulled out the surprise that I’d had hidden for months since she moved in with me. I didn’t know what held me back all those other times, but any fears I may have had were gone. Flown away in the two hundred mile an hour wind I created every time I got into a racecar.

Her smile faltered just a bit, a curious look crossed her face. Brows furrowed, eyes searching my face, she looked worried. When I got to her, I stood before her, staring down into her bright inquisitive eyes.

“What’re you doin’?” she asked, smiling tentatively.

“I love you, Toni,” I said simply.

“I love you, too.” Her instant reply made me smile. I knew what I was about to do was worth it.

I clamped the book in my hand. She looked down at the book that I had taken from her a year ago and never returned. This book taught me about who she was before she trusted herself enough to let me in. This book brought us together in a way I never imagined. When I’d refused to give it back to her, I never expected the words, her words, to change me the way they did. But I was a different man, better than I’d ever been before. I learned she was worth the risk.

“What are you doin’?” she whispered. “Why do you have my book?” I fell to one knee in front of her, the book in my hands. She stared at the book, then at me. Her eyes were wide with tears gathered at the corners.

The moment I went down on one knee, everyone around us went silent. The only sound was my hammering heart and the distant click of shutters on cameras. This moment would be immortalized forever.

I looked up at her bright, sparkling eyes and knew without a doubt that she was the only woman for me. I lifted my hand, held the book out to her, waiting for her to take it from me.

With trembling hands, she took the book and stared at the ratted and torn cover. I remembered how annoyed she got when I wouldn’t give her book back. I remembered how uncomfortable she seemed when I started reading the words she wrote within its pages. It was only right that we were back where we started.

She opened the front cover and gasped. Her eyes snapped up at me as tears trickled down her cheeks. She reached in and gingerly touched the diamond ring sitting in the slot cut in the pages in the book.

“I love you, Antonia Grace Rizzo, so much. When I met you I never imagined the beautiful mechanic under the hood of my car would change my life, but you did. You changed me, made me better; made me whole. I need you, Toni. I need to make you happy for me even to have a chance at happiness. I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it. I don’t ever want to go home again if you aren’t there with me. You’ve given me the home and life I’ve always wanted.” Pausing for a moment, I reached for the book and took the ring from inside. I held it out to her, the stone gleaming in the spotlights and the camera flashes. “Will you marry me?”

Toni dropped to her knees in front of me and launched herself into my arms, trembling. I felt the answer before I heard it. She nodded her head into my shoulder. When I pulled her back from me, her eyes were bright with tears; the smile on her face was one I wished I could capture for a lifetime. Her head nodded again. Then the one word I wanted to hear finally whispered from her lips. “Yes.” When our lips met, I felt my world come together. I finally felt what I’d always wanted. My life was finally complete. It felt like its own victory.

When she finally met my eyes and spoke, all I could do was laugh and kiss her senseless.

“You ruined my book.”

The End

              If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse, help is available:

                               •National Domestic Violence Hotline ◦1-800-799-7233 (24/7)

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Acknowledgments

This book is dedicated to my husband and children. Thank you so much for supporting every endeavor I undertake. You are my inspiration and my reason for being. I love you all.

              Next, to Lisa Mackell, Thank you for being my friend and sounding board, for setting things straight when I needed it, and for all of the time and support you gave me through the writing process. You kept me sane when I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish. You helped me continue to write when I thought I had nothing more to say. You let me bounce ideas off of you until I figured out what I was trying to say.  You are incredible!

              Next to Hayley Bennett, Thank you so much for your amazing editing skills. I look forward to working with you in the future.

              Finally, to the Readers, Thank you for taking the time to read my work. I write because I love it. If you love it too, that is just an added bonus.

about the author

Shelly Davis is a writer and teacher in Western Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, she is the oldest of six children. Shelly attended California University of Pennsylvania, earning a Bachelor’s of arts in education. She loves teaching and working with children. When she was nineteen she was bartending when a guy she’d noticed several times before came in with friends. Before he left for the night, he asked her out and the rest is history. Twenty years later, they have four children. Shelly loves 80s movies, history and crime TV shows, and auto racing. She has a hidden love for working on and rebuilding old cars.