Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

L iam and Colby stood outside the door, waiting for Brian and Lila to come out.

“You think they are okay in there?” Colby asked.

“The way that girl threw that left hook?” Liam chuckled. “I’m pretty sure she’s just fine.”

Colby covered her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter. “True. It’s just that Lila thought she had closed that chapter of her life with Carrington. It couldn’t have been easy for her to reopen it.”

“No, I can’t imagine it was.”

Liam reached for Colby’s hand. “The Lockwood men might be idiots at times, but we love hard, and wrongly, or rightly, we do our best to protect the women we love. I’m sure they are fine.” Liam swallowed hard. “I miss you.”

Colby’s mouth suddenly felt like cotton as she stared at their entwined hands. “I miss you, too, but I don’t know how we bridge our differences.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

Her eyes, glassy, looked up into his. “But...what if we can’t?”

Before Liam could make his case, Brian and Lila finally came out of the room, looking happy and in love.

Colby blinked away her tears as she slowly removed her hand from Liam’s.

Lost in their own little world, Brian and Lila didn’t notice Liam and Colby. They giggled and held hands but didn’t say anything. Brian and Lila made the decision to keep their engagement quiet until after the race. They didn’t want to be a distraction.

Tonight had gone better than expected. Brian picked up a champagne flute and used a fork from a nearby table to clink on it. “Can I have your attention?” The room quieted down. “Dinner will be served shortly, but before we sit down, there is something I’d like to share. Please grab a glass if you don’t already have one.”

“This season has been eventful, to say the least. However, I am proud to introduce the newest addition to our Lockwood family, Ms. Bella Knight.”

After a moment of shock, the room erupted into loud applause.

Colby turned to Lila. “Did you know about this?”

She shook her head no. “I’m just as surprised as you.”

Bella came and stood next to Brian, and he handed her the microphone. “My goodness. Thank you for such a warm welcome. Tonight has been incredible. I’ve enjoyed meeting and talking with everyone. Especially you, Colby. You are the epitome of Black girl magic. I am in awe of your talent, and this is a partnership I am honored to make.

“Lockwood arrived in NASCAR, and boy, have you made a statement! It has been exciting to watch, and I want to be a part of it. The world will often tell us that there is no sisterhood among us. Well, I’m here to tell you that that is a lie. As your sister, I’ve got your back, and I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure Lockwood is a success.”

Bella lifted her champagne flute. “Let’s do what they said couldn’t be done. Let’s win this thing!”

The room again erupted into a loud celebration.