Over the next couple of weeks Elliot and Gabby were inseparable. Robby loved being with Elliot and when Elliot wasn’t around it seemed Dale was there to keep his love of racing and cars alive.
October
It was a month before Robby’s birthday and Dale and Elliot had convinced Gabby to bring Robby and join them in Talladega. On Saturday afternoon Dale and Elliot had a surprise for Robby. "Ok we know it’s a month until your birthday but we wanted to give it to you today. Come on." Dale picked up Robby as Elliot grabbed Gabby’s hand and lead her out the door.
Outside the coach they found a large package with a sheet laying over the top of it. Dale set Robby down. "Ok go ahead."
Robby looked to his mom and then dove in pulling the sheet off the large package. Dale watched as Robby’s eyes grew wide then turned to see Gabby’s the same. "Oh wow."
"Car, car, car." Robby screamed climbing onto it.
Dale quickly jumped to help him. "It’s actually a go kart buddy and you aren’t allowed to play with it unless you have an adult with you." He continued to talk to Gabby as he showed Robby how to buckle in and start it up. "I know you’re probably leary about this but Elliot and I both have gone over this thing ourselves then I had it taken it to the shop to have the boys look at it. It’s one of the best on the market and I am going to make sure he knows how to drive it safely."
Gabby let out her breath. "I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. It’s ok, he’s going to love driving in it, it’s all he talks about anymore. Robby what do you say."
"Tank you uncle june, tank you El."
Dale started it up and helped Robby hook his helmet on. "Ok here’s what you do."
Gabby and Elliot watched as Dale helped Robby get going and he drove slowly in circles around the coach area. "Thank you." Gabby said looking up at Elliot.
"No thank you."
"For what?"
"Letting me be a part of your life." He bent his head and gently kissed her. They had been spending what free time they had together although between racing and her school that wasn’t much. They were learning everything about each other but Elliot was cautious about getting too close physically too soon. If the age difference was going to be a problem he didn’t want the complications of sex to get in the way.
Elliot had noticed that Robby’s father and any previous boyfriends was the one piece of information she left out of their conversations. He didn’t push, she must have had her reasons and he hoped in time she would come to him with it.
Robby couldn’t stop talking about his new car and couldn’t wait till they got home and he could drive it out in the field behind the house. Dale promised him he would come over and teach him everything he needed to know about it.
Gabby and Robby sat atop the Bud wagon for the race on Sunday because they would be more protected from the media and on lookers. News had spread of ‘Dale Sr.’s illegitimate daughter’ over the months and everyone seemed to want a piece of her and Robby, he was being called the newest member of the Earhardt racing legacy and Gabby wasn’t too happy about it.
The race had been a typical one for Dega with the exception of the big one. With six laps left they heard the tires squealing and metal crunching before it registered just what was happening. It took a moment for Gabby to realize that the car that just flipped over five times was Elliot. She pulled the earphones from her head as she tried to rationalize what was happening, it was Robby’s cries that brought her back to reality.
She pulled him into her arms and tried to calm him. "Shhh, it’s ok baby. See look he’s out of the car." She pointed to him as the safety workers helped him to the ambulance. She didn’t know who she was trying to calm more.
"I’ll watch him if you want to go." Tony Sr. said knowing she needed to know Elliot was ok.
"Robby baby, will you stay here with Uncle Tony? I’m going to go see how Elliot is then you can go see him later ok." She knew he wasn’t happy about it but he reluctantly nodded his head, tears still running down his cheeks. "Uncle June will be here soon, I love you baby."
"Wuv you too."
Gabby hurried to the care center and could hear Elliot yelling inside one of the exam rooms. "Elliot?"
He calmed a little as she came into view. "Where’s Robby?"
She smoothed his hair. "He’s with Tony." She wasn’t about to tell him how upset he was just now.
"NO!" Elliot said as a doctor came back into the room. "I said fucking no."
"Shh, it’s ok, what‘s going on?" She tried to calm him then she saw the needle in the doctor‘s hand.
"Elliot you have to get an IV in you." The doctor walked towards him.
"I fucking said." Elliot actually started to fight him and knocked the needle out of his hand.
"Stop, all of you." Gabby yelled as she pushed Elliot back down on the table. Then she turned to the doctor pulling him to the side. "Look he’s deathly terrified of needles, if it has to be done then I’m doing it, otherwise, it can wait till the hospital."
"Who are you?"
"She’s my girlfriend." Elliot interrupted.
Gabby turned to him, that was the first time she had been referred to as that. She met his stare and gave him a small smile. "Yes and I also am a two year med student and doing my internship at Wake Forest Medical Center."
"He really needs to get an IV in for hydration." The doctor said handing her the needle.
Gabby sighed knowing he wasn’t going to like this. "Ok, Elliot." She turned to him and saw him look at the needle in her had then start shaking his head. "I know but their right, you really need it and we can wait till we get to the hospital but they won’t let me do it there, if you want me to do it we have to do it now."
His breathing quickened and he just nodded his head before hanging it low. She knew he was terrified and she stood in front of him smoothing his hair back. She wiped the alcohol swab over his hand. "I promise I will be gentle." He jumped slightly as she slid the needle into the top of his hand and then quickly taped it so it wouldn’t move. "Ok, I’m done, it’s over." He raised his head to look at her and she could see the tears in his eyes, his whole body was shaking. "Shh, it’s ok."
She pulled him into her arms. "Really macho huh? I can drive a car 200 mph but a tiny needle scares the hell out of me."
"Nothing to be ashamed of, everyone is scared of something."
They walked to the copter pad. "You’re coming right?"
She looked at him sympathetically. "El, I can’t. I have to get to Robby, he’s pretty upset."
"Oh, ok. I understand." He said looking to the ground.
"I won’t leave until you get back here, I promise. We’ll go home together."
He nodded and waved as he climbed aboard and the copter took off. She sighed then headed back to Dale’s coach hoping that was where her son was at this point. As she came around the coach she heard Robby screaming and Dale trying to calm him down. "What is going on?"
"I don’t want it. No, I hate it." Robby yelled as he kicked at Dale and then the go kart.
"Robby. Robby. Stop." She grabbed her son and picked him up trying to overpower him. "Stop it right now, you don’t mean that."
"I don’t want it."
Gabby finally had snapped. "Fine, we’ll let Dale take it home with him, I‘m sure Karsyn will love it. Now go inside and get your stuff together." She sat him down, he looked up at her. "Now." Robby knew she wasn’t kidding and he stomped off and into their coach. She put her hand to her head then turned to Dale. "I am so sorry. He didn’t mean it he’s just more upset than I thought. I shouldn’t have left him."
"It’s ok, I remember how I felt the first time I saw daddy wreck. It gets easier but you have to make him deal with it. How is Elliot?"
"Sore but I think ok, they made him go to the hospital for observation. I told him I would wait here for him."
Dale looked at her. "Are you ok?"
She sighed. "Yeah, I’m just tired."
"Want me to wait with you?"
"No go on home I know how tired you are, I’ll fly back with him. Will you have the team take this back? He’s going to want later." She pointed to the go kart.
"Of course." Dale smiled. "Call if you need me."
Gabby sat on the couch watching highlights and clips from the race while Robby pouted in his room, he wouldn’t listen to Gabby that Elliot was ok and she knew he was scared but he knew better than to behave that way and she knew Robby would have to see that Elliot really was ok for himself. She watched a replay of the wreck and her eyes grew wide when she realized that the 97 car was the reason for his wreck.
The door to the coach opened and Elliot stepped in. "Elliot. Are you ok?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.
"Yeah, I’m fine." He pulled away from her just enough to find her mouth with his. "Where’s Robby?" Gabby sighed. "What? What’s wrong?"
Gabby told him the whole story about his behavior towards Dale and the go kart before Elliot slowly made his way to the back bedroom. He pushed the door open and saw Robby laying face down on the bed. "Hey buddy."
"Elliot." He screamed and jumped up and into his arms.
Elliot could feel Robby’s tears on his neck. "Hey didn’t your momma tell you I was ok?" Robby nodded. "So why did you tell Uncle June that you hated your go kart?"
"Car hurt you."
"No buddy I’m ok." He hugged Robby close to him. "I know the wreck scared you but I’m ok and I’m going to race again next week just like when we get home you will want to drive your new car." Robby shook his head against Elliot’s neck and Elliot saw Gabby standing in the doorway. Their eyes met and both felt the mixture of feelings running through the air, the fear, the happiness of him being ok, the lust.
"You ready?" Gabby asked.
Elliot carried Robby towards her. "Yeah lets go home."
On the plane a couple hours later Robby was asleep and Elliot and Gabby sat next to one another, Gabbys attention was focused outside at the passing clouds. "Where you at?"
Gabby turned to him. "I don’t know."
"I’m ok."
"I know, it’s just it looked so bad and I always compare how they look to Dale’s. His didn’t look bad at all and it killed him."
Elliot took her hand in his. "Gabby, I know we haven’t known each other for long and I don’t want to rush this but I can’t imagine not having both you and Robby in my life. I know you’re thinking I’m only saying it cause of the wreck and maybe I am but for whatever reason I got the balls to say it, I mean it."
Gabby was fighting the tears back. "I feel the same way."
Elliot heard it in her voice. "But?"
"There’s so much you don’t know and I don’t know how you’ll look at me if you do." The tears fell now and he could tell she wasn’t ready to tell him and he didn’t care.
"It doesn’t matter, when you are ready to tell me I’ll be here to listen. I care about you and Robby, you can’t change that no matter what you tell me. I don’t know what would have happened in the care center today had you not been there." He held her close to him hoping she would open up to him soon.
They got back home and Elliot and Gabby found it hard to find time for each other between the quickly approaching end of the season and Gabbys school and internship. She had thrown herself into her school and work suddenly scared of the feelings she was feeling for Elliot. The wreck had shaken both her and Robby up pretty bad although with a little help from Dale, Robby had gotten back in his car and actually drove it on his own.
Elliot and Gabby made it a point to get together at least one night a week, even if it was just for a few minutes here and there. The race at Concord made it slightly easier at least that week when Gabby had a day off he was in town, although she was so tired from school and the long hours at the hospital. Elliot had noticed her pulling away a little and couldn’t figure out what had her so scared of trusting him.
"You ok?" He asked over a very late dinner one evening.
"Yeah, why?"
"I have just noticed you not being around much since Dega."
She looked up from her plate at him. "I know I’m sorry, it’s just…"
"I know." He stood pulling her over to his couch. "Come on, lay down with me."
Her stomach turned. "Elliot, we can’t."
"And we won’t, but it doesn’t mean I can’t hug and love on you does it?" He pulled away catching her eye. "I haven’t seen you in a week but I will take you home if you want me to."
She had to admit his lips felt good on her skin, too good. "No I don’t want to leave." She sat on the couch and let him pull her down.
"Listen this is all I want." He wrapped his arms around her as he breathed in the scent of her hair. "When you’re ready I know you’ll tell me, don’t run away from me ok." She nodded her head as she rested it on his chest. They spent the next couple of hours kissing and cuddling on the couch with some movie neither were watching on the tv.