The news of Jimmy signing with Meteor Foods hit the Central City newspaper on Friday morning. It was also in the issue of Speed Sport News that arrived in Jimmy‘s mailbox that afternoon.
Jimmy spent some time on the phone with a couple of reporters, and he was starting to feel the strain of juggling several things at once. He was still working every day at the grain elevator, and he still had two events left in the Ellison sprinter.
He also heard from the Meteor Foods PR guy — Josh Jefferson, known as “Jay” — who was already lining up things related to Jimmy‘s new team.
But the moment Jimmy put the racing stuff on pause, his thoughts quickly filled with another issue. It was a much more important and pressing issue.
Renee Johnson was pregnant.
Yes, she was sure. The doctor said so. The baby would arrive sometime next March. Those were the facts.
When Renee broke the news to Jimmy a few days ago, he was stunned. This wasn‘t something that was remotely on his radar. Not right now, not at this stage. It felt like something massive had dropped out of the sky, without warning.
It was almost painful, watching Renee as she shared the news. The poor kid … her voice was breaking and she was all torn up, worried that this would make things difficult for him at a very sensitive time.
At the exact moment Jimmy gets his big break … the timing sure was difficult for this.
But once Jimmy had a moment to grasp what she was saying — and what it meant — he felt a surge of excitement. Hey … he‘d always wanted a family, right? So what‘s the harm in things happening a little sooner than expected?
Renee looked scared, but Jimmy grinned.
“So what‘s the problem?” he said. “We‘ll get married and that‘ll get everything handled.”
But her eyes narrowed. “Listen,” she said, “I don‘t want you to feel obligated just because…”
“Cut it out,” he interrupted. “I want to marry you. And not just because of this.”
Jimmy usually felt like a klutz when he tried to say what was in his heart. But this time he just put his cards on the table.
“I want to get married,” he said. “So, I‘ll put it back on you. How about it … will you marry me?”
Renee seemed at a loss for words.
“That‘s a yes-or-no question,” Jimmy pointed out.
Tears began to dribble down her cheek, but she caught herself. Renee was a strong woman, and Jimmy knew she didn‘t like to cry. She dabbed away the tears and nodded her head.
“Yes. I say yes.”
Jimmy‘s weekend at Shoes Speedway was spectacular in every way. Everybody wanted to congratulate him on joining the Meteor Foods team, and people seemed genuinely happy for him, even his fellow racers.
“Killer, this is double-good news,” Bobby Mancini laughed. “First, I‘m happy for you. Even though the Meteor guys are about to find out what a complete pain in the ass you are, this is a good thing. And I might even cheer for you.
“But the best news is that we don‘t have to try and outrun you every weekend. Trust me, every racer in this pit area is glad to see you go. They will even help you pack your bags.”
Harvey maintained an air of cool indifference, and he and Jimmy hardly talked as the day went on. They won the first 50-lap feature on a surface that was smooth and fast despite the midday sun, besting Bobby and Sammy Caldwell.