Good Years | Ryan Blaney Book 7

1 | upside down

n o a h
b l a n e y

"Honey! Have you seen my fire suit?" I called out, rechecking all the possible places it could be. Kianna stalks into the room holding it up. "What would I do without you?"

"Well, first off you'd have to drive your car naked." Kianna rolled her eyes, adjusting Fallon, our six-month-old baby girl in her arms.

"You'd like it, don't deny it," I smirked.

"No comment," Kianna said slightly blushing. "Now get ready, you have driver intro in twenty minutes."

"Yes, boss." I jokingly saluted.

Eight years in the Cup Series didn't feel real, it seemed like just yesterday Summerlyn and I first started. It felt like I blinked and now I'm here seven years married to the girl of my dreams, a father to a beautiful girl, the most perfect and loving family, and competing at the highest level. I didn't think life could ever be this perfect, but it was for me and I cherish it every day because I know all of it could be taken away in a snap of a finger.

"Alright, I'm off to drivers intro, see you guys in a few," I said, before heading off. "Just the people I was looking for," I commented catching up with Summerlyn and Theo.

"You're perky today." Summer commented.

"Sun shining, start of a new season? What's there not to be perky about?"

"Don't mind her, it's you know-"

"Ah, that time of the month."

"Shut up Noah! You said that so loudly." Summer rushed over, whipping a hand over my mouth.

"Damn, you're a handful," I remarked. "Sorry, you have to go through this Murphy."

"Yea, no kidding." Theo chuckled.

"I'm so done with ya'll, see ya'll in victory lane losers." Summer commented, leaving us as we got to the driver intro stage.

"Hey, be a good sport," I yelled back jokingly.

"She hates us." Theo laughs as we walked up to Keelan Harvick and Cash Bowyer. "What's up fellas?"

"Talking strat for the Fords-" Cash stops abruptly. "Well, would you look at that?" Cash chuckled pointing behind Theo and I. "The Dillion brothers and Busch brothers."

"Bunch of silver spooners if you ask me." Keelan whispered, making the group laugh.

"Not like they're any competition to us." I shrugged. "And here comes the Bushies, oh boy."

"Gentlemen." Brexton strode up to us.

"Busch." I shrugged. "I hope you don't have plans for wrecking the entire field again for the third year in a row."

"Now, you know me, I'd never do that on purpose, but it sure isn't my fault you guys can't handle a little push."

"Mhm, we definitely have different definitions of little." Cash huffed. "Don't you guys have anybody else to hassle? Why us?"

"Well, if I went and hassled the Chevy group, my man Theo here would probably punch the shit out of me because Summerlyn is in that group."

Brexton had left Summerlyn and Theo alone for the most part, but there was still major tension between Theo and Brexton as expected, as there should be. The only thing Brexton did nowadays was try to get under Theo's skin but Theo remained tough and the bigger person.

"Go to hell." Theo rolled his eyes.

"And you wonder why you don't have friends?" I rolled my eyes as Theo shifted uncomfortably further away from Brexton. Brexton shrugged and walked with his brother over to the Toyota group.

"I bet his brother wipes his ass." Keelan jokes. "Ken literally is Brexton's silent lil henchmen and just follows him around for no reason."

| g r e e n
f l a g |

"Everybody is shoving like crazy out here, fucking hell." I radioed, dropping by car to the banking as the field passes by. I come up riding in the back of the field, having a strange feeling that something was about to happen.

"Crash upfront on the front stretch. Get low, come on to pit road to avoid if you need."

"What happened?"

"Ha, Busch brothers of course." My spotter laughed. "Your sister and Theo ain't happy about it either."

"Should've guessed, how are those idiots still allowed to drive restrictor-plate races?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, but I'd bet on daddy's money." Rich, my crew chief commented making the whole radio laugh.

"That better be on radioactive."

| e n d
o f
r a c e |

Daytona 500 was always a thriller, but we all knew how it ended. My car had taken a beating but still found myself near the front of what should be the final restart.

All I remembered was getting a huge shove from behind which led me to the inside wall, making my car airborne. At that point, I was just along for the ride hoping and praying that I'd land back on the ground in one piece.

I woke up in the hospital that day, my neck in a brace due to a HANS device failure. I was out of racing for five to eight weeks. I was lucky enough to have sustained only that injury, it could've been far worse.

I hated being vulnerable, I hated even more asking for help, but what I hated most of all? While I was on the sidelines my competition was getting ahead of me and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

If this was a sign of what was to come this year... This would not be a good year.