Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

C olby gasped and placed a hand to her chest as she walked into the kitchen. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She hadn’t been expecting to see her dad. “You scared me!” It took a second for her brain to recognize him. “Shouldn’t you already be at the garage?”

Cyrus sat at the kitchen table, his legs crossed, reading a newspaper. “How would you know? You’ve been so preoccupied I didn’t think you even knew where it was.”

Ouch, Daddy.

Cyrus lowered the newspaper he’d been reading ever so slightly and peered over the top before casually glancing at his watch. “Good morning. Thought maybe we could drive over together.”

Nothing her father ever did was casual, and Colby didn’t miss the judgment in his eyes. He wanted to talk. Clearly, he and Liam had been coordinating.

She had slept in and still felt exhausted. Colby would need a double shot of caffeine to endure this conversation. Who knew a photoshoot could last all night and that Liam would keep me on the phone until I woke up this morning? Although, hearing his “Good morning” first thing was a wonderful way to start the day.

Colby’s feet felt heavy and made a sliding noise as she approached the coffee maker. “Dad, it’s after nine. Were you really waiting for me to wake up so we could drive over together?”

Initially, Cyrus ignored her question. “You might want to make a fresh pot. That stuff’s been sitting in that percolator since before the sun came up.”

Colby yawned as she pulled down the can of coffee grounds from the cabinet, changed her mind, and put it back. She was already late and didn’t have time to make a fresh pot. “Why don’t we have a Keurig again? It’s so much faster and less clean up.”

“Because it’s my house, and I don’t want one. Not to mention, that stuff is not as good as the coffee that comes out of the percolator.”

Colby’s head tilted slightly. “Won’t argue with that.”

“Anyway, can’t a father spend some quality time with his only daughter?”

He was laying it on thick . Colby grabbed her favorite pink mug out of the dish rack. She was going to have to drink the stuff of nightmares to endure this conversation. “Since I don’t have time to make a new pot, this will have to do.”

Cyrus raised a brow. “You don’t have time? It only takes a few minutes.”

“Daddy.” Colby sighed. “No, I don’t. If this is about missing the team meeting this morning, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep in this late. After I got home last night, I was up reviewing tape, and then Liam called.” Colby spoke as if it were an afterthought. “That reminds me, we need a strategy for Watson. Dude has really improved. I think it might be their turn to play spoiler in my next race.”

“Everybody is a spoiler. Liam called?”

“Daddy, don’t act like you didn’t know. I’m surprised he hasn’t called you already for an update, given the two of you are in cahoots.”

The crease between his eyes deepened. “How late were you up ’til?”

Colby could also see the worry lines on his forehead. “Daddy, I’ve got this.”

Cyrus finally placed the paper on the table. His penetrating gaze pierced hers. “No, you don’t. Why don’t you have some breakfast? I’ll make you some eggs.”

“Yes, I do, and I’m not hungry. I’ll grab something later at the garage.”

Cyrus opened his mouth to protest but stopped, seeing Colby was adamant. Taking a deep breath, Cyrus started anew. There was a worried edge to his voice. It wasn’t quite desperation but something akin to it. “If you could see what I see, you’d realize you don’t.”

Colby poured the thick mud-like liquid into her cup and took a sip. Her father liked strong coffee, but this was something else. She did her best to keep a straight face, but it tasted terrible. So terrible, Colby wondered if she would have to shave her chest from the hair that had probably grown there.

“Daddy, don’t you think I’d be the first to know if I were overdoing it?”

He didn’t. Not really. “Tell me, what does your schedule look like today?”

Am I sixteen? Out of respect, Colby answered his question. “I have a meeting with the mechanics at one p.m., then I meet with you and the team at two p.m. for a strategy session. I have a two-hour practice session around the track from three to five p.m. Then, I’m meeting the women from my non-profit, Black Girl Magic, at six p.m. After that, I have a dinner meeting with my business manager at eight p.m. It should only last a couple of hours. Finally, I’m shooting that NASCAR promo at ten p.m.” Colby said, more to herself than her father, “Hopefully, everything will be set up for me just to get in and out. Fingers crossed, I’m home a little after midnight.”

The look on his face was incredulous. “Are you serious?”

“What?” Colby stared blankly into her father’s eyes, genuinely not understanding the problem.

“When do you rest? When do you allow yourself time just to be? And what about Liam?”

“Fortunately, Liam’s schedule is as crazy as mine. He’s on the Asian leg of his business reviews.” Colby glanced up toward the ceiling, trying to remember specifically what part of Asia he was in. “I think he’s in China? Actually, I don’t know.” She waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. His admin sends me daily updates about his itinerary.”

“You’re doing too much.”

Colby placed her cup on the counter. “Daddy, I get your concern, but I’m on a mission. I’ll rest when I’m dead.”

“At this rate, that won’t be too long from now. You’re burning it at both ends and at some point, it’s going to manifest itself. I don’t want it to be on the track.”

Colby walked over toward her father and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. She spoke softly, “I promise. I’ve got this.”

It was clear from his expression that Cyrus wasn’t convinced. It was also apparent that her father had given up this round. However, if he was snitching to Liam, Colby knew this was just the opening salvo.

They needed to understand that she was one of one. Colby was making history. She didn’t have room to make a mistake. She had to be perfect because she was carrying her people on her back. The doors Colby opened would make it easier for the next woman to walk through. If that meant she had to miss an hour or two of sleep, so be it.

Cyrus exhaled. “Do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

“Remember that before you’re a brand ambassador, before being the face of diversity for NASCAR, a mentor to young women, and before you are Liam’s girlfriend, you are my daughter.”

The edge of her lips lifted into a genuine smile. “Got it.” Colby leaned down to place a kiss on top of her father’s head.

He exhaled. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what the hell am I going to do with Faye?”

“Ooh.” Colby shivered. “Now that’s the real challenge. I heard her bumbling around this morning. When did she get into town?”

“A few hours ago.” Cyrus’s face scrunched up. “That’s my sister, but damn. She is like a hurricane.”

Colby whispered, “Aunt Faye’s not that bad. She’s just different.”

“Different my ass.”

Colby glanced around and quickly covered her mouth, trying to contain the laughter that threatened to bubble out.

“No need to whisper. Faye’s not here.”

Colby visibly relaxed. “Did she go to a hotel?”

“No. She plans to stay here.”

“Here here ? I can’t see that. Where is she going to sleep? We’re kind of at capacity.” Her father’s back had been bothering him lately, and Colby thought he was too old to be sleeping on the couch.

Cyrus shrugged. “We’ll figure it out.”

“I, for one, am glad she’s in town. It’s been a while since all the Jameses were together. If that means I need to take the couch, well, that’s what I’ll do.”

Cyrus was surprised Colby would offer up her room. “You’d let Faye sleep in Rodney’s room?”

Her voice softened. “Yeah, I would. I know I was so adamant about keeping his room as is in the past, but Rodney wouldn’t have wanted that. He wouldn’t have wanted us to build a shrine to him. Honor him, yes. But we honor him every day in ways big and small.”

Cyrus nodded in agreement. “True. I’m proud of you for coming to that understanding.”

Colby took a deep breath. “It wasn’t easy, but I realized as long as I didn’t let go of the anger and need for revenge, I’d stay in this perpetual state of grieving. He wouldn’t want that. He’d want us both to not just live but thrive. I understand that now, which makes it much easier for me to let Aunt Faye sleep in there. I have no problem taking the couch.”

Cyrus wasn’t going to have that. Colby already looked too skinny and tired around the eyes. She was racing the next couple of weekends, and he had to figure out how to get his girl in tip-top shape. “Nah, we’re not doing that either. Like I said, we’ll figure it out.”

“Fine, but you’re not taking the couch .” Colby wouldn’t argue that point, so she changed the subject. “I know one thing; Lila is going to flip when she finds out her mother is here.”

Cyrus shook his head. “Lila’s not going to flip out because her mom is here. That girl’s going to flip because you told Faye she was at Brian’s.”

In a panic, Colby glanced around the kitchen. She knew it before asking the question. “I was still half asleep when Aunt Faye asked why Lila wasn’t in her room, and I told her she was probably at Brian’s. Is she on her way over there?”

“Yep.” There was a gleam in her father’s eyes as he stood up. “That reminded me...I might have a spot where I can crash while Faye is here.”

“Wait . . . what?” Colby was caught off guard. “Where? With Ben?”

Cyrus winked as he walked past her and out of the kitchen. “The things you miss when you’re not around. Move your butt, slacker. We’re late.”

Colby didn’t miss the sparkle. His eyes wouldn’t look like that if he were going to bunk with Ben. Then it struck her...Colby stood in the middle of the floor dumbfounded. Did her father have a girlfriend? When did he start dating? And if so, who the hell was she?

Colby rushed out of the kitchen to get dressed. Inquiring minds wanted to know, and she hoped to get answers on the ride to the garage. Colby also planned to find Gonzo as soon as they got there. He was supposed to be her eyes and ears. If he knew that her dad was dating and didn’t tell her, she was going to kill him.