Race to Recovery (Full Throttle) Read Free Page B

way because the linoleum reflects more light than the carpet.
    His gaze wandered to the other tables. There was a fair mix of men and women and he guessed they were all between the ages of thirty and forty making Brant one of the youngest in the room. He turned to his brother again and noted, not for the first time, that Brant’s appearance had aged since they had returned from New York. Seth had thought it was the stress but now he was rethinking that. Maybe the others are younger than they look too.
    His gaze wandered until it came to the lonely blonde. Her hair was so pale it looked thin and her shoulders were hunched defensively. She stared at her plate with the intensity of a person trying to be invisible. She looks lost and helpless, he thought, his heart aching for this vulnerable stranger.
    He sighed and looked at Brant. “Did you make arrangements for me or am I sleeping in the car?”
    “Don’t be stupid, you can’t sleep in the car,” Brant snapped.
    “Thank-you for that. Did you want me to check in too?”
    Brant glared. “You could check into a hotel.”
    “With what money? And how the hell are you paying for this place, anyway?”
    “I have a little money saved up, don’t you?”
    “Sure I do, but I need tools and parts and I was hoping to get a new car for me before mine dies on the road and causes a wreck.”
    “Look, just get the damn hotel room,” he growled and slammed his fork down on the table. “I’ll pay you back from my next cheque.”
    “The sponsors won’t pay us anything more until you race again and the advance they gave you was eaten up by medical bills.”
    “Well, I plan to win so it’ll be a fat cheque, all right? I’ll pay Mom back, I’ll pay you back, and I’ll still have some left over. Okay?”
    “Fine. Have it your way. Do you want me to hang out here until eight?”
    “Whatever you want,” Brant said with a shrug.
    “Then I’ll go right after dinner to find a motel.”
    “And just leave me here, bored to tears? Some brother you are.”
    Seth shook his head. “I won’t miss these mood swings. Would you just make up your mind? Am I staying or going?”
    “Staying.”
    Seth sighed. “Fine.”
    They went back to their meals and Brant’s eyes wandered back to the blonde only to find that she had finished eating and disappeared from the room. Cursing his brother’s timing and his own horrid luck he shovelled the food into his mouth without tasting it.
    Seth noted the young woman’s disappearance with mild disappointment and a mental shrug. The food was nowhere near as good as their mother made but then Seth had thought the same thing about the food at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Still, the gravy is thick and flavourful, the meatloaf wasn’t too dry, the rice is fluffy and the salad is crisp. You can’t really ask more than that from a place like this.
    After dinner they went up to Brant’s room, both scanning the common room for the blonde they’d seen at dinner. She wasn’t there but the redhead from the hallway gave them a sultry smile over the top of her magazine. Brant didn’t even notice, Seth only smiled politely and continued on his way.
    Once alone in the only private place available to them Brant said, “You have to bring me food tomorrow, I can’t live like this.”
    “Brant, the food is fine. Next time get the gravy instead of the tomato sauce.”
    “Can it, Seth. A few chocolate bars for the evenings would be good. It’s too bad bread doesn’t come in sealed bags or I could live off of sandwiches for the week or so I’m here. Crackers will have to do. With peanut butter.”
    “Brant, they’re serving real food here. Okay, the sauces sit under a warming light and the rice is probably of the instant variety but you could do far worse. I’ll see about getting you some snacks but that’s it.”
    “A bottle of pop, too. Too bad about the coffee, I would kill for a real cup from a coffee shop, so hot it burns your tongue, and