In for a penny, in for a pound.

Vicki rolled the old saying around in her head, remembering the sound of her father’s voice and the intensity of his dark brown eyes whenever he uttered those words, which had been often. Oscar Fuentes was a man who believed in doing nothing by halves; either you took responsibility for the choices in your life and lived it to the fullest, or you ended up blaming others for your failures and never accomplished anything.

She’d been having second thoughts about accepting her boss’s offer ever since he’d invited her to dinner the other evening. After all, what had she been thinking? Colin O’Brien may have been a NASCAR champion and well regarded on the circuit, but his personal life revealed a man who hadn’t quite grown up; one who’d indiscriminately left a trail of one night stands and a good bit of scandal in his wake. Under normal circumstances, she would have considered his antics as none of her business, but traveling with him to Vermont and staying at his home in Burlington?  Never mind that he would be staying with family an hour’s drive away, but she knew how gossip spread in the circuit. As one of few female mechanics, she was already under a certain amount of scrutiny. She could just imagine what the topic of conversation would be if the word ever got around …

But then again, did it really matter? She was resigning her position and wouldn’t be around to overhear any tales that might follow in her absence. She was being given the chance to start over; to reinvent her life and meet new people. How long had it been since she’d even had a girlfriend she could talk to? She’d grown used to feeling lonely, but as of that moment she decided that she was going to quit worrying about what others thought or said and take a chance at living again and maybe, just maybe, she’d find a few pleasant surprises waiting for her.

Colin, on the other hand, had just better be on the level with his offer, or she was really going to let him have it and put him squarely in his place.

***

It would be good to take time off and touch base with family again. The realization that he wasn’t just popping in and out for a quick visit, as was his usual habit, caused Colin to reflect on the last several months and what he was now hoping to accomplish. He wasn’t entirely sure, but maybe it was something that didn’t need to be overanalyzed; he hadn’t taken any real free time for himself in yonks, and it had been even longer since he’d had the opportunity to play the shade tree mechanic. Lachlan was good with his hands when it came to carpentry, but rebuilding an engine and overhauling a dodgy transmission called for the assistance of an expert. And if Colin knew anything, he knew cars.

But this visit wasn’t just about lending his mechanical ability and it wasn’t about an overdue holiday. It was about deciding what he wanted to do when he wasn’t busy chasing the circuit and managing a team of highly qualified professionals; all the things he’d been doing to try and fill the void had left him realizing that the void was still just growing wider despite his best efforts. After Carrie left him, he was convinced that focusing on the team would help sort everything out, but it had only raised more questions.

He smiled at the memory of that evening, touched by Vicki’s sudden awkwardness instead of her usual tough girl façade. He didn’t really know if bringing her to Vermont would provide her with the answers that she was seeking in her life, but he understood the need to run away and knew a change of scenery often helped set things in a better perspective. He felt a sense of responsibility towards her, knowing that she might need a shoulder to lean on. Normally he didn’t go around playing the white knight to damsels in distress, but this time it felt kind of good.

He arrived at the speedway just after lunchtime. Until recently he would have shown up just after dawn, attending to the last minute emergencies and disasters that always seemed to plague his team on the day of a race. But since vowing to allow his employees the luxury of performing their jobs without his hovering interference, he had a good deal more free time on his hands than he was accustomed. To fill in the hours he worked out in the hotel gym and afterwards took several laps in the pool. From there he called on room service for a hearty brunch. A few phone calls later, he was pacing the floor with anxiety and boredom until he couldn’t stand it any longer.

He was met by Jared as he entered the pit. “You know boss, you’re costing me money. I bet the guys the first round tonight that you wouldn’t show up until at least three.” He gave Colin a good natured slap on the back and waved a sign of defeat to the crew.

Colin grinned. He loved the smell of the track when the asphalt got hot and today was scheduled to be a scorcher. He took a deep breath and felt his blood quicken.

“Bloody hell, mate. Someone’s got to keep an eye on this sorry lot.” He looked around for Vicki, but she was nowhere to be seen. He was unprepared for the sense of disappointment, and he tried to shrug it off. “How’s Ricky feelin’ today?”

“He’s in a good mood and ready to win tonight.”

They entered the bay and Colin felt a wave of relief when he spotted Vicki coming up from the back. He gave her a smile of greeting and she answered with a nod before heading off in the opposite direction.

He cuffed Jared on the shoulder and excused himself. “I need to talk to Vicki.”

Jared watched for a moment and shook his head as he turned away. No, it was none of his business whatsoever as to what might be up between the boss and his female mechanic, but he sure hoped Ricky didn’t get wind of it. He’d spent too many evenings in the emergency room, waiting for someone to get stitched up after one brawl or another … and all over Vicki. Ricky had a mean left hook.

“Hey Vicki, wait up.”

It was hard to hear with all the noise of the pit and the steadily growing crowd, but Vicki heard Colin’s voice clearly and stopped to let him to catch up with her.

“Oi, you smell good.”

She turned to face him and caught herself smiling, even though she had promised herself that she’d never act like a goofy female in his presence.

“It’s my new perfume; Eau de Valvoline.”

“Funny, it smells more like Estee Lauder.”

She was taken aback by his answer. How would someone like Colin O’Brien know anything about expensive perfume? She looked at him through narrowed eyes and made a show of taking his measure.

“For a moment I thought you were avoiding me.”

His face was so sincere; he reminded her of a big puppy dog with his goofy smile and deep dimples.

Dimples. Sheesh. Why was she just now discovering that he had dimples?

“Um, not really. It’s just that, well, you know how folks talk. I don’t care much what gets said about me once I’m gone, but for right now, I guess I’m just being careful.”

His mood sobered as he considered her comment. “Vicki, I promise to always behave like a gentleman where you’re concerned. But listen, I just wanted you to know that I booked our flight – I’ll come by and pick you up at your hotel on Wednesday morning. Our flight leaves at 8:15am. First class.”

“You didn’t have to do that, Colin. I’m perfectly comfortable flying coach.”

Colin grinned again and shook his head. “No way. This is my treat. Once we get into Burlington I’ll see that you’re settled in at my place before heading out to Stowe. You’ll probably need enough tucker to last you for a couple days, and I’ll loan you the use of my car …”

Vicki’s breath caught in her throat. “Loan me your car? Now you’re going overboard.” Deep inside, she was flattered at his kindness, but somehow she didn’t feel quite right about it. “What if I get into an accident?”

He waved his hand and rolled his eyes. “That’s why I have insurance. Come on, don’t be such a stick in the mud. I reckon you’ll enjoy yourself if you accept the fact that it’s okay to let someone help you. I mean, I don’t let just anyone drive my car.”

Her curiosity was piqued. “So okay, what is it; some big old SUV or maybe a Humvee?”

“I’m driving the SUV. But think you might like driving a ’68 Corvette?”

“You’re kidding.” She felt her resolve softening. This just might be fun.

Colin noted her smile. “Crikey, I knew that’d get ya.”

Without realizing it, she had started walking back with him towards the pit and the others. What was it about this man that he could make her forget herself, especially when she was intent on keeping her composure? She was beginning to realize that she felt a little off balance whenever he was near and she wasn’t entirely sure that she liked it.

She suddenly burst out laughing. “Did you really just say crikey?”

Colin gave her an innocent little boy look. When he saw the slight blush rise to her cheeks, he flashed a dazzling smile. “I’m afraid I did. What’sa matter with that?”

Vicki laughed. Perhaps she was a little too uptight and needed to loosen up a bit. As they approached the others he gave her a wink before heading off with Jared, leaving her alone with the rest of the crew. She half expected one of the guys to make a teasing comment, but they were all busy making preparations for the race.

She shrugged and again recalled her father’s word.

In for a penny, in for a pound.