Gabby, Robby, and Dale all sat at a local restaurant just down the road from the track. Gabby and Dale were lost in conversation about their father when Elliot Sadler walked in. "Junior, hey what’s up?" Elliot said making eye contact with the young woman sitting across from him. ‘Man he did get all the gorgeous ones.’ Elliot thought to himself.
Dale watched as Gabby’s eyes lit up and grew wide at Elliot. "Hey man, what’s up? You here alone?"
"Yeah, couldn’t get anyone to leave the track and was hungry. M & M’s only go so far." He grinned never taking his eyes off the young lady in front of him.
"Have a seat we just got our food. You don’t mind, do you?" He looked at Gabby who just continued to stare at Elliot. "Elliot this is my step sister Gabby and her son Robby."
This got Elliot’s attention. "What? Step sister? What the he..uh..heck?" He looked to Robby catching his almost slip and looked to Dale.
"Sit, it’s a long story." Dale slid over making room for Elliot. Elliot ordered and they explained the whole story over dinner.
"Wow." Elliot said stunned as he looked at the little boy who was picking at his chicken fingers. "I am shocked. I don’t even know what to say."
"Yeah, that’s the general consensus." Gabby turned her attention to Robby. "You not hungry?" She ruffled his hair as he just shrugged. "Robby you wanted those, you can’t just change your mind, you have to at least eat a few of them." She pushed the plate back towards him.
"I want ice cweam."
"You can’t have ice cream for dinner. You have to eat at least a couple of those fingers."
Robby gave her a dirty look. Elliot watched as Robby pushed the plate away from him again. Elliot pulled a snack pack of mini M & M’s out of his pocket. "Eat one chicken finger and I will give you this pack to pour on your ice cream." Robby eyed the M & M’s and slowly pulled the plate back in front of him. He ate one of the chicken fingers and grabbed the pack of candy before Elliot could change his mind. Elliot pulled a second pack from his pocket before Robby could tear into the candy. Robby looked at the new bag and grabbed another chicken finger.
Gabby smiled as she watched Robby eat four of the six chicken fingers, she looked at Elliot who just smiled back at her. "You have children?"
"No why?"
"You sure know what you are doing around them. There is no way he is going to want ice cream now, he’s too full."
Elliot laughed. "I have a niece and have picked up a few tricks of the trade. M & M’s are a good bargaining chip."
"Yeah, cause that’s the only reason they call you the candy man." Junior smirked and watched as both Elliot and Gabby blushed. "We ready to head back to the track?"
"Yeah, he has a big day ahead of him tomorrow I need to get him to bed." Elliot stood and Junior reached for Robby after throwing some money on the table. Gabby grabbed part of the money back and grabbed her purse to pay her and Robby’s bill. "Here Dale you don’t have to get our dinner."
"It’s no big deal just toss it back down."
"No, here." His hands were full with Robby and he couldn’t fight her so she tucked it in his shirt pocket.
He just tsked and walked ahead towards the door. Gabby started to throw money down when Elliot grabbed her hand and threw the cash on the table. "I got it and you aren’t going to win this battle so don’t try." She just looked at him, the heat from his touch radiating throughout her body. He lead her out of the diner never letting go of her hand.
"So why haven’t you ever bought me dinner, Sadler?" Junior asked after putting Robby in the car.
"Get eyes like hers and I might." He elbowed Junior in the ribs. "I will see you tomorrow, right?" He turned to Gabby.
Gabby shook her head. "Yeah, we will be out to watch the race."
"You need a ride?" Junior asked silently laughing at the obvious attraction between the two.
"No, borrowed Jarret’s. Thanks." He looked at Gabby one more time and headed to his car.
"So, sitting in Elliot’s pit tomorrow?" Junior laughed.
"What? No. Shut up."
He laughed again as she turned to watch him walk to his car. "Elliot’s a good guy and a good friend. He‘s single too."
"Enough." She paused as they pulled out of the drive. "How old is he?"
Dale smiled at her innocence. "He’s 29."
"Oh."
Dale could here the disappointment in her voice. "You know normally I would be a little apprehensive about that much of an age difference but Elliot is really a good guy and you aren’t exactly a typical party girl 20 year old. I think you two would have a lot more in common than you’re thinking you would."
"Well, it doesn’t matter, I’m going to be so busy with school that any spare time I have goes to him." She pointed to Robby who was already asleep in the back seat.
"I know but I think you two."
"Dale please don’t."
"Ok, ok, Miss touchy." He looked at Gabby out of the corner of his eye. Daddy had been right, he did like her. The more time he spent with her the more he was reminded of his dad, she was possibly the most like him out of all the kids. He knew she was still hiding something and she was really apprehensive about Elliot and Dale had a feeling it wasn’t just because of their age. There was a definite connection between them and he planned on working on getting them together.
The next day Gabby and Robby made their way to the Bud pit with Dale. "Hey Gabriella, it’s good to see you again." Tony Sr. said helping her to the top of the wagon. "Here, you can listen with this headset and this one is for him." He helped the little boy get them on then looked at Gabby. "They are just to muffle the sound. He won’t be able to hear Junebug."
"Oh thank goodness, I have heard his language is a bit, um, over the top shall we put it." She laughed with him. "Thanks and it’s good to see you again also."
The race was a pretty typical race for Bristol. Over half the cars on the track were a lap down and at least 10 cars were out of the race. Dale was running in 5th with Kurt Busch in the lead. Gabby watched Robby more than she did the race. It was amazing at how much he picked up and understood in such a short amount of time. He jumped up and down every time the 8 car passed another car and booed every time someone passed him. Gabby also was keeping an eye on the 38 M & M car as was Robby, he had a new friend in the guy who gave him 4 bags of M & M’s. Elliot was a lap down in 12th position when Kurt blew an engine and the yellow came out. Elliot was given his lap back and Gabby watched as the 97 car coasted to the entrance of pit road then stopped, the crew ran to it and pushed it behind the wall. A smirk crept up on her face as the green flag waved for the final 6 laps.
Dale ended up 4th while Elliot finished 10th. Gabby and Robby were climbing down from the wagon when Dale pulled up and climbed from his car. "So how was your first race?" He asked taking Robby from her as they headed to the coaches.
"Oh shoot, I forgot my jacket I will be right back."
"Want me to go with you?"
"No, I’ll just be a minute I will meet you back at your coach."
Dale nodded and turned back to the drivers lot. Gabby jogged back to the pits and grabbed her jacket before it got packed up with the tools. She was turned around in the middle of the coaches when someone stepped out in front of her.
"Thought that was you, been awhile but you still look as good as you did a few years ago."
Gabby’s eyes grew wide. "Leave me alone."
She turned to walk away and he grabbed her arm pulling her back against him. He pressed himself against her and ran his fingers down her neck to her breast. "If I remember correctly, the last time was pretty damn memorable." His mouth came down just hovering above hers. "Come on Gabriella, you know you want it again."
Her hand came up and connected with his cheek giving her an opportunity to move from him. "Stay the hell away from me. I don’t ever want to see you again." With that she ran as fast as she could back to Dale’s coach.
She ran in the door peering out the window making sure she hadn’t been followed. She was trying to catch her breath as Dale walked into the room. "What’s wrong?"
She jumped not hearing him enter. "Huh, oh, um, nothing. Everything’s fine." She peaked out the window once more and then went and grabbed a Bud out of Dale’s fridge.
"You know you aren’t 21 yet." She turned glaring at him. "Gabby, what’s up? You can’t keep hiding whatever it is you don’t want anyone to know.
She downed the beer and looked at him. "Don’t worry about it, it doesn’t concern you and it won’t interfere with your life. Can you keep Robby while I go pack our stuff up?"
Dale didn’t have a chance to say anything before she was out the door. He watched her walk to her coach and shut the door. "What the hell is going on?"