This Time, Forever by Pamela Britton

woman.”
    â€œHoly—” Linc didn’t know what else to say. If word got out about this…
    â€œAnd she’s missing.”
    â€œWait, wait, wait,” Linc said. “Your father had a secret family and one of his children is missing?”
    â€œHis only child with his mistress, wife…whatever you want to call her,” Bart said. “The daughter he hadwith the woman is a toddler and we have no idea where she is.”
    Unbelievable, Linc thought.
    Bart ran a hand through his hair, his face growing troubled again. “You think you’ve got problems,” Bart said, and Linc could tell he was trying to make a joke. “If I sat down and told you the whole sordid tale, it’d turn your hair gray.”
    Linc knew he could say something pithy, but his accident had taught him that sometimes people needed a sounding board.
    â€œWhat are you going to do?” he asked.
    â€œFind my half sister. Focus on the Chase. Keep this out of the media.”
    â€œYeah, but if the press gets word of this—”
    â€œThen I’ll be front page news…again,” Bart said with a wry twist of his lips. “Doesn’t matter. I have to do what’s right, and it doesn’t sit well with me that somewhere out there I have a half sister that’s God knows where living who knows what kind of life. My father might be a jerk, but I’m not.”
    Linc simply marveled. Here was a man who lived by his convictions. Who wasn’t afraid to tempt fate to do what was right. Who didn’t care what the consequences were as long as he could look himself in the mirror.
    Despite nearly losing his life, Linc had never seen things in such clear shades of black and white.
    But he had started to now.
    â€œAnyway,” Bart said, “my life is in shambles. How’s yours?”
    And it was funny. It was at that precise moment that Linc had a revelation. He was mad as hell about whathad happened with Marley, but he had the power to change things…if he really, truly, honestly wanted to.
    â€œYou know,” he said softly, “I think my life’s going to turn out just fine.”
    â€œSo you’re okay with the fact that Marley’s going to work for another company?”
    â€œWhat?”
    Bart looked as surprised by his outburst as Linc was.
    â€œYou didn’t know about it?”
    â€œStart explaining. Now.”
    Bart’s brows sank down. “Marley’s brother found her another job. She’s going to do PR for one of the associate sponsors.”
    â€œLike hell she will.”
    And for the first time Bart smiled. “So you do care for her.”
    Linc drew up in surprise.
    â€œDon’t bother denying it, Linc. I can tell by your eyes that you do.”
    Holy—
    He was in love with her. How had that happened? When? Did she feel the same way, too?
    Do you love me?
    â€œYou do, don’t you?” Bart asked.
    â€œI think I do,” Linc admitted.
    â€œThen go after her, man. Trust me. That’s what it’s all about. You more than anyone should know that. This—” he waved his hands. “Racing. It’s all secondary to what’s really important—family.”
    â€œI’ve been a fool,” he said.
    Bart laughed. “You got that right.”
    Â 
    S HE WASN’T AT THE TRACK . Linc had known that. Still, he pulled off a top-ten finish. Frankly, he didn’t careabout how he did, and as he caught a flight home on Double S Racing’s private plane, he recognized that that had been his problem his whole time.
    He’d been trying too hard.
    Once he’d decided that he didn’t care about how he finished, he’d been set free.
    She was leaving Double S Racing.
    To hell she was.
    He called Gil on his cell phone and demanded a private meeting. His new team owner hadn’t been pleased when Linc had ordered him to appear at his office the next morning, but Linc