Good Years | Ryan Blaney Book 7

3 | healing

n o a h
b l a n e y

"Hey, mom." I smile, bringing out a bouquet of her favorite flowers from behind my back.

"Honey, thank you." She smiles. "Make yourself at home guys, the rest should be here soon."

"Is dad in his office?" I asked.

"Where else would he be?" Mom chuckled, carefully placing the flowers in a vase.

"You're right, stupid question." I laughed. I walked down towards my dad's office, and sure thing, where he was reviewing paper work. "Keep this up, you'll work yourself to death dad," I commented, taking a seat across from the desk.

"My son, I may be old but at least I don't have myself in a damn neck brace." Dad teasingly joked, placing his paperwork in a neat pile. "How's everything going with recovery?"

"About one week left in this brace then physical therapy," I replied, glancing towards his enormous and grand trophy case. "I just can't wait to get back and start getting back on track to beating you in the number of trophies you have."

"You're twenty-eight and already have about halfway, you're well on your way son. Keeping that Blaney name alive, proud of you son and I know that I don't say that often, but I am proud."

"Thanks, Dad, now why don't you pry yourself from this desk and come see your granddaughter, grandpa." I joked.

"You are not allowed to call me that."

As dad and I walked out together, Summerlyn and Theo had arrived and I knew something wasn't right... Their actions were forced, whatever was happening it was something serious. Summer instantly left Theo's side to greet mom and dad, leaving Theo practically stranded.

"Hey, Murphy."

"Sup Blaney?" He replies.

"You okay? You and Summer are acting kind of off." I commented hoping to get something out of him.

"We're fine Blaney, just a lil bump in the road. You know how marriage goes." Theo smiles, patting me on the shoulder before greeting dad. He was dimming down the situation, they wouldn't act like this if this was just a "lil" bump in the road.

"Alright man, I'm here if you need anything."

s u m m e r l y n
b l a n e y - m u r p h y

The more time passes, the more I left things broken, the more my marriage fell apart day by day. Some days I was ready to quit but I had to remind myself that I married Theo for a reason, I loved him despite our failing marriage. I wanted to set things right and he did too but we both didn't know what was the right, first move.

After a few hours spent at my parent's house, and filling lunch, Theo and I had the painfully silent car ride back. Arriving back at our house, Theo puts the car in park, his body sank into the seat as we sat in silence.

"We need help." I forced out, looking out the window into the gloomy, overcast sky.

"We needed help a long time ago Sum."

"We clearly can't open up to each other, so I was thinking therapy?"

"I think that's about our only option at this point." Theo looks over at me, he held out his hand. I don't know how long I stared at his hand, but I hesitated before taking it. I couldn't remember the last time we held hands or had any physical touch, but it was something I craved and missed every day. Our fingers laced together, I still felt that spark, feeling the warmth of his skin on mine. "I love you Sum."

"I love you too Theo."

| s u n d a y -
t e x a s
m o t or
s p e e d w a y |

After driver intros I sat on the pit wall, mentally preparing myself for tonight's race. Focusing in, I see a figure sit down beside me from my peripheral vision. I glanced over only to turn the opposite direction.

"Come on Summerlyn, I just wanna have a friendly chat." Brexton pleaded.

"Nothing about you is friendly Busch." I muttered, looking for somebody near to get me out of this situation.

"Hey, I just wanted to check-in and see how you were doing? That's all." Brexton put his hands up innocently. "I've just been noticed that you and Theo haven't been acting the same and stuff so-"

"You have absolutely no right prying yourself into my marriage." I rolled my eyes. "You need to get over this little fantasy you have about you and me being together, it's not happening Brexton, grow the fuck up and move on," I added, pushing myself off the pit wall and making a straight line to my car.

"Sum!" Theo's voice called out. "Was Brexton giving you trouble?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle." I forced a smile. My eyes peered over towards Brexton, behind my sunglasses, who was still sitting on the pit wall with a grin across his face.

"You sure?"

"Yea."

"Murphy, let's go!" Theo's crew chief yelled out. Theo glanced at me one more time before leaving without saying a word. My eyes go back to Brexton, who pushes himself off the pit wall and goes to his car which inconveniently was beside mine.

"Summerlyn, head in the game." Jimmie physically turned my head forward. "Got a race to win, I don't need a distracted driver."

| e n d
o f
r a c e |

"Hell of a battle SBM, burn it down."

"Thank you guys for all the hard work."

After a long await burnout, I climb out of my car and retrieved my checkered flag before being greeted by a camera crew.

"Summerlyn Blaney-Murphy, winless last season, this victory must be very sweet."

"Yeah, last season was a struggle for us but that made us work harder and build up a new team for this year. My guys here and at the shop are the best, they made a hell of a race car today. Thank you to my sponsors, my team, everyone at Purdy Motorsports, my fans, and my family. Going to be celebrating this one."