\u201cGraham Decker. Great to finally meet you.\u201d I try hard not to blink at
\nthe strong odor, a mixture of cleanser, steel and rubber, as we shake
\nhands, his grip firm and confident.<\/p>\n
The man lapped a track at almost two hundred miles per hour. His grip
\nshould be firm, and with the number of wins and top five finishes he\u2019d
\naccumulated, he\u2019d earned the right to be confident.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome in. Please.\u201d With his trademark smile, Graham gestures for me to
\nenter his office and sit. \u201cIs this your first time visiting Graham
\nDecker Racing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. What gave it away?\u201d<\/p>\n
He chuckles, the sound genuine and down-to-earth, as he settles way back
\n in a leather chair. \u201cMight\u2019ve been the wrinkled nose. If you\u2019d like, my
\n assistant can give you a tour after we\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019d be great. So tell me a little about yourself, Graham. Besides
\nthe fact that you\u2019re a highly competitive racecar driver. Everybody
\nknows that.\u201d I push the record button on my phone and set it on the
\ndesk.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s see. I just got married.\u201d Graham\u2019s face lights up and he leans
\nforward abruptly. As if he couldn\u2019t wait to ditch me and head home.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t blame the guy. I\u2019d seen pictures of his wife. \u201cRori, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nods. <\/p>\n
\u201cWasn\u2019t her father the\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d The warm welcome slips away. His jaw snaps closed tight as a jail cell.<\/p>\n
Hmm. Interesting, but I better switch tracks. \u201cSo do you still live in Charlotte?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. In Harrison at the Forever Family Animal Sanctuary. Rori\u2019s like a
\nllama whisperer. She works wonders with the animals that come to live
\nwith us.\u201d Pride laces his tone. \u201cActually, that\u2019s how we met.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough your non-profit?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. My sister does a fabulous job running the Foundation, but she was
\non bed rest because of complications with her pregnancy. She asked me to
\n make a site visit since Rori had applied for a time-sensitive grant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot the typical way to pick up a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiles, wistful like, as if he remembers something special. \u201cRori\u2019s anything but typical. And so was our meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCare to elaborate?\u201d<\/p>\n
His mouth stretches to a grin. \u201cNah. She values her privacy and might
\nnot appreciate me sharing all the details. Let\u2019s just say it involved
\nmistaken identity and a llama delivery and leave it at that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was going to leave me hanging with that juicy tidbit? I make a mental
\n note to redirect later. \u201cOhhhkay. So how did you know Rori was the one?
\n After all, you\u2019ve been married before, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah. That didn\u2019t turn out so well, but it was my fault. God wasn\u2019t at
\nthe center of that relationship. Unlike with Rori.\u201d He scrubs a hand
\nacross his whiskered jaws, his expression lightening as if the sun just
\ncame out. \u201cAnd Rori didn\u2019t recognize me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Really? How was that possible? I have no words.<\/p>\n
He steals a glance at the clock and drums a pencil against the desk. <\/p>\n
I\u2019m losing him. \u201cSo was it love at first sight?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely on my part, but not so much hers. We had some issues to work through before she\u2019d commit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor starters, I had to prove that I wasn\u2019t going anywhere. That I could
\n be there for her\u2014\u201d His cell phone buzzes, and he checks the number.
\n\u201cExcuse me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t help but eavesdrop. I lean forward slightly, refusing to miss
\nany opportunity for a scoop. Besides, I\u2019m sitting close enough that I
\ncan almost hear her voice. At the very least, my recorder might be
\npicking up their conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cJumbo did what?\u201d He launches from the chair, banging my phone off the desk.<\/p>\n
So much for that. I bend over, retrieve the recorder, and hit the off
\nbutton. It didn\u2019t take a doctorate degree to know that this interview
\nwas over.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo problem, sweetheart. I\u2019m just finishing up here. Be there soon. Love
\n you.\u201d He disconnects, mashes a cap on his head. \u201cIt\u2019s been a pleasure,
\nbut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d I do. Really. The guy\u2019s practically still on his
\nhoneymoon. No wonder that fat grin is plastered across his face.
\nJealousy sprouts and curls up my spine like a weed. \u201cHey, does Rori have
\n any unattached sisters?\u201d<\/p>\n
On his way to the exit, Graham angles over a shoulder. \u201cSorry. Just twin brothers, Beck and Burk.\u201d<\/p>\n
He dives into a sports car and cranks the engine, those high-performance
\n tires squealing out of the parking lot. Nope. He doesn\u2019t look the
\nslightest bit sorry to be going home.
\n___________________________________<\/p>\n
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