Race With a Heart
Chapter 163: Compromise

Chapter 163: Compromise

"Nothing," Steve announced. "Absolutely nothing. Punishing him would be at the discretion of the Fergus Stables. I will totally let Karl decide. "

"You trust him so much?"

"I trust him," Paxton emphatically admitted, "but there’s more to it." Because of my accident, the stable is in real trouble, so it has to be safe. You have brought us a great sponsor, but we cannot risk breaking our contract with Alston’s sponsor as our reputation will suffer. Karl knows best about these things, so he will know best how to play it all out. "

Martin agreed with a nod.

"But since I can forgive Don, do we have to tell Walton about what Don wanted to do to me?"

Martin did not intend his tone to be pleading, but it did. He really didn’t want, if it wasn’t necessary, to tell someone else about his humiliating adventure.

Steve looked deep into his eyes. Martin could see devotion, care, and love in those eyes. Only him were Paxton’s eyes that looked like that. For others, they were serious, cold, and sometimes even terrible.

"If that’s what you want," Steve agreed. I’ll notify Jack not to say anything. Unless he already broke off something. He’s a terrible talker ... "

Martin smiled warmly. At the mention of Lambert, Steve had a slightly grumpy tone, but he spoke more warmly about him, and you could see that Paxton was already opening up to Jack. These unfortunate events on the track probably contributed to the warming of relations between the men as well, as Lambert’s keen concern could not go unnoticed by Steve.

So, however, even from evil one can get good. Suffering made you stronger and made your heart noble - if it hadn’t broken you before, of course. It seemed that both the track incidents and the terrible assault Steve had endured had given him the strength to fight and live instead of plunging him into a gulf of despair.

Steve said it was thanks to Martin.

If that were really true, Martin would be the happiest man. In fact, he was already, because Steve Paxton decided to make him a part of his life.

***

Karl Walton thought his head was about to explode.

"I have to think about this," he announced a few minutes ago, and had everyone out of his office except Steve. Everyone would return to their duties, Don Alston too. If he is suspended or punished in any other way, he will find out in good time. For now, the stable was supposed to function normally.

"Christ, what a shitty situation," Karl groaned, rubbing his forehead. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" I’d like to beat the little shit, fuck him out of this place, but I can’t. The hell! How are you staying calm, and on top of that ...? No, don’t answer. I guess. Be merciful, don’t do it in the stable, because someone will take a photo of you and there will be another problem."

"Sorry," Steve replied meekly. "I’ll try to be good."

"Don’t try, just be! God damn it! That’s why I wanted to choose the driver myself. Someone with professional ethics, not just capital."

"You have Martin," Paxton pointed out helpfully. "Behind him is both ethics and money. I know from Jack that Martin is doing well."

"In training," admitted Walton, "he’s very good. He’s a very good test driver but it’s not track material. "

"Why?" Steve was surprised. "I raced with him and ..."

"In training," Karl repeated. "I did a little research. Martin can drive, that’s a fact, but he can’t handle stage fright. "

"He can overcome it ..."

Walton shook his head dissatisfiedly.

"Did you even talk to him about the possibility of being on the track? You asked him if he even wanted that? "

"No, but..."

"There is not any but’. Don’t make him happy by force and against his will."

"But I ..." Steve wanted to explain something to him but stopped. He just sighed. "You’re right. I acted rashly, but now we don’t have much choice. "

"How’s your health?" Walton asked anxiously. If Steve had been in full health everything would have been different. Now, in high season, they only had Jack on the track. As a co-driver they had the choice of either a bit of an experienced rookie who, for ethical reasons, should have been kicked out of the stables, or a totally inexperienced rookie who was a decent boy, but there was a high probability that he was not fit for racing.

"Pretty well," Paxton announced. "My ribs heal well, the wound is long healed. Had it not been for the sudden overload, the doctors would have given me the green light today. I’m not exaggerating with exercise, but I keep myself in good shape. There are only two races left until my return. "

"Are you sure?" Karl had no intention of showing how much hope he had for it, but he couldn’t hide it.

"I am," Steve admitted.

Walton rubbed his forehead again. How, under such circumstances, was he not supposed to have a headache?

"So there are only two races left," he muttered under his breath. "In this situation, we have no chance of a good position for second driver. Shit, maybe I’ll just pull our second car back! "

"Do you think the sponsors will agree to this? After all, they are paying for their boys to show up on the track with their brand name ad on the car and helmet. That’s why you can’t screw up Alston. "

"I’m sorry" Karl was not only sorry but ashamed. "Unfortunately, I have to think about the fate of the entire stable ..."

"I know," Steve admitted softly, and smiled gently at Walton. Karl felt his heart tighten painfully. He had seen that smile on Steve’s lips for the last time almost four years ago! After Hannah’s accident, Karl did everything in his power to get him that smile back, but all that was not enough and Walton was afraid that Steve would sink into the abyss of darkness forever. The fact that it did not happen, that the smile returned to Paxton’s lips was not due to Karl but to another man.

Joy and sorrow, sadness and jealousy entered Walton’s heart. It was wonderful to see that smile on Paxton’s lips, but to think that Martin was the person who made him smile like that ...

"Karl, I know how much you’ve done for me. Don’t think it has all gone unnoticed, "Steve continued. "You silenced scandals when I was messing up. You sent lawyers when I was at the police station. You put me under Anna’s nose so that someone would always look after me. Even the hotel bartenders had to remember not to let me get drunk. It was you who brought me on this track and gave me the only joy in life that I have had in recent years. Even when there was a risk that I wouldn’t have passed the psychological tests, you let me ride. "

"You’re just a damn capable driver ..."

"I am," Steve admitted bluntly, but some facts were impossible to fight against. "And I fucking love this place that saved me in those worst days. So I understand that some sacrifices are necessary. Don ... He’ll probably get a few curses from me. I’ve already punched him in the teeth, and a good one, so I was a little relieved. The boy is already tucking his tail between his legs when he sees me, so he won’t be making any more problems - I’m sure of that. So if you don’t get him off the track, it’ll be okay for me. "

The pressure in Karl’s heart did not ease. Paxton had been through so much, yet he put the interests of the stable before his private interests. His younger colleague led Steve to lose points and even had a serious-looking accident on the track, but Steve was able to forgive him because the Stable needed it.

"And Martin?" Walton recalled. "You insisted that he should ride instead of you."

"If you say he’s unfit for racing in its current state, I have to trust you," Paxton said. "You have excellent judgment when it comes to the condition of the drivers. I want to work with Martin. Accompany him during training sessions. I want to talk to him about stage fright. I would like him to start in this third race, but he has to be mentally prepared for it. I don’t want to force him, I just believe that he has the potential to be a very good driver. "

"All right," Karl agreed with a sigh. He wasn’t sighing because he had to go along with some of Paxton’s ridiculous demands, because they made such sense this time. Walton sighed as he had to compromise with his own conscience and leave Don Alston on the track. The compromise with one’s conscience was not the best experience and left a bitter taste in his mouth.