This Time, Forever by Pamela Britton Page B

of the day.”
    â€œWhy wait?” Linc said, fishing around in his pocket for an envelope. This was it. The moment of truth. He was about to give up racing for a chance at something bigger than him—his love for Marley.
    â€œHere it is right now,” he said firmly, though his voice was a near croak. He knew he was doing the right thing, but it still wasn’t easy. “Have your lawyers contact mine about how much it’s going to cost me to get out of my contract.” He tossed the envelope on Gil’s desk, hishands shaking. Linc watched the thing skate across the surface just before he turned away.
    â€œShe’s not in her office,” Gil called out as Linc clasped the handle. “She’s down the street, at Power Productions, doing a photo shoot with Bart Branch.”
    Linc slowly turned to face the man.
    â€œShe’s trying to learn a little something about PR before she leaves for her new job.”
    Linc held the man’s gaze for a moment before saying, “Thank you.”
    The two of them studied each other for a moment. “Good luck,” Gil ended up saying.
    Linc felt a spurt of hope. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope.
    â€œI’ll need it,” Linc said.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    I T WAS A SHORT DRIVE and Linc had never been more nervous in his life as he pulled to a stop in front of the single-story building. He’d known exactly where it was. Power Productions was well-known in the industry for their powerful driver promotions. They were one of the best in the business and if Bart was doing a photo shoot inside, it meant some serious publicity coming his way.
    â€œGood morning,” a bright-eyed receptionist said as he entered the building. “Can I help— Oh! Mr. Shepherd. How are you? We haven’t seen you in a while.”
    Linc smiled, trying to set the woman at ease. He actually recognized the woman from some place. Wait. She’d worked the phones at one of his first race teams. “Lauren,” he said. “How are you?”
    â€œI’m fine,” she said. The woman was older than him by about ten years, but this was a stroke of luck, Linc thought.
    â€œCongratulations on hooking up with Double S Racing.”
    â€œThanks,” Linc said, trying not to wince. “Is Marley inside? I need to see her.”
    â€œGil’s sister? Yeah. She’s with the production crew.”
    â€œTerrific,” Linc said. “Is it okay if I go in?”
    â€œSure,” the woman said. “Studio Five. You know the one. The big one at the end.”
    Linc nodded his thanks as the woman buzzed him through a private door. He did, indeed, know where it was. It had a roll-up door at one end so they could use a driver’s car. “Thanks,” Linc said before crossing through the door.
    â€œMy pleasure,” Lauren said, Linc noticing that her blond hair had started to turn gray. Were they really getting that old?
    Was he too old for Marley? he wondered as the door closed behind him. He was in a narrow hall, one with doors off to the left and right. He headed toward the room at the end.
    To be honest he’d mulled over the question more times than he could count in the previous twenty-four hours. Did she have any interest in hooking up with a maybe washed up, forty-something-year-old driver? Did she love him?
    He opened the door, his heart pounding as hard and as fast as it did on race day. Bart looked toward him as he swung the door wide. “Linc,” he called out. “What the heck are you doing here, buddy?”
    And there Marley was, standing off to the side, the look on her face one of dismay mixed with trepidation.
    â€œI’m here to see Marley,” Linc admitted.
    Bart straightened a bit, then started to smile. He seemed to know which way the wind blew. “Good move,” Bart said before turning to the right. “Time to take a break, folks. Let’s clear out the