Cade

 

With the end of spring came the heat of the summer months. The days blended into one another, and quickly turned into weeks then months. We were constantly busy, preparing the cars, practicing, and testing at various tracks. I loved the work. The only thing I regretted was the lack of time I had with Harlan and Dillon.

Every track seemed to blend into the next as we traveled. Sometimes I forgot where we were.

“We’re gonna go with four and a wedge adjustment,” Kyle announced as Julius pulled down pit road for what was probably his final stop of the day. With thirty laps to go, Julius was poised for a top-five finish, and more importantly he was in contention for a win.

“Ten-four,” I said, acknowledging Kyle’s orders. The crew poised ourselves on the pit wall, ready to leap into action the moment Julius came to a stop. Eleven and six-tenths seconds later, Julius was back on the track in second place with four new tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment.

“Woohoo!” Julius shouted into the airwaves. “Nice stop fellas!”

“Excellent job, guys. Y’all get faster every week. Keep that up and y’all are gonna get the Most Valuable Pit Crew award this year,” Kyle announced.

High fives all around, we went back over the wall to get ready for another stop, in case there was a caution. We all kept our eyes on the monitors to see how Julius and his teammates were doing, along with helping to plan any further strategies. I also liked watching the other teams around us as they performed their stops. Never knew where the inspiration for new drills to better the team would strike. I especially paid attention today since Harlan’s crew was only a few spots away. I liked to keep an eye on them, so I could weed out any issues the next time we practiced. I also liked to know how she was fairing.

Our ‘non’-date was amazing, but since we’ve barely spoken in the days following, I didn’t know exactly how she felt. All our time was spent practicing, qualifying, and preparing the cars for the race. I found it difficult even to see her when all we did was prepare, work, then pack everything to go home after.

“What’s goin’ on with you?” Toni asked, looking at me curiously after we secured the car inside the hauler. Doors closed, truck pulling away, and guys headed off in every direction to prepare to go home, Toni and I stood alone in the crowded garage.

“Nothing’s goin’ on. Why?”

Toni rolled her eyes. “Let’s see; you aren’t actin’ like yourself. You’re distracted, your eyes keep wandering around the garage, and you are quieter than normal. Obviously, something’s on your mind.”

“It’s nothin’, Toni. Just got shit on my mind. The last couple days have been shitty.” I was kind of out of it today. The silence was killing me. Not knowing what Harlan felt or if I should pursue her, was driving me crazy. I wasn’t accustomed to chasing anyone.

“So, what else is new? But you’re just actin’ different. What’s goin’ on?”

I eyed Toni, not sure if I wanted to get into this with her. Since she got engaged, she’d become quite meddlesome in other people’s love lives. It was annoying. Besides, admitting something was bothering me and being vulnerable enough to talk about it was not something I was used to doing.

Fuck it; maybe she could help me get my head straight.

“Harlan,” I sighed. “She’s keepin’ me at an arm’s length.”

Toni nodded like she understood. “And you’ve decided you want the whole thing?” she asked. “You decided you want the relationship with her and Dillon? Last time we talked, you didn’t seem positive that’s what you wanted.”

“I can’t stop thinkin’ about her, or Dil. I love bein’ around them, I love how open and loving Dil is with me. She felt somethin’, I know she did, and it made her run.”

“If what you feel is real, then I’m behind you. We’ll show her you aren’t goin’ anywhere, and that she’d be stupid to let you go.” She paused and gave me a gentile smile. “I’ll see what I can do on my end.” The twinkle in Toni’s eyes was a little disconcerting. When she set her mind to something, most people didn’t stand a chance. Harlan didn’t stand a chance.

***

Before I knew it, we were preparing the haulers for another race. It was hard to talk to Harlan when we were both busy ten hours out of each day, and I never wanted to take away from her spending time with Dillon. He needed his momma a whole hell of a lot more than I needed to talk to her. But I missed them both. I missed what was starting, with me being around and playing with Dil and spending time with Harlan.

Tonight, was the night that I was going to show her that I wasn’t going anywhere, friends or more. I quickly packed for the weekend, then drove to Harlan’s house and got to work.

Before she stopped talking to me, Dil kept asking to go camping. He wanted to sleep in a sleeping bag, inside a tent, and eat food cooked on a fire. His four-year-old mind had it all planned, and I was going to make it come true. Hopefully, Harlan wouldn’t fight me on this.

I set to work in Harlan’s backyard. The tent took up a considerable space in the field behind her house. I started building a fire pit and a fire, and prepared hotdogs and items to make s’mores. Then I waited. About thirty minutes later I heard the crunch of gravel under tires in the parking lot just on the other side of the small house. The sweet sound of Dillon’s voice traveled easily through the valley, echoing between the buildings.

“Momma, Cade’s bike is here. Is Cade here?”

“He’s probably just visiting Bobby, Dillon. Come on, we need to eat dinner.”

Keys jingled, then silence fell once again. I assumed they had entered the house. This played out exactly as I hoped. I wanted them to go into the house before discovering my surprise.

I heard distant thuds of what I assumed was Dillon running through the small house. About two minutes later, a tap on the window got my attention as his smiling face peered out the window.

“Momma!” Dillon shouted. His voice traveled through the window as if it wasn’t there. “There’s a tent and a fire, and Cade’s outside!” He thundered through the house.

Dillon burst outside, grinning ear to ear. “Cade?”

“Hey, buddy,” I said as Dillon ran over and hugged me. “I promised you a campout, so here I am.”

“Momma, we’re sleeping outside tonight!” Dil announced.

I glanced up to find Harlan coming out the back door, behind Dillon. Stopping dead in her tracks, she looked at me, the tent, and the fire. Her cautious gaze bounced around taking in all I had spread out

“What are you doing here?”

“I promised Dil we’d camp out,” I explained, simply. “I’m here to fulfill my promise.”

Her eyes widened, and her perfect lips opened as she took in a quick breath. Before she had a chance to put a stop to my plans, I picked Dillon up and placed him on my knee. With a long skewer in hand, I showed him how to cook his first hotdog on the fire. The sizzling meat and smell of the burning wood, brought back so many memories from my childhood, camping with my family. I loved that I could share this with Dillon.

“Now, you can’t get any closer than this line.” I planned and placed a rope around the fire pit, so Dillon knew where he could go. He jumped from my lap and stood just outside the circle, reaching his hotdog into the flames.

After a few moments, I dared to look up to where Harlan stood. She hadn’t moved a single inch since I handed Dillon his hotdog. I held a skewer out toward her and gestured at the chair next to me. “Come on and eat.”

She moved cautiously to the chair, took the hotdog, and placed it into the flames. Her eyes wide with wonder, she seemed dumbstruck. Almost like she didn’t know how to handle all this. She stared at Dillon, who stood so still outside of the rope circle. Her eyes held so many questions, or maybe she was trying to formulate her argument.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him stand so still,” Harlan said with amazement.

I chuckled. “Yeah, it’s amazing what giving a little instruction and responsibility does to a kid.” All I had to do was explain how he would get hurt if he crossed the circle and Dillon listened. When I spoke to my mother about my plans and asked her how she got three active four-year-olds to stay still enough to cook over a fire when we were young, she explained. She, dad, and Toni’s dad were always near, but she explained the danger in a way we would understand. I wouldn’t trust him alone, but I talked to him in a way that made him comprehend that he could get hurt.

“Cade, is my hotdog done yet?” Dillon asked, hopping between his mother and me, his eyes lit with excitement.

“Looks good, little man. You want a bun and ketchup?” Dillon nodded and jumped around away from the fire while I prepared his plate with his hotdog and some roasted vegetables. I placed his food on the blanket, next to his mother and handed him a juice box.

“Cade, this is amazing,” Harlan finally said. She glanced at her son, chomping down on his hotdog. He had an excited glint in his eyes. When she turned back to me, she beamed warmly. “I can’t believe you did all this. It’s too much.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” I said with a smirk.

Once dinner was complete, and the food was cleaned up, I pulled out the marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers.

Dillon ran up next to me and stared wide-eyed at the contents in front of me. “What’s that?” he asked, confused.

“We’re gonna make some s’mores. Have you ever had one before?”

Dillon shook his head. “No, what is it.”

I shot my gaze over to Harlan. “This boy has never had a s’more?”

She shook her head. “We’ve never cooked on a fire before. This isn’t something my family ever did. This is all new for both of us.”

“Well then, let’s get started. Y’all are in for a treat.”

Harlan and Dillon stood by the fire together. Mother and son, experiencing something new together. The sweet smell of roasted marshmallows filled the air, paired with the sweet sound of happy murmurs when they took the first bites of their treats. The best part was watching Harlan and Dillon explore something they’d never experienced before. I was excited to have the ability to introduce something new to them both.

We talked and sang songs until darkness settled in. Then, we explored with flashlights, told stories around the fire, and roasted more marshmallows. After a while Dillon repeatedly yawned, while insisting he wasn’t ready for bed.

“Come on, little man,” I said. “Take a look inside the tent; it’s cool.” I handed him a flashlight.

Beams of light bobbed around the tent as his giggles surrounded us. His chubby little hand twittered about as he bounced around, excitedly. “There are sleeping bags,” Dillon announced. “I want to sleep in a sleeping bag.”

“Go ahead,” I said. “Pick the one you want, and climb inside.” Dillon did what I said and climbed into the sleeping bag in the middle. He sighed, contentedly as his drowsy eyes fluttered. In a matter of moments, he was sleeping.

“He was tired,” I said to Harlan. “Does he always fall asleep that quickly?”

“He’s had a long day. The daycare took them to the playground today.” She sat back and relaxed. “He’s always fallen asleep quickly. His little body knows when it’s bedtime. It doesn’t matter where he is, he will fall right to sleep.”

While she talked, I sat back in my chair and started poking at the fire. I pulled two beers from the cooler with the juice boxes. She drank her beer and sat contentedly, staring at the flames.