with. Not even Dad has the right to tell me who I can and cannot fall in love with.”
“It’s a fling, Chloe.”
“I love him, Brant. I didn’t want this to come between us. I thought family could be stronger than this. But you are so stubborn and closed-minded I can’t get through to you. It’s not worth it anymore.”
“Sorry to interrupt,” Officer Minol said, coming into the room. “Trey Williams was released since he couldn’t have beaten up your friend. Until we have evidence stronger than Boyd’s clouded memory Chloe’s alibi is all Trey needs. One of the officers was going to give him a ride back to the hotel but then Trey wanted to go to the stock car track.”
“The track,” Brant said. “The race! We have to go, now, or we’ll miss the check in.”
“I’ll drive you,” he said. “Then I can get your contact information at the same time.”
* * * *
Chloe burst from the front seat of the car and rushed off in the direction of Trey’s parking spot. Trey was already suited up and was reviewing plans and tactics with his spotter, a boy of maybe nineteen.
“Trey!” she shouted and crashed into his chest.
He rocked a little with the force of her and held her tight. “Thanks for getting me out of there. It was like being eighteen all over again. What do cops have against race car drivers anyways?”
“You drive too fast. Oh, Trey, don’t ever do that again.”
“Do what?”
“Get arrested!”
He chuckled. “Those days are behind me.” He pried her off. “Chloe, this is my kid brother, Jake. He’s been spotting for me this season. You can sit upstairs with him, unless you’re still spotting for Brant.”
“As far as Brant’s concerned I’m not even supposed to be here. My plane has left for home.” She kissed him just hard enough to make Jake cough and Trey blush. “Good luck.”
Chapter Eleven
Brant Bye sat in the driver’s seat of his car trying to get comfortable and relaxed behind the wheel. He’d forgotten in all the excitement of trying to send Chloe home and Rueben being taken to the hospital that he hadn’t driven since that first day in New York.
“It’s like riding a bike—you never forget,” he whispered, his hand twisting on the wheel. Of course he was deliberately forgetting that he hadn’t been on a bike since he’d gotten his licence seven years earlier.
“How are you doing in there?” asked Seth’s voice in his ear.
“I’m fine,” he growled. In truth his foot was killing him. He’d taken off his cast before going to bed and hadn’t taken anything for the pain. Seth had argued with him on that one but he’d been adamant.
‘I need to be on top of my game, not doped up’. Now he was wondering if maybe a single dose at five wouldn’t have been smart. It hadn’t hurt at all when he’d rolled out of bed and he hadn’t counted on it getting so bad so quickly.
He looked out the passenger side window. #75, Trey Williams, was starting in third which meant there was only one car between them. Once they were in the race and up to full speed that car wouldn’t offer any protection.
“Heads up, Brant. The flag man is stepping up.”
“All right. I’m ready if you are.”
* * * *
Trey Williams was nervous for the first time since he’d first climbed behind the wheel at fifteen with a fake license. Being led off by the cops had shaken him up pretty bad. He was lucky Chloe had been able and willing to spring him, and he knew it. Knowing it was his own manager who was pointing the finger at him was even worse.
“Hey,” Jake said. “You okay out there?”
He sighed audibly. “I’ll be fine. I just feel there’s a lot riding on this race.”
“Maybe there is. Doesn’t matter right now. Right now you need to drive. Get ready for the pace lap. The flag’s coming up.”
“All right, I see him.” He revved his engine, settled himself in his seat, and felt his vision narrow as he focused.
They started
“It’s a fling, Chloe.”
“I love him, Brant. I didn’t want this to come between us. I thought family could be stronger than this. But you are so stubborn and closed-minded I can’t get through to you. It’s not worth it anymore.”
“Sorry to interrupt,” Officer Minol said, coming into the room. “Trey Williams was released since he couldn’t have beaten up your friend. Until we have evidence stronger than Boyd’s clouded memory Chloe’s alibi is all Trey needs. One of the officers was going to give him a ride back to the hotel but then Trey wanted to go to the stock car track.”
“The track,” Brant said. “The race! We have to go, now, or we’ll miss the check in.”
“I’ll drive you,” he said. “Then I can get your contact information at the same time.”
* * * *
Chloe burst from the front seat of the car and rushed off in the direction of Trey’s parking spot. Trey was already suited up and was reviewing plans and tactics with his spotter, a boy of maybe nineteen.
“Trey!” she shouted and crashed into his chest.
He rocked a little with the force of her and held her tight. “Thanks for getting me out of there. It was like being eighteen all over again. What do cops have against race car drivers anyways?”
“You drive too fast. Oh, Trey, don’t ever do that again.”
“Do what?”
“Get arrested!”
He chuckled. “Those days are behind me.” He pried her off. “Chloe, this is my kid brother, Jake. He’s been spotting for me this season. You can sit upstairs with him, unless you’re still spotting for Brant.”
“As far as Brant’s concerned I’m not even supposed to be here. My plane has left for home.” She kissed him just hard enough to make Jake cough and Trey blush. “Good luck.”
Chapter Eleven
Brant Bye sat in the driver’s seat of his car trying to get comfortable and relaxed behind the wheel. He’d forgotten in all the excitement of trying to send Chloe home and Rueben being taken to the hospital that he hadn’t driven since that first day in New York.
“It’s like riding a bike—you never forget,” he whispered, his hand twisting on the wheel. Of course he was deliberately forgetting that he hadn’t been on a bike since he’d gotten his licence seven years earlier.
“How are you doing in there?” asked Seth’s voice in his ear.
“I’m fine,” he growled. In truth his foot was killing him. He’d taken off his cast before going to bed and hadn’t taken anything for the pain. Seth had argued with him on that one but he’d been adamant.
‘I need to be on top of my game, not doped up’. Now he was wondering if maybe a single dose at five wouldn’t have been smart. It hadn’t hurt at all when he’d rolled out of bed and he hadn’t counted on it getting so bad so quickly.
He looked out the passenger side window. #75, Trey Williams, was starting in third which meant there was only one car between them. Once they were in the race and up to full speed that car wouldn’t offer any protection.
“Heads up, Brant. The flag man is stepping up.”
“All right. I’m ready if you are.”
* * * *
Trey Williams was nervous for the first time since he’d first climbed behind the wheel at fifteen with a fake license. Being led off by the cops had shaken him up pretty bad. He was lucky Chloe had been able and willing to spring him, and he knew it. Knowing it was his own manager who was pointing the finger at him was even worse.
“Hey,” Jake said. “You okay out there?”
He sighed audibly. “I’ll be fine. I just feel there’s a lot riding on this race.”
“Maybe there is. Doesn’t matter right now. Right now you need to drive. Get ready for the pace lap. The flag’s coming up.”
“All right, I see him.” He revved his engine, settled himself in his seat, and felt his vision narrow as he focused.
They started
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