Sweet Carolina(7)

Caro contemplated her situation. It was possible Dell was off the market. There were a few people in the business who could keep their mouths shut. She stashed the grim reports in her briefcase, flicked the light switch, and shut the door behind her. With nothing more than the illuminated exit signs to light her way, she made her way to the front of the building, past trophy cases gleaming with evidence of past glories.

Caro ran her fingertips over the hood of the display car, standing sentinel in the middle of the lobby – a testament to the heyday of Hawkins Racing, when nearly every car on the circuit ran a Hawkins engine. The garage was busy around the clock to keep up with the demand, as well as field their own drivers. Plural. When she left for boarding school, Hawkins Racing ran three cars in the Cup Series, and twice that many in the lower series.

It was time for new trophies and past time to replace the relics of days gone by with something new. Something that would represent the future of Hawkins Racing.

A warm breeze caressed her cheek and lifted the single strand of hair dangling from her sleek updo as she turned to lock the front door. No use dwelling on it any longer. When it came to options, no matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise, there was only one thing she could do.

* * * *

She didn't know what she expected, but this wasn't it. Even though she'd seen Dell on TV dozens, hundreds of times since he'd grown up, nothing could prepare her for the sight of him in person. He stood framed in the doorway, lit from a light somewhere in the cavern of his house, while Caro stood on the darkened porch, staring. Dell Wayne. All grown up. And scowling.

“Hello, Dell,” she said.

“Carolina?” His scowl turned to a smile as recognition dawned.

“How have you been?” she asked.

“Fine,” he said stepping back and sweeping his arm in invitation. “Come in, come in.”

Caro stepped past him into the marbled entryway. The door closed behind her with a solid thunk, and she turned to her host.

“My, my. Who would have thought little Carolina Hawkins would turn out like…” He eyed her up and down. “This.” He shook his head. “It's good to see you, Caro.”

“It's good to see you too, Dell.”

Silence descended as Dell stood smiling and staring at her as if he couldn't believe his eyes. “Oh, hey…come in.” He led the way and Caro followed him to the source of the light – a large den furnished with comfortable, overstuffed brown leather furniture and a flat-screen TV that would rival the giant HDTV at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Have a seat. Can I get you anything? Beer, soda, water?”

“No, thanks,” Caro said as she sank to the edge of the long sofa. “I'm good.” In better lighting, Dell was even more striking than he was on TV. He'd been a cute kid, but back then, she hadn't given a thought to the man he would become. He was tall for a driver. Nearly six feet, she guessed. His body was lean, and the way he moved suggested a well-toned musculature that obeyed his every command. His dark hair was in need of a trim, but on him, it looked good. The laughing blue eyes she remembered were still startlingly clear, but now there was something about them, a depth that wasn't there when he was younger. She supposed it went along with growing up.

Dell wasn't a kid anymore. He was a man. A good-looking one with boatloads of money and he drove racecars. Women probably showed up on his doorstep every day, offering him…anything he wanted. Caro swallowed hard as she thought about the things she might be inclined to offer him if things were different. If she weren't here to offer him a job.

Dell flopped into the chair across from her and was almost swallowed up by the billowing cushions. “Wow,” he said. “I can't believe you're here. I mean… in my house. After all these years.”

“Well…”

“Hey,” he sat forward and his smile vanished. “I'm sorry about your dad. He was a great guy.”

“Thanks. He liked you too.”

Dell's smile returned. “Maybe. I seem to recall him threatening to paddle my butt a time or two.”

A little of the anxiety that tightened her shoulders slipped away and she smiled at the memory. This was familiar territory. Between them, they shared thousands of memories. “Yes, but you always talked him out of it, even when you deserved it.”

“I did.” Dell seemed to focus on something only he could see. His tone turned somber. “Those were good times.”

“They were. I loved every minute of being at the tracks. I loved the giant campground, the smell of barbecue grills and the constant roar of engines. It was great place to be a kid.”

“We had fun.”