And their baby. Fuck, he was going to be dad!
The joy that had undulated over him at the news had been like a tidal wave. And then that joy was replaced with fear, and worry; was the baby okay? With Shaun’s cracked ribs, the concussion… was everything okay? With her? Christ, he needed to know. He needed to know she was okay.
The vehicle behind him nudged him just the slightest on the back end and his hands shook with the effort of keeping his car straight, the entire car shaking violently before coming back to center. “Fuck,” he hissed through clenched teeth as he lost several paces as he corrected. “Dammit. Get your head in the fucking race, Kasey.”
The whole back end of his car shifted, and he had half a heartbeat to realize what was happening. Training forgotten, he struggled to hold the car steady as it vaulted sideways before being slammed by an oncoming car, the crunch of metal on metal and the scream of metal grinding on pavement, lighting up his peripheral vision with sparks.
Bashed into the concrete barrier between the track and the stands filled with fans, his head bounced off the metal cage inside his helmet, then as quickly as it started, it all stoppedas he came to a standstill, crushed between two cars and the concrete barrier as he faced the opposite direction on the track.
“Fuuuuck,” Kasey shouted, squeezing his eyes shut. “Fuck.”
“K.C., you okay in there, kid?” Randy’s voice came over his headset. “Caution Flag is out. We’ll get you out of there as quickly as we can.”
“Heard,” Kasey muttered, opening his eyes to survey the damage. The car next to him was smoking, and ahead, he could see the firetruck and ambulance headed their way. “Sorry, Randy.”
“Don’t be sorry, kid,” his pit boss said. “Hansen lost control and it was all over. Took out half the fucking racers. Fucking rookie.”
Minutes later he was being helped out of his car through the window.
The crowd around them cheered as he landed on his feet on the pavement. He reached up and unhooked the toggles of his helmet, then took it off, tossing it back into the open window of his car. He rolled his head around his shoulders to stretch, then waved to the fans as he was walked toward one of the ambulances. He was checked over for a concussion, though that was ruled out quickly, which he was grateful for. His body was stiff from the crash, but he adamantly told the paramedics he was fine, and that he could wait until they’d finished checking the other drivers before assisting him any further.
“Kasey!”
The distant shout of his name didn’t bring his head around, so many fans were screaming his name as he and a paramedic walked toward his pit crew that he didn’t even care to pay attention.
“Kasey fucking Corcoran!”
Snapping his head up, he glanced around, his heart quickening.There was no way—
“Ma’am, you can’t be back here—” he heard to his left, and he shifted his gaze, scanning the hundreds of faces along Pit Row. “Hey, stop! How did you even get in here?”
“Kasey!”
That was when he saw her, being held back by two security guards on the other side of the tape behind his team’s bay, waving her arms over her head to get his attention. Her curly hair was wild around her head, like a testament to just how fucking crazy she was.
“Let her go!” he shouted as he rushed toward them. “I said let her go! She’s with me!”
They released her, letting her step past them and she hurried toward him.God damn she was gorgeous.
He reached for her at the same time that she launched herself into his arms, her sharp intake of breath the only sign that she was in any kind of pain. He held her to him, lifting her off her feet as he walked them back toward the bay and out of the way of curious fans craning their necks for a view.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked heatedly, setting her down and clasping her face between both of his still gloved hands. She reached up and curled her fingers around his where they were cupping her jaw. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him soundly, their lips and tongues meeting fiercely. Breathless, she pulled away and he pressed his forehead to hers, their lips meeting in brief, sweet kisses.She was here.
“I followed you,” she whispered against his mouth, and the smile she bestowed upon him was breathtaking.That fucking smile, the one he’d been waiting what felt like a lifetime for. “You ran. I followed.”
“What changed your mind?” he asked hoarsely, his heart climbing its way into his throat at her words. Emotion clogged his throat and their bodies angled against each other, swaying together.
“You did,” she murmured, her blue eyes searching his. “I’m sorry, Kasey. I’m sorry I pushed you away because of my own stubborn pride. You were right. About all of it.”
His heart hammered in his chest triple time, and he barely dared to breathe as he stared down into those blue eyes he loved so much. He swallowed hard, his throat working around the emotion clogging his throat, tightening his chest.
Squeezing his fingers where they still clasped her face, she whispered as tears glistened in her eyes, “I love you, Kasey. I fell in love with you the second I saw you at Shane and Cassie’s wedding. I’m just a prideful, stubborn mule and couldn’t—wouldn’t—let myself see what a great thing I had right in front of me. I would rather fight with you every single day, and make love with you every night, than to be with anybody else in this life. I want to have this baby with you.”
“What about the other thing?” he asked gruffly, his face lowering toward hers.
“Well,” she whispered, that mischievous glint that he loved so much shining in her eyes, “Tommy’s proposal was much more romantic—”
“Woman, I’ll turn your ass pink,” he warned on a growl, though his lips had curved up into a smile as he stared down at her. At the face that he wanted to stare at every day for the rest of his days. She smiled knowingly, biting her lower lip, and his breathing turned ragged as desire crashed through him at the sight. “Will you marry me, Shaun? Marry me, let me be your Superman, your rock, your everything?”
