Ride Me, Baby Page 7

  “I love racing. There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline rush you get competing. Then there are the kids. They’ve been through so much. Giving them some joy and hope is one of the greatest thrills of all.”

  Harley hugged Baby as his parents chatted on how excited they were to see all this up close. They thanked her for the special passes that allowed them on the sidelines. She brushed away their thanks by reminding them that she invited them. She escorted them around the arena area.

  Baby explained how the course was laid out as well as how the riding differed. As she talked about motocross, her love for the sport showed itself. Her animated gestures as well as her enthusiastic explanations helped the family get into mood of the day. When they got back to where her bike was, she began making last minute checks.

  The overhead announcements ignited the crowd’s excitement. As the announcer began his spiel on the event as well as the different competitors, Baby brought her bike off the trailer. By walking the course like she had, she’d gotten a feel for the ride ahead. Fifteen laps around a fairly tough circuit. The adrenaline racing in her system as well as wanting to do well in front of Harley and his folks made her want to do her very best.

  A sharp piercing wolf whistle jolted Baby out of her reverie. Instinctively, Baby whistled back in a slightly lower octave. The whistles volleyed back and forth until a titian-haired goddess ran up and hugged Baby. Baby hugged the woman hard. The whistle signal was something Baby shared only with her best friend growing up. Taking her friend’s hand, Baby pulled her forward to meet the others.

  The woman’s infectious smile had the others grinning too. Her bright blue eyes seemed out of place with the deep red hair. Baby took Harley’s hand as she introduced them. “Harley, this is my best friend, Katrina Nichols. Kat, this is Harley Carmichael. These are his parents, Nancy and David.” She waited while Kat shook hands with them.

  “This is Dia, Harley’s sister,” she continued.

  “I’m Deuce Carmichael, the man you’ve been saving yourself for. The pleasure is all mine,” Deuce drawled as he kissed Kat’s hand.

  Kat looked at Baby. Baby gave her a slight nod and smirked. Katrina straightened herself to her full Amazonian height of almost six feet. Her bold blue eyes caught Deuce’s. Baby shot Harley a knowing grin.

  Katrina removed her hand from Deuce’s grasp. She leaned in coquettishly and crooked her finger at Deuce. When he leaned forward, Kat whispered, “You know how long I’ve been waiting for you, sugar?”

  Harley and Baby watched expectantly as Deuce gave Kat a crooked grin. “No, how long have you been waiting for me, sunshine?”

  Kat placed her hand where his golden skin was exposed at the open neckline. With a quick shove and her leg swinging around behind Deuce’s to catch his in order to make him tumble, Kat crowed, “I’ve never waited for you. That would require shifting into neutral while waiting for you to catch up. This babe waits for no man, not even you.”

  Kat winked at Baby as she walked away. Baby applauded. “Thanks for the entertainment, Kat. Now I’m ready to race. See you on the course.”

  Harley clapped his brother on the back in mock sympathy. “I guess you now officially have one that got away,” he chuckled as his brother shot him a dirty look.

  Deuce brushed off his backside while he got up off the ground. “This isn’t over by a long shot. That woman doesn’t play fair. She wants to play hardball, we can play hardball.”

  Baby interjected. “I think she doesn’t plan to play with any ball associated with you. Kat is very picky in who she dates. She’s very detail oriented and one hell of a stockcar racer, not to mention a great history professor.”

  Harley looked into the crowd to catch a glimpse of Kat again. Then he tugged on Baby’s wrist. “She’s a history professor and a stockcar racer? You’re kidding, right?”

  Baby shook her head as she began zipping up her coverall. As she brought her bike off the trailer she explained. “Kat does legends stockcar racing on the weekends. During the weekdays, she teaches Ancient History at the community college. She graduated high school early. The woman is a genius.”

  “Obviously not, since she had the gall to reject me. The woman must be cuolo loco,” Deuce snorted as he helped Baby with tightening her chaps.

  Dia slapped her brother across the back of his head. “She is not a crazy ass. Harley, explain to our brother that women are just as capable and know what they want and don’t want.”

  Harley laughed at his brother and sister. Baby was caught in the middle of the verbal volleys, but instead of feeling intimidated, she was dishing them out with fervor. Harley looked at her as if she went from a wanton to a pure professional motocross racer in a blink of an eye. She laughed and winked at him, showing that she was still the same person on the inside.

  He sidled closer so his thigh was against hers. He peered into her full-face helmet. “You called, madam?”

  She smiled and nodded, talking to him quietly so no one else would overhear them. “I wanted to thank you for coming today. It means a lot. With Doc sick, there was no way for her to make it. Having you and your family here, it’s special to me. Thanks.”

  Harley’s lips grazed hers lightly. The touch was like igniting dry kindling wood. The heat rose quickly, but they both knew that now was not the time. Baby broke the kiss with a heartfelt sigh. She had missed him over the past few days. No matter what she said aloud, truth was that when he wasn’t around, Baby missed him fiercely. She wasn’t sure how it happened and how things would turn out, but for once in her life, she was determined to enjoy this relationship while it lasted.

  The overhead public address system called for all riders to report to the course entrance. Baby started her dirt bike’s engine. As she inched her way forward, each of Harley’s family hugged her and wished her the best of luck. He went last. Harley held her close, his nose sniffling in her hair. She felt like one of the most beautiful women in the world, even with all the gas, dirt and other motocross smells surrounding her.

  “You better win this race or I’m going to have doubts, Miss Simmons. Plus, I’ve got a one-on-one victory party planned for us tonight,” he huskily whispered.

  “Aye, Motorcycle Man. I hear and obey. Now let me go. I’ll see you in fifteen laps,” Baby countered playfully as she eased her bike forward.

  * * * *

  As she cleared the main crowd area, she rode her bike towards the starting gate. Her bike was alive under her touch, Harley realized as Baby hopped over various mogul bumps on her route to the gate. Harley inhaled sharply and his hands clenched when Baby popped a wheelie while jumping off a ten-foot drop. The crowd “oohed” and “aahed” at her jump. Until that moment, Harley never realized the risks that Baby took while racing.

  She slid her bike so when she stopped, Baby was parked perfectly in her starting spot. Baby then blew kisses to some of the kids in the specially decorated stand area. Some of the littler kids had toy motorcycles they were holding up mimicking what she’d done to impress them.

  Harley clapped with the rest of the crowd while the announcer began introducing the riders and their numbers. When Baby’s name was announced, the little kids hooted and hollered her name. Harley found himself joining in. These motocrosses could be quite fun.

  The starter walked to the edge of the fencing. He raised his pistol into the air and once the shot was heard, the racers rushed out of the gated area. There were about twenty racers in this class. Harley had learned a bit about motocross from talking to Baby. She was in the top middle of the pack as they came to the first curve.

  The pack seemed to move as one unit as they negotiated the turn and the mini-moguls. They began to splinter into smaller groups as they took the jumps, curves, and hills in stride. Some of the less experienced riders hit the boundary bumpers and were out of the running. Baby, however, remained in the thick of it as they continued following the course set out.

  * * * *

  The small groups stayed fairly close t
o each other. Baby was in the middle of the lead pack. She was biding her time to jump in front. She played this strategy many a time for a win. The bikes were flying fairly fast and the adrenaline rush thrummed through her body. She was reveling in the thrill of the race.

  Baby mentally played out the next set of jumps and turns. She knew that Grant and Kat were near her. They too would wait until the next lap before making their move for the lead position. Baby leaned to the left with her bike as she took the last curve without throttling down.

  Baby knew the next set of moguls were just past the four foot drop. As she lifted herself off her seat of the motorcycle, Baby caught a glimmer of metal off to her right side. Suddenly the silver flashed across her face as Baby tumbled head over bike over the jump.

  Everyone in the crowd let out a gasp of shock as another rider, right before the drop, cut off Baby. Everything looked like slow motion was Baby’s bike flipped with her on it. Baby released the bike as while her body hurtled over the drop. She tried to tuck into a ball so she’d be less of target from the bikes behind her. Her body slammed into the hard ground causing her to let out a yell.

  * * * *

  Harley saw Baby flip off her bike and hit the ground with a thud that seemed to shake everything within him. As he took in her prone form on the ground, which suddenly moved into trying to huddle into a ball, he tried to climb over the barricades of where he and his family were standing. Hands pulled him back. “Baby!” Harley yelled. “Damnit, let me go. She’s hurt. I need to get to Baby!”

  “Harley, they’ll get people out to her as soon as the packs get passed her,” Deuce said sympathetically. “We’ve got to be patient. They’ve done this before. Accidents like this happen all the time.”

  “Not to the woman I love they don’t. I can’t believe she risks her life like this. She can’t do this again. I won’t let her,” Harley ground out between clenched teeth. “What’s taking them so long? The riders are past her. Let me go, Deuce. I need to help her.”

  “No way, big brother. Let the professionals do it. We don’t know what kind of injuries she’s sustained.” Deuce pulled his brother back from the barricades. “Why don’t we go to where the ambulance is parked? That way when they bring her out of the course, we’ll be right there.”

  Harley nodded, his eyes never leaving Baby’s still form. His heart pounded against his chest as the worst scenarios filtered through his brain. She could be unconscious or even dead. The very thought of losing Baby staggered him. He couldn’t lose her, he just couldn’t. He hadn’t told her that he loved her.

  As he and his brother arrived at the ambulance, Harley watched a small crew of four make their way to where Baby fell. She hadn’t moved yet. He knew that wasn’t a good sign. His brother was speaking to one of the medical technicians while he watched the people work on Baby. When he saw her lift one of her hands up, he let out his breath that he’d been holding.

  “She’s conscious,” Harley said to no one in particular. “That’s good.”

  The technician talking to Deuce responded to Harley. “Yeah, they think she’s been unconscious all this time. She was just coming around when they reached her. They’re not sure if she’s got any broken bones or not.”

  Harley watched impatiently. “Well I’d think it’d be obvious. Damn, I wish Doc Forrester were here. She’d get things done.”

  The two techs nodded and chuckled. "If Doc was here, they’d have her up and out of there already. Doc didn’t wait for no one. It’s what made her so effective and also a pain in the butt,” the other one said with a smile.

  They all watched as one of the doctors removed Baby’s helmet. Her chestnut hair spilled out over the ground. Baby’s one hand moved to touch her head. Harley tried to make out what she was trying to tell them. “Do you think she’s hurt badly?”

  One of the techs responded. “Baby is one of our toughest competitors. Very rarely does she get injured. If she does get hurt, it takes a lot to take her out. That fall off the drop could do it though. Okay they’re going to get her up and move her here. You two need to step back a bit, okay?”

  Harley and Deuce stepped back as the team helped Baby to her feet. She took two steps then sat down. Harley could tell that Baby was feeling dizzy. Those two steps weren’t even close to being straight. Two of the team each took one of Baby’s arms to help guide her. She had a grip on them as she slowly stood again. Slowly, they got to where the ambulance crew waited.

  Baby gave the techs, Harley, and Deuce a shaky smile. “Can we not do this again? I think I’ve got some cracked ribs and I know I’ve got a concussion. I’m still feeling dizzy as all get out though,” Baby related carefully.

  The techs sat her on the back of the ambulance while they ran through their assessment checks. The doctors who examined her out on the field also gave their conclusions. One of the doctors opened up the field kit. Baby carefully unzipped her suit and pushed it off her shoulders and down around her waist. The doctor helped lift the shirt a bit and wound the support tape around her ribs.

  Harley waited while the doctors and the medical technicians finished taking care of Baby. He watched them run through a battery of tests to make sure she was coherent and not holding back about any pain or injuries she might’ve gotten in the wreck. Baby moved her arms and legs in the motions requested. She let them look into her eyes with a scope as they checked for concussion. After they were done, one of the techs motioned Harley to see her.

  “Do us a big favor and make her rest. She’s stubborn enough to try to do other things instead of recuperating. One of the helpers took her bike back to her trailer,” the male technician said to Harley.

  “I’ll do what I can,” Harley commented. He sat next to Baby. She didn’t look at him. “How are you doing?”

  Baby closed her eyes then opened them thoughtfully. “I’m sore, embarrassed, and achy all over. I’m sorry you all had to see me fall. That move the other rider did was very risky. I’m just lucky I’m not dead with a broken neck.”

  Harley took one of her hands and kissed it. He kept her hand against his cheek. His heart was still pounding with fear. His other hand cupped her chin to face him. “Listen to me. I’m happy you’re okay. I knew you took risks racing, but I didn’t know how big the risks were until I saw you fall. I’m going to be honest, Baby. I don’t want you to ever race again. I don’t think my heart can take you getting hurt again.”

  Her eyes widened with emotions Harley couldn’t begin to understand. Her chest rose as she took a breath and then lowered when she let it out slowly. She removed her hand from his.

  “Harley, I’ll race if I choose to race. You’ve got no claim on me except what I give you. Racing is part of my life. You also seem to forget the fact that I don’t race that often anymore. What gives you the right to ask such a thing from me?”

  Harley reeled back as if Baby slapped him. “I care for you deeply. I’m falling in love with you, Baby. There’s no way I can deal with you racing and the possibility of you getting hurt.”

  Baby stood up. Her legs were a bit weak but nothing she couldn’t handle. This wasn’t the first time she’d been shaken by a fall. But it was a first for her emotions to be tossed about as well.

  Don’t lose it. Just keep it together until you get out of here.

  “Then I’m sorry. This is part of who I am. If you can’t accept that, then you don’t accept me. Goodbye, Harley. It was wonderful while it lasted.” Baby turned on her heel and strode off towards where her bike and truck were.

  Chapter Eight

  Three days later, Baby sat in her office. The song on the radio reminded her of Harley. Then again, the letter sitting on top of correspondence also reminded her of him. She brushed back a stray lock of hair while rereading the mail. One of her fellow restorers had found exactly what she’d been looking for. The only problem was it was for Harley.

  After getting her things loaded that Saturday, Baby made quick excuses to Harley’s family. She knew that his brothe
r would tell them what happened, so she wanted to be far away before she broke down into tears. Before she left, Dia hugged her and gave her phone number to her. That night was spent in tears, realizing once again that no man could ever accept her the way she was. But this time, her heart was broken, not her pride.

  “I can’t believe I forgot I sent out requests for the bike to some of my restoration buddies,” Baby said aloud to herself. “What the hell do I do? Should I get him the bike and charge him as planned? Or do I just cancel the damn order?”

  She put the letter to the side while she pondered on what to do. The calendar that hung on the wall across from her seemed to mock her. There sat a Road King Classic in all its glory. The memories of Harley had been so bad that she moved the bike seat from her office to a storage room. Right now memories were her enemies.

  The private line rang. Baby jolted out of her pity moment and picked up the receiver. “Hello, Charlie’s Bike Shop.”

  “Baby? This is Doc. What the hell is going on between you and Harley?”

  “Nothing, Doc. It’s over. He got all over protective when I fell Saturday. Told me I had to quit. So, I broke off our relationship. Why?” Baby said, trying to hide the loss from her voice.

  Baby could hear Doc take a couple of breaths while thinking. When she was just about ready to ask if Doc was okay, Doc spoke again.

  “Harley has been here tonight looking for you. He told me that you reacted badly to what he said on Saturday. When I questioned him, I found out about his demanding that you quit racing. We talked quite a bit on things. We also talked about Todd,” Doc said mildly.

  “You told him about Todd? Why did you do that?”

  “Baby, you’ve let how Todd treated you in the past influence on how you think rich guys will treat you now. All men aren’t the creeps that Todd was. Harley loves you, Charlie. He really does and wants to make this work out.”