‘I’m also just excited to go to Nashville. We’ve booked the most incredible hotel so we can explore for a few days and Caleb can show me the sights.’ It’s the first stop on our US tour and I’m already sure it’ll be my favourite.
‘And this is where I’m glad you exist, because Jojo’s been talking about wanting to go there for years and I couldn’t think of anything worse, so I’ve been making up excuses not to go.’
‘On that note,’ Kian says, clapping his hands on his thighs. ‘We should probably start clearing away for the evening. I have the late feed to do, and Harper has an early-morning shoot.’ They both start to collect the plates and cups, bidding us goodnight before they slip into the cottage, leaving us cosy on the patio.
‘You fancy a walk? Go see the farm?’ I ask Caleb.
‘Mmm, I’m kind of comfy right now, but I guess I’d like to see the sheep Kian is clearly obsessed with.’
I give him the tour that Kian and Harper have given me plenty of times. I’ve suggested to Kian he do this for the public, but he’s not interested in opening up their home to the crazy fans. The nearby farm shop in their village is the compromise, and Kian pops in every now and again as a surprise to people.
‘Then up the top, that light in the distance, that’s where his sister and family live. I think we’re having lunch with them tomorrow. Elise is lovely, a great mum and sister, and her kids are brilliant, too. Crazy seeing Harper with them, but the first time I did, I knew he and Kian were going to be great dads one day.’
‘Yeah, they are like stupid in love, huh? I was almost sick watching them, but they work so well together,’ Caleb agrees.
‘They really do. They make each other so happy. Harper won’t want to be in this sport forever. He loves coming home to Kian, and there’s no way that he’ll start a family and travel for most of the year. He couldn’t.’
‘He’s said he’ll retire when he’s won more championships than Kian, though, right?’ I nod. ‘So how will he ever retire when you’re the best driver in the world?’
I can’t stop the way I smile, the confidence and belief this man has in me. ‘Honestly, I don’t actually think it’s that important to him. I think he just enjoys winding Kian up.’
* * *
Caleb
We’re a little jetlagged, but after nine months and twenty-one different countries on the road, when aren’t we jetlagged? Even so, Jo’s still keen to make it to my mom’s for dinner tonight. She promised him proper Tennessee BBQ– smoked chicken, wet and dry ribs and probably enough pulled pork to sink a ship. He’s been salivating over it for weeks and I can’t lie it’ll be nice to have a home-cooked meal. Plus, she makes the best mac and cheese in the world.
‘Gregg just messaged to say he’s in the arrivals bay, so we should head that way.’ Johannes is pulling two large cases behind him. I’ve never seen someone travel for a week’s vacation with so much stuff, but I have a feeling half of them are full of late Christmas presents.
‘And Gregg is the one with the three older kids, right? Sophia, Mikey and…’ He pauses, his face pulling tight as he tries to recall the third name. I think it’s adorable that he’s even tried to learn my whole crazy family, but I know he wants to make a good impression. ‘Sebastian!’
‘Correct. Look at you go, you’ve got the whole Hughes family tree nailed already.’
I met his parents after the last race of the season. After Prague, we flew to Germany for a couple of days.
Johannes’s parents were great, but it was a bit weird finding out they had no interest in racing and didn’t really watch any of Jo’s races. Still, I could see how much they cared about him in every other way.
He was in for a bit of a different experience here. My entire family adores sport, and they’ve all grown to love racing for the sake of it being the one sport I was interested in. Plus, they’re all competitive as hell, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they challenge Johannes to a race.
He stalls in the doorway of the exit to the pick-up area, wiping his palms on his trousers. ‘It’s going to be okay, right? She’s not going to be mad that I’m not a doctor or a lawyer or something? Or that I’m not from your hometown so I won’t force you to come back and live nearby.’
It’s very rare to see Johannes nervous. He never is when he gets in the car, unless his head’s been scrambled by some stupid ex-boyfriend, so the fact that he truly cares about what my mom might think, means a lot. ‘She’s going to love you, because I love you and you make me happy and that’s all she’s ever wanted for me.’
‘Plus, I could learn to love Tennessee. I mean, Nashville has always been my dream holiday so that’s a good start, right?’
I don’t tell him that I don’t need him to learn to love my hometown. I don’t even know ifIwant to settle down here, so there’s no reason for him to force himself to think about it.
‘Let’s just take it one trip at a time, okay? I’m not planning to give up my job on the road any time soon and I don’t think you are, either. So we have years before we need to figure out where we want to settle down.’
‘Years, huh?’
‘Years,’ I confirm before pecking a kiss to his lips. ‘Now move your hot ass. Gregg will start honking the horn if we don’t hurry up.
He’s not wrong, I take another couple steps out the door to the short stay pick-up and a horn blares. We race to the car and travel the short journey to my childhood home.
Mom hardly hugs me for a second before she’s scooting me out of the way to get a better look at Johannes. She eyes him way too appreciatively and then pulls him into the biggest hug she can manage. He’s caught off-guard for a second, before quickly catching up and hugging her back.
‘My boy, you did good. Look at this face, he’s so handsome and strong. Great cheekbones.’ She strokes a hand across the side of his face, and I swear Johannes is blushing. He never blushes when I do that!
