Charlie stopped and moved to stand before me. “Can I tell them about us? I mean, only if they ask, but I want themto 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 whenwe 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 askeda lotof 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.
