Chapter Two

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Chapter Two

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"Yeah," Tony shrugged, smiling evilly, "It's Kasey."

The color immediately started to rise in her cheeks as she walked, head down, towards the door, and Tony and Junior laughed, giving each other a high-five. "She definitely likes him."

"The rookie will never live this one down ..." Junior grinned. He remembered when he had been a rookie, and everyone had made it a living hell on him. Even the name Earnhardt didn't intimidate them enough to lay off of him. In fact, the yellow stripe on his bumper had only made it all worse.

"Especially if he hurts her," Tony replied, a look coming over his face, "If he hurts her, I'll ... I'll ... I'll do something, that's for sure."

"Me too," Junior and Jamie piped up.

Kiera's head was still bowed when she walked down the stairs, and finally stood on equal ground with Kasey. She shut the door behind her, making sure it was latched all the way, before she looked up and smiled at Kasey.

"Hey."

"Hi."

Meanwhile, Tony gave Junior and Jamie a look and motioned with his head towards the door. Everyone else was so caught up in the party that they didn't notice the three of them slip away headed towards the front of the motor coach, and standing right against the door, all three of their ears planted to the door, so they could hear the conversation.

"I'm sorry about the race today," she told him, "It's a terrible way to start off your rookie season, especially in such a high profile car."

He nodded, "Yeah, it was pretty disappointing. But I've never liked these restrictor plate race tracks. I've just never been good at them, I guess."

"Well, just keep in mind what Tony pointed out to me," she replied, "Two seasons ago, he finished dead last in the race, and came back to win the championship, so anything's possible. There's always next week."

"Yeah, there is," he smiled, "Thanks for trying to cheer me up."

"Don't worry about it," she said, "I remember how upset my brother is when something like that happens, so I can only imagine how upset you were."

"Yeah," he agreed, looking at the ground, "I feel bad for Tommy. I got out of the car pissed, and basically took it all out on him, because he was the first person I saw."

"I'm sure he'll forgive you," she smiled, "I would if I were you."

He looked up at her, and met her brown eyes with his deep blue ones and matched her smile, "Thanks." He shifted again, but didn't break their contact, "Well, I better be going."

"Do you want to come in, and celebrate?" she asked, "Tony, Junior and Jamie are here with all the crews."

"I wish I could," he said sadly, "But Kale's already got everything packed up, and we're heading back to North Carolina tonight. But maybe I'll see you sometime this week."

"That would be good," she replied.

He smiled, "Maybe I'll call you."

"I wouldn't be overly opposed to that."

Laughing, he waved slightly, "Bye Kiera. I'll see you."

"Bye Kasey," she replied, before turning around and moving to open the door.

She was too quick for Tony, Junior and Jamie, and when she opened the door, they came tumbling down the stairs towards her, having been leaning against the door she opened.

"You guys are idiots!" she exclaimed, "Isn't anyone's conversations private around here?"

"Nope," Tony shook his head, "Not when you're talking to a boy."

She rolled her eyes, "Kasey's not a boy, he's a man."

They picked themselves up from the ground, and dusted their clothes off before heading back into the motor coach and back to the rest of the guys.

"What did Kasey want?" Zippy asked.

"'But maybe I'll see you sometime this week'," Junior mimicked in Kasey's voice.

"'That would be good'," Tony continued, imitating his own sister's voice.

"'Maybe I'll call you'."

"'I wouldn't be overly opposed to that'."

The crews began laughing, but Kiera was getting mad. She slapped her brother in the back of the head, and flopped back down onto the couch. "Remind me next time to not have any conversations around you."

"There's no way you can deny it anymore," Tony spoke up.

"Yes, I can."

"No, you can't," Tony replied, "Because you like Kasey."

"No, I don't."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"This fight again?" Zippy questioned, "Just give it up Kiera. I said I don't choose sides, but I have to this time, because it is clearly obvious that you have a thing for Kasey ..."

Kiera interrupted him, "Gee, thanks Zippy, I always thought you'd side with me."

"If you would let me finish ..." Zippy warned her.

"Go ahead," she motioned.

"But, it's obvious that he has a thing for you too," Zippy continued, "Just look at the way he acts. Does everyone else agree with me, or what?"

All the other guys nodded their heads, or agreed one way or another, and to Kiera, it looked like everyone was teaming up against her. "Whatever," she huffed, "I'm going to bed." And she stomped away.

Junior looked at Tony, "You know what this calls for?"

"A little talk with the rookie?"

"My thoughts exactly," Junior nodded.

"Now?"

Junior stood up and walked towards the door, motioning to Tony, "After you."

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Tony, Junior and Jamie approached Kasey's hauler, to see Kale standing outside of it.

"Hey Kale," Junior said, "Is Kasey here?"

"Yeah, he's inside," Kale answered, "Give me a second, I'll go get him."

The three of them stood out there conversing lightly, until Kasey stepped off of his motor coach, and onto equal ground with him. "Tony, Jamie, Dale. What are you three doing here?"

"We need to talk," Tony told him. There was no sense in beating around the bush, why not just get right to the point?

Kasey gulped, "What about?"

"Kiera," was heard from all three of their mouths at the same time, and Kasey gulped again.

"What about her?"

"Well," Tony started, "There are a few things you need to know before you even think about talking to her again." Kasey nodded, and Tony continued. "If you hurt her – whether physically, emotionally, or any other way – in any way possible, I won't hesitate to hurt you right back."

Junior and Jamie nodded. They weren't who he was worried about. It was Tony. He was the main person that Kasey feared, especially when it came to his sister.

"Do you have that?" Tony questioned.

Kasey merely nodded and gulped once again.

"Good. Now we can get onto the next topic of discussion." Kasey wasn't really sure if he liked the sounds of that.

"What is that?" he asked.

Tony pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Kasey. "Here."

Kasey opened it up, and stared at the number on the paper. "What's this?"

"That's the number to the house I share with my sister," he told him, "Call her. This week. She really likes you, and would be ecstatic to hear from you, just don't mention that any of us talked to you about this, because she'd kill us."

He nodded slightly, and gulped once more. Tony wasn't really that bad of a guy once you got over his fierce protectiveness of his sister.

"Do you understand?" Tony questioned.

"Yes."

"Good, we're done here," he replied, then turned to Jamie and Junior, "Let's get back to the party boys."

As they were walking away, he turned back around, "And Kahne?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember what I said about hurting her."

"I will Tony," he said, then walked into his coach, "Oh believe me, I will."

"What was that all about?" Kale asked when he re-entered the motor coach.

"Kiera."

Kale rolled his eyes, "What did you do this time?"

"Nothing, I swear."

"Yeah right. Otherwise if you didn't do nothing, Tony Stewart would not have showed up outside your motor coach after drinking with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray to talk about his sister. So, really this time, what did you do?"

"Honestly I didn't do anything ... yet."

"'Yet'? What do you plan on doing?"

"Asking Kiera Stewart out."

Kale laughed, "You are one brave, brave man my brother."

"What's that mean?" Kasey yelled to Kale's back as he retreated to the back of the motor coach. But he had to agree, he was a brave man. Tony Stewart was notorious for not dealing with people's shit. Kiera was nothing like him, but she loved her brother, and if you wanted to have anything to do with her, you had to deal with Tony.

So he was one brave man, especially if he thought Tony Stewart would be lenient to him just because he liked his sister.

Dream on Kase. He's going to be his normal self. Maybe even put more pressure on you than normal. Especially if you do start dating his little sister.

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