The season started out as most do with high hopes for the year that lay ahead. As a whole, DEI was better than ever. They made their presence known right off the bat by taking all the victories at Daytona Speed weeks and the 500 itself. They had had a hard couple of years following Dale Senior’s death, but they were back on their feet stronger than ever and as far as the individual teams and drivers, things were looking good.
Dale Earnhardt Junior had won his first ever Daytona 500 and was the #1 contender for the championship this year. Teresa had signed over her share of Chance 2 to him and he was excited about being the sole owner. He felt like he was more in control of his personal life getting his sponsor to lower his appearances by half and over the off season he met Jules. This was the one girl that he thought, was just maybe the one.
Michael Waltrip came in 2nd at the 500 and talk was that a championship could be in his very near future. His Busch team was prospering and a second car had been added. But most importantly, his wife Buffy was expecting their second child in less than 4 months, a boy. Michael couldn’t be happier.
Steve Park seemed to be getting back on track with a solid 5th place finish at the 500, not to mention starting on the pole. He and girlfriend Carrie had been getting a lot closer lately and he was beginning to realize his heart already belonged to her.
But as the old saying goes ‘all good things must come to an end.’
February Daytona
Dale pulled into victory lane “Woohoo, somebody get Jules over here.”
“Are you sure Junebug?” Tony Sr. asked.
“Yeah, where is my girl?”
Dale climbed out of his car and basked in the glory of his first Daytona 500 win. He jumped down and immediately had several cameras in his face, “So, Dale how does it feel to have your first win at the 500?”
“Hold that thought.” he said looking around. “Ahh,” he grabbed Jules arm and dragged her to him, kissing her with a lot of passion that the world had never seen Dale Jr., one of the country’s most eligible bachelors, give anyone. “God, I love this girl.” She was shocked but stayed close to his side while he was interviewed. Ali watched knowing full well Dale had overreacted to his excitement and just wanted his girlfriend by his side but she also knew Jules was not ready for this. As the photos started Jules disappeared into the back ground, just wanting out of there.
She headed back to the garage area alone not realizing how stupid that was now. It didn’t take long for word to spread and for Jules to be noticed. “Oh wow, you are Dale Jr’s girlfriend, I just saw you guy’s in victory lane.”
“Uh, yeah,” she kept walking as a few more people joined in the group.
“Jules.” Ali said grabbing her arm and pulling her along toward the driver’s coaches quickly. The public was not allowed back there and they could get away from the crowd. Unfortunately, they weren’t quick enough. They got stopped by a huge group of people and cornered against Jeff Gordon’s hauler. Jeff hearing the commotion opened the door.
“Shit.” He grabbed Ali and pulled them both inside.
“Ali, you guy’s ok?”
“Yeah, Jules, how bout you?” Ali asked looking at Jules. Jules was on the verge of tears. “Hey, it will be fine. It is just going to take some getting use to.”
“How could he do that without any warning?”
“He was excited and wanted you to share it with him. He didn’t stop to think what it would do to you and how everyone would react to you. It gets easier, I promise.”
“I just want to go to the condo.”
“Jeff can she stay here until I find Dale?”
“Sure not a problem.
“Thanks, I will be right back”
“Ok, thanks Ali.”
Ali headed back to victory lane “Hey Jade, how much longer you think he has?”
“Probably, an hour.”
“Can you tell him Jules and I went back to the condo?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.”
Dale got back to the condo and found Ali and Jules packed and ready to go. “Well, do I get to go to?” he said hugging Jules.
She pulled away. “Your bag is packed but still in the bedroom, I want to go home.”
Dale was confused, they had had an amazing 2 weeks; he was quickly realizing that even though he had only known her about a month, she was winning his heart. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“I just want to go home.” She walked out to put her bags in the car.
Dale looked at Ali for help. “What did I do?”
“Got overly excited and didn’t stop to think what the little stunt you pulled in victory lane would do to her.” she said in a tone that was sarcastic but serious at the same time.
“What are you talking about?”
“Dale, she totally got mobbed when she left victory lane. By the time I caught her and tried to drag her to the coach area there were too many people. Luckily, Gordon was in his hauler when we got pinned against it and let us in till the crowd died down. Oh yeah, and not to mention the fact you told the world you loved her before you said it to her.”
“Shit, I didn’t think anything would happen that quick.”
“No shit you didn’t think, look, she’ll be fine but it shook her up pretty good.”
“Damn it.” he grabbed his bags and they joined Jules out in the car.
A few hours later they landed at the private airport and transferred their bags to Dale’s truck. “You guy’s hungry?” he looked at Jules who hadn’t said a word since they left Daytona.
“I just want to go home.”
“Ok, we can get something delivered.”
“No, my home.” She stared out the window.
“Jules, come on. I am sorry, I didn’t realize what was going to happen.”
“Dale please, just take me to my place.”
He sighed and headed to her apartment. They pulled up in front and Ali jumped out to get her bags out of the back. Jules looked at Dale, “I will call you tomorrow.”
“Jules,”
“Dale, just let me be tonight. I promise I will call you tomorrow.”
Ali helped her in with her bags and stopped on the porch to talk to her for a minute before heading back to the truck.
“Well, I really blew it this time didn’t I?”
“No.”
“Yeah, right. Hey Dale you just won the Daytona 500 what are you going to do now. Gee, think I will drive off the only girl I have ever loved…”
Ali looked at him “love?”
“Yeah,” he paused looking at the house before backing out of the driveway. “I guess I do, I know I haven’t known her that long but I don’t think it matters. What am I going to do, Al? I don‘t want to lose her.”
“Just wait, let her chill tonight and deal with it tomorrow.”
The next day they pulled up to the Charlotte airport and Dale pulled Ali’s bags out and handed them to the curbside check in guy.
“Thanks for coming Al.” Dale said at the airport terminal.
“It’s Daytona where else would I be?” She said pulling him into a huge bear hug.
“Call me as soon as you get in.”
She laughed “Ok worrywart.”
“Hey I am just making sure my girl is taken care of. When is the semester over?”
“May but…”
“But what?” He looked at her knowing something was up.
“But I am taking summer classes and won’t be home until August.” she said so quick it was as if she could sneak it by him.
“Al…” he whined.
“Oh, Junior, you can live without me for a few more months and I will graduate after the summer semester, which means I will be back for good this fall, so I can finish the season with you and maybe check out your cruise.”
His face lit up “Cool both my girls with me for the cruise. Of course who knows if Jules and I will even be together still.”
“Stop it, she is going to call you today. I promise. Gotta book. I will call you when I get back to the dorms. Stop worrying. Love you June.”
“I Love you too, Al.” He pulled her into one more hug and she turned to leave.
He watched her run down the hall and just before she stepped out of site, she turned and waved just as she always did. Then she was gone. Dale hated to see her go but he was so proud of her, ever since they were kids she had wanted to be a fashion designer. Which was funny in itself, Ali was the girl beating all the boys on the playground, then on the old dirt road playing chicken, the tomboy in the overalls, who had yelled at Dale on more than one occasion for wearing the wrong shoes with the wrong shirt. She may not dress the part but she had an eye for it and wanted to design her own clothes and start her own business. She was attending the Art Institue for Fashion Design in LA.
Which seemed like it was on the other side of the world sometimes. But ever since Jules came into his life it made Ali being gone a little easier. He loved that his girlfriend and his best friend got along well. That was how he knew Jules was the one. Ali and his past girlfriends have never gotten along, Ali knew when everyone of them were no good before he did. Ali let him know on this trip that Jules had her stamp of approval. Of course he may have screwed all that up today.
As he pulled out onto the highway and headed home he cell rang, “hello.”
“Dale, it’s Jules.”
“Hey, I am glad you called, I wanted to…”
“Dale just come over here. I don’t want to have this conversation over the phone.”
“Ok, I will be there in about 15 minutes.” he hung up the phone and hoped she wasn’t planning on breaking up with him.
Jules opened the door “Hey, thanks for coming. Come in have a seat.”
Dale stepped in “look if you are going to tell me you don’t want to see me anymore please do it now, so I can just go. I don’t think I could take it if you drug it out.”
“I am not breaking up with you. Will you please come in and sit down.”
Dale sat feeling a little better knowing she wasn’t leaving him.
“Look, you caught me off guard yesterday. I thought we agreed to keep me out of the lime light for awhile and when you pulled me in front of the camera I just wasn’t ready for it. I also wasn’t ready for you to tell the world you loved me and I sure as hell wasn’t ready for the mob scene.”
“Jules I never thought…”
“Dale, stop, let me finish.” Dale looked up at her “But I wasn’t sorry you did it, as long as you meant it. I am falling in love with you and was scared it was too quick, for God’s sake your Dale Earnhardt Jr. you could have any woman in the world you wanted, I was scared I would chase you off so when you did and said what you did, it freaked me out, and honestly the mob scene scared the hell out of me. Had Ali and Jeff not been there I don’t know what I would have done.”
“Jules, I am so sorry. I didn’t think about what would happen but I also didn’t think you would wander off. Jules I got caught up in the moment and probably did and said too much at not the best time but I meant every word of it. I do love you.”
He stood and caught her in his arms “Dale, you know everyone is going to think we are insane. We have known each other a month.”
He dropped his head to kiss her “Let them think what they will, everything I need is right here in my arms.”
April Talladega
By the time Talladega arrived Jules and Dale were madly in love. They were having a blast with each other and they weren’t trying to hide it from the world. It was always a huge concern of his that when he finally found ’the one’, she wouldn’t be accepted. It was a fact that a huge part of his fan base were women and he was concerned how they would react to a woman in his life. Jules had been accepted by his friends, family, team, and his fans. She had become a vital part of not only his personal life but to the team. She helped his sister with his fan club, the merchandise for Chance 2, along with helping the team out on race day. When Dale won his fourth Dega race in a row Jules was in victory lane right by his side.
“Woooooo.” the crowd screamed as Dale climbed from the car.
He did the normal interviews and photos and as they were heading to the press conference Jules handed him a cell phone.
“Woohoo! Baby! You are the man.”
“Ali, damn girl I wish you were here.”
“Baby, I am right there with you. That was one hell of a race. I know you are busy so I won’t keep you.”
“God, I am so glad you called, thanks.”
“I will call in a few days when we can chat. Love you June.”
“Love you too Al.” he hung up the phone, kissed Jules and ran to the press conference.
Michael and Buffy returned to their coach. It had been a good day, Mikey finished 5th which moved him up to 4th in points. On a sad note, this was to be Buffy’s last race in person. She was less than 3 months till her due date and the traveling was getting to her. She was having a lot more morning sickness with this one and she jokingly blamed Michael.
“Baby, you alright?”
“Yeah, I will be right out.”
Michael sat on the bed waiting. Buffy came out of the bathroom and laid down on the bed. “You sure you’re ok? You weren’t this sick this long with Macy.”
“I know but the doctor says everything is fine. He’s your son allright. Already a pain in my ass.” she laughed.
“Oh yeah,” he crawled up the bed and wrapped his body around hers his hand coming to rest on her stomach. “Yeah, well I’ll let you get away with it for now.” he kissed her shoulder and nuzzled her neck. “Can I get you something?”
“Sprite and crackers if you don’t mind.”
“Anything for my honey. Be right back.”
Steve didn’t fair so well in the race. He ended up 31st several laps down. After they got home, Steve was laying in bed watching Carrie get ready for bed. “I am so sick of this shit. Why can’t we catch a break?”
“Steve it is going to turn around.” she said walking to the bed and sitting beside him.
“How long are we going to keep telling ourselves that? How long can we lie to ourselves?”
“Honey” she ran her hand up his arm and gently massaged his shoulder. “This isn’t your fault.”
“Then who’s is it? The teams, DEI, the fans? No, it’s mine, all mine.” he pushed her hand away and turned his back to her.
She stared at his back for a second, leaned over, kissed his cheek, and whispered, “I love you.” she rolled over to her side of the bed and stayed there.
He wanted to roll over and pull her to him but he didn’t. He didn’t know why, it wasn’t her fault. He just kept pushing her away. It was just another thing he couldn’t do right. He couldn’t fight the tears anymore. She felt the bed shake and heard his sobs, her heart was breaking for him. He started to fall asleep when he felt her body conform to his and her arm come around him. “I love you too.” he whispered as he held her hand in his.
She knew he loved her, he was just having a rough time right now but unfortunately it was taking its toll on their relationship.
May Richmond
As the car hit the inside wall Steve knew that once again his day was over and worse yet he took Ryan Newman with him. This was suppose to be his weekend, he was the pole setter, and this was his turning point. Maybe they were all right, maybe it was time to give all this up. As he was released from the infield care center he found himself surrounded by the media.
As Carrie watched the interview on tv tears fell down her face. Why? This had to stop, he had to catch a break and some luck. She noticed for the first time during the interview that the gleam in his eye was gone. He was having a hard time staying positive. Granted he had been frustrated before but the spark that kept him coming back week after week was gone.
Steve came into the coach and Carrie met him at the door. She offered a hug but he pushed past her and grabbed a beer out of the fridge.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Nope.”
“Why don’t we grab a bite to eat?”
“Not hungry.” He pulled his bags out and started packing for the trip home.
“Steve come on, things will turn around.”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it.” he said angrily as he grabbed his stuff out of the bathroom.
“Steve?”
“Do you ever fucking listen?” As he turned he threw the can of shaving crème that was in his hand. He hadn’t meant to do. It wasn’t her fault and he wasn’t paying attention to where she was he meant to throw it against the wall.
She turned her head to duck away from the can that was flying towards her and it hit her in the shoulder instead but as she jumped away from it she slipped and fell towards the table. Steve watched helplessly as her head made contact with the table. He rushed to her, apologies already spilling out of his mouth.
“Oh God baby, I am sorry I didn’t mean to do it. Shit. Carrie, baby are you ok?”
“Leave me alone.” she tried to stand but was dizzy and started to fall back again.
Steve caught her and sat her on the couch. “Baby, God, I am so sorry.”
She pushed him away the tears falling down her cheeks already. “Who doesn’t fucking listen now.”
Steve knew this was it. He had really blown it this time. He stood up and walked out the door. He went straight to the garage and got his crew chief Tony.
“Steve thought you were packing?” he then saw the tears in Steve’s eyes. “What is it?”
“Can you go to my coach and check on Carrie?”
“Steve what happened?”
“Just go check on her, please.”
“Yeah, sure.” Tony headed to Steve’s coach.
When he got there he knocked on the door to no answer but he could here Carrie crying inside. “Carrie, it’s Tony, can I come in?”
“Yes,” she said very faintly.
Tony opened the door and found her curled up on the couch holding her head. “What happened? Steve asked me to come over. He saw the bruise starting to form on her shoulder. Carrie, did he hit you?”
“No, he didn’t mean to do it.“ Carrie told him the whole story of what happened. “I have never seen him like this. Man, my head really hurts.” She said holding her head.
“We should get you looked at, that’s a pretty nasty bump.” He helped her up and too the infield medical center.
Steve jumped up off the floor when he saw Tony approach. “How is she? She’s ok, right?”
“They are sending her to the hospital for some tests, they think she has a concussion and want to make sure she is fine.”
“Oh God, what have I done?”
“Look, they are loading her into the ambulance now, don’t make her go to the hospital alone.”
Steve looked at him and took off for the medical center. They already had her in the ambulance and were getting ready to leave. Carrie heard someone talking to the doctor and they saw Steve climbing in.
“Please, don’t send me away. Please, Carrie, I am so sorry.”
She just nodded her head giving him permission to go with her. The truth was she didn’t blame him. She knew Steve didn’t have a mean bone in his body and wouldn’t ever hurt anyone. She knew that the frustration of what was happening on the track was taking it’s toll on him and he finally blew. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
They rode to the hospital is silence, Steve’s hand in Carrie’s the whole way, almost as if he was scared she would run off.
Carrie was released from the hospital with a mild concussion, they took a cab back to the track and Steve packed their things and they caught a plane back home. The ride was quiet neither one of them knowing what to say. Harley met them at the door and when he didn’t get the attention he wanted from Carrie he ran to Steve.
“I am tired, I am going to bed.” Carrie said.
“Do you need anything?”
“No,” she said heading up the stairs.
“Care,” she stopped not looking back. “Night.”
“Night.” she whispered.
Steve sat down on the couch and Harley jumped up next to him and put his head in Steve’s lap. “Daddy really blew it this time, huh?” he said petting Harley.
Carrie woke up in the middle of the night with a headache, “Steve?” she reached for him and realized his side of the bed was still made. She wandered down stairs and found Steve and Harley asleep on the couch. She grabbed a blanket and covered them up. She then sat down across from them and watched him sleep. “God, Steve what is happening?”
The next morning Steve was up and gone to the shop before Carrie woke up. He left her a message later that afternoon saying he had a meeting that night and he would be late getting home.
She was watching tv when he came home. Harley met him at the door, “Not now Harley.” he pushed past him and sat on the couch not looking at Carrie.
She watched as his head dropped to his hands. “Steve what is it, you have never pushed that dog away before.”
“How’s your head?”
“I am fine, Steve you are scaring me what’s wrong?”
“I am out.”
“What?”
“I don’t have a job, I don’t have a ride. I am out at DEI.”
“Oh God,” she moved over to the couch putting an arm around his shoulders.
He looked up at her running a hand across her bruised shoulder. “I am sorry.”
“I know.”
“I would never do anything to hurt you Care. I swear.” The tears welling up in his eyes.
“Shh, I know, babe. We will get through this, I promise.”
“Which one my being out of a job,” he paused looking up at her “or us?”
“Both.” she sat back on the couch and pulled him into her arms. Harley whimpered, “I am sorry buddy.” Steve said as Harley jumped up on the couch with them. They stayed on the couch cuddled up together for the rest of the evening.
The next morning Steve went to get his things from DEI. He said goodbye to his team and wished them luck. He was headed to his car when Mikey caught up to him. “Hey Steve.”
Steve stopped, “Hey Mikey.”
“How you doing, really?”
“I am ok, actually, kind of looking forward to a day or two off. Me and Care could really use some time to ourselves.”
“I heard about her concussion, she ok?”
Steve looked at the ground still feeling horrible, “Yeah, she’s doing good. I better get going, we are suppose to go to lunch.”
“Oh, yeah, ok. Take care of yourself man.”
“Hey it’s not like we aren’t going to see each other. I will be back.”
Steve headed back to his car, when he heard Mikey again. “Hey Steve?”
“Yeah.”
“You know as well as I do that this is bullshit.” Just then Ty and Teresa walked out the doors.
“It’s cool, Mikey. It really is. I will talk to you later.” He nodded towards Ty and Teresa “See ya.”
Mikey watched Steve get in his car and got a sick feeling in his stomach, like the world was spinning out of control and this was only the beginning.
“So Mikey, what’s up?” Ty asked.
Michael looked at both of them, “Nothin, better get to the shop.” They watched him walk away.
Steve got home and Carrie met him at the door practically jumping up and down. She grabbed one of the bags out of his hand, “Guess what?”
Steve laughed “What is going on?”
“Guess who called and wants to talk to you today about you driving for him?”
“Wow, word spreads quick, huh? Who?”
“Childress!”
“What?” Steve was astounded.
“Yeah, Richard called here about an hour ago. I almost called your cell so you could go straight there.”
“Wow. I will call him later and set something up for tomorrow.”
“What? No, call him now.”
“Care, we have lunch plans. I will go later.”
“So we will have dinner or we will do it tomorrow.”
“NO.”
“What?”
“Care, so much of my time has been focused on my racing lately, that it is coming between us. I won’t let that happen again.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the couch sitting on his lap. “Steve, I love you, I truly do. And one of the things I love about you is your love and determination for this sport. I knew what I was getting into when I said yes to our first date and I am not going to let you pass this by like it’s no big deal. Yeah, we have had a couple of rough weeks but that‘s all turning around now.”
“But.”
“Steve this would be like racing for Dale again. I never knew Dale but I know what he meant to you and how lost you have felt since his death. You buried so much of your confidence with him, you have to do this and you have to do it now. This is the fresh start you wanted and we need.”
Steve ran his hand through her hair, “I love you too.” he kissed her as she grabbed his cell phone off his belt and started dialing. Steve laughed as he pulled away from her and grabbed the phone.
“Richard, Steve Park.”
Steve looked around the shop, he had been here before but this time was different, it was for a job. He was in awe of the whole situation.
“Steve I am glad you could make it.” Richard said extending his hand.
“Richard, hey thanks. I don’t really know what to say this is all so sudden.”
“I understand, let’s go to my office and talk about all this.”
They headed to Richards office and several hours later Steve headed home. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he felt good for the first time in a long time. He was worried he would let Carrie, Richard, and his fans down but he knew the right decision had been made.
“Carrie are you home?”
“Upstairs.”
Steve headed up to the bedroom but didn’t see her. “Where are you?”
“Bathroom, come on in.”
When he opened the door he found her in their oversized whirlpool tub with bubbles almost flowing over the sides. The scent of vanilla filled his senses, “Well…”
“You know this big ole tub is awfully lonely with just lil ole me in here.”
He started peeling off clothes before she even finished the sentence. He joined her in the tub and quickly pulled her against his body and sank down into the bubbles.
“So can I assume we are celebrating?” she asked running her hands up and down his thighs.
“You are laying in the arms of the new driver of the #30 AOL car.”
“Oh babe, that is great,” she turned and kissed him as his hands started exploring her body “You hungry?”
“Uh huh.”
“Wanna go out to eat?”
“Nope.” He turned her around so she was facing him and straddling him. “We probably shouldn’t be doing this here.” he said in between kisses.
“Why not? Seems like a damn good idea to me.”
“Well I have never tried but using a condom in the water seems a little messy to me.”
She laughed, “I am on the pill remember?”
“Yeah, but we have always used both.”
“So now we aren’t.”
“You sure?”
“Steve, I think it’s pretty safe to say we are far enough along in our relationship to stop using both.”
“If you…”
She slid down on top of him taking all of him into her and catching him off guard, “Steve, shut up.” she started rocking back and forth and he grabbed her hips to slow her down.
He knew at this rate he wouldn’t last long, they hadn’t been together in a long time and she felt so right. “Baby, we have all night.”
“Steve, no, please. I need you right now.”
He knew she was right he couldn’t slow this down for anything. He let go of her hips and matched her rhythm. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and soon both of them were reaching their peak. She collapsed onto his wet chest and kissed his neck. “I love you Steve. Let‘s not wait that long to do that again, ok.”
“I love you too baby and if you insist.” He carried her into their bedroom and laid her on the bed and they stayed there for the rest of the night making love to each other, knowing that their lives were finally headed right where they wanted them.
That same week after announcing Steve’s departure from DEI they announced the hiring of Jeff Green. Dale let his disproval be known but no one seemed to care. “You have to be kidding me. The same guy who last season said I would be a no body if it weren’t for daddy. The same guy Richard just fired for jumping on his own boss and teammates. Yeah, there’s a team player for you.”
“Dale he is only hired on for a few months until we find someone else. We have to fill that car.”
“If there were someone else wouldn’t we hire them now. Anyway, maybe you should have thought about that before getting rid of Steve so suddenly.”
No one seemed to happy with Steve’s sudden departure. Maybe had they gotten a driver who had better numbers than Steve but Jeff’s crybaby reputation preceded him and the Pennzoil team along with Dale and Mikey weren’t looking forward to the next couple of months.
Dover June
Michael sat in his trailer signing autographs. “Mikey you have about 15 more minutes left, then you have about 2 hours before the taping of Trackside.”
“Cool, I could use a few minutes to myself. Been a long day already.” He smiled at the fan in front of him so she could get a photo. Michael couldn’t help but shake a weird feeling he had, like someone was watching him and not someone like the line of fans in front of him. It was someone else, he couldn’t explain it but it was familiar.
“Ok, folks, thank you all for coming but Mikey needs to get going.” his publicist said to the crowd.
“Thank you all so much.” Michael waved and headed out the back of the trailer towards the waiting golf cart. Something caught his attention off to the side of the trailer. A women dashed quickly to the other side of the trailer. “It couldn’t be.” he thought to himself. He shook off the feeling and climbed on the golf cart and told the driver he was ready.
As the cart started to take off he saw the woman again. “Wait. Stop.” Michael jumped off the cart and headed towards the woman. He grabbed her arm and spun her around, “Oh my God, Amy.”
“Hi Mikey.”
Michael stood and stared in disbelief at the woman in front of him. “What…I mean…Are…Oh God.”
“It’s been a long time, huh?”
“Come on.”
“What? No Mikey, I can’t.”
“You didn’t come all this way just to sneak around and peek at me.”
“Well, actually I did.”
“Come on,” he grabbed her wrist and drug her towards the cart. She didn’t protest again. She knew better. He would carry her if needed. He sat down and pulled her down next to him, not a word was spoken by anyone for the entire ride.
The cart let them off at the entrance to the driver’s coaches. Still holding her wrist he walked quickly towards his coach not slowing down or speaking a word.
Dale Jr. saw Mikey pulling the woman towards his coach and yelled out to them, “Mikey.” Dale knew he had heard him cause the woman looked his way but Mikey didn’t even pause. “Huh, wonder what that was all about.”
As Mikey and Amy stepped into the coach he finally let go of her and shut and locked the door behind them. Michael just stood and stared at her like he had just seen a ghost.
“Say something, please.” she said.
“Why? Why are you here? Why now?”
“I didn’t think you would see me. I just wanted to see you, not on tv, live and in person. Just get a glimpse, a scent, something. Oh God Michael…”
He didn’t say another word. He crossed the room in 2 steps and lifted her just as he use to. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed her back against the wall. This was a familiar position for them with his 6”5’ frame compared to her at 5”2’. She knew of Buffy, his kids, the one on the way but she had missed him so. His mouth quickly covered hers and you would never have guessed that it had been twenty years.
Steve running in his 2nd full race for RCR finished 15th. Michael was slightly preoccupied and didn’t fare to well, finishing only in 18th. Dale had a pretty good day and although didn’t take the points lead moved within 10 points of 1st. Jeff finished 25th and was already whining after the race that Dale and Mikey didn’t help him out.
“Maybe if you hadn’t been a lap down we could have helped, what did you expect us to do?” Dale sarcastically said across the garage.
“Dale that’s enough.” Ty said walking into the garage area.
“No, I don’t think it is. 2 races in and it has already started. This is going to be fun.” Dale just looked at Ty and Jeff and he and Mikey walked out of the garage.
Jeff just huffed and puffed and went to his own garage. Tony Sr. looked at Ty, “Well, what did you expect?”
“Great, you too.”
“Well, not the best decision this company has ever made.”
Michigan June
Dale had seen Mikey and this unknown woman sneaking in and out of his coach too many times now, he knew Buffy was staying home and Dale finally decided to confront Michael outside the garage area late one evening when no one was around. “Mike can I talk to you for a second?”
“Yep, but I only have a minute.”
“What’s going on with you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know what I am talking about, her.”
“Stay out of it Dale.”
“I can’t watch you throw away your marriage like this.”
“It’s none of your business, Junior, back off.” Mike started walking again.
“Michael listen to your self. Your wife is going to have your baby, your son in a couple of months and you are sneaking around behind her back with some two bit whore.”
Mike stopped and spun on his heal and with out any warning his fist connected with Dale’s jaw. Dale fell back on his ass and he didn’t try to get up. Michael just looked down at him. “She is not a whore. You don’t ever talk about her that way again, understood. You don’t get it.”
“Your right, I don’t, so explain it too me.”
Mikey paused before starting the story, “I met Amy 21 years ago, she was the best thing to ever happen to me. I would have married her, had kids with her, grew old with her. She is the one who got away.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t even really know, it was my fault though. I screwed up. I was stressing over my career, she was always there for me. There was this guy on one of my teams that I was driving for, had a huge thing for her. Amy would never have cheated on me, but I was jealous and blew it. She tried to save the relationship but I just focused on my career and after a year together it was over. I went on the total rebound and ended up with Caitlyn’s mama. Never got over Amy and ended up divorced. Then I met Buffy and swore I was going to put it all behind me. I never saw Amy again until 2 weeks ago. Swore to myself that if I ever got a second chance I wouldn’t blow it.”
“What about Buffy?”
“I love Buffy dearly and with all my heart.”
“But?”
“But Amy has had my heart since the day I met her. I never stopped loving her. It should have been her.”
“But it wasn’t.”
“I know, Dale, I don’t want to hurt anyone but…” he paused “I don’t know what I am going to do.”
Dale hated this but he could sort of understand. If anything ever happened to him and Jules he could never love anyone the way he loved her. He saw the pain in Michael’s eyes and decided it was best to let him clean up his own mess. He watched Mikey turn and walk away.
Mikey stopped, “I am sorry.” he said not looking back, referring to Dale’s jaw.
July the week before Daytona
Ali was at a Frat party with her roommate and some other friends. She had been drinking but had only had two beers. She had had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach all day and couldn’t shake it. It was about 8pm when a wave of nausea came over her sending her straight to the bathroom. Her roommate chased after her. “Ali what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t hardly drank anything.”
“Want me to help you to the room?”
“No, I will be fine. Stay and party. I will see you in the morning.”
“Ok, call my cell if you need me.”
“I will thanks.” she walked out and headed to her room. “What the hell is wrong with me?” she thought as she felt sick again in the yard. She stopped and all of a sudden felt it. “Junior!” She ran up the stairs and grabbed her phone. She repeatedly dialed Dale’s number but continuously got his voice mail. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed her and she kept trying until she had worked herself up so much that she cried herself to sleep.
Dale and Jules were leaving the restaurant where they had started celebrating their 6 month anniversary. They were headed to the lake for a late night sail and some alone time that was way over due before he had to head to Daytona. Dale and Jules were sitting at a red light talking about the race on Sun when the light turned green. Dale pulled out in the intersection and didn’t see him coming till he heard Jules scream.
Dale tried to move and couldn’t, he must have been pinned in the car he thought. “Jules?” He looked to his right at the passenger seat but it wasn’t there. The whole car was in pieces, it was then that Dale realized he wasn’t even in the car anymore. “Jules?” he screamed. He heard muffled cries and somehow managed to pull himself along the ground to where she lay. “Jules, baby, it’s going to be ok.”
“Dale…I…lo..ve..you.” she managed to get out.
“I love you too baby, but we’re going to be ok.” He heard the sirens approaching. “See baby, they are coming.” He looked over at her again and found her staring at him, not moving or crying or breathing. “Jules, God no baby.” He reached out to her. “Jules, no.” The tears rolled down his cheeks as the paramedics started trying to resuscitate her. Three paramedics huddled over Dale trying to calm him down and get him stable enough to transport.
They loaded them into separate ambulances. At the hospital doctors and nurses hovered over Dale talking and shouting out orders. Dale was in shock from losing Jules, he didn’t have to ask, he felt it in his heart. The same pain he felt that day in Daytona. The shock was so strong that he didn’t realize his own injuries and how drastic of a change his life was about to take.
After they had run a bunch of tests they put Dale in a semiprivate room near the ER. The doctor came in and asked Dale to move his toes.
Dale did.
“Again.” The doctor looked at the nurse. “Now your fingers.” Dale’s fingers wiggled. “Ok, good. We are waiting for your test results, I will be back when we get them.”
Dale was oblivious to what was going on around him. All he could hear in his head was Jules screaming then the metal crunching over and over and over. He didn’t feel the pain or the numbness. All of a sudden he didn’t feel much of anything.
The nurse came in wanting to know if he was up to visitors.
“Kelly.”
“Anyone else?” The nurse asked.
“No.”
“Ok.” she lead Kelly into the room.
“Oh Dale, we were so worried.”
“She’s gone, Kel.”
“I know hon. I am so sorry.”
“What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” he shook his head.
“All I hear is her scream, I see her face.” he looked up at Kelly, “Was it my fault?”
“No, God no. Eye witnesses said you stopped at a red light, it turned green but an 18 wheeler didn’t stop at his red light, didn’t even slow down. Hit the passengers side straight on. The police don’t even know how you survived.”
“I shouldn’t have. It should have been me not her.”
“Stop you know Jules wouldn’t let you talk like that.”
The doctor came back in with some of the test results.
“When can I leave here?” Dale asked.
The doctor looked shocked.
Kelly spoke up, “What is it?”
“Dale tell me when you feel this.” he took a needle out and stuck the bottom of Dale’s foot in several places, then did the same to the other foot.
Kelly looked at Dale, he never said a word. “Oh God, no.”
“What? I don’t feel any…” the horror of what was happening hit Dale like a ton of bricks. He reached for his leg, “NO!” he started hitting his legs. “NO!” The extent of his injuries finally hitting him as he realized he couldn’t feel anything from the waist down. He madly punched at his legs.
“Dale stop, please” Kelly screamed.
The doctor yelled for help and Kerry and Mikey and Brenda all ran into the room. It took all of them plus a tranquilizer from the nurse to settle him down.
“Ali” he whimpered as he fell into a deep sleep.
The tears fell freely now from Kelly as she grabbed her cell phone.
Ali was abruptly woken up to her cell phone ringing about 3 am. She grabbed it “Dale?” she half yelled into it.
“No, Ali, it’s Kelly.”
She heard the tone in her voice and the tears. “Tell me he’s ok. Kelly please.”
“It’s bad. He’s alive but it’s bad. Jules was killed.”
“I am on my way.” she hung up the phone refusing to break down now. She called the airport, bought a ticket over the phone and then called her roommates cell and told her she was headed home. She threw a few outfits in a bag and ran out the door. All she knew was that Dale needed her, that’s all she needed to know.
They kept Dale sedated throughout the night and as he started coming to in the morning he heard voices.
“What are we going to do?”
“We are going to make sure everything possible is done to make him ok.”
“Well, of course but I meant the car?”
“Screw the car, screw the championship, screw the business, this is my brother we are talking about. I am thankful he is alive because according to the police he shouldn’t be. Do whatever…Dale? Dale, can you hear me?” Kelly said walking to his side.
“Kelly?”
“Yeah, I am right here.”
“I will get the doctor.” Teresa said as she walked out of the room.
Kelly watched her go then focused her attention back on Dale as Brenda walked in.
“Dale, baby. You ok?” Brenda said starting to cry.
“Don’t cry mom, you know I hate that. I am ok.” he said trying to convince himself as much as them.
The doctor walked in with Teresa and Kerry right behind him. “How you feeling?”
“Like someone hit me in the head with a sledgehammer.” Dale whispered.
“Those are the drugs, that will start to ware off soon, we have you on some pain meds but let me know how bad the pain gets and we will adjust it.”
“So let’s stop beating around the bush, how bad is it? Am I going to get use of my legs again?”
The doctor looked around the room.
“It’s ok, they are going to find out either way, so just do this.”
“Ok, you have fractured a few vertebra’s in your lower back. It is pinching your spinal cord and that is more that likely what is causing the paralysis.”
Dale squeezed Kelly’s hand getting more and more scared by the minute.
“Now the fracture looks pretty clean, we can do surgery to fuse the bones back together and that will take the pressure off the spinal cord.”
“But?”
“There are no guarantees, any time this type of surgery is done it is a risk. Even if the surgery goes well, there is a chance too much damage has been done to the spinal cord.”
“Which means I may never walk again.”
“There is a good chance, Dale.”
“What are the chances?” Teresa asked.
“Right now, we really can’t say. But it is pretty much a 50/50 deal. Usually, if we can get feeling or movement within a week after surgery then the odds go up. Within 6 months after the surgery if there is still paralysis, then it can’t be fixed.”
“Say the surgery works, and he gets feeling back, and we do rehab, how long?”
“Well,”
“Let me help her out here,” Kelly interrupted, “What Teresa wants to know is how long till he can get back in the car?”
“Well, the recovery from the surgery, will take several weeks, then rehab can be anywhere from 6 months to a year and a half. We won’t know till the surgery is completed.”
“A year and a half?” Dale asked hoping he heard wrong.
“Yes, but Dale you should be prepared you may never get in that car again.”
“Oh God.” Teresa walked out and Kelly just glared at her. She knew Teresa cared about Dale but right now all she was worried about was that car.
Dale looked up at Kelly, Brenda, and Kerry. “Schedule it.” None of them said anything.
“Ok, I will let you know when I get a time and day. Just to let you know what we are doing, there are other problems due to your injuries that we are keeping our eye on.”
“God, what now?”
“Well, we are going to start you on preventative antibiotics.”
“For what?”
“Because of the loss of feeling and use from your waist down there is a great risk of urinary tract infections. While you were sedated we put in a catheter. We are also going to be keeping a close eye on the possibility of blood clots.”
Dale took a deep breath and closed his eyes, fighting back the tears that wanted to fall. “Could you all please leave me alone for a little while?”
“Dale are you sure?” Brenda asked.
“Please mom.”
“Ok.”
After they had left the room the tears started. They fell for what was happening to him but mainly they fell for Jules. This was too much to deal with. He wasn’t sure he wanted to live let alone did he care if he walked.
Out in the hall Kelly had stopped the doctor. “I just want to make sure that he has the best doctor available.”
“There aren’t any doctors in this hospital who have done this type of procedure, so I put a call in to Dr. Marlo. He is a back specialist out of University Hospital in New York City. He is one of the best in the country. He has performed surgery’s on patients that had been declared hopeless and 80% of them have gotten most if not all use of their limbs back. I am going to call him now and see when he can be available to perform the surgery. I can get you some more info on him if you would like?”
“No, that’s fine. I don’t care about the cost just make sure he is the best.”
Kelly overheard Ty and Teresa talking on her way back to the waiting room.
“Who are we going to put in that car?”
“I don’t know. A year if not longer.”
“Unbelievable,” Kelly interrupted. “You couldn’t even stay in the room long enough to find out all that was going on, you don’t bother finding out what doctor is going to be doing the surgery.”
“Kelly you know we have to think about the business. Your father…”
“Don’t you dare tell me what my father would do. My father, Dale’s father, would have made sure the best doctor was hired, he would have sat at Dale’s side making sure he was ok. Then he would have worried about business. And you know what maybe we have sacrificed enough for that damn business.”
“Kelly, that’s enough.” Brenda said walking up.
“Don’t worry about it Teresa, go back to the office, worry about your damn car, Dale’s real family are here.”
"Kelly!” Brenda sternly scolded.
Kelly just walked away from all of them.
At 4pm the same day Ali ran through the hospital doors. “Dale Earnhardt Jr’s room.”
“Yeah right, you and every other groupie” the nurse said.
“Look, I am an old friend of his, I got the call at 3am in LA and came straight here. So where is he?”
“If you are that good of friends with him you would know where he is.”
“Screw you.” Ali pulled out her phone.
“Hello.”
“Kelly, I am in the hospital, the idiot nurse down here won’t let me up.”
“I will be right down.”
A few minutes later Kelly and Ali were hugging and Kelly started crying again. “Is it that bad?” They sat down in the lobby for a few minutes so Kelly could fill Ali in on what the doctor had said and Dale’s mood.
“I just want to make sure you are prepared to go in there. I have never seen him this down, even when daddy died, it wasn’t like this.”
“Cause he just lost the woman he was going to marry.”
They stood and headed upstairs. Brenda saw them step off the elevator. “Ali, thank God you are here.”
“Hey, how you holding up?”
“I have been better.”
The nurse walked up with a tray of food. “Who wants to try this time?”
“What’s going on?” Ali asked.
“He wouldn’t eat breakfast or lunch. We are going to try dinner but if doesn’t eat something by the end of today they are going to put him on an IV.”
Ali took the tray “He will eat.”
Kelly stopped her “How did you know something was wrong when I called you this morning.”
“I just did.”
She walked into the room and put the tray down beside the bed. His eyes were closed. His face was bruised and swollen, he had needles in both hands with bags hooked up to him. Amazingly, he didn’t look as bad as she had imagined after what Kelly said the car looked like. She gently placed her hand in his and sat there and waited.
She didn’t have to wait long however, he felt her, he knew she was there. Right where he needed her. He didn’t even open his eyes. “Ali, you’re here.”
She looked at him and smiled “Where else would I be?”
He finally looked at her. “She’s gone, Al. I was going to marry her. How am I gonna do this with out her?” he cried
“I know baby, but you will, we will.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek and wiped away his tears “I promise, I am not leaving you. You and me June, you and me.”
“What about school?”
“I will worry about that later. You are the most important thing in my life, we are going to get you healthy and then we will worry about my school. Now you have to eat.”
“I am not hungry.”
“Yes, you are.” she said putting some watery mashed potatoes on a spoon and holding it up to his mouth. “You know you would think you could use that Earnhardt name and charm of yours to get some real food.” she smiled as Dale let her put the food in his mouth.
Kelly watched through the door as Dale ate for Ali. She knew that even if the surgery didn’t work, he would at least get through this now that she was home.
That weekend, knowing that they had to put someone in the car for Daytona, Ty and Teresa put Martin Truex Jr. in the car. He had become the regular driver of Dale’s Chance 2 Busch car but had yet to break into Winston Cup. None of the DEI drivers minds were on the race at hand. Dale was scheduled to have surgery in the morning and as much as they tried, Daytona, the track that belonged to DEI became a nightmare. Jeff Green got loose in the corner causing the big one, taking himself and 5 other cars out of the race. Martin ran well until blowing a tire and sliding into the outside wall. The last hope for DEI was Mikey and he wasn’t exactly himself as of late. With 35 laps to go he blew an engine and retired to the garage.
Dale, Ali, and Kelly sat watching the race from Dale’s hospital room none of them wanting to mention the surgery tomorrow.
“Great, so none of the DEI cars did well today, at least Martin did good yesterday in the Chance 2 car. That kid has one hell of a future in front of him.”
“Yeah, and what a cutie.” Ali laughed.
“Oh really, want me to set you up. Never mind, you are to old for him.” Dale joked.
Ali threw a pillow at him. “Jerk.”
“Seriously, someone needs to get all the drivers together and get their heads out of their asses.”
“Jesus, not you to.” Kelly said walking to the window.
“What is going on Kel? I have see the way you have been treating Teresa and Ty and I am not real happy about it.”
“Yeah well I am not really happy about the fact that my baby brother is laying in that bed about to have surgery, not knowing if he will ever walk again and all anyone is worried about is whether or not you can fucking drive.”
Ali sat shocked, Kelly was always the calm one.
“Kelly, come here.” Dale said as he reached out for her. “Everything is going to be fine.” he wrapped his arms around her.
Ali was glad Kelly couldn’t see his face just then cause she knew he was trying to convince himself just as much as her.
“You know daddy would have gone on and had that car out there today.”
“I know but damn it Dale, how much do we have to sacrifice for this fucking company. We lost our childhoods, we didn’t get to spend near enough time with him before we lost him too and now you….” she started crying and Dale finally got it.
“I am sorry. God you have always been the one taking care of me, both of you.” he looked at Ali. “I was pretty selfish and didn’t stop to think of what you sacrificed for me growing up.”
“Dale that’s not it.”
“I know. You’re right, we sacrificed a lot but look at all it has given us. The life we live because of that company and all the hard work daddy did. Karsyn will never want, my kids,” he paused choking on the words not knowing now if he would have any. “No one in this family will have to struggle through life because of what he did.”
“I know it’s just hard, seeing you there. It has brought Daytona back.”
Ali looked down at the ground, “Don’t you start on me too. We are all past Daytona.” Dale sternly said. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared out of my mind. But we will deal with whatever we have to deal with after the surgery.” he hugged Kelly.
“I have to go get Karsyn from daycare.”
“Go talk to Teresa. Please.”
“I will.” she hugged him again “I love you.” she hugged Ali and left.
If anything good could come of the weekend, shortly after getting out of his car, Mikey got a call from home. Buffy had gone into labor a little while ago. Mikey ran to his coach telling Amy what was going on, he had to get home as soon as possible. DEI had a plane ready to get him home as quick as possible. Luckily it was a fairly short flight and he got there right before the baby was born. Buffy was in the same hospital as Dale which Mikey was grateful for. He didn’t actually want to spend too much time with Buffy, he felt guilty for cheating on her with Amy but couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth.
Michael walked down the hall the next morning with baby in his arms. He knocked on Dale’s door, the surgery was scheduled for 9am it was about 7am but he wanted to be sure to see him before the surgery. Ali answered, she hadn’t left the hospital or his side since she got there. “Hey you, oh my he is beautiful, Michael.” she said peeking at the little boy in his arms.
Dale smiled up from his bed, “Get over here with him.”
Dale meet “Michael Curtis Waltrip Jr.”
“Jr. huh, don’t get too use to that nickname kiddo, it’s already taken.” He smiled down at the baby in his arms. The tears started falling again, this time for the kids he hoped to have with Jules.
“Oh man I am sorry, I just thought…” Mikey said taking Mikey Jr. back.
“No, it’s ok. I am glad you brought him over. How’s Buffy?”
“She’s fine.” he said shortly and Dale knew why. “Look there are tons of people who want to see you so I am gonna get out of here. I will see you when you get out of surgery bud, take it easy.” Mikey didn’t know what to say, is there a right thing in this instance?
“Yeah, take care of that little one.” After Michael had left the room Dale looked at Ali, “He’s cheating on Buffy.”
“What!”
“Yeah, you know I thought I understood why, but now that Jules is gone, I imagine him throwing away those ten years and I just…I don’t know. He says he loves her always has but loves Amy more. I don’t get it.”
“Wow, talk about the one I never thought would cheat on anyone.”
“Yeah, I know.”
The doctor came in along with Brenda, Kerry, Taylor, Teresa, and Kelly. We are going to give you your meds now they will make you drowsy but not knock you out yet. You have about 20 minutes before they really make you groggy.
Kerry, Teresa, and Taylor all hugged him and then went back out to the waiting room.
Brenda hugged her baby and told him she loved him and had to get out of the room as she started crying again.
“Steve called me this morning, sends his love, said he would be back in town this afternoon and he would be here then. Said he was sorry he didn’t get here sooner.”
“Tell him it’s cool, I understand.”
Kelly was fighting back the tears, “I am gonna go. I love you and I will be right out in the waiting room. Here.” she handed him a piece of paper. “Karsyn drew it for you.”
Dale smiled at the crayons marks on the paper. “Thanks. Give her a hug and kiss for me. I love you Kel,”
Kelly joined the others in the waiting room.
“Well, I guess it’s just you and me kid.” Ali said.
“Thanks for everything, Al. I love you.”
She could hear the fear in his voice, “Listen to me, no matter what happens today. It will be ok. I love you too.”
“We sure as hell have had our share of rough times.”
“And we got through all of them together.” The nurse came in and rolled Dale out into the hall, Ali held his hand all the way to the surgical floor doors.
“I am sorry you can’t go any farther.” The nurse said to Ali.
She nodded, kissed Dale on the cheek and whispered in his ear, “You and me, June, you and me.”
“You and me Al, always.” and he and the nurse disappeared through the doors. Once Dale was out of sight the tears started to fall. She had stayed strong for him for days, just like he needed, but now she had to fall apart. As she slumped to the floor, Kelly and Brenda were there to pick her up. They sat in the waiting room for several hours, waiting, praying, and crying.
After about 6 hours the doctor came out.
“How is he?” Kerry asked as everyone jumped up.
“The surgery went well, we were able to fuse the bones back together which took the pressure off the spinal cord but we won’t know about permanent damage for awhile. We are keeping him on antibiotics to help keep the infections down.”
“What kind of time table are we hoping for here?”
“Honestly, we hope for any movement or feeling within a week, not full by any means, just anything. We will keep him on pure bed rest for a couple of days but then will jump right into rehab, we have to get his muscles moving soon to help with the rehabilitation. We can set up a schedule and get someone hired for him later today or tomorrow.”
“Can we see him?”
“As soon as he is out of recovery we will let you know.”
“Thank you doctor.”
Steve got there right after Dale went into recovery and was sitting with Mikey, Kelly when Ali sat down and dropped her head to her hands, “Come on the surgery went well.” Kelly said putting an arm around her shoulders.
“Yeah, but that was the easy part. Rehab, wheelchairs, him finally dealing with the fact that Jules is gone, not to mention the fact that he may never get in that car again. This is only beginning, Kelly.”
“She is right, that boy is acting strong now, trying to be like his daddy, but it’s going to hit him hard” Mikey said.
“Let’s make it as easy as we can.”
“How can we make this easy?”
“Well,” Steve thought for a moment. “Got it, his house is going to need a complete overhaul. Ramps, bars, etc. It’s not much but if we take care of it he won’t have too.”
“I think it’s a great idea, it’s a start at least.” Ali said.
Dale was moved back to his room, still unconscious, close family took turns going in. When they were all done Ali went in, she moved a chair to the bedside, having no intentions of leaving that room before he woke up. She watched him sleep remembering all their memories they had shared through the years.
They hadn’t always been friends, Ali’s family moved to Mooresville when she was 8 and 8 year old boys being 8 year old boys, Dale didn’t pay her any attention. Until that fateful day in which Ali kicked his butt on the go kart track. He was pissed to have been beaten by a girl but he was impressed none the less. They started meeting each other at that track every Saturday afternoon and by the time they were 10 a bond that no one would ever break, was formed. Even after he went away to military school they kept in touch. He had become the brother she never had. Giving a shoulder for her to cry on, finding someone to beat up her exes, Dale didn’t fight.
She remembered the time she fell out of the tree at his dad’s ranch and broke her arm. They were 11 and Dale carried her all the way back to the house yelling for his daddy the whole way. She tried to be so strong and not cry but it hurt so bad and Dale Jr. told her it was ok if she cried. “I am right here, it’s you and me Al” he said. She remembered looking up at Dale Sr. as he put her in his truck, her tears threatening to fall, he whispered “my son’s right, it‘s you and him and it is all right to cry.” She leaned against Dale the whole way to the hospital crying. Dale Jr. was the only man she had let herself open up in front of, ever.
After 20 years of friendship, she never saw him love like he loved Jules. She didn’t know how he would adjust to life without her. This would be worse than when Dale Sr. died, he loved his father but Jules was a different kind of love. She thought about that day back in 2001 in Daytona, she still hadn’t forgiven herself for that, even though Dale said he had. She should have been there, she had never missed Daytona, except for that year. She was at Dale’s condo by that night, but to her that wasn’t good enough.
Ali had fallen asleep and was woken up a couple hours later by a whimper, “Dale?” he was moaning but his eyes were still closed. “Dale can you hear me?”
“Ali?”
“Yeah, baby. I am right here.” She took his hand in hers as he tried to open his eyes.
“Everything is blurry.”
“That’s just the meds wearing off. It will be ok.”
“It hurts, Ali.”
“I am going to get the doctor.”
“No, please don’t leave me, Ali.”
She heard the fear in his voice and hit the call button for the nurse. He squeezed her hand as the nurse walked in and started taking his vitals. “The doctor will be right in.”
Kelly, Brenda and the doctor all came in a few minutes later. The doctor checked the vitals the nurse took “how you feeling, Dale?”
“Like shit. My back really hurts.”
“We are going to get you some pain meds and I want you to get as much rest as possible. Your rehab will start in a few days.”
The nurse came in and put pain killers in his IV, “These will make you tired.”
“We are going to let you sleep, but we will be right out in the hall.” Brenda said kissing his hand.
“I love you mom.”
“I love you too, Junebug.”
Ali started to follow Kelly and Brenda out to the waiting room. Dale stopped her, “Al, please don’t leave.”
She smiled “I am not going anywhere.” She walked back over to the chair and sat down taking his hand in hers.
“I don’t know what I would do without you,” he was starting to doze off. “I love you, Al.”
“I love you too June.” Ali knew what she needed to do. Dale was going to need her full time, she has some arrangements to make. She grabbed her phone and started making calls.
About two weeks later, Dale’s rehab was going slowly. Right now it consisted of his legs mainly being massaged and worked by a physical therapist and Ali who was learning the exercises with Dale to help him out once he went home.
Ali was treating Dale to a foot massage. He had started getting feeling back in the bottom of his feet and a couple toes.
Dale realized Ali had been there for almost 3 weeks now and knew she couldn’t miss too much more school. He looked at her and then down at his hands.
Ali caught the look “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“June.”
“It’s just, I don’t want you to leave.”
“Dale, why on earth do you think I would leave?”
“You have missed too much school already. You can’t miss anymore.” Ali was now the one to look away. “What? Ali what aren’t you telling me?”
“I dropped out.”
“What? Al you can’t, you have come so far.”
“I will finish it later. I am not leaving you.”
“Ali, I appreciate it and I don’t want you to leave but you can’t just give up everything you have ever wanted.”
“Dale, it’s ok. This is where I need to be. I wouldn’t do any good out there anyway. Let’s take care of you, when you get home and can take care of yourself, then I will go back.” she smiled as she pulled his socks back on him.
“What about your stuff?”
“It arrived last week. Kelly took most of it too your place, brought some of it here to me.”
“Where are you staying when you leave here. Hotels, stayed with Brandon a couple of nights but here in the hospital waiting room mostly.”
“Why don’t you stay at my place?”
“I am not wasting the time to drive all the way to Mooresville. That‘s an hour each way.”
“You are so stubborn.”
Ali smiled “learned from the best.” she kissed his cheek. “I am going to grab a soda, need anything?”
“No thanks.”
“K, I will be right back.”
August Bristol
“Michael, we can’t keep this up.” Amy said sitting at the table across from Mikey.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Michael, you are cheating on your wife, your wife who just gave birth to your son, we can’t go on this way. It’s not fair to you, me, her, or your kids.”
He looked up at her, “Amy, I lost you once, I love you and I am not losing you again.”
“Cheating on your wife isn’t the answer to anyone’s problems.”
“So I will ask her for a divorce.”
Amy choked at his suddenness and the ease at which he was willing to discard his marriage of 9 years. “Mikey…”
“Stop right there, I should have never married her, I have loved you since the day I first laid eyes on you. Not a day has gone by that I stopped loving you. I will never stop. I don’t know how I made it through all these years without you. It was my fault and I won’t make the same mistake again.”
He pulled her from the table and over to the couch. He pulled her onto his lap as his tongue found the nape of her neck. With that every thought in her head was gone. She never could think clearly in his arms. As horrible as it was she wanted him to leave Buffy, she did still love him and didn’t want to lose him again. She never intended to be here, he wasn’t suppose to see her but now that she was, it felt so good.
Mikey sat in front of a crying Buffy. “It has nothing to do with you, I love you and always have.”
“But? Don‘t lie to me Mikey. Please.”
He looked at her and could see the anger growing inside of her. “I love her more. The truth…had she never left I would have married her and spent the rest of my life with her. I do not regret a single second of the past 9 years with you. I just regret that they weren’t with her.” He knew as soon as it all came out that he probably shouldn’t have put it that way.
“Get out.”
“Buffy?”
“Just get out, I can’t do this any more today, leave me alone.”
“Ok, I will be staying in my coach, let me know when you are ready to talk.”
Buffy, didn’t say another word she just stood and walked to her, their bedroom. Mikey watched her go and quietly let himself out.
Michael received a call from Buffy a few days later and agreed to meet with her to talk. He felt weird knocking on his own door but he thought it only right under the circumstances. She let him in and they sat in the living room.
“Before you say anything, let me get this out.” He nodded not speaking. Buffy took a deep breath and began. “I love you with all my heart, I would have spent the rest of my life with you and happy but I can’t force you to stay in a relationship that you don’t want to be in and honestly I don’t want you to stay if you aren’t happy here. I hope we can do this peacefully, there isn’t anything worth fighting over and wrecking the kids lives for.” Mikey nodded slowly. “We can figure out some arrangement for the kids to see you as much as possible, I don’t want the house, there are too many memories and if I am going to make it through this I can’t be here. I do however, want to keep my portion of Michael Waltrip Racing, I have just as much invested in it as you and I want to stay on as long as I can. The rest I guess we will figure out as we go.” At some point she had gotten up and was pacing the living room floor.
Michael just watched her, his heart went out to her, she was being so strong. That was one of the things he loved most about her. His head started spinning, he did love her, was he making a mistake, the biggest of his life? He didn’t know what to say, she was waiting for a response, and he couldn’t give her one. He just had to get the hell out of there and clear his head. “I won’t ever fight you for anything,” he choked fighting the tears that were welling up, “Buf, I do love you…I gotta go.” He said abruptly and ran out the door.
Buffy knew her husband too well and knew something was up. She grabbed her phone. “Hello.”
“Darrell, it’s Buffy. I need a favor.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
Buffy told him the whole story and he sat in stunned silence taking it all in. “Are you serious? He hasn’t said a word about any of this.”
“I know, here’s the problem, a few days ago when he came over he was happy. I saw that look in his eye. Today when I offered him everything he wanted, that look was gone. Something is going on. Will you try and talk to him for me, I won’t force him to stay but I sure as hell am not going to stop fighting if he doesn’t really want to leave.”
“Where is he staying?”
“His coach.”
“Let me try and find him. I will get back to you.”
“Thanks Darrell.”
Michael went back to his coach and found Darrell waiting for him. “What’s up Bro?”
“Don’t bullshit me now, boy.”
Michael looked at him knowing he knew. “Darrell, not now, please.”
“Then when, after you ruin your life. How the hell did you find Amy again? Why?”
“She found me. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.” he said walking into his coach.
Darrell followed him in sitting at the table. Michael grabbed a couple beers and sat across from him. “Mikey, you love Buffy.”
“This isn’t about Buffy, of course I love her. But I love Amy still, I will always love Amy.”
“Do you love her? Or are you in love with the idea of her 20 years ago? Buffy loves you so much, what about the kids?”
“God Darrell, stop please.” Mikey’s head hit the table.
“Michael, you know I love you and I want you to be happy but you were happy before Amy came back. This explains so much now.”
“What are you talking about? Explains what?”
“Your performance on the track, the drop in points, the bad attitude you have had lately. It’s all because she is back.”
“Stop, it’s not her fault. She loves me.”
“I know, I always liked Amy, you two made a great couple, once upon a time. That fairly tale is over and the happy ending you are searching for is with Buffy. You know it and your heart knows it. You know where I am if you need me.”
“Thanks.” he muttered as Darrell left.
September
The days passed quickly and Dale had to admit rehab was a lot harder than he expected. He still couldn’t move on his own but he did have feeling from his feet to his toes. The doctor was optimistic but didn’t want to release Dale until he was confident he could take care of himself. Dale on the other hand wanted to much to quickly.
“Damn it.” he yelled.
“Dale you are expecting too much. The progress you have made in the past 2 months is great.” Ali said trying to calm him down.
“2 months, Al, 2 damn months and I can feel my freaking knees. Big deal. At this rate I will never get back in that car. This is pointless.”
“Don’t talk like that, it is going to take some time but it will happen.” She said as she massaged his legs helping him with his exercises. “I haven’t given up on you and Jules wouldn’t either, so stop it right now and do these damn exercises.”
“Don’t you dare bring Jules into this Al, she’s dead. Dead and you haven’t given up cause it happened to me not you.”
Ali had never seen him like this, Dale didn’t give up he fought that’s what that family did. “You’re right it didn’t happen to me but there hasn’t been a day in the past 2 months that I haven’t tried to figure out how to trade places with you. I would do anything for you, anything.” she felt the tears and ran out of the room.
“Ali,” Dale called after her. “Ali. Don’t leave me.” But she was already gone. “You promised you wouldn’t leave me.” he whined to himself.
A few hours later the door to Dale’s room swung open and Bootie Barker rolled himself in. “Bootie? What are you doing here?”
“Thought you might need someone to vent to that can relate to where you are right now.” He said slapping the side of his wheelchair. “Come on let’s go for a walk.”
Dale looked at him. “We can’t…” Before Dale could finish the sentence Bootie had rolled the empty wheelchair of Dale’s, which he had only used once or twice, to the side of the bed. “I can’t get into it alone.” Dale couldn’t look at Bootie, he all of a sudden felt like a complete ass. Here he was getting feeling back and he was giving up and here was Bootie who was in that wheelchair for life and was a Winston Cup Crew Chief.
Bootie set the brakes on the chair. “You have complete use of your upper body, put it to use.”
Kelly saw what was going on “Oh my God, he is going to hurt himself.” she said as she went for the door.
“No, he has to this and he has to do it now. If he doesn’t he will never get out of that bed.” Ali said grabbing her arm.
Kelly stopped and watched, not happy about it but she did it.
Dale looked at Bootie. “The chair is locked, it isn’t going to move. Put your hands on the arms of the chair and pull yourself into the seat.” Bootie looked at him as he stared at the chair. “I know you are scared, but you have to trust in yourself.”
Dale did just what Bootie told him to do and the next thing he knew he was sitting in the chair. “Oh my God. I did it. I did it.” Bootie helped him get his legs straight and showed him how to work the chair. Before they wheeled out into the hall Dale stopped him. “Ali sent you here didn’t she?”
“She’s worried about you, said you were having a lot of self doubt. Which is completely normal but you have to choose how you want to live or if you even do. I am the same person I was before this chair came into my life, nothing will ever change that.”
They rolled out into the hall and Kelly ran up to him and hugged him. “I am so proud of you.”
Ali stayed where she was leaning against the wall smiling, Dale rolled over to her, “You have been coming to me my whole life, guess it’s time I came to you for once, huh?”
“I will always be here for you, I knew you could do it.” she hugged and kissed him. She watched as the they rolled down the hall and out of sight.
A week later Dale rolled up to his front porch, he smiled at the makeshift ramp. “The guys worked real hard on it. The whole house actually, your posse can bust their asses when needed.” she laughed.
He rolled through the house getting use to where everything was. “They did a great job.”
“And the coolest thing?” she said grabbing the ramp that went up the step leading to the back porch. “All makeshift and removable. Once you are out of that chair, we remove everything and it is your old place.”
“You guy’s thought of everything.”
“Don’t look at me, this was all your friends, Kerry, Tony Jr, Ty, Steve, Mikey, they all helped.”
There was a knock on the door, Dale sighed and started to roll over there, “I’ll get it.” Ali said standing and walking over to the door.
“Hey guys, what’s up? Come in.”
Michael and Steve walked in and joined Dale in the living room. “Hey buddy, sorry to drop by on such short notice. We have to fly out tonight for Loudon and wanted to see how you were.”
“No problem, doing ok. Getting use to this thing,” he said pointing to the chair. “The place is great by the way, I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Get out of that chair so we can come over and get rid of it.” Mikey laughed.
Ali left the boys to their shop talk as she got settled into the guest room next to Dale’s. She hadn’t left the hospital much, none of her stuff had been unpacked yet and she spent most of the afternoon getting use to being back in that house. She had stayed at Dale’s for awhile before she went away to school, she also moved in with him for a few months after his father died to help him through everything.
Awhile later Mikey knocked on her door. “Yeah,”
He stuck his head in, “Hey we are taking off.”
“Got a minute.”
“For you, of course.”
“What are you doing? I heard about Amy and the divorce.”
“Ali don’t.”
“Mikey, is this really what you want. You aren’t being honest with yourself.”
“And you are?”
“Excuse me?”
“Come on, Ali, you and Dale.”
“What are you talking about? Dale and I are best friends, always have been.”
“That’s what you tell yourself, does it help you sleep at night. You two have been in love for ever, before you knew what love was from what I hear. I am sorry Jules is gone, she was an amazing woman, but her and Dale getting married would have been a mistake. I appreciate your concern but Ali worry about yourself not me.”
Ali stood in shock for a minute or so before heading out “You guy’s have a good race.” she managed to get out. Mikey looked at her as they headed out the door and Dale noticed how uneasy Ali was acting all of a sudden.
“Ali, everything ok?”
She looked at him, Mikey is insane she thought. “Yeah, everything’s fine. You hungry?” Before he had a chance to answer she wandered into the kitchen and started making dinner.
He followed her to the kitchen “You sure?”
“Yeah, everything is fine. What do you want to eat?”
“Don’t care. How about you?”
“How about spaghetti? I am tired, no never mind, what do you want?”
“Spaghetti is fine. Hell, we can get delivery if your tired come sit down.”
“No, I can make us something.”
“Ali, please come sit down.” She looked at him and sat down next to him. He dialed the Chinese delivery guy order them dinner and then turned to Ali. “So when you going back to school?” With that she got up and started to walk away. “Ali, stop. What the hell is going on?”
“I am not going back to school.”
“What?”
“The fall semester started last month. It’s no big deal.”
“Ali, you said that when I got home you would go back and finish. It’s what you have always wanted. I can‘t be the reason you give all that up.”
“Your not, I am. I promised you I wasn’t leaving you. I have never broken a promise to you and won’t start now. When you are up and walking again, then we will see.”
“What if I don’t walk again?”
“Don’t say that.”
“You know as well as I do there is still a chance.”
“Stop it, damn it.” She couldn’t figure out why she was so upset all of a sudden. “Look, yell when dinner gets here.”
He grabbed her hand as she headed back to her room. She stopped and looked at him before pulling away and going to her room.
Michael walked to his coach a week later in Dover, Ali and Darrell’s words still in his head, and he knew they were right; he wasn’t being true to himself but he had crossed a line and was sure he couldn’t go back. Once again the race was less than stellar for Michael, a 29th place finish just in front of Green at 31st. Hank Parker Jr. was in the Bud car for the weekend and did slightly better at 23rd. DEI was once again making headlines but not for the reasons they wanted. Waltrips pending divorce announced just after the birth of their son was the talk of the town. The Green/Park switch was looking like a great deal, for Park and RCR at least. Park had moved from 33rd to 25th since joining RCR, while Green had a handful of good runs finishing in the top 20. The Bud car seemed to have a different driver each week since no good decision on how to fill it could be made. It was starting to look like no one was in control at DEI and that is exactly how they all felt.
Kelly was bringing the paperwork for Chance 2 over to Dale and he started running his company again. Truex Jr. was having solid runs, improving each week.
Ali saw an improvement in Dale’s attitude and mood but she was concerned he wasn’t dealing with his grief. She also noticed how tired and run down he always was. She was awoke one night to Dale’s screams, she ran into his room to find him still asleep. “Dale, wake up you are dreaming.” She gently shook his arm.
Dale sat up sweating, “God I am so sick of this.” he fell into Ali’s arms.
“Dale what is it?”
“The dream, the same damn dream every night.”
“What dream Dale?”
“I see her, Jules, she is laying there dead staring at me. I hear her screams. God, Ali, make it go away, I just want it to go away.”
For 3 months he hadn’t been sleeping, having horrible dreams and didn’t tell anyone. Ali just held him. “I wish I could make it all go away for you.”
“I want to hold her, feel her skin against mine, I can’t sleep in this bed alone, without her here. I can’t do this.”
“Shh, lay back down.” Ali stood.
“Don’t leave me please.” he grabbed at her arm like a child scared of the monster hiding in his closet.
“I am not leaving you, I promise.” Ali looked at him and it broke her heart, she wondered how much more he could take before he snapped.
Dale had feeling back in most of his legs now but still couldn’t move or support any weight on his own. She thought for a moment, they had known each other for 20 years, seen each other naked a dozen times; the first time being when Dale Sr. caught them skinny dipping at the age of 11 of course this was also where they experienced their first kiss. They never thought twice about it back then but now that Michael had opened his mouth. Was he right? Ali shook the thoughts from her head, Dale needed her. She pulled the pajama top off and stepped out of the pants.
As she pulled the blanket on the bed back Dale opened his eyes and looked at her. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her. He wasn’t sure why this was so weird, he had seen her naked before. He had forgotten about the butterfly tattoo on her hip. “What are you doing?”
She didn’t say a word, just slid into bed next to him and put her head on his chest. His arms circled her as the warmth of her body engulfed him. After a while she felt his breathing even out and knew he had fallen asleep. She closed her eyes and fell asleep listening to the sound of his broken heart. Dale woke the next morning alone, he smelled coffee so he knew she hadn’t left but he didn’t know what to do next. That was the first decent night’s sleep he had gotten since the accident. God he missed having her around and the problem was he didn’t know which one he meant.
October
Dale and Ali were working on his exercises. He was laying on his back as she stood above him with his foot flat against her stomach. She was pressing down on his leg trying to get the muscles to react.
“I hate this,” Dale said looking up at her. “A LOT! It hurts.”
“I know, but the fact that it hurts is a good thing. It is only a matter of time before you start moving.
Dale was sweating, “I need a break, please.”
“Ok, but only a few minutes. We don’t have that much more to go for today.”
“Slave driver.”
She laughed, “Ow.” she grabbed her ankle. “Damn it, you don’t have to kick… Oh, my God, Dale you kicked me.”
He looked at her in shock, “I…what…how?” he slowly wiggled his toes and watched as they actually moved this time.
Fighting back the tears Ali grabbed the phone and called the doctor.
When she hung up Dale was still wiggling his toes. She smiled, “The doctor wants to see you now.”
She helped him off the floor and back into his chair as she started to walk away he grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. He buried his face in her neck and she could feel his warm tears on her skin. She wrapped her arms around him and couldn’t stop her own tears now. Neither said a word they just sat and cried some very overdue happy tears.
The doctor was very happy with the new developments in Dale’s condition. “It’s only a matter of time now. I will warn you, it is going to get really hard and painful now. But you are almost there, Dale. Now that movement is coming back you can really strengthen your muscles and it won’t be long before you will be able to support your weight.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Well, we are going to get you on new exercises that will target more of the muscle and we are going to get you out of that chair.”
“Huh?” that didn’t sound like fun to Dale.
“We will get you up on a track and get your legs back in the motion of walking. We will start tomorrow.”
Martinsville October
He couldn’t figure out where Amy was they were suppose to meet at Martinsville. He figured she would be in his coach waiting for him, then he saw the letter laying on his pillow. Here we go again he thought.
My Dearest Michael,
I can’t believe we have once again found ourselves here. I thought our timing was bad twenty years ago, well it was even worse this time. I love you with all my heart, I always have and always will but this is one of those bad clichés, where love just isn’t enough. When you came back into my life you were on top of the world, you had a beautiful family, you were top ten in points, fighting for a championship. Now you are losing it all, you are barely in the top twenty and are fighting to keep your ride. I am the reason for all that. We made a huge mistake, Michael, but you can stop it before you make an even bigger one. I have seen the love in your eyes for Buffy and she has the same love in hers for you. I know you have been torn between the two of us, so here is your out. Go to her, try and make things right. It won’t be easy but you are one hell of a fighter and your family is worth fighting for.
Michael read the letter knowing she was right, his loved her but his heart belonged to Buffy now. She had left again but it didn’t hurt like the first time. He was pretty sure that the hell he put Buffy through the past several months that they were over. He couldn’t blame her for not forgiving him. He decided to not tell Buffy right away that Amy was gone. The season would be over soon and he thought waiting and seeing what happened with DEI and his future was best.
Homestead November
Buffy had taken the kids to Homestead to be with Michael for the last race of the season. During practice she took them to his coach so they would be there when he got back. She knocked on the door but there was no answer. Still having a key she let herself in. “Amy are you here?” she called out. She had planned on leaving them with Amy and leaving but decided to just wait there for one of them to get back. She got Macy a snack and put her at the kitchen table before taking Mikey Jr. back to Michael’s room for a nap. She put him in the crib next to the bed and started looking for a pacifier. “Come on I know he has extra’s here.” She picked up a piece of paper in the bedside drawer to find one hiding underneath. As she put the paper back in the drawer the words My Dearest Michael caught her attention. “Buffy, you shouldn’t be reading this.” but yet she read on.
Buffy was sitting on the couch when Michael walked in. “Hey, what are you doing here? Where are the kids?” he asked shocked to see her and looking around.
“The kids are back in the bedroom asleep. I was going to leave them here with Amy so they would be here when you got back but she wasn’t here.” She stood and grabbed a towel and bottle of water out of the kitchen and handed both to him, knowing how he needed both after a race or practice.
He took them and half smiled at how she knew him so well, “No, Amy’s not here this weekend.”
“I know.”
He looked up hearing the tone of her voice and he realized she knew the truth. “How did you find out?”
“How long has she been gone?” she asked pulling out the letter.
“You snooping now.”
“No I was looking…”
“I didn’t mean that. I am sorry. This place is still yours too you have every right to look at what you want. About three weeks.”
“Were you going to tell me?”
“I wanted to, God I wanted to. I wanted to come running back and beg and plead for you to take me back but I couldn’t. I put you through so much hell, I don’t blame you for hating me.”
“I don’t hate you Michael, I couldn’t. I have loved you for too long too ever hate you.”
Mikey Jr. started crying and Buffy stood.
“Let me.” Michael said wandering to the bedroom.
He had been gone several minutes and Mikey had stopped crying awhile ago. Buffy walked back to the bedroom and stopped in the doorway. She looked on as she saw Michael laying on his back with Mikey Jr. on his chest fast asleep and Macy curled up next to him in the crook of his arm. She noticed the tears running down Michaels face. She walked over and laid down beside Macy.
“Sorry, I just…” he choked on his tears. “I miss this so much.”
“Michael,” he looked at her and she reached out and wiped away his tears. “I haven’t signed the papers yet.”
“You haven’t? Why?”
“I don’t know, I guess when it came down to it I didn’t really want to give up on us.”
“What are you saying?”
“You hurt me. I am not going to lie about that but I understand why you did it and I never doubted your love for me. I saw it the day I told you I would let you go.”
“I started thinking then I was making a mistake but I just…God I don’t know.”
“You thought after telling me you wanted a divorce you couldn’t take it back.”
“Yeah.”
“I am not saying that everything is going to be perfect…”
“But…” he didn’t want to get his hopes up.
“But I want you to come home. Macy misses you horrible and so do I. I do love you, Michael, I could never stop.”
“I love you too. God, I love you so much.”
She leaned over Macy carefully and kissed him gently on the cheek. “I just thought of something.”
“What?” He didn’t care what it was, as long as he had her back that’s all that mattered.
“The house is up for sale, there is a family coming to look at it Monday.”
“Not any more. Get on the phone and tell them we have changed our mind. Unless you want to look for something new.”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think so but you know. We are coming up on our tenth anniversary, it would be a new start. Why not?”
“So we will start looking Monday when we get back.”
“When we get home.” she said liking the sound of it.
The season ended and not a day too early for any of the DEI teams. Michael managed to hold on to a 20th place finish even though this was his year to end in the top 5. The Bud car went through too many drivers to really stay in the standings. They just went for owners points and hoped for the best for the following season. They dropped Green at the end of the year after he had DNF after DNF, leaving the Pennzoil car empty once again. Pennzoil was threatening to leave DEI altogether if something wasn’t done and Budweiser, all though true to Dale Jr., wasn’t sure what the future held, if he wasn’t going to be in that car a lot of money would be loss.
Between the bad press and bad finishes of their teams Teresa and Ty were at their wits end trying to figure out what to do with the company, it was quickly turning to hell and neither knew what to do to fix it, every idea they had didn’t seem to work. Teresa was concerned that for the first time since Dale started this company they would actually be losing money next season if something didn’t change. If they lost Pennzoil and Budweiser, well the doors couldn’t stay open based on Napa alone.
December
Dale’s condition improved rapidly. The movement had returned quickly and even though the rehab was extremely hard and painful once it started coming back he was determined to get on his feet. There was only two weeks until the awards banquet and Dale wanted to prove to the fans, the team, the sponsor, the media, and to himself that he would be back. DEI had no reason to attend the awards ceremony this year but Dale decided he was, and he planned on walking in. Matt Kenseth had won the championship and Dale asked Nascar if he could present the award. They thought it was a great idea. Dale had been up on his feet for no more than an hour a day but he could stand and walk short distances. The ceremony had a larger turnout this year than in most because everyone wanted to see Dale for themselves. Rumors were rampant and even though a lot of them had stopped by to see him over the past 6 months, everyone wanted to be there.
When it came time to present Matt with the trophy, Ali pushed Dale’s chair to the stage right behind the curtain. He threw the brakes on, “Dale what are you doing?”
“Walking.”
“Dale, we don’t have your walker. You need it, you haven’t walked without it yet.”
“No, I am going to do this. Are you going to help me or not?”
Ali sighed, she knew he had made up his mind. “Ok, let’s do this.” She stood in front of him and held out her arm. He grabbed her hand and stood. He wrapped his arm around hers and they slowly made their way to the podium. Everyone expected him to be in his chair and when they saw him standing and walking the room exploded in a standing ovation. There were cheers, tears, and applause. It took him a few minutes to get the few short feet to center stage but he did it.
“Whew, man now I know how Waltrip feels at the end of his marathons.” Dale gave the presentation for Matt leaning on the podium and when Matt walked to him, he couldn’t stop the tears. He hugged Dale and they stood there for a minute or two. When they pulled away Ali stepped up and offered Dale an arm to lean on as they stood back with Miss Winston.
“You know this has been one hell of a year, this award very well could have been yours and probably would have been.” Matt said looking at Dale. “Man, you and I have known each other for years now, and let me tell you what,” he paused choking back the tears. “This award doesn’t mean half of what having you standing right there with me does.” Dale and Ali had joined Matt and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. “And I know you plan on coming after it hard and heavy once you get back in that car.” Matt hugged Dale again and Ali helped him back to his chair.
“I am so proud of you.” Ali said through tears as Dale sat back down out of breath.
“It wasn’t much but…”
“Bull, this was the biggest step you have taken in 6 months. This was huge.” she squeezed his hand as they headed back to their seats as Matt finished his speech.
DEI JANUARY
As Dale looked around the room he saw the faces of those closest to his father. Family, friends, those he respected and trusted enough to bring into his company. “So this is it? This is how it all ends. Everything my father worked so hard for, we are just going to let fade away. This has been a hard year, no doubt, but we have come back from worse. A few years ago we had our whole world shattered and just when we didn’t think we could go on, we did. We didn’t give up when dad died, so why are we now? Why are we throwing it all away?” No one spoke, they didn’t dare. Dale stood and walked to the window over looking the empty shop.
Finally Teresa said something, “Throw it away, no.” she paused looking around the room. All eyes were on her except for Dale’s. His memories of his dad in that shop were running his head now. “Handing it over, yes.”
“What are you talking about, Teresa?” Ty asked.
She slid a packet of paper towards Dale, “Junebug, all you have to do is sign it. I already have.”
Dale walked over and picked up the paper, “What is it?” he asked scanning the first page. “Teresa?” he said looking down at her.
“Dale, I am sure. I struggled with this decision for some time. This is the best option, the best for everyone involved. It is fresh, new, just what this company needs.”
“Will someone tell us what is going on?” Mikey said.
Teresa decided she should be the one to explain it. “Those papers say Dale Jr. will be the sole owner of DEI.” everyone gasped. “Let me finish. I will keep the rights to the Legacy program and have full permission to use DEI in that program. We were going to hire someone to help run the race end of the business because we all know my priorities lay with Dale and his legacy. Why should we hire someone new, when Dale is here and ready?”
“I don’t know if I am ready for this.”
“Yes you are. You can’t race this year because of your rehab, at least not the start of the season. You have plenty of time to get in the swing of things and when you do get back in the car you will be ready to handle both.”
Seeing the doubt and hesitation in her brother’s eyes Kelly spoke up, “Teresa, are you 100% sure about this? If he signs those papers, there is no going back.”
“Yes, this wasn’t an overnight decision. It’s been coming for awhile. I am not willing to let this company just fade away and I know you aren‘t either.” she said looking at Dale.
“Ok then,” Kelly turned to Dale who had sat down next to her. “Sign it.”
Dale looked at her like she was crazy, “Kelly, you have to be kidding. I have to think about this.”
“Sign it.”
“Kel…”
“Dale, you are ready for this. You can do this. She’s right you are the best hope for this company now, you just don’t see it. Sign it.”
“You are right I don’t see it.” Dale looked at his sister. She had always been there for him, taken care of him. She had never and would never lead him wrong and she would never let him down. If she didn’t think he could do it she would say it. Dale took a deep breath, grabbed a pen, and signed the papers. The DEI lawyer notarized it right there and it was done.
“Great, I am going to clean out my office.”
“Teresa, no. That office is yours always will be.”
"No, it was your father’s, now it’s yours. I am planning on working mostly from home, I can be there more for Taylor that way. I will be here for you whenever you need me, but I need to walk away from this now. Thank you though.” she turned and walked out.
No one knew what to say. Everything had just happened so fast. One by one they started to leave.
“Ty, will you call a meeting for Monday morning. We need to address everyone to let them know, I need a few days though.”
“Sure, press conference?”
“Yeah, I guess Monday afternoon. The rumors will probably be rampant by then, hopefully we can beat the worst of them.”
“Sure. I will set it up and leave you a message.”
“Thanks.” Dale looked at Kelly. “Are you sure I can do this?”
“Never been so sure about anything in my life. Are you going to be ok?”
“Yeah, just need some time to let it all soak in.”
“Ok, call me if you need me.” She hugged him and walked out leaving Dale all alone. The large conference room seemed even bigger now that it was empty. A million things were running through his head and he didn’t know what to do with any of them. All of a sudden that familiar feeling of loneliness that he had felt so much in the past six months had returned. He dropped his head to the table and let the tears fall freely. He sat there for a while before gathering his things, he wanted to get home. Home to Ali, he sat back down, Ali. As alone as he had felt after loosing Jules, he couldn’t imagine how he would have felt if she hadn’t been there for him. He felt horrible cause she dropped out of school to take care of him, she had given up the one dream she always wanted for him. They had never mentioned the night she spent in his room but things were different now, he wasn’t sure why or how but they were.
Ali couldn’t believe what Kelly was telling her, “the whole company is his, Teresa walked away from everything?”
“Everything but the Legacy program. I had to convince him to sign the papers.”
“How is he?”
“I don’t know, he wanted time to be alone but he didn’t look good.”
“He just pulled up, thanks for calling.” Ali hung up the phone “sole owner of DEI, holy shit.”
Dale walked through the door, “Hey, what’s up?”
“Think that’s my line.”
“Kelly called.”
“Yeah, how are you?”
“I don’t know Al, I mean this is huge. The company is failing big time, the teams are a mess, hell we don’t even have three teams, I still have Chance 2 to worry about. How the hell am I suppose to do all this, plus my rehab, I have to get back in that car.” he said leaning against the wall.
“Look, last season sucked, no doubt about it but that was last season. You can do this by starting over, Dale you can do this, I have all the faith in the world in you.”
He looked at her, “I need to think.” He headed to his bedroom, his head spinning, DEI, Ali, Jules, DEI, Ali, Jules, DEI, Ali, Jules, he laid down, closed his eyes and pulled a pillow over his head trying to make it all stop.
A few hours later he sat straight up in bed, “that’s it, that’s how to get DEI back on track” he grabbed his cell phone and called Ty as he went looking for Ali. He found her in the basement. “You think you can set it up? We have 4 days until Mon and we need to do the press conference then. Great, I will start working on the other and get back to ya tonight or in the morning.”
He hung up the phone “Come on I need you to go somewhere with me?” he grabbed her hand pulling her up out of the chair so quickly she stumbled and as he caught her she started to laugh until she met his stare. They both pulled away quickly and headed to the car.
“So what do you think?”
“I think it’s brilliant. If we can pull it off and sign them all by Monday I think it’s exactly what could put DEI back on track.” Kelly said.
“What about you? I can’t do this without both of you.” he said looking at Ali now.
Ali smiled, “Told you, you could do this.”
Monday morning after a quick employee meeting at DEI, everyone headed to the conference room where everything was coming together for that afternoons press conference. Steve found Dale sitting behind the large desk that once belonged to his father.
“Shouldn’t you be in the conference room?”
“Aren’t you in the wrong company?” Dale laughed.
“Old habits are hard to break.” Steve sat in front of the desk. “What do you have up your sleeve?”
“You are going to have to wait like everyone else.”
“Fine,” he said with a pout. “You look like your dad sitting there. Man, I still remember the day I walked into this office for the first time, I was scared to death.”
“Yeah, my dad could do that to people. Steve, I hope you know how sorry I am they let you go. I wouldn‘t…”
“Dale don’t, Richard was what I needed to get my ass back on track, although had I known you were going to be in charge.” he laughed.
“Green, I still can’t figure out what the hell they were thinking.” Dale and Steve both laughed. “Not a bad finish for you this year, 19th, that’s what I call a comeback.”
“Thanks.”
There was a knock on the door, “Dale, you ready. Sorry, Steve didn’t know you were here?”
“Actually, you are the 2 people I wanted to talk to. Wanted you to hear this from me not anyone else. Carrie and I are getting married in 2 weeks.”
Ali hugged Steve, “Oh Steve that is great. I am so happy for you guys.”
“Yeah man, congrats but 2 weeks?” Dale said looking more at Ali than Steve.
“Yeah, we don’t want to wait. Get it in before Daytona. It’s going to be a small ceremony but the reception is going to be huge. I will get the details to you later.” They headed to the conference room.
When they got to the conference room, they saw most of the local and national media along with several owners and drivers. Everyone was interested in what DEI could be announcing today.
Teresa stood to talk first. “I want to thank all of you for coming today. I am sure a few rumors have spread in the past week but this will probably be a shock to most of you. I am stepping down as owner of DEI.” There was a collective gasp from the room. “I have thought long and hard about this and have discussed it with several lawyers to make sure we go through the proper steps to insure it is done legally and that the company’s well being is kept in the best interest of everyone. I will continue my work on the Legacy program and still be around here and there. I know you are all wondering who will be the new owner and you don’t have to look very far. It shouldn’t come as to big of a shock, Dale Jr. is now the man you all are wanting to talk to.”
She sat and let Dale have the floor. “Yeah, thanks Teresa.” he laughed. “I too would like to thank you all for coming today. I know this is a huge announcement and realize you all have a lot of questions so I will keep this as brief as possible. First of all, yes, I am the new owner of DEI and as a lot of you are wondering there won’t be too many staff changes. At least not on the business end, Ty will still be acting President. Second, Chance 2 no longer exists. We are incorporating the Busch team and the Cup teams. DEI now owns 3 Cup teams and 2 Busch teams as we are adding a new one to the roster for this upcoming season. As far as drivers go, that is where we start having some shakeups. Martin Truex Jr. will be the driver of the #38 Nabisco Chevy, Kyle Busch has signed on to drive the second Busch car, sponsor to be announced later. Michael Waltrip will remain in the #15 Napa Chevy, the #1 Pennzoil car will now be driven by Kenny Wallace. Hank Parker Jr. has agreed to drive the #8 Bud car until I am ready to take it back over and for those of you wondering, yes I will be back in it.”
He looked at Ali as she smiled at him. “There were times when I wondered myself if I would drive again and if it weren’t for a few people in this room I wouldn’t. But I promise you all right now, I will be back. Lastly, there will be a lot of construction starting here at DEI very soon. We are expanding our shop to make room for the Busch teams. We also are adding a visitor’s center, a larger gift shop and a larger museum, which will include more of the memorabilia from all the DEI cars, past and present, and my father’s legacy collection. There will be other projects to be announced at a later date.”
“This company was started by my father years ago, he worked hard to make it the business it has become. Over the past couple of years we have taken some hits, fell on our asses, and are now bouncing back. I promise to take this company into the next decade and make it something my daddy would be proud to have his name on.”
Ali looked up at Dale, tears in her eyes. “He already is proud Dale, he already is.” she whispered to herself.
They opened the floor to questions before ending the press conference. Later, Ali found Dale in his office “So how you doing?”
He looked up at her and smiled, “Good, surprisingly good. I think we did the right thing here today.”
“What you did, Dale. You did all this.”
He came around the desk and grabbed her hand leading her out of the room, “No we did it. I wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for you. Come on, let’s go home.”
Two weeks later Dale and Ali sat watching Carrie and Steve exchange vows. Dale grabbed her hand and she didn’t pull away. Mikey and Buffy sat down the aisle from them. Mikey noticed there intertwined fingers and shook his head. “Are these kids ever going to figure this out?”
The reception was an all out party with some of the biggest names of Nascar drinking and partying it up all night. Steve and Carrie snuck out towards the end of the evening to get a start on their honeymoon. They were headed to Cabo for a week of sun, beaches, bottomless drinks and each other before they had to be back and headed to Daytona.
It was getting late and during one of the slow dances Dale whispered to Ali, “You ready to leave?”
“Sure, you getting tired? You ok?”
He smiled at her concern “I am fine.” He locked eyes with her and pulled her towards the exit without a word to anyone. Mikey, Buffy, Kelly, and Teresa were all sitting at one of the tables when Mikey noticed them sneaking out. “Well, I’ll be. Maybe that boy finally figured it out.”
“What are you talking about Mikey?” Kelly asked. He just pointed to Dale and Ali.
“You know I loved Jules and so did Dale and I know he would have spent the rest of his life married happily to her. But he loves Ali on a whole other level. You know daddy once told me he thought those two were soul mates. God I hope he was right.”
He opened the car door for her and then stopped her from getting in. “Dale, what are you doing?”
“Shh,” he ran his hand down her cheek and brought his lips to hers. He couldn’t wait anymore. A smile formed on his lips as her arms went around his neck and she kissed him back. He pulled away and drove them home in silence.
He led her to the living room when they got home and sat down beside her. “Ali we have known each other for over 20 years now, you have been my rock through many of the worst days of my life. Days I never would have gotten through had you not been there. You have given up so much of your life for me. Ali it took me 20 years to see what was in front of me the whole time.”
“June, what are you saying?”
“I am saying I want you to go back and finish the one semester of school you have, then I want you to come home and marry me. I loved Jules, part of me always will but I love you too. It’s a different kind of love and I can’t explain it. It encompasses every part of my being and it has always been there, leading us to right here and now.”
Ali started crying as Dale hit one knee and slid the most perfect ring she had ever seen on her hand. “Oh my God.”
“What do you say? Think you can handle being my wife and not just my friend?” he said with that famous Earnhardt grin.
“Dale, I have loved you forever. I just didn’t know it.“ she laughed. God, yes I will marry you.” he started to lean up to kiss her but she beat him to it and they both tumbled to the floor where they laid in each others arms, kissing until the sun came up.
July Pepsi 400 Daytona
6 months later
Steve and Carrie announced they were 4 months pregnant with what was sure to be the first of many children. Steve was 9th in points and was a contender for a championship for the first time in years. He was only 150 points behind Michael who was sitting happily at the half way point of the season in 4th. Michael and Buffy followed a very rocky road for several months trying to work through their problems but were once again the picture of happiness. The decision’s Dale had made for DEI turned out to be exactly what they needed. The Busch cars were doing great both in the top 15 in points and DEI was once again making the kind of headlines daddy would have been proud of.
Ali had graduated with her fashion degree and was looking at commercial property in Mooresville to open her own boutique. She sat atop the Bud war wagon watching her fiancée take the checkered flag in what was to become one of the most emotional comebacks in Nascar history. The tears fell as she ran towards victory lane, Dale sat in his car for a minute trying to catch his breath and take it all in.
Ali leaned in and kissed him “planning on joining us, they are all here cause of you.”
“No, I think you got that backwards.” he grinned and kissed her again.
He climbed out of the #8 Budweiser Chevy to a thunderous applause and boy did it feel good.
Goodbye Michael.
You are forever in my heart,
Amy