I wasn’t exactly sure what to say in that moment.

I studied him.

Between the time we’d come down from the owner’s suite to the pits and now, there hadn’t been enough time for Dieter to tell Dyson about the offer he’d made to me. A myriad of thoughts raced through my mind.

How did Dyson know about the offer? Was he behind it the entire time? Was Dieter’s entire line of questioning all for show?

All of the positive feelings I’d been building towards Dyson melted away as I stared at him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning as he looked at me. “Are you going to take the job or not?”

For a split second, I considered telling Dyson exactly what he could do with the position and where he could stick it. I had little doubt he was involved somehow. Repulsed though I was at the meaning of it, I couldn’t help but think of Simon.

No matter what kind of games went on with the team, my nephew was innocent. I had a responsibility to follow through on the commitment I’d made to him years ago, and one oversexed race car driver wasn’t about to stand in my way.

I swallowed hard, flexing my jaw in defiance.

“I haven’t decided whether or not I’m taking it.”

Dyson blinked several times. I resisted the urge to stick my finger in his chest and tell him to go to hell.

“Oh, okay,” he replied, nodding. Still holding his crash helmet in his hand, he continued, “Well, I know we’re all hoping you can.”

It took everything I had not to curse him out and put the whole thing at risk. Yet somehow, I managed to hold my tongue.

“I’m going to head back to the pits,” I began. “I’ve got to get home.”

Dyson stepped towards me, raising his hand towards my upper arm. “I’ll walk you back.”

I shook my head and backed away from him. “That won’t be necessary. I know the way.”

He stared at me without a word for a second or two before he nodded his head. “Okay, Ava. No problem. So I guess I’ll see you if I see you, right?”

Before I turned to walk away, I looked at him. “I guess. Good luck, Dyson.”

“Yeah, you too.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than I spun away from him and headed in the direction of the pits once again. Unlike before, I didn’t allow the throng of bodies to deter me from my path. I elbowed my way through, shoving and grunting as I moved among them. This was all about survival for me now. It was clear that being out on the Formula One tour meant I’d have to fend for myself. With backstabbing and double dealing at every turn, I couldn’t afford to lose focus for even a second.

Before long, I reached the pits and approached Dr. Wilcox. He stood there, chatting with Dieter as I walked up to them.

“Dr. Wilcox,” I began, looking up at him. “I need to get going. I’ve got to get home and talk to my nephew.”

Dr. Wilcox looked at me, concern framing his expression. “Something the matter, Ava? You seem upset.”

I shook my head. “No sir, just focused. I know what I’ve got to do now. Can you take me home? If you can’t, I’ll find another way.”

He reached towards me, placing his hand on my upper back. “Of course, don’t be ridiculous. I’ll take you home right away.”

AVA

After we arrived back at my apartment, I thanked Dr. Wilcox for everything he’d done for me. I held out the tiniest bit of hope that he was the only one behind the whole idea. If nothing else, I certainly didn’t think he had anything to do with Dyson’s involvement, if Dyson was involved.

Really, I had no idea, but my intuition nagged at me.

Not long after Dr. Wilcox dropped me off, I headed towards my apartment. While I did, I realized I’d have to lie to Simon about why I was leaving in the first place. If he had any inkling I’d taken the position so he wouldn’t have to go back to public school, I worried it would upset him and stress him out.

Clutching the hard brass of my house key, I slid it into the lock and clicked it open. I needed to come up with a believable story—the sooner the better.

As luck would have it, he and Jillian were sitting at the kitchen table eating an early dinner. I pushed the door closed and smiled at them as I walked inside. Crossing the room, I reached towards Simon’s head and began to stroke his hair.

“Are you feeling better?” I asked, hugging him close.

“Mmm hmm.”

I leaned over and placed a single kiss on the crown of his head. “Good.”

Turning in place, I headed in the direction of the kitchen. “It smells great. What are you guys eating?”

“Spaghetti and meatballs,” they answered in unison.

Jillian giggled and leaned in towards him. Afterward, she turned her head and glanced at me. “So, how was the big race?”

Reaching in the cabinet for a plate, I cleared my throat. “Good. It was good.”

Without saying a word, she arched an eyebrow at me. Simon didn’t notice but instead kept his head down, eating in blissful ignorance.

“What happened?” Jillian mouthed.

Refusing to answer, I shook my head and pointed towards my nephew. “Later,” I said in silent response.

Not long after, I joined them at the dinner table. Leaving out the part that might have upset Simon, I recounted the rest of the day’s events to both of them as we ate.

Once we’d finished, I looked at Jillian.

“I need to talk to Simon for a few minutes. If you can wait, I’ll help you clean up.”

Jillian waved at me with a dismissive flick. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. You two go ahead.”

I smiled and thanked her, helping Simon up from his chair before heading towards his bedroom. After entering, I closed the door behind me while Simon lay down on his mattress. I spent the next minute or so making small talk with my nephew, gauging his state of mind.

Clamminess crept to the palms of my hands.

What I had to tell him was unlike anything we ever talked about before. For someone so young, Simon was surprisingly levelheaded. It was a shocking trait when I considered his parents. As much as I loved my sister, even-tempered was not the word I would ever have used to describe her. I helped him get underneath the covers, and once he’d snuggled in, I sat down on the bed next to him.

“I’m really sorry you couldn’t go to the race today. Dyson and Marco both asked about you.”

A smile came to his tiny cheeks. “Why didn’t Dyson win?”

I shook my head. “No one wins every race. There’s no shame in finishing second.”

Simon’s lower lip curled into a pout. “Dyson told me second place was the first loser.”

I chuckled. That absolutely sounded like something Dyson would say.

“Well, I guess that makes him first loser today, doesn’t it?”

Simon pulled his sheets high, closing them around his neck and shoulders. After he did, I reached down and rubbed his chest with my palm.

“Simon, honey,” I began, exhaling at the same time. “I need to talk about something very important with you. Okay?”

He looked up at me, his small brown eyes filled with the beginnings of doubt.

“It’s nothing to worry about, I promise,” I said, leaning over and kissing him on the forehead for emphasis. “It’s a good thing.”

Not long after, I leaned away, sitting up straight and began.

“I’m going to be going away for a while, sweetie,” I began. “With Dyson, Marco and the rest of the racing team.”

Simon looked up at me in silence. His expression remained unchanged.

“But it’s only temporary. Okay? Just a few months. And I’ll still have free time to come home and see you.”

Simon’s small hands tightened around the top of his blanket. He tugged it closer to his chin. “But why though?”

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for both of us. They are going to pay me very well and we could really use the money right now. It will mean a better life for both of us. After all, you want to become a doctor someday don’t you?”