Lindsay Delagair: Unforgivable

The big rig was now on my left and the very second the back of his trailer passed my rear bumper, I switched into his lane with the pedal all the way to the floor. For an instant, I could tell Micah intended to pull into the lane, but he realized it was too late as I was already beside him and passing.

I laughed as I pulled in front of him, but my laughter was cut short when my cell phone rang; it was Micah and I knew I was getting ready to get yelled at.

“Hey, baby,” I gently answered.

“All right, I’m not passing you anymore. You proved your point, and I really do want to spend our wedding night together in a honeymoon suite instead of ICU.”

I let up my gas pedal, bringing my car down to about seventy, “I agree. I’ll be good-even if you are a lot of fun to race.” I was glad that he wasn’t angry with me.

He laughed and then told me he loved me and hung up.

Not surprisingly, we made the hour and a half trip in an hour. Ryan wasn’t there yet so we parked in the shade not too far from the entrance. I climbed out smiling, but my smile dropped when I saw his face. Maybe he was just a little bit angry about the whole dangerous passing play.

He pushed me against the back of my car, and kissed me, but still didn’t smile.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him to me to soften his anger with a hotter version of the kiss he had given me, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have tried to take that opening, but you were impossible to-”

He stopped me, placing his hands on either side of my face and giving me the kind of kiss that took my breath away-the kind of kiss that told me just how real the love he felt for me was to him. What I had thought was anger was something else I didn’t understand; an emotion I had never encountered with Micah.

When the kiss ended, he suddenly seemed very emotional and some of what I was seeing appeared to be fear. Just what was he thinking? What could make a man who faced death regularly in his previous life fearful?

“Are you okay, baby?” I asked.

“No,” came the choked reply.

“Micah, you’re worrying me. What’s wrong?”

I heard the sound of a classic muscle car coming down the road. I really needed to find out what was wrong with my future husband before Ryan showed up and prevented me from getting to the bottom of this.

“Tell me,” I pressed.

Just as Ryan pulled in beside us, he kissed me passionately once more, smiled weakly, and then told me he’d see me at home.

“What!” I couldn’t believe it. Now I knew what was going through that mind of his; he had decided to trust Ryan and me alone together, “No-Micah, stay.”

But it was too late as he climbed back into the Vet and pulled out, burning the tires as he sped away.

Ryan got out slowly from his car, confusion written all over his face as he watched the Vet pull away. “He’s not staying?”

I could only shake my head as he disappeared, my emotions resting on my bottom lashes. Ryan realized I was ready to cry so he approached cautiously as he leaned back on my car, side to side with me and leaving no space between us. He slipped his arm around me.

“Are you okay? You guys didn’t have a fight over this, did you?”

“No,” my tears starting to fall as I spoke, “he was going to stay, but I think he just decided he’s got to learn to trust me and my decisions. I-I just never expected it; it was really hard for him to do.”

“Leese,” he stopped as a most unusual look hit him. He turned to face me, pulling my arms toward him.

I thought for a second he was going to try to make me embrace him, but it was my left hand he was actually after-the engagement ring.

“Did he… Ah, crap! Did he propose?”

I pulled my hands back from his grasp and wiped the tears away with my fingertips. “Yeah, we’re getting married in September.”

“Ah, Leese, don’t do that. You’re too young to be making that decision. Play the field before you buy it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, “Wow, I never heard that one. I guess you’re my last time in the field then because I’ve bought it-I love him.”

“Does that mean this is a chance to change your mind?”

“No, my mind is made up, and if it wasn’t for him wanting to wait, I’d be married to him right now.”

“Thank God at least he’s got a little bit of sense.”

My eyebrows went up, “You’re saying I don’t have any sense?”

“Not when it comes to him,” he answered, sounding exasperated.

I couldn’t argue about that. When it came to Micah, I had a very narrow focus, losing my peripheral ‘guy’ vision. The only other person I noticed was Ryan, but it was because he was-well, he was unique and he had taken a strong interest in me from the first day I met him and never let up. I know he wanted to see what would happen if he and I tried ‘us’ for a little while, but all I wanted was to keep him as a really good friend.

“You’re car looks a little different,” I said, changing the subject. “You put an air scoop in the hood?

“Yeah, after some chick in Pensacola beat the crap out of me in a 370Z, I put in a new engine. You won’t do that to me again.”

“Really? My Aston Martin has 510 horsepower. You might be in trouble.”

“Not this time, Leese. I’ve got Edelbrock carbs, Holley headers, and a new three-quarter cam shaft. You are looking at a supercharged, 454 that puts out over 650 horsepower. I have enough torque to rattle your brain when the pedal hits the floor. My car will eat yours for lunch.”

“Hum…this could be interesting, so I get the keys, huh?”

“As long as the doctors say your bullet hole is healed up, you can have the keys.”

My hand went instinctively to the scar on my chest, “The lung might tear back open, but if I start turning blue, then just call for a medevac.” The look on his face was priceless, but I couldn’t keep up that cruelty for long, “I’m kidding-I’m kidding, I’m fine.”

The remainder of the afternoon was a blast. He wasn’t joking about the car; it was, without a doubt, the most powerful piece of steel I’d ever controlled. I could actually pull the front tires off the ground when I took off. We spun out, skid, slid, and rocketed up and down the airstrip for hours.

Before we said our goodbyes, I challenged him against my car. I knew I was going to lose miserably, but I had to give it a try anyway. I actually beat him off the line simply because my car was lighter and didn’t try to eat the asphalt before catapulting into space. But beyond the line, I was a ghost in his rearview.

I thanked him for the date that I originally didn’t want to keep, but now was so glad I did. It was a chance to forget everything and just be eighteen and wild for a little while.

“So, you know I’m going to send you an invitation. Do you think you’ll be able to come? I know the timing isn’t great as far as school is concerned, but…”

Recognition crossed his face. He evidently didn’t realize I was talking about the wedding at first. “I-I might be able to make it, no promises, but I’ll try. Will I get a chance to kiss the bride?”

“On the cheek,” I laughed. “These lips belong to Micah, alone.”

He surprised me as he pulled me into his arms without warning, “You could at least enjoy a little freedom, before you say ‘I do.’ You know just to make sure you’re making the right choice.”

“Let go of me, Ryan. You are a great friend, but that is all I can offer,” I scowled, pushing my way out of his arms. “If you don’t want to keep me as a friend, I’ll under-”

“Ah, Leese, never, ever think that I don’t want to be your friend, but how would I know that you’re sure if I didn’t ask?”