The class was impressed by the two car carriers in front of them. As with the one Kiki borrowed, these were high dollar carriers, complete with sleeping areas and bathrooms, as well as a small refrigerator and microwave. When they got to the first carrier, Mark told the two drivers who were right where they were supposed to be, "Okay, fellas, thanks. You are good until about 10 am tomorrow." They would be sleeping in the sleepers of the rigs. Mark and Danny unlatched the back door of the car carrier and pulled out the ramps. Mark soon backed out a dust covered Coyote from where he'd had it on the track.

The class began to talk excitedly as the Coyote came out of the trailer.

Kiki smiled at the Judge. "He's always loved an audience!"

"You're telling me!" Hardcastle agreed.

Barbara purposely left her Cougar behind the other car carrier as she enjoyed the kids enthusiasm about her father's design of the Coyote.

As Mark let the kids check out the Coyote, his eyes and Barbara's met. Both looked at the other car carrier. Mark said, reassuring her, "Tomorrow."

Barbara released the breath she was holding. She hoped Mark hadn't reconsidered taking the other car out tonight.

To Kiki, Mark asked, "So what's your plans for this evening?"

"Well, Bobbie's mom," pointing to one of the girls, "is coming out tonight to stay with us. I figured there would be plenty of room in the car carrier for us all since the car is smaller than my old car."

Mark nodded, "Should work. We're staying here at the track too, well, unless Hardcase pulls out for the comforts of a hotel." Then he asked, "Barbara is that grill still in there?"

"You know these trucks better than I do. Go look," she replied.

Mark returned in a few minutes. "Bobbie, can you call you mom before she leaves?"

The teenager replied, "I should be able to get her."

"Here's the plan. Kiki take Bobbie over to the office and let her call her mom. Tell her to bring hot dogs and hamburgers. We can grill out instead of trying to feed this bunch out of the concession stands. And while you're doing that, I'm going to find some help in this bunch to put in my racing harness and clean up the Coyote. Bonnie said it was dusty out there but he looks a mess."

Standing back from the group. Barbara asked, "Milt what have you done to him? He's not only taken charge of my guys but her whole pit crew and looks to be enjoying himself."

"Someone will probably be bringing back the real McCormick anytime now and offering to pay us to take him back!" Hardcastle said sarcastically.

00000

After Bobbie's mom arrived, supper for the group was prepared while Mark put his finishing touches on the Coyote.

Later Carol, Bobbie's mom, asked, "So what are the sleeping arrangements tonight?"

Kiki said, "Well, if it's Okay with Barbara since we together have three trucks now. I think Mr. Jones can stay in my rig with the boys. We can stay with Barbara and the girls in this truck and I know, Mark is not leaving that truck," she said pointing to the second truck. "Judge, are you staying here tonight?"
"Well, I think between you and Barbara you can keep him out of trouble so I'll probably grab a room at that little hotel up the road and I'll bring breakfast back in the morning."

Mark said, "Chicken."

Hardcase replied, "Smart!"

00000

By midnight, the excitement of the day was taking its toll on the teens. Mr. Jones herded the boys to the drag strip and their trailer. Carol moved the girls inside that trailer. Hardcase warned, "Watch yourself tonight."

Mark knew that he meant against anyone trying to get a preview of the new car. Mark nodded, "You show up in the morning, knock on the trailer. I'll have the doors locked from the inside."

Barbara replied, "Mark they don't lock from the inside."

Mark replied,"They will when I'm done!"

The three laughed at Mark. Hardcastle went to Barbara's Cougar he would be taking to the hotel. "Keep him out of trouble." Hardcastle said as he got in the car.

Barbara said as Hardcastle left, "I know three's a crowd, so I think I'll turn in too."

Kiki said, "I'm going to hang out here a bit."

Barbara smiled as she stepped into the trailer. "I sorta thought you might. Night you two."

Mark grinned at his friend that had been like a sister to him for years. "Night, Barb. Since the Coyote's in the trailer, I'll lock these back doors up."

He locked the back door of the first trailer and returned to the lawn chairs they had been sitting in. The race track was quieting down for the night. He said to Kiki, "It's been a lifetime since I've stayed at a track with a team. I've missed it."

She nodded and said, "You know, I was told before I quit that I'd be back. I had no intention of ever coming back, but when those guys showed up and were looking at Danny like he'd been lying about me driving once, well, you know I couldn't say no."

"And you didn't want to, either," Mark replied.

Tilting her head a bit in concession to his statement, she replied, "No, I don't guess I did."

Mark asked, "So why did you quit? I know you had planned to before the crash."

"It would have been rather hard to get away from Sammy and both of us racing. We would have been at the same track 3-4 days a week," She explained with a bit of a shiver thinking about the past.

Mark said as he pulled her closer, "I understand that. But, I took care of him. You didn't have to quit."

"I know, but with the crash. Then, there was the trials. I needed to put some distance between me and his world." she explained.

Mark reassured her. "Honey, you were as much a part of this world as Sammy, or me for that matter."

Before Kiki could reply, Mark heard someone walking their way. The voice said quietly, "Skid?"

Mark stood up to great the man. Once he got closer he was able to see it was an older version of a guy that he'd known from racing with Flip. "Pig?"

The man smiled and laughed. "Yeah, though I haven't been called that in years. I knew these car haulers as soon as I pulled in. It sure looks like you've been real busy there, Skid." He raised his eyebrows a couple of times referring the to kids.

"It's Mark, Pig. And no, I haven't been that busy. Do you remember Kiki Cutter?" Mark asked.

Pig replied, "You used to run drag? Top Fuel?"

Kiki nodded. "Yes. My nephew and his class built a Pro Stock car. The school had no problem with the car being raced but not the students driving it. I was recruited. Maybe I was even shanghaied."

Mark replied, "Don't let her fool you. I hear she begged them to let her drive it." Mark's eyes got big as he said, "Ooofff," as Kiki had elbowed him in the ribs.

Pig had been carrying a small cooler. He set it down, opened it, and took out three beers.

Pig brought up the subject Mark wasn't looking forward to. "Say, Skid, I got to tell you, we've all heard some wild stories about you since you quit racing. I was worried about you. I heard that after you bought that fancy Porsche you were driving that, ... Excuse me miss..." Realizing he was about to bring up something she may not know about. "That the girl you were with some how took it away from you and you killed her. That you went to prison for killing her."

"I've heard that too." Mark smiled at Kiki. He'd heard pretty much the same story and knew where Pig was going with his tale. "Well, I don't know where that came from and only a few parts of it are true. First, when we broke up, I took the car which she reported that I stole. I did go to prison for stealing my own car, but she is still very much alive, though I have to say there was a couple times in San Quentin that I did want to kill her."

To Pig's disbelief, Mark was speaking very frankly about this.

Mark continued, "But, that's behind me now. I was released on parole which is complete. I was even able to square up enough of my past to be able to go to law school and take the Bar Exam a few days ago and I hope to be a practicing attorney before the year's up."

"Damn! You have been busy!" I think the truth is better than the rumor!" Pig exclaimed.

Mark laughed at Pig. He noted the surprised look from Kiki. He hadn't had a chance to tell her about taking the Bar Exam.

Pig said, "Well, it's been good talking to you both but I think I'll head back down the way. Come on down tomorrow, and bring the kids if you want. I've got a whole trailer full of the fifteen years of racing if they are interested."

Mark replied, "We'll do just that. See ya."

Kiki looked at Mark, who said, "Yeah, I know he's scouting for information for the others. That's why I put the truth out." He continued, "Things are pretty quiet out here. Let me show you something." he headed to the trailer where the new car was at. After they'd both stepped in the car carrier, he closed the door and then found the light switch. He didn't mind showing Kiki the car, but not the whole class of teenagers until he was ready to take it on to the track. As they walked around the car, Mark took the opportunity to take a chain through the handles of the back doors and locked it.

"This a car!" Kiki said. "No wonder you're being so protective of it."

Mark shook his head no. "No, the reason I'm being so protective of it is because I lost a good friend over the Coyote. I don't intend to let anyone get hurt over this car." Mark took her hand and started toward the front end of the car carrier where there was a couch, a computer desk and also the sleeping area of the trailer. Mark said sitting on the couch, "Okay, you've heard what's been going on with me," referring to the conversation with Pig. "Now, it's your turn."

She smiled at him. "Okay, but you might want to go ahead and lock that side door. This could take awhile and I might bore you to sleep," Kiki said, indicating that she planned to stay with Mark unless he objected.

Mark caught her meaning, smiled, and stood up to go lock the door. "Okay, but you're not going to bore me."

Kiki heard Mark locking the door with another chain as she took off her shoes and pulled her feet onto the couch.

Mark returned to the couch and sat down. Kiki slide close to him, turning toward the back of the couch. Mark wrapped his arms around her waist and back. She had her hands on his chest and was looking up at him. They had sat like this so many times that it was the most natural thing in the world for both of them. Mark's intention was to have a long talk with her, but at this moment the only thing he could do was to pull her closer and kiss her. There were several unanswered questions Mark had wanted the answers to before he intended this to happen. Right now, he didn't care. He hoped he was getting the unspoken answers by her not pulling away from his kiss.

After several minutes, Mark couldn't stand the uncertainty of the situation. He stopped the kiss and pulled himself a bit away from her, then tilted her head so she was again looking at him. "We have to talk."

Kiki nodded, "Okay."

Mark summed up his questions in one word, "Sammy?"

Kiki closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. With a small smile she made eye contact with Mark. "Divorced. It was final about six months after I saw you last. With the evidence you came up with about the car, he could have contested until hell froze over, but it wouldn't have done any good." she got the impression that Mark hadn't kept up with the outcome of the charges that he helped get filed against Sammy so she continued, "He was convicted of conspiracy and, get this, assault. The attempted murder was plead down to assault. It seems the jury just didn't understand the part that a crew chief plays and that they are totally responsible for checking the car before it's raced. Like you told me, a blind person could have seen what was done to the car, so there is no way he couldn't have seen what had been done if he didn't do it himself. Anyway, he was sentenced to two years for the assault and a one to five on the conspiracy." she tensed as she said the next sentence. "I got a certified letter about 6 months ago..."

"A victim's notification?" Mark asked.

"Yeah," she said, with a sigh. "Seems he was given five years on parole and released." With tears in her eyes she asked, "Do you have any idea how stupid I feel? I pulled that stunt with you, then married him. After all that, I decided it wasn't working and then he tried to kill me. I can sure pick them can't I? Mark, I've lived with the regrets of lying to you all this time."

Brushing her hair back he said, "We've already discussed that. I told you how much that hurt me, but I forgave you. Let's put that all right back in the past where it belongs." Mark sighed, before speaking his next thoughts. "I have no idea what the future holds for me. Right now, it hinges on if I pass the Bar Exam. If I don't, ..."

"You know you will," she said.

"No, I don't. Really, I don't know that and won't know it until I get the results back." Mark sighed, "If I don't pass, I have no idea what I'm going to do. I can't live off Hardcastle forever."

"You know he doesn't see it that way," she replied.

"I know, and maybe I don't either, but too many people see it like that." Mark found himself holding his breath as he asked, "So, with all that, my question to you is: 'Do you want to see if we can make something out of all this?' "

Kiki hadn't realized that she had also been holding her breath waiting for Mark to ask her just that. She found herself answering by sitting up, then getting up off the couch. She smiled as she reached over Mark's head to turn off the light as she took his hand for him to follow her.