The Family Secret

~ Twelve ~

Jr's POV:

The media buzz over the bomb that Chase dropped during All-Star week was still high as I sat in the studio preparing to record a podcast. My guests today –Ward and Jeff Burton– would be arriving any minute and my mind was anywhere but on the podcast that I needed to make. No matter how much I tried to focus on them and the questions that I wanted to ask, the only thing that kept popping into my mind was Connie's statement about the photo that was in dad's wallet.

That wallet had been one of the few things that I had wanted of dad's possessions –mostly because it was the wallet that my grandfather had given to him right before passing as a token of his pride in him even though according to dad, my grandfather had an odd way of showing it. But Teresa being the bitch that she is of course had refused even that, claiming that it was one of his possessions and that since he had passed and they were married, everything went to her. Then again, we are talking about the same evil wench that would rather see everything dad worked for crumble to the pieces than give his children controlling shares of the company that he poured his all into.

Rage filled my system upon thinking about DEI just sitting there. Had she not been a bitch about everything, Kerry, Kelley, Taylor, and I could be building upon the dream that dad had for his legacy, his plan to make Earnhardt more synonymous with NASCAR than it already was. Had Teresa actually let dad's children continue to build upon his dream –even with her still being part of his legacy– who knew where DEI would be today. I'm not saying that we could be up there with the likes of Hendrick, RCR, JGR, Penske, but I do think that we would be a major player in the sport. There would be no shortage of drivers for us to sign. Even more, I knew dad would be smiling down from even every time a DEI car made it to victory circle.

Knowing that it was pointless to try and force myself to think of anything else, I grabbed my phone and found the contact information for a number that I haven't called in more than five years. Chances were slim that Teresa would answer my call but it was either call her or go to the house and I wasn't up for a face to face with Cruela today. To be honest, I wasn't up for dealing with her any day of the week but if by some chance she finally agreed to give me dad's wallet, then I would suck it up.

I was about to end the call when Teresa answered. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" she said, her voice like nails on a chalkboard, getting under my skin as she pretended to be all sweet and innocent. I might not have talked to her in years but it seemed that she still had my number stored in her phone. It would be fine by me if she deleted it for good...

"I'm going to cut right to the chase. I want dad's wallet."

"Planning on giving it to that newfound brother of yours?" she said, malice lacing her voice. Obviously she had heard about Chase and his being an Earnhardt.

"No. I want it for myself. Always have." It was taking everything in me not to lose my cool on her.

"Pretty sure it got tossed when I moved. But on the off chance that it didn't it's in the garage at the lake house. I put all your dad's things in there when I was remodeling and never moved them back inside." she said, sounding preoccupied all of a sudden.

"Then I guess you won't mind if I go check it out?" I said. "Not going to try and have me arrested for trespassing again?"

"No, I've moved on with my life. You and your siblings are free to take what you want."

"What does that mean as far as the house?" I asked, an uneasy feeling in my gut.

"Listed it just this morning. I'm sure it won't take long to sell since I made sure the listing agent made it known who's former residence it was. Some white-trash-redneck will sell enough moonshine or meth to buy it and turn it into a shrine fit for a king."