Gambling It All

Epilogue

(several months later)

"It's going to be a beautiful day outside," Nicky said, his voice full of protest. "You can't be serious."

"Yes, I'm totally serious. It's a beautiful day for burpees," Dixie said, trying not to sound entirely sadistic.

Nicky groaned and rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his hot coffee. The two of them were snugged together on the porch swing on the front porch of Gamble Ranch, sipping coffee and watching the sun rise over the fields around them, arguing gently about how to spend the day – Dixie in favor of making Nicky work out, and Nicky in favor of doing anything but working out.

She even loved arguing with this man, she thought with a private smile.

Other than a few distant bird calls and cows lowing in a far field, the land was utterly quiet and still at this time of morning, and Dixie had grown to crave the quiet.

The traveling MotoGP circus was fun, and it would start soon enough with testing and traveling for a new season, but for now, she was more than content to spend a quiet morning with her cowboy on the ranch in Wyoming.

Her champion cowboy, she amended in her mind, again picturing the huge trophy that was in the spare bedroom that had been given to Nicky at the end of the season when he was declared winner and champion of the entire MotoGP season.

She'd never been more proud of anything, and deep down, she hoped she had been at least a small part of his success in winning the championship. Not only in making his body stronger, but by being an emotional support, a partner, and a boost of confidence for the shy rider who had never quite believed in himself.

Funny, she mused, the championship hadn't changed him – hadn't gone to his head, though he'd posed for enough pictures and been given enough accolades that she would have expected it for almost any mortal man.

She was glad he was still just... Nicky.

And she was still just Dixie, trainer and physical therapist, though her title was about to get a lot longer, she remembered.

Right before the final race in Valencia, Dixie had put her brave girl pants on and approached Clinica Mobile and Dr. Costa to see if they needed someone to work full time as a trainer or therapist for any person – rider, team member, mechanic, whoever – on behalf of Dorna and MotoGP itself, noting that they really didn't have someone in place for doing those things, especially on a race to race basis.

She'd interviewed with a panel of medical people, she'd done clinicals, she'd talked at length about her philosophies and styles, and just when she thought she didn't have a chance in hell, they had hired her for the following season.

She'd get to do what she loved – and she'd get to do it with Nicky by her side, because if he wasn't 'working' that weekend, then neither was she.

It was too good an opportunity to pass up, so she'd told Jackie and her clients, and then closed up shop, promising to let them all know if and when she returned to private practice in California.

Jackie had been upset about losing her job, but, Dixie thought with a wry grin, had been quite consoled when Cade – now her boyfriend, not just a fling – had told her she was going on the circus with them.

And that he was going to find her a job on it, one way or another.

Even if just as he Girl Friday, a term at which Jackie had bristled, but agreed when Cade gave her that lady killer smile with full dimples in effect.

The pieces continued to fall into place, even for Javier, who had fallen hard and fast for a beautiful Spanish girl who knew nothing about racing and didn't really care – she just cared about Javier. He seemed truly crazy about her, and Dixie was genuinely happy that he had found someone to make him giddy in love.