Chapter Eight
Jax did call. And they had a pleasant conversation. Jax said he missed Megan already. She agreed she missed him, too. And other circumstances, where he was closer, and they could act on their feelings, it would have been a good conversation, a welcomed conversation. But it wasn’t, because there was no way they could bridge the physical gap between them. Megan was gracious and Jax was kind and they both went on about their lives. Jax had a big race in a few days and they were filled with preparation which meant there was less and less time for Megan. She understood. She didn’t hold it against him.
So, Megan did what any girl would do. She filled her days with things to do so she didn’t have to miss him so much.
Bonnie and Joanne did their best to help her through the absence of the love of her life, but it proved harder with each day that passed. Megan was there but she wasn’t there.
“Why don’t you just go out there to him, surprise him,” Joanne suggested.
“Then what? See him and then come back to Chandlerville,” Megan asked as the three women sat in Cassie’s Café, enjoying white chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies which were Megan’s favorite. She just picked at hers though which was wildly out of character.
“Or you could relocate,” Bonnie suggested.
Both Joanne and Megan looked at Bonnie, shocked at her suggestion.
“And leave everything I know and love? My kids at the school, my parents, you two?”
“He’s not in a foreign country, Megan. He lives in Atlanta, there are planes that go in and out of Hartsfield Jackson hundreds of times a day.”
“And you would be okay with that,” Megan asked, almost disappointed in how cavalier Bonnie suggested.
“Of course, I wouldn’t be okay with that. I would miss you terribly, but it would also give me the chance to visit the big city. And I believe in love, doing anything for real love and you and Jax are what real love is all about.”
That Joanne couldn’t disagree with, but she didn’t like the idea of her sister no longer living a stone’s through away.
“I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to stop teaching or leave my family and friend,” Megan sighed. “I also don’t like the idea of my picture being taken everywhere we went because I’m on the arm of the famous Jax Sutton. I don’t like the idea of stepping into his world. I would rather he step into mine.”
“Isn’t that kind of selfish though,” Joanne asked. Megan’s eyes lifted from their downcast position and examined her sister.
“I know but that’s how I feel.”
“It’s still selfish though,” Joanne repeated. “Would it be fair for Jax to give up everything for you?”
“No,” Megan bemoaned. “That’s why I have accepted that this relationship isn’t going to work. It has no place to go; no non-selfish options.”
“If this conversation was designed to cheer me up, it didn’t,” Megan said.
It was race day. Just as she’d done before, Megan wore her favorite pajamas as she prepared for the big event. She popped some popcorn and uncorked a bottle of wine. She wasn’t much of a drinker but seeing Jax in living color, could be exhilarating and heart breaking at the same time. That’s what the wine was for, to assuage the potential heartbreak. Although Bonnie and Jo offered to watch the race with her, Megan preferred to watch alone, just in case.
Megan decided that volume wasn’t necessary for the preliminaries. She didn’t want to hear all the speculation about who was projected to win or his background or anything else. She was nervous about watching the race itself. This time it was different. Before, Jax was a hot race driver that she crushed on. Now, Jax Sutton was a man that she loved, and he said he loved her. It was different. There was a lot more at stake. She considered keeping the volume off during the race, but Megan she didn’t.
The pretty girl did the ceremonial flag thing. She was extra pretty since this was the final. Megan scoffed but then tried to track and see if Jax could be looking in her direction.
“Come on Meg, that’s ridiculous,” she chastised herself. “How are you going to see that?”
She was out of sorts. And then the camera panned to the line-up of drivers and all thoughts about the flag girl and anything else went out the window as the camera focused on the love of her life.
Damn he looks good, Megan said to herself.
Before long, the checkered flag was up, and the cars were moving around the track. Megan started nervous eating and drinking. Without even thinking about it, she drank one glass and then half of the other. When it got down to the final few laps and Jax was in the mix, jockeying to hold his position and not lose ground, all eating, and drinking stopped. Megan was right there with him; cheering him on and trying to keep from biting her nails the race was so sketchy. Megan’s eyes grew larger as the driver commentated what she hoped she wasn’t seeing. The driver behind Jax’s car was so close to his bumper that at any second, if Jax relaxed on the gas or the other guy sped up, there would certainly be a crash. And that’s what made her heart beat so hard it felt like it would crash through her chest because the guy in the back wasn’t letting up. And the car in front of Jax hadn’t accelerated enough for Jax to speed up or try to make his way around.
Megan couldn’t scream anymore or say anything. She was paralyzed in fear seeing the love she always wanted in trouble. And then it happened. Jax managed to make a quick move that pushed the car in front of him just enough for him to weave around and get out of the jam he was in. the car in the rear wasn’t anticipating the move, over corrected and ended up spinning out; landing in the median with his tires chewing up the grassy knoll. Megan’s heart leapt, and she thought she would pass out. Her voice returned, and she screamed loudly cheering Jax on. The crowd went wild and so did the announcer as the two cars in front fought to the finish.
“It’s down to the final two with a quarter of a mile to go. Jax Sutton and Dan Mosley are vying to be the champ and it’s down to the wire. It’s anyone’s game! Who will it be?” The announcer called. Megan was on the edge of the couch. Her eyes were glued to the screen. She couldn’t move. It was the final curve.
Come on Jax, come on baby, please, just a little bit more. Come on, were the words that were on repeated down the final stretch. One car nosed in front of the other and then the other nosed in front. There wasn’t much more space left for jockeying. It was down to the last few feet, and then, a winner was declared.
Tears flowed from her eyes as she watched Jax Sutton taking the victory lap. He did it. Jax Sutton was holding the checkered flag and grinning from ear to ear and he was the winner. Megan couldn’t be more thrilled for him. Jax worked so hard to get to that place and he did it. He accomplished everything he set out to accomplish and he was the winner. Mean watched as he drove his car to the stage and climbed out, removing his helmet and waving to the legions of fans in the stands and on the other side of the cameras; people that were watching from all over the country and maybe even the world. It was a proud moment and his family was there with Jax when he was presented with the big check and the championship trophy.
The announcer on stage with Jax asked if he had anything he wanted to say to the fans. Megan watched as Jax took the microphone. The crowd erupted again even though he hadn’t uttered a word. He smiled and waved and eventually the crowd quieted sufficiently for Jax to speak.
“Wow, that’s all I can say is wow. This has been an incredible journey and there are so many people behind the scenes that make it happen for me. Thanks to my sponsors, my crew, the mechanics who keep y car in tip-top shape. Thanks to my fans and my family. Without all of you none of this is possible.”
There was another round of cheers. Megan smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Before Jax handed the microphone back, he waited for the noise to die down one more time.
“Just one more thing,” Jax began. He looked directly into the closest camera and anyone watching could see the blueness of his eyes.
“There is a special someone who couldn’t be here with me today. Megan, I know you’re watching because I feel your presence. I know you prayed for me as I felt God’s hand of protection. I know you love me, because I felt it in my soul. I love you. I love you more than words can say, and I can’t wait to see you.”
Once again, Jax Sutton left her speechless. He just announced on national television that he had a special girl, that there was someone in his life for all the world to hear and that special someone was her. The tears that fell this time were not for Jax. The tears Megan shed hearing his words, were for the girl who dreamed; who fantasized about a forever love.