walked over.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“You’re a very pretty woman.”
“Ah, I bet you say that to all the girls.”
He shook his head. “I do find most women attractive.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“Really? Why not?”
“You strike me as a man who likes most people,” she said.
He wasn’t sure what she meant by that but he let it go. “I do. Are you free for dinner?”
CHAPTER TWO
“SURE, BUT IT’LL HAVE to be late. I’m working until nine.”
“Where shall I pick you up?”
“I’m staying at a condo on the beach. I can meet you somewhere.”
“You could, but my mother raised me to pick up my dates.”
“What else did she raise you to do?” Annie asked, wanting to know more about the man behind the image.
“To be a gentleman,” he said.
Time would tell. “And are you?”
“You’ll have to be the judge of that.”
The press conference was winding down. “Until later.”
She walked away from him, quickly. Her brother was staring at her as she approached. Annie gave him a narrowed glance, silently asking, “What’s up?”
He tipped his head at Jared, who’d moved back to Tucker’s side. She shook her head at her brother. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss this with Dave.
“Hold up, Annie. Walk with me to my motor home.”
She glanced back and remembered that minute when she’d been uncertain if he’d walk away from the crash. She rushed back to his side and wrapped her arms around his chest, holding him tightly to her.
“I’m okay,” he said, his words just a whisper.
“I know. I’m just glad.”
He grinned at her, for the first time looking like the carefree brother she knew. There was a lot of pressure for Dave to perform and perform well during race season.
“Good,” Dave said.
He kept his arm over her shoulder and she felt that natural rhythm that had always flowed between them. That twin thing that she could always sense when they were together.
Dave dropped his arm from around her as they approached the entrance to the garages. There were a flock of fans with cold pit and garage passes lined up waiting to see the drivers when the garage would be “cold” again. Annie pulled her credentials out of her pocket and flashed her hot pass at the official at the gate. She waited just inside the gates until Dave finished signing hats and T-shirts and joined her.
“Shouldn’t you go talk to Vinnie?”
“We’re meeting in fifteenhe’s still with the team trying to assess all the damage done to the body of the car.”
They reached his motor home and he opened the door, waiting for her to go inside. She did, taking a seat on one of the plush leather captain’s chairs.
“What do you need to talk to me about?” she asked, leaning back on the padded seat. She could tell their mom had been by here at some point during the day because there was a bottle of citrus juice with a sticky note on it just like the one her mom had given her this morning.
“I see mom is doing her best to keep you healthy.”
He flushed a little. “Did you get one, too?”
“Yes. I think it makes her happy to take care of us.”
“That’s what dad is always telling me,” Dave said. Then he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “I want to talk to you about Jared MacNeil.”
“What about him?” she asked.
“What were you and he talking about before?” Dave asked, doing his protective older brother routine.
“Nothing,” she said.
“You looked pretty close for nothing.”
“Dave, I’m twenty-eight.”
“I’m aware of how old you are. I just want to know what’s up with you and that man.”
“We’re having dinner. That’s all. End of story.”
Dave cursed under his breath and she didn’t have to guess at why. Her brother had been completely snowed by Malcolm, her ex-husband. The entire family had bought in to his easygoing charm and it had taken them a long time to come around to
“Why are you staring at me?”
“You’re a very pretty woman.”
“Ah, I bet you say that to all the girls.”
He shook his head. “I do find most women attractive.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“Really? Why not?”
“You strike me as a man who likes most people,” she said.
He wasn’t sure what she meant by that but he let it go. “I do. Are you free for dinner?”
CHAPTER TWO
“SURE, BUT IT’LL HAVE to be late. I’m working until nine.”
“Where shall I pick you up?”
“I’m staying at a condo on the beach. I can meet you somewhere.”
“You could, but my mother raised me to pick up my dates.”
“What else did she raise you to do?” Annie asked, wanting to know more about the man behind the image.
“To be a gentleman,” he said.
Time would tell. “And are you?”
“You’ll have to be the judge of that.”
The press conference was winding down. “Until later.”
She walked away from him, quickly. Her brother was staring at her as she approached. Annie gave him a narrowed glance, silently asking, “What’s up?”
He tipped his head at Jared, who’d moved back to Tucker’s side. She shook her head at her brother. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss this with Dave.
“Hold up, Annie. Walk with me to my motor home.”
She glanced back and remembered that minute when she’d been uncertain if he’d walk away from the crash. She rushed back to his side and wrapped her arms around his chest, holding him tightly to her.
“I’m okay,” he said, his words just a whisper.
“I know. I’m just glad.”
He grinned at her, for the first time looking like the carefree brother she knew. There was a lot of pressure for Dave to perform and perform well during race season.
“Good,” Dave said.
He kept his arm over her shoulder and she felt that natural rhythm that had always flowed between them. That twin thing that she could always sense when they were together.
Dave dropped his arm from around her as they approached the entrance to the garages. There were a flock of fans with cold pit and garage passes lined up waiting to see the drivers when the garage would be “cold” again. Annie pulled her credentials out of her pocket and flashed her hot pass at the official at the gate. She waited just inside the gates until Dave finished signing hats and T-shirts and joined her.
“Shouldn’t you go talk to Vinnie?”
“We’re meeting in fifteenhe’s still with the team trying to assess all the damage done to the body of the car.”
They reached his motor home and he opened the door, waiting for her to go inside. She did, taking a seat on one of the plush leather captain’s chairs.
“What do you need to talk to me about?” she asked, leaning back on the padded seat. She could tell their mom had been by here at some point during the day because there was a bottle of citrus juice with a sticky note on it just like the one her mom had given her this morning.
“I see mom is doing her best to keep you healthy.”
He flushed a little. “Did you get one, too?”
“Yes. I think it makes her happy to take care of us.”
“That’s what dad is always telling me,” Dave said. Then he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “I want to talk to you about Jared MacNeil.”
“What about him?” she asked.
“What were you and he talking about before?” Dave asked, doing his protective older brother routine.
“Nothing,” she said.
“You looked pretty close for nothing.”
“Dave, I’m twenty-eight.”
“I’m aware of how old you are. I just want to know what’s up with you and that man.”
“We’re having dinner. That’s all. End of story.”
Dave cursed under his breath and she didn’t have to guess at why. Her brother had been completely snowed by Malcolm, her ex-husband. The entire family had bought in to his easygoing charm and it had taken them a long time to come around to
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