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“The odds are not in your favor, Cupcake.”
No, they really aren’t. So when his miniature electric blue hotrod careens off ‘the track’ in a wide arc, I’m suspicious. Even more so when Trevor widens his eyes at me innocently.
I think that’s the moment I fall in love. Trevor is on his side, braced on one elbow, so it’s not a challenge for once to lean over him. I search his eyes, looking for the answer as to why he would throw the game. I’m confident I finally see it in the heat simmering in their depths. He wants me to want it as badly as he does.
“If I suggested three out of five, would the outcome be any different?”
He blinks. The boyish grin reappears. “Probably not, but given your previous inexperience with auto racing and rapid rise through the ranks, I think you should keep this as a trophy.” He hands me the little truck. I’m going to see his face every time I look at it.
I curl my fingers around the tiny chunk of metal protectively. “Thanks,” I murmur and slowly rise to my feet. “If you let me win at anything in the future, I will make you sorry. Understood?”
Now Trevor is the one looming over me. “Even if it makes us both happy?”
I nod. “No cheating.”
He gives me a slight nod of assent, his gaze speculative.
Trevor
I watch Kerry leave the room with fascination. I don’t know why I fell for her body and soul all those years ago. It’s not like we had an in-depth conversation or even shared a kiss back then. But now that I’m spending time with her, I can see that something in me recognized she’s the ultimate challenge. Not in winning her over, but in getting her to relax and play a little. It’s clearly going to be my life’s work. And she’s worth giving up one kiss for in the short term.
Putting the little cars away, I save out the hotrod. That was always the one my little eyes would gravitate to when Carter let melookat them, which wasn’t all that often. In fairness to my uncle, nobody expected I’d be showing up on the scene ten years after Carter. There’s a different type of satisfaction in crossing off a goal that’s lingered for the last twenty-odd years. So I’m whistling as I finish up the final bit of the sorting. Carter didn’t have much here, and even less that was personal or would hold significance for anyone else.
With that chore done, I can concentrate on Kerry. I should call my parents at some point, but I’m still working out what to tell them so it can wait a few more days. I haul the bags of donations and trash down stairs and stack them neatly in the hall.
When I open the back door to take out the first few trash bags to the curb, there’s a sandy-haired man skulking by the nearby window.
“Hey!” I call out to get his attention. He freezes and visibly gulps. “What the hell are you doing?” I can feel my fists clench at the thought of anyone peering in Kerry’s windows.
“Who are you?” the guy’s voice quavers and I can’t quite believe he’s prepared to challenge me.
“None of your business. Tell me who you are or I’m calling the cops.” I reach into my back pocket for my phone. Just at that moment, Kerry appears in the doorway.
“Ted? What are you doing here?” She doesn’t sound happy to see him.
“I… I wanted to invite you to dinner,” he stutters.
“Funny way of going about it,” I mutter. “He was peering in your windows, Cupcake.”
Ted visibly startles at that and then I vaguely remember Kerry mentioning his name. Some yahoo who thinks he’s in with a chance. But if I make a claim now, she’ll push me away so as much as it physically hurts to not punch him in the nose, I hold back. Kerry’s eyes zip between us, and then she bites her lip.
I lean down to whisper in her ear. “You have to be the one to tell him, sweetness. I’ll back you up, but you don’t really need me. You’re a champion auto racer now.”
Her eyes widen, and then she gives a definitive nod and turns toward the little twerp. “Ted, I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in going to dinner with you.”
“Uh, next week?” Got to give him points for persistence.
“No. Not next week or any week. I’m… I’m planning to find out where things go with Trevor.” She visibly relaxes after finally getting the words out and I can’t hold back my pride and my relief.
“You packed?” I ask her like the short older man isn’t standing there.
Kerry gives me a brief, hesitant nod, chased by a light blush. Ted sputters and then slinks away.
“That will be all over town in the next ten minutes, so maybe we should leave now?”
“Really? He’ll broadcast what a loser he is?”
“He won’t mention that part, just that I’m running off with a younger man mere weeks after my husband’s funeral.”
