Page 152 of Lemon Crush

“So much for romance,” I muttered under my breath.

Wade heard me. He stepped forward and pulled me into his arms. “That sounds like a challenge, so get ready for it. I’m in love with you, August Retta. I was half in love with you for years, but I told myself it was never the right time for us to be together. I don’t care about timing anymore, and I’m done with waiting. I want this, with you, without any escape hatches or expiration dates. So, I’m saying yes to your proposal.”

Bernie squeaked and Chick swiftly interjected, “To be clear, no one has proposed to anyone. Believe me, I’ve been paying attention. You can’t throw the wordproposalaround at a moment like this without being specific, Captain.”

Wade swore as I stared at him in wide-eyed, open-mouthed silence. “Sorry, Lucy threw me off. I know you’re not there yet. I meant yes to doing this relationship for real. You and me. Living our lives together, wherever they take us. Whereveryouwant them to take us, up to an including a proposal at some future date when the word doesn’t make you look like you’re about to pass out, okay? I’m with you, Gus. I love you.”

“Finally,” I heard Rick say as Wade dragged me up on my toes and kissed me until they curled and I forgot my name. And then he kissed me some more.

All too soon, the car rolled back in and we were jostled to the side as the team got Rick strapped into it and onto the track.

I barely noticed.

Wade wasstillkissing me when I realized we’d somehow made it through the tent and into the RV.

I looked around, blinking stupidly. “How did that happen?”

“Do you care?” he growled against my neck, already working my soaking shirt up my torso.

“We can’t do this here,” I said, whimpering a little when he kissed me in that one particular spot I loved.

“Why not?”

“Everyone is right outside the door. And you might be too nice to say it, but I stink and I desperately need a shower. Plus, what if they have a mechanic emergency?”

He lifted his head to smile at me with a look so loving that it robbed me of my breath.

“Forget everything I just said. I can’t think of a single reason to wait.”

Morgan held one of my hands and Chick gripped the other as Kingston lowered his camera, looking at me with dark, solemn eyes. “Thank you, August. That was exactly what I needed.”

I’d given him his interview, and it wasn’t nearly as painful as I’d expected it to be. Morgan cried and Chick had something in his eye once or twice, but I’d managed to tell him the story of how I got the idea for the race without sobbing into an uncontrollable heap in front of the rest of the paddock.

We were at the community cookout/slumber party portion of Lemons.

Competition forgotten, people were grilling under the stars, playing music and sharing food and stories with each other likethey were at a family reunion instead of a racetrack. Except for the team on the other side of the paddock, with the Jell-O shots and stripper pole, it was as wholesome as advertised. Which was sorely needed after the near-miss-tragedy that happened earlier in the afternoon.

Not the RV sex. That had been spectacular.

It was Bernie.

After Rick took the rest of my turn along with his to try and make up our lap count, he’d grudgingly handed the wheel over to my impatient friend.

She was ready for it. That first hour, she’d methodically started beating everyone’s time. She’d raced easily around every curve and turn, like she’d been born behind the wheel. She made Jiminy fly. And then he was almost literally flying, thanks to the Lego assholes.

Those guys sucked. They’d come close to her multiple times, finally nudging her around a turn and sending the car into a small fishtail before the left front end hit the wall.

Bernie was achy from the impact but miraculously unharmed. So was Jiminy, after the mechanics from several other teams joined Wade and Dalton in hammering the body back into shape, changing the tire and working their magic on the suspension.

Whatever they’d done, we were able to continue with the race, this time with Gene back behind the wheel until the checkered flag signaled the end of the day.

Rick had been livid.

The punishment the shitty team received—which would still be in effect tomorrow, because it involved locks and keys and math and a few very pissed-off Lemons honchos—had not been enough for him. Gene and Lucy did their best to calm him down and hold him back from the driver who’d gone after Bernie, but I doubted he felt any better because he’d been missing in action since it happened.

Bernie, on the other hand, had thrown herself into the excessive celebration part of the evening. That’s where Wade was—trying to talk his dancing sister out of attempting the stripper pole so he could bring her back to our section.

This was…not what I’d expected the rest of my day to look like after confessing my love and being swept off my feet by my real-life romance hero. But that was reality for you. It wasn’t a ride into the sunset. It was a roller coaster.

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