Full Throttle by Wendy Etherington Page A

somebody at Hollister or one of the other teams?”
    â€œHollister, of course.” He angled his head, his eyes bright. “Can’t have you giving away all our secrets to the competition.”
    She’d needed this so much, to talk through the opposing feelings boiling inside her. How do parents know? “There’s a problem with the accountant strategy, though.” She licked her lips. “I like Kane.”
    Her father sighed. “Yeah, I was afraid of that.” He shifted his gaze upward. “Your mother was the light of my life until you came along, then it was both of you. When she died part of that light dimmed. You’re all I have now. All I want. The racing will come and go, but I want you to be happy. Racing makes you happy. He, so far, hasn’t.”
    Well, if that wasn’t it in a nutshell.
    But Kane had made her happy. At times. In short bursts. Short, wonderful, exhilarating bursts.
    Leaning next to her father, Lexie laid her hand over his. Her body warmed with his concern. Life hadn’t always been easy for them, but they’d always felt blessed. They’d succeeded in the career they’d chosen, even though the one person they’d both wanted to witness their rise hadn’t been there. Still, the racing had helped them focus and recover. A coping mechanism that had become a passion.
    She couldn’t imagine losing the love of her life so suddenly. She’d often hoped her father might find someone else to give the love he held in his heart. But he hadn’t. Rose Mercer had been it for him. Now he had his daughter, his buddies and his racing. He couldn’t seem to move beyond that.
    Maybe that was why she sometimes found herself longing to find her own love. She knew how precious time was, how life could change in an instant. She wanted someone to share her dreams and joys, to hold on to through good times and bad.
    â€œKane doesn’t treat you the way you should be treated,” her father said. “I was devoted completely to your mother.”
    He brought me tea was all Lexie could think. Not much to most people, but she’d been immeasurably touched by the gesture.
    Still, her father’s words were true. Wasn’t that the reason she’d broken up with him in the first place? She knew she wasn’t the one for him, and she was tired of pretending to be satisfied with second place.
    â€œI know,” she said.
    â€œYou’re attracted to each other, but does it really go beyond that?”
    â€œI’m not sure, but the attraction is pretty strong.”
    â€œSo I’ve noticed,” he said dryly. “What else do you have in common? He likes being in the public eye. You hate it. He’s a people pleaser, and you push people’s buttons.”
    â€œHe didn’t used to be a pleaser.”
    â€œYou’re not going to change him.”
    â€œHe’s lost his fire, and it’s going to cost him his job.”
    â€œAnd you can get it back?”
    â€œMaybe. Bob Hollister certainly thinks so.”
    â€œI don’t think Bob had in mind what Kane has in mind for recapturing his passion.”
    She glanced at her father out of the corner of her eye. They hadn’t talked about her love life since she was seventeen—the first time around with Kane. “This is a strange conversation to be having with you.”
    â€œWho else are you going to talk to?”
    Good point. The rest of the guys worked for her. And they were, well, guys . She had a few female friends, but they all thought Kane was dreamy and couldn’t look at him objectively.
    â€œSo what do you suggest?” she asked.
    â€œDon’t repeat the mistakes of the past. And if you do decide to risk seeing him again, at least wait until the season is over.”
    â€œI can’t put my life on hold during race season. We’re only off for two months a year.”
    Her father snorted. “More like two