Free The Champion (Racing on the Edge) by Shey Stahl

finish
feeding our son.
    Although once the feeding, burping, changing and rocking
was finished ... the other things were dealt with. Many times.
    As I said before, everything had changed.
    In 365 days, 52 weeks, 8,765 hours, or 525,948 minutes my
life had change completely.
    Then it starts all over on New Year’s Day and who knows
what this next year will bring.
     

 
 
    4 .               Rebound – Jameson

 
    Rebound – In shock
absorbers, a rebound adjustment is a change to the dampening of the shock on
the expansion stroke. Without rebound dampening, the car would want to bounce as
it passed over bumps on the track. Rebound adjustments can also affect how the
weight of the car shifts around during braking, acceleration and cornering.
     
    “I know you don’t want to leave us but it’s your job.”
Sway told me as we stood in Axel’s bedroom discussing my schedule for the next
few weeks. “I understand.” Her hand came up, brushing my hair away from my
forehead. January had flown by with testing and racing was now starting again.
    “I know ... it’s
just hard now. I want you guys with me.”
    This last month since Axel was born, I had spent every
minute I could with the two of them, enjoying the chance to finally be a
family—even if it was only for a month—I’d take it. I’d take any moment I was
given.
    “We will be in Las Vegas with you,” she offered.
    “It’s just not the same. Last year you were there at
Daytona.” I shrugged looking down at my feet. “I just ... wanted you there, as my wife. It’s retarded I know—”
    Her finger silenced me. “It’s not retarded, Jameson. I
know exactly what you mean.”
    I almost forgot how well she actually knew me.
    We both turned to look down at Axel when he whimpered.
Sway had him buckled in his car seat.
    “What’s on him?” she asked examining his hair.
    Kneeling down, I took a closer look. “I’m not sure ... it looks like ... you
have to be fucking kidding me ... LOGAN!”
I yelled after him.
    Lane turned to Sway with an arm full of Legos.
    “I not do that.” He smiled. “Can I hold him?”
    “Sure buddy, just let me get this peanut butter out of
his hair.” Sway replied while I ran after Logan.
    I found him hiding in our pantry, snickering to himself
as he ate peanut butter with a spoon. I grabbed his scrawny arm and pulled him
out, sitting him on the counter so I could look him in the eye.
    “Listen to me.” I growled. “Stop acting like an asshole.”
    He held out his hand.
    “I don’t think so. I only give money out to kids I don’t
want to corrupt. You start resembling a normal child and maybe I’ll
watch my mouth around you.”
    “He wanted peanut butter.” Logan replied trying to defend
his actions.
    “He can’t even talk. What would make you think he wanted
peanut butter?”
    Logan shrugged carelessly. “He whimpered.”
    “He always whimpers.”
    “Sorry.” He finally said and reached for the peanut
butter.
    I snatched it before he could take it again—trying to
restrain myself from laughing at his expression of scared shitless. “No, no,
you’re done with the peanut butter.”
    This babysitting shit was hard work. How our family
thought we could handle a newborn baby, the Lucifer twins and Lane all at once,
was bullshit.
    Lane was okay ... the
twins were not. They were hardly classified as normal children.
    It was the day before I had to leave to Daytona for
Speedweek and the last thing I wanted to be doing was babysitting these shits
today but Andrea had to take Charlie up to Seattle for a doctor’s appointment
and Alley and Spencer were at the doctor as well getting an ultrasound.
    Logan had long since passed out next to me but Lucas was
another story. It was now close to nine o’clock and I thought for sure he’d be
asleep by now but no such luck.
    I’m almost certain he had this plan that if he annoyed me
long enough I would have I eventually caved and given him chocolate so he