"Ooo, babies, babies, babies."
Mandy laughed as Delana Harvick came at her with arms wide open. "They aren’t exactly babies anymore, honey." Kevin said as he and Dale walked up behind Delana. Dale stepped around the stroller and kissed Mandy before turning his attention to the kids.
"Anything under 3 is still a baby and shut up anyway." De smacked her husbands hand as she leaned down and played with one of the kids.
Taylor had thrown herself into her daddy’s arms, which as they were finding out slowly was a problem with Belle. She was daddies girl and was having difficulty sharing him. She started crying and trying to crawl out of the stroller to get to him which always made Taylor upset but luckily she was a patient child and shrugged things off pretty easily. Dale keeping Taylor in his arms in one quick motion had Belle out of the stroller and on his other hip. De couldn’t help but laugh. "I’m still not sure we could handle one and you two are like pros with 5."
"Trust me it didn’t happen over night." Mandy laughed as Kevin bent down and had a funny face contest with Garrett.
"I love this stroller." Delana said.
They looked everywhere and found several nice strollers built for multiple births but never found anything that was functional for the track or held a spot for Taylor. So the crews at DEI ventured new ground and built a custom stroller for Mandy and Dale. The wheel base was large enough so that even as the kids grew and became active the stroller would remain balanced. They were able to keep it very narrow which was great for maneuvering around the tight spaces of the track. All 4 seats were removable so that car seats could be used while they were babies and as they got older regular seats could be added. The seats turned completely around so the kids could face either the parent or the way they were walking or they could face each other and play. Taylor being almost 7 wanted to walk more now but while the quads were still newborns a special addition was made that folded up and out of the way when she wanted to walk but was always there for the times she got tired.
"Where is Keith?"
"I decided to give him the weekend off, he hasn’t had one in 3 years." She laughed. "I figured with the daycare we’d manage."
"Yeah, I’m sure happy here would love to baby sit if we decide to go out to dinner."
"All of them? At once? Uh…well," Kevin panicked.
"I’m kidding, trust me not many people can do it, but it was worth the look on your face." Dale laughed as they turned and headed for the driver’s lot. "We’ll catch you guys later." Twenty minutes later they were finally walking into their own coach. They had been stopped by several people before they got there but Mandy and Dale had gotten use to this kind of attention. It was hard enough going somewhere being Dale Earnhardt Jr. but going somewhere as Dale Jr. pushing 5 kids was something else. At the track everyone wanted to play with them and out in public it was ooo’s and ahh’s and flash bulbs from every angle.
They had gotten a bigger coach to have a separate room for Taylor away from the babies. She was 4 years older and they didn’t want her feeling like one of them. "Finally." Dale sat the girls on the floor and helped Mandy get the others out and fold up the stroller. Taylor headed straight for the refrigerator and opened the door. "Tay, what ya doing?"
"Getting juice." She reached in and started handing out juice boxes to the quads before grabbing one for herself.
"Ok." Dale unzipped his fire suit to his waist and slumped down on the couch. Happy hour was over and Dale was thankful for having the rest of the evening off.
"Tired baby? Why don‘t you go change and I will get dinner started."
Dale disappeared into the bedroom for a few minutes before returning to the kitchen. "Need help?"
"No, you go rest." She said almost tripping over Hailey who was under foot.
"I can help." He said grabbing a knife to start chopping the onions and mushrooms she had laid on the counter.
"Stop it." She smacked his hand away from the onion he reached for. "I got it, just get the kids out of here and go rest."
He laid the knife down and grabbed her from behind turning her to face him. He passionately kissed her running his hands through her hair and down her back. He caught her off guard and she almost dropped the ground beef in her hand. He pulled away and grinned at the element of surprise still on her face. "Come on kids, let’s get out of mommy’s way."
Mandy shook her head and laughed as he lead the parade of children to the living room. It wasn’t long before she heard the tv turn on and all of them, Dale included, singing along to their favorite DVD Winnie the Pooh’s Christmas. Christmas songs in July were always entertaining.
Once dinner was ready and dished up, they found it easier to have the plates made before placing the kids at the table, Mandy stuck her head in the living room, her heart melted at the sight in front of her. Dale was on the floor leaning against the couch, Belle was laying against his chest, Taylor and Hailey on either side of him, with Garrett and DanI Lee laying on their backs their heads resting on his legs. She smiled as his eyes met hers. "Dinner’s ready, come on." The kids ran past her to the kitchen. "I still don’t know how you take five screaming children and get them all quiet at once?"
He kissed her cheek. "That’s between me and Pooh." He walked in putting Garrett in his highchair then going around putting each of the other kids at the table. Mandy followed him setting plates in front of each before handing Dale one and sitting down herself. Dinner had become a routine they had mastered and they cherished these moments. They didn’t get to spend every dinner together due to his sponsor meetings and schedule but they still tried to find a healthy medium between work and family.
After cleaning the remains of dinner of the faces of the quads Mandy ushered the kids off to the playroom and returned to help Dale clean the smashed spaghetti off the floor and table. "Any chance we will have a few moments for dessert tonight?" Dale asked a mischievous grin creeping up on his face as he slid his hand up the back of her shirt.
She turned in his arms pulling his hand to her breast. "I think what you are looking for is on this side." Her mouth came down hard on his as his hand gently squeezed it’s new prize.
A moan came from deep in his throat as he felt her hand travel between his legs and massage him through the heavy fabric of his jeans. "Mandy…"
"Mom!" Taylor yelled from the hallway.
Their romantic interlude was cut short by a crash, a scream, and a lot of cries from the toy room. "Oh my God."
"What the hell?" Dale and Mandy quickly forgetting about the passion ran to the playroom to find complete chaos. "What happened?" He searched the room quickly and found Garrett under a large box laying just outside the closet.
Mandy checked his sisters as Taylor watched from the doorway. "Taylor, you ok." She nodded her head. "Dale is he all right?"
"I think so. Garrett what were you doing?"
He laid in Dale’s arms pointing to a box on the shelf. "Pooh."
Dale sighed. "Garrett you have to ask, you could have been seriously hurt." He knew nothing was going through to his 2 year old mind right now so he just carried him into the other room as Mandy started getting the others ready for bed.
After getting DanI Lee, Belle, and Hailey into bed Mandy grabbed Taylor’s pajamas and joined her, Dale and Garrett in the living room. "Come here Tay, let’s get you changed."
Taylor changed her clothes as she told Dale and Mandy what happened. "I told him to get you, he wouldn’t listen."
"It’s ok, you did the right thing by trying to get us. It’s not your fault." Dale said. "Come on, let’s get you two to bed."
Mandy and Dale tucked in all the kids and retreated to their own bedroom. Mandy pulled her shirt over her head. "What a day."
"You can say that again." Dale said as his lips found the back of Mandy’s neck.
Mandy turned in Dale’s arms and they quickly undressed each other, who knew how long they had before one of the kids screamed for a glass of water or to chase the boogie man out of the closet.
*********************************
The next morning Dale helped Mandy get the kids started with breakfast then ran out to the driver’s meeting. There was a knock on the door, up to her elbows in maple syrup Mandy yelled at the door. "Come in."
"Did I miss, oh my, breakfast?"
"Uncle Keith." Taylor jumped off her chair and ran to Keith as he stepped into the kitchen.
Keith laughed at the sticky kisses he got as he lifted Taylor into his arms. "Yummy, pancakes, your favorite. So how are things?" He looked to Mandy who grinned as she looked up at him from the floor where she was wiping syrup up. "Miss me?" He cleaned off the faces of the kids one by one and sent them to play. "Why is Garrett favoring his arm?"
"What are you doing here? I gave you the weekend off."
"I took yesterday."
"Keith you haven’t had a weekend off in…"
"In 3 years, I don’t know what to do with myself if I’m not with you guys and at the track." He grinned as he set Belle on the ground and watched her scamper off to play with the others. They started the cleanup on the kitchen as Mandy filled him in on Garrett’s accident and the plans for the day.
Keith had been with the Earnhardts for about a year when Mandy figured out that he was gay. Dale’s revelation of that fact was an interesting one but he dealt with it better than Mandy expected. Once Dale had gotten use to it and realized it really didn’t matter, Keith would give him a hard time just for kicks. Every so often he would throw in a sexy comment or sly look just to see Dale blush. Mandy found the fact that Keith found Dale sexier than her amusing but Keith was none the less completely professional and no one but Dale and Mandy ever even found out.
Dale actually felt guilty because Keith spent so much time with the family that no matter what his sexual preference was he didn’t get enough of it. He tried to give him more time off even if it was just a few hours in the evening and on occasion Keith would except but he tried to convince both Mandy and Dale that he was happy were he was and if he needed time he would let them know. Dale was glad Mandy had Keith around, he knew she had a hard time adjusting to the insanity that could be their lives. Lexie had become so busy with Steve and their own life that she and Mandy didn’t spend near enough time together, they were still best friends, but as it does, life happened.
Keith had gotten to know the Earnhardts inside and out. Which is why he knew right away something was bothering Mandy that day. "So what’s up?"
"What?"
"Come on, something’s up."
"God is it that obvious."
"To me but don’t worry, he won’t notice."
She eyed him. "Notice what?" Trying to play the innocent role.
"The unsatisfied look in your eye."
Mandy sighed but didn’t have time to answer as Dale came through the door. "Keith, hey man, what you doing here?" He extended his hand to him.
"You know I can’t stay away."
****************************
A couple hours later Dale was kissing his kids and handing them over to the daycare. Mandy put Dale in his car for the race but then left pit road to watch the race with Keith from atop the Bud hauler. "So what happened last night? Something has been wrong for a while and I have a hard time believing that he isn’t satisfying you?"
Mandy laughed she didn’t even talk about her sex life with Lexie but talking to Keith seemed so natural. "No, it isn’t that. I love that man so much and would do anything for him."
"But?"
"He is so busy and we never know if the kids are going to scream and"
"Mandy spill it already." Keith said as the engines roared to life.
"After three years, it’s become more of a routine than…"
"Making love?" "Yeah."
"You’re bored?" He asked as she looked at him. "Not with Dale but with sex."
"Yeah. I mean do you know how long it’s been since I even gave him a blow job or we did anything except your run of the mill, basic sex. We are always in such a hurry, there isn‘t any spontaneity anymore. I don’t know what to do."
"Try telling him." She lowered her sunglasses and looked at him. "Oh yeah, he is a bit touchy about the subject." He watched as the cars took the green flag. "Ok, you’re right, you can’t just come out and say something he‘d take it all wrong, so do something." He grinned at her skeptical look. "Here’s what ya do."
************************
Monday afternoon Mandy headed over to DEI and met Dale in his office. "Hey baby."
He looked up from his paperwork. "Hey, well this is a nice surprise, what are you doing here?" He stood and met her in front of the desk.
She shut and locked the door behind her. "Thought I would stop by and see how you are doing."
He kissed her. "How I’m doing?" She pulled him over to the couch against the wall and her hands went to the button on his jeans. "Mandy?" She sat pulling his jeans to his ankles, then pulling him closer to her. Dale quickly looked to the door, he knew it was locked but he still felt slightly uncomfortable. He soon forgot that feeling as he felt her mouth surround him. "Oh, Mandy." It had been a long time since he felt her mouth where it was now.
His hands went into her hair as he pulled her head closer. She switched back and forth from licking and sucking, which was slowly driving him crazy. She watched as his eyes closed and his head fell back. She reached for her purse next to her and pulled out the small bottle of lubricant she had tucked inside. She quickly put a small amount in her hand on two of her fingers. As she started massaging his balls with one hand she reached beyond them with the other and gently and slowly inserted a finger into him.
He tensed up quickly and looked down at her, uncertainty all over his face. She pulled her mouth off of him and rested her free hand on his lower back so he couldn’t step away. She rested her cheek against his shaft as she dropped a kiss to it. "I won’t hurt you baby. Trust me." She gently pushed a second finger into him and began massaging his prostate. She wrapped her mouth around him again and quickly found a rhythm between her mouth and hand.
He wanted to protest, to stop her, this was all to new and a complete shock but his body had taken over and the heat running through his blood was now in control. He put his hands against the wall behind the couch to break his fall and support himself as he found standing difficult. Mandy knew he was having trouble controlling his own movements and she wrapped her hand around his base to stop him from thrusting into her mouth too hard.
"Mandy, God, I can’t." His breathing was ragged and he felt his release building.
She placed both her hands on his ass and pulled him closer causing him to slide down her throat, which was all it took for his release to come. After swallowing his offering, she pulled away from him as he collapsed onto the couch next to her laying his head on the arm rest. His eyes were closed and his body was shaking, he hadn’t said a word and Mandy was beginning to think she went to far.
"Dale? You ok? I didn’t hurt you did I?"
He heard the fear in her voice and quickly reached out and pulled her on top of his body and held her tightly. He kissed her forehead and let his breathing return to normal before opening his eyes. He grabbed the bottle of kiwi lubricant off the floor before looking at her. "Keith right?"
"Yes." She said barely above a whisper.
He could tell she was worried and he smiled down at her. "Remind me to thank him." She looked up at him in shock and he captured her mouth with his. He could taste the bitterness that was him on her tongue and it made his lust for her grow even more. He pulled away from her slowly savoring every last touch but there was something he needed to know. "But what exactly did you ask him?"
"I didn’t, he came to me, yesterday. He noticed I was upset about something and put it all together."
"Wait, upset, yesterday, about what?"
"I wasn’t so much upset as, well," She realized quickly she had said too much.
"Mandy, what is it?"
"He just noticed that I didn’t look all that happy with…"
"Us?"
"No, not us and it wasn’t that I wasn’t happy but I am just a little bored with our love making."
Dale looked at her, his pride was taking a beating, he couldn’t believe it. "You aren’t satisfied when we make love?"
"It’s not that I’m not satisfied, baby, I love you and I love what we do, I just want to spice things up. Let’s face it, we have gotten into a rut over the past year or so; and it’s noone’s fault, it’s been hard, we are always so rushed, we don’t take the time we should for or on each other like we use to before the kids came along. I want this back. Do you remember the first time we did this?"
Dale knew just the moment she meant, she had surprised him that night also.
********FLASHBACK*********
Dale came in the coach an hour late. "Man, babe, I am so sorry. I couldn’t get out of there." He said collapsing on the couch next to her.
"It’s ok. Are you ok? You look exhausted."
"Speedweeks are a killer every year but it has been a long day."
"Look let’s cancel dinner. I will throw something together here."
"No, I promised you a date."
"Dale, you can’t even stand you are so tired and you have another long day ahead of you tomorrow. It’s no big deal. We will go out some other time."
"There probably isn’t even food here."
"So we will have chips and salsa, pop a movie in and relax. Go take a shower and I will see what we have to eat."
He leaned over and kissed her, "You really are amazing. Wanna join me in the shower?" he joked.
"No, go get your cute butt in there and get back out here."
He laughed as he pulled his shirt off and headed into the bathroom. Mandy shook her head and laughed. She walked into the kitchen to check out the choices.
A few minutes later Dale heard Mandy knock, "Yeah?" The door opened and Mandy came in.
"Hey Dale, I changed my mind."
"No chips and salsa? Give me a minute and we will go find some food."
"No, that’s not what I mean."
"Then wh…" he stopped realizing what she meant and as he opened the shower door, he saw Mandy standing there already topless and stepping out of her jeans. He took a minute to take the view in front of him all in. He then reached out and pulled her in the shower with him. She wasn’t sure if the goose bumps she had were from the cool air on her skin or Dale’s hands. He pulled her under the hot water with him and his mouth quickly covered hers. He didn’t want to rush her but he was having a hard time controlling himself and it didn’t go unnoticed by Mandy as she felt him press against her thigh. She smiled into his kiss.
"What are you smiling at?"
"You and how great you feel." she looked down at what she was referring to.
Dale blushed. "Say the word and we stop. I mean it Mandy. This stops when you say it does."
Fighting back every bit of nerves she could she started kissing his neck. Her hands roaming over his body. She stopped to whisper in his ear. "I don’t want to stop Dale, please." He met her stare and it said the same thing.
That is all he needed to hear. His hands explored her body as his mouth found her nipple. He pulled her to him as she arched her back urging him on. His mouth moved from nipple to nipple and her hands started roaming up and down his back and sides.
She buried her hands in his hair and pulled his head up to her mouth. She plunged her tongue into his mouth while turning him around. As she pushed him against the wall she heard a low growl escape from his throat.
Her hands trailed down his chest then to his stomach and her mouth followed. She sucked his nipple into her mouth as her hands continued down to his hips. Her fingers ever so lightly followed the length of his shaft teasing him. His head fell back against the wall. "Mandy." he whispered. It took every bit of control to not urge her head down where her hands were. "This is on her terms not yours Dale." he kept repeating in his head.
However he wouldn’t have to wait long. Mandy dropped to her knees in front of him. She knew what he wanted and decided to make him want just a little more. She ran her tongue up one thigh and down the other, nibbling here and there. Her hands teased him in every way as her tongue darted out and flicked across his tip.
As he said her name again she decided he had waited long enough. She placed her mouth at the base of his shaft and swirled her tongue around the tip. "Oh God Mandy." She finally sucked him into her mouth and then out again. She continued this for several minutes before he spoke again. "Mandy, Mandy…stop…I am…" he tried to gently push her head away.
She ignored him and ran her hands up the back of his legs to his ass and pulled him even closer to her causing him to slide even farther down her throat. She caught his hand in hers and rested them at his stomach as she felt his release in the back of her throat.
She gently pulled away from him and turned the shower off. Not being able to support his own weight anymore he slid down to the shower floor. When he opened his eyes she was kneeling in front of him, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her with a passion she hadn’t felt in a long time.
"You didn’t have to do that baby."
"I know. I wanted to." she noticed him trembling. "You ok."
"I will be fine. Trust me."
She leaned out and grabbed two towels. She wrapped one around herself and headed out to the kitchen.
*******END FLASHBACK********
Dale and Mandy laid on the couch remembering not only that night but all the nights since. She was right, they had fallen into a routine. It wasn’t a bad routine but it was the same every time, which in itself wasn’t enough as far as Dale was concerned.
"Baby, please don’t take this the wrong way. I love you and my life more than anything, I just think we can have both."
He smoothed her hair as her hands tickled his stomach and traced lazy circles down his hip. "It’s ok, you’re right we have kind of focused our attention elsewhere." He watched her hand as it came ever closer to his newly aroused groin. "Get up for a second."
She stood and watched as he pulled his jeans back up. She was slightly disappointed but did notice that he didn’t button or zip them up. He suddenly pushed her back on his desk sweeping it’s contents to the floor. He made quick work of her pants and had her on her back with his face buried between her legs. "Shit, Dale." One hand grasped the side of the desk as the other went into his hair.
He raised his head long enough to drop a kiss to her lips leaving her own taste on her lips before burying his tongue deep inside of her again. Not able to stop himself any longer he stood back up and buried his hardness deep inside her.
"Dale. Oh God, yes." He pulled her hips down the desk towards him a little more causing him to plunge deeper into her. "Shit." She wrapped her legs around his waist urging him to go deeper and harder. "God Dale please."
"Mandy, baby you there?"
"Yes."
He slammed into her one last time as they both cried out forgetting for a moment where they were. He bent over the desk and kissed her passionately. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Dale everything ok? I heard a crash."
"Fuck." Dale whispered. He recognized his teammate Michael Waltrips voice. "Uh yeah, hold on a sec." They quickly dressed and regrouped.
When Dale opened the door Mandy was picking things off the floor and placing them back on the desk. She looked up and smiled. "Hey Mikey."
Michael eyed the mess, then the wrinkled clothes on Dale and Mandy. He grinned. "So what ya doing?" He asked in his innocent child like voice. He loved making Dale blush.
"Nothing, knocked the stuff off the desk. We were actually just getting out of here, I’m taking off early." He and Mandy started out the door.
"Oh hey, Mandy your purse." He handed it to her.
"Thanks."
"Dale, I think you forgot this." He tossed the bottle of lubricating gel to him. "Personally, I like strawberry better."
Mandy couldn’t help it. She started laughing as Dale stuck the bottle in his pocket blushing. "Thanks, too much information by the way."
"Just trying to help bro." Michael grinned.
Dale glared at Michael. "Come on baby let’s go home."
"Bye Mikey."
"See ya Mandy." Michael waved heading back to his office.
Out in the parking lot Dale pushed Mandy against the car door. "So?"
"So." Her hands went to his waist pulling him closer to her. "We ok?"
"Of course we are. We just apparently need to work on our time management." He grinned. "I love you Mandy more than anything, and you’re right, we haven’t really been there for each other like we use to and that’s going to change. We have done an amazing job so far, we’ll get there."
Mandy kissed him passionately. "I love you too."