Around The Corner (A Denny Hamlin Fanfic)

Chapter 18

After putting the finishing touches of BBQ sauce on the chicken, Tony starts to pull it off the grill. Looking over to the chair where He was sitting, and seeing he wasn’t there and Lilly had never come back out. He goes in search of them. Sitting the chicken down on the patio table, he heads for the door. Reaching for the handle on the door, he see’s Lilly standing there with big eyes, just starting at Him.

Opening the door and stepping inside, Tony walks up to Him, and slaps him on the back of the head.

“OUCH! Dude! What did you do that for? I didn’t do anything!” He say’s rubbing the back of his head.

“Lilly’s face say’s other wise. I walked in the door and she had a shocked look on her face. Care to explain?” Tony say’s looking at him.

“Tony he didn’t say anything wrong.” Lilly tells him. “I was just shocked that he knew I was a fan of his, and I didn’t hear him come in behind me. He scared me is all.”

“See! I didn’t say anything wrong!” He tells Tony with a glare.

“Shocker!” Tony tells him.

Lilly starts to giggling and say’s “Okay boy’s.. this house has many corners, don’t make me use them!”

“He started it!” They say in unison.

“You two are like, three year olds.. Goodness. Now be nice, or you both will go to bed with out a brownie!” Lilly threatens them.

“Yes, Mom!” Tony tells her with a big grin.

“Funny boy.. Now, who’s hungry? I made potato salad, some baked beans and I have some chips here. I have some more beers in a little cooler with some ice by the door, for you boy’s. Is there anything else you would like?” Lilly asks them with a smile.

When they just stand there looking at her, she say’s “What? I told you, I like to cook and plan things. I wanted to have a cook out and this is what I would have cooked for my friends back home.”

“I’m not complaining! I just didn’t think you could make so much in what? 2 and a half hours?.” Tony tells her. “I’m impressed!”

“Thank you! It was nothing big or fancy. Just little things, get one thing going, then go to the next.” Lilly tells him.

Lilly grabbed the bowl of potato salad, and her baked beans, and the others picked up the rest of the items and they went out side.

After everyone had filled their plates and sat down at the patio table, Lilly next to Tony and He across from them, they began to eat there dinner.

After one bite of the BBQ chicken, he looks at Lilly and say’s “Damn that’s good BBQ sauce! What kind is it? I need some of this!”

“I made it my self.” Lilly tells him.

“No you didn’t! I didn’t know you could make something like that! This stuff is awesome!” He tells her.

“It’s very good, Lilly!” Tony tells her.

“Thank you! It was something my Dad and I used to make together. There’s a little bit of everything in there I think. We used to joke that we put everything in there but the

kitchen sink.” She tells them with a laugh.

“If you bottled this up and sold it. I’d buy at least 10 cases.” He tells her with a big smile.

Feeling her self blush, she continues eating.

To take the attention off of her, Tony starts to talk to Him, about the upcoming season.

Lilly liked to hear them talk about racing. Sitting back in her chair, and listening to them talk, she realized how much she missed racing.

“I can’t believe that we leave in two weeks for speed weeks. It seems like the off season just started.” He say’s.

Nodding, Tony say’s “I know. I’m ready to get started, but then again I like not being gone all the time. It’s been nice to just go to the shop for a few hours and come home and do nothing for the past couple of weeks.”

“Yeah. It’s been nice. But I’m ready to race in the shootout! Fun race, and it get’s you track time on the new surface for the 500.” He tells Tony.

“Yeah. That’s one good thing about the Shootout.” Tony tells him.

“The Bud shootout?” Lilly asks him. “I love that race! One of my favorites of the year! That and the All Star race!”

“Have you ever been to Daytona Lilly?” Tony asks her.

“No. I have always wanted to go, but I don’t know…” She tells him with a sad look.

“You could do it Lilly!” Tony assures her.

Lilly gives him a small smile.

Tony turns back to Him, and starts talking about past races. Enjoying the stories Lilly just sits back and listens. After a few min, Lilly gets up and gets them desert. Coming back out with three bowls with a brownie, ice cream and some hot fudge drizzled over it. She sets the bowls down in front of them.

“These look delicious!” He tells her.

As they take the first bite, they say “Oh! My! This is good!”

“Thank you!” Lilly tells them.

“Your right Tony! These brownies are to die for!” He say’s.

“These are good! I think these are better than the ones you took to Kasey’s!” Tony tells her with a big smile.

“Thank you!” Lilly tells them.

After they finished eating, the boy’s went back to talking about racing. Lilly got up and started to clear the dishes and the remaining food she took in the house and put away. Once she had loaded the dish washer and the food was put away, she went back out and joined them.

Once the sun started to go down, He looks and say’s “Well, I must be going. It’s been a fun night!”

“Why are you running off? You going to turn into a pumpkin?” Tony asks him with a giggle.

Flipping Tony the bird, He turns to Lilly and say’s “Thank you for cooking a wonderful dinner! I loved everything you cooked. And if you ever get sick of seeing that big lug, you can come see me!” with a wink and a big smile.

Hearing a snort from Tony, Lilly say’s “Thank you! I enjoyed cooking and having you over!”

He opens and steps through the door with Tony right behind him. Opening the door and

stepping back out he say’s “It was nice to meet you Lilly.” With those last words He stepped back through the door, and left with Tony on his heels.

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Tony followed him to his truck.

“Thanks for coming over! It was nice to catch up.” Tony tells him.

“Yeah it was nice! Thanks for the invite! How long is Lilly going to be here?” He asks with a smirk.

“I.. I don’t know. When ever she is ready to go back, I’ll send her back. But I don’t plan on rushing that.” Tony tells him.

“Do you have feelings for Lilly?” He asks him.

“Yes, and No. She’s more like a kid sister at times. But she’s beautiful to look at. But she’s not ready for a relationship.” Tony tells him.

Nodding his head, he gets in his truck, and shuts the door. Rolling down his window he leans out and tells Tony with a big smile “Anytime you want to have a cook out when she’s here, I’ll be over! Just give me a call!”

“Yeah.. Yeah.. Get out of here before you turn into a pumpkin!” Tony tells him.

He backs out of the drive way and waves good bye.

Tony heads inside to see what Lilly is up to.