“Fuck that, Jo. When have I ever cared if it’s my fucking weekend or not?”
She looked at the floor. “I thought you might be… busy…”
Busy Bang Ganging. That’s what she thought. That’s what she meant.
Ruby came charging down the road, her face covered in whippy ice cream and chocolate sauce. She had the ice cream clenched in her fingers, trying her best to lick it and run at the same time. Even Mia had hung up Skype for the sake of a whippy cone, but she was more demure about it, walking slowly at Tonya’s side.
Once again I noticed the makeup on her, and it made me feel weird. Made me feel old. She was too young for all that shit, but then again, what did I know? All her friends were probably doing it.
“Wanna come with me, girls?” I said. “We’ll take the truck over to Sam’s place. Get some practice on the track. How about it?”
They didn’t need much convincing.
I sent them ahead to the truck with the keys and Jodie said her thanks.
Tonya took her by the arm. “Better get this one back to bed,” she said. “I’ll stay on call for Nanna.”
I smiled at her, gave her a nod.
“I’ll be seeing you,” I said.
I took the truck up to Sam Brown’s. He’s got an off road set-up up there, perfect for letting the girls loose.
Sam was working on an old Honda Civic when we pulled up. He raised a hand as I lowered the window, gave the girls a wave.
“Alright,” I said.
He headed over. “Good day for it.”
“Hoping to take the girls up the track, let them have a go behind the wheel.”
“Be my guest,” he said.
I shook his hand. “Cheers, Sam.”
He kept an elbow on the window. “Big event at the Brecon track end of this month. Gary Finch can’t make it, family wedding up north. Think you’d be game? Nothing major, would just appreciate an extra pair of hands if we need it.”
“I’m game for that,” I said.
I didn’t need to see Ruby’s face to know she was busting a gut to get in on it. “Rally cars?” she said. “Can I come?”
Sam smiled. “It’s an open event,” he said. “Plenty of people gonna be camping. Bring a tent, make a weekend of it.”
“Might just do that,” I said.
Ruby wouldn’t let it go as I took the truck on up to the ridge. “Please!” she said. “Please, Dad! Pleeeeease! I’ll be good, I promise! I won’t kick any tyres or anything! Not even one!”
“I’ll have to think about it,” I said. “I’ll be busy, it’s work for me, Rubes.”
“Mum could come!” she said. “She could get a tent, she wouldn’t mind!”
I laughed. “Not so sure about that. You’ll have to ask her.” I looked back at Mia in the rearview. “What about you, Mia, you up for a weekend’s camping?”
She shrugged. “Will I get phone signal?”
“I dunno,” I said. “Maybe Daisy could come, too. Talk to her in real life for a change, how about that?”
She smiled. “Cool, Dad.”
I pulled up on the flat, nothing but open fields ahead of us. “You’re up, Rubes,” I said. I patted my lap and she clambered over the gearstick, sat between my legs and strained to reach the pedals. Her feet kicked short. “Not quite,” I said. “You’ll have to grow a bit.”
She groaned. “Sucks.”
“You can steer,” I said. “Steady, remember?”
She pulled a face. “Yeah, of course I remember.”
She giggled as I put the truck into first, her cute little fingers so small on the wheel. She was a natural, cranking that wheel and setting us right on the track lines. I pushed us up through the gears and she handled it like a champ, skirting the edge comfortably in third. She bounced as the truck did, shrieking in delight at the bumpy ground.
She’d done three laps by the time Mia came up front for her turn. Mia could reach the pedals. Ruby huffed in the backseat at the revelation.
I took the passenger seat, told Mia to buckle up and take it slow.
She knew the drill. She put us in first and crawled around awhile before she got brave enough to notch it up to second.
“That’s the way,” I said. “Give it a bit of welly now.”
She was grinning her head off by the time we’d done for the afternoon. “I did it,” she said. “I can practically drive already!”
“You’re on your way, sure enough.”
Ruby was sulking when she climbed back up front. She folded her arms in the passenger seat and glared out of the window. “She wasn’t that good,” she said. “She hardly even went in third.”
“You were both great,” I said. “Both of you. It’s not a competition, Rubes.”
She didn’t look convinced.
“I mean it,” I said. “You’re sisters. You should be supporting each other, not squabbling over stupid shit.” I shot them both a look. “There’s only two of you, make it count.”