Ignite (Speed Series Book 1)(16)

Kristin laughed and shook her head. “You have to know that men are stupid. They think mindless sex is the cure-all for everything. Doug told Emmit once to go out and just get screwed. He said it might make him . . . well um . . . oh gosh how do I say this?”

My attention was dangling on the edge as I waited for what she was about to say. “Say what?” I asked.

“Well, I don’t want you to have a bad impression about my husband, but he was the one who told Emmit, and I quote, ‘If you get laid, you’ll forget about her’. I guess you were pretty hard to forget because well, Emmit tried really hard to forget about you.”

Jealousy flowed through my veins as I thought about other women in Emmit’s bed. We had been each other’s first and knowing that Emmit had slept with other women killed me. I knew it was my fault and I couldn’t be angry. Okay, I could be and I was. “Kristin, may I ask you one thing and I’m not even sure why I’m asking?”

“Sure you can.”

I glanced down at my feet as I kicked at the ground. “Did he bring them back to his bus?”

I hadn’t been on the road with Emmit very long in the beginning, but the times we shared on his bus were some of the most amazing moments of our relationship.

“God no! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a girl in that bus except for Lola and Emmit’s assistant.”

I tried not to smile as I nodded my head and started toward the door of the bus. Going to open it, it was locked. When I turned to see I was at Emmit’s bus, I blushed and took a step back. Lola started barking and the door opened. A young boy walked out and said, “May I help you?”

Kristin was smiling from ear to ear. “Funny where your heart leads you, huh?”

I went to say something but instead, I stood there in silence. I had nothing to come back with.

“Johnny, this is Adaline. She’s a very good friend of Emmit’s. You let her in and out of his bus until he gets back okay?”

My head snapped over to Kristin as I said, “Oh no, I meant to go to my father’s bus and well we were talking about Emmit and—” I pointed to the bus and tried to think of the next words that should be flowing from my mouth.

“And you decided to arrange for dinner after Emmit’s long day at work. So sweet of you, Adaline.”

Lola came up and stood at the entrance of the door and wagged her tail in excitement. Blowing out a breath of air, I looked at Johnny and then back at Kristin. I knew what Kristin was doing by planting that in my head. “Well, I mean I guess he does have to eat and all.”

Lifting her brow, she agreed. Waving as she walked away, she called out, “So amazing meeting you! Can’t wait to tell Doug. See you next weekend!”

“Oh, no . . . I won’t be at that race!” I called out.

With a brush off of her hand, Kristin said, “Uh-huh!”

I dropped my shoulders and huffed as I watched her walk away. I knew damn well I would most likely be at next week’s race.

“He likes fried chicken. A lot. He eats it all the time,” Johnny said.

“Emmit does?” I asked as I reached over and gave Lola a pat on the head.

“Yes ma’am. He’s always ordering it from either my daddy who works for Mr. Elliot, or somebody delivers it.”

I got an idea as I gave Johnny a wink and said, “You want to ask your parents if you can take Lola for a ride in my daddy’s truck while we go get Emmit some real food?”

Johnny smiled and nodded his head. “That sounds like fun.”

I watched as he pulled out his phone and hit a number while I chewed on my lip. “Mom, Emmit’s girlfriend wants to know if me and Lola can go get him some real food.”

With a frantic wave of my hands, I said, “No! No I’m just a friend. Not his girlfriend.”

Johnny nodded at me. “She says she’s just a friend. Yes ma’am, her name is Adaline.”

Wait. What? How in the hell did this woman know my name?

“Okay, bye!”

Reaching for his phone, I said, “No! Wait, Johnny, who are your parents?”

“Robert and Kate Elliot.”

Robert was Jack’s son. He was a few years older than Emmit, and I was pretty damn sure he didn’t have a son three years ago.

“How old are you, Johnny?” I asked as I watched him put the leash on Lola and step out of the bus.

Johnny shut the door behind him as he smiled. “I’m eight years old. I’m adopted. My parents adopted me when I was six.”

“Really?” I asked as we walked back over toward my father’s truck. “Do you like traveling with your parents from race to race?”

The smile that spread across Johnny’s face said it all. “Oh, yes ma’am.”

As Johnny and I got to know each other better, I found out he went to a private school that was four days a week. He and his mom flew in each weekend for the races. During the summer, they all traveled together. Johnny went on and on about his grandpa and how amazing he was. Then he turned to Emmit.

“I love Uncle Emmit a lot. He’s super cool.”

“Uncle Emmit?” I asked with a smile.

“Yeah, he lets me hang out in his bus and plays video games with me. I always tell him he’s gonna make a great dad someday ’cause he’s lots of fun.”