Conflict

Part 2, Chapter 1

Fifteen years later...

___

"Looks good, don't it?" Strip asked, closing the glass door to his trophy case.

"I'm so proud of you," Lynda smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "You really deserved it this year."

He sat before his collection of trophies in a room he'd dedicated solely to racing paraphernalia, staring at the shining gold Piston Cup in the center of the case. It had been a good year for Team Dinoco with eighteen wins and their second championship title. This Piston Cup seemed to shine even brighter than the one sitting next to it. Who would have thought he'd get one, let alone two? He certainly never would have guessed.

"You're gonna have to stop winnin', or we're gonna need to get another room," Lynda joked.

"Better start makin' plans now, then," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes, but didn't stop smiling. She could feel the excitement radiating from him as he looked at his prize. The night before, it had been such a close finish. The entire stadium had been on edge as Strip and one of his closest racing friends came out of turn four nose to nose. He'd beaten that Gran Torino by mere inches right at the last moment. What ensued from that point on was nothing more than haphazard celebratory chaos.

Strip thought back as he and Lynda left the trophy room to settle in by the fireplace. The last fifteen years or so were nothing less than perfection. His racing career had taken off from the get go, and he'd finished seventh overall his rookie year. Even his worst season had placed him in the top half of the field. There was talk around the track that he was a legend in the making, but that didn't faze him. He didn't need to become a legend. He just wanted to be happy and enjoy the sport, and at that moment, he was right where he wanted to be.

He looked around the house, taking a moment to appreciate it. Lynda had truly made it into a home over the years. It was so open, so warm and welcoming, that he wouldn't mind staying there forever. He looked over at her. It had been nearly thirteen years since he'd asked her to marry him, and she'd said yes. In fact, she'd dropped the derby scene like a bad habit and gotten herself repaired to showroom model status, all for their wedding. He wouldn't have thought she could have gotten any more beautiful, but she did, and now she followed him to nearly every race. He felt he'd never be able to repay her for all the sacrifices she'd made, all the love and support she'd given him.

The weather was oddly cold that morning as the tail end of autumn fell across the mountains. The trees bordering their secluded property glistened with frozen dew as the leaves changed colors, and the frosty grass looked brittle to the touch. This was Strip's favorite time of year. As much as he loved racing, these four months of downtime in between seasons were every bit as precious. It was the time of year he could fully focus on his other love.

"So," he asked, "Is there anythin' you wanna do this year?"

"Hmm." Lynda thought, staring at the peaceful flickering flames in the fireplace. "Honestly, I ain't gave it much thought. This here's what I look forward to the most."

She leaned in, put her front fender against his, and closed her eyes. He sank into his suspension to be closer to her and relaxed. She was right. They spent so many nights on the road, sleeping in separate trailers, and so many days at the tracks in the public eye that there didn't ever seem to be enough alone time.

"Well, then I guess this is what you'll get."

That moment stretched to hours as they dozed on and off together, momentarily released from the hectic life that all racers lived most of the year. The fire burned itself out before they felt rested enough to carry on with the day.