Quarter Mile Hearts(9)

“You were amazing! You left them all in the dust.” Then realizing that I was racing against her boyfriend, she turned to him. “You were amazing too, babe. It’s just… you know… it was kind of unexpected.” Aaron shrugged and I started to feel bad. This was his big night, and I’d stolen his thunder.

“Sorry, cuz, I didn’t mean to gate-crash your race.” I bumped him with my shoulder and watched as a shy smile spread over his face. Throwing an arm around me, he pulled Beth and then me into a group hug. Jeez.

“She’s right. You were awesome, and I reckon I cleaned up.” He held out his hand, and Beth handed him a wad of cash. I looked from the pile of bills in his palm to his face.

“You bet on me?”

“No, Beth bet on you. I’m not allowed because I was racing.”

“Did you let me win?” I poked my finger into his chest, and he took a step backward.

“Hell, no. I knew as soon as you accepted Max’s challenge that you would win.”

“What the fuck? How do you get that?”

“Aww, come on, Storm-”

“Don’t call me that,” I ground out.

“You’re the racer in the family.”

“I’ve never raced before.”

“Sure you have, remember the karts.” Oh yeah, he’d never let me forget that. Aaron had been on my dad to take him karting, and when he finally agreed, I tagged along. It didn’t seem fair that Aaron should get to have all the fun just ‘cause he was a boy, so I kicked up a fuss until I got to do it, too. Turned out I was good at it and competed in it for years. The two of us even went to race school every summer.

“That was kid stuff.”

“Doesn’t matter, Leigh, it’s in your blood. Wait till Uncle Ha-”

“No, you can’t tell my dad. He’ll be furious.” That did the trick. Aaron paled slightly because he knew I was right. Another thing I’d inherited from my dad was his temper, and I didn’t like being on the receiving end of it.

“Well done, Storm,” came a lazy drawl that could only belong to one person, Max. God, couldn’t he leave me alone tonight. Hands on my hips, I turned around to face him.

“Don’t call me that.” I took the bait and was drawn in by that smooth as silk voice and the blackness of his eyes. Were they really that black or just very dark brown, I wondered, my mind going off on a tangent. Focus, I mentally slapped myself. I need to keep my wits about me when he was around before I talked myself into more trouble just to piss him off.

Dismissing my snarky tone, he smiled. “I cleaned up, too. I knew it was a good idea to bet on you.” He continued to move closer.

“Well, it was a once off. It won’t happen again.”

“But you’re a good racer.” It was the most sincere he’d sounded all night.

“Whatever. It. Is. Not. Happening. Again.” My eyes flashed and Max picked up that he’d pushed me as far as he could tonight. Holding his hands up, he started to back away.

“Always a pleasure, Storm.” He turned and held his arm out to the girl waiting in the wings for him.

Damn Aaron and that stupid nickname. Why did it sound so fucking sensual rolling off Max’s tongue? My stomach clenched every time he said it and part of me wanted to hear it again while the other part of me never wanted to see him again.



After that night, I didn’t race again. Despite the offers I received to race for pink papers and bigger jackpots, or the taunts from the other racers who called me a chicken. I promised myself that I wouldn’t; it was not what I wanted. I knew how easy it was to get sucked in, and I didn’t want that for myself. When I was younger, my dad used to come home all banged up. Luckily, it was nothing serious, but as a young child, it used to scare the shit out of me to see my dad with ribs so bruised or even broken that he couldn’t hold me. Stitches in his head where he’d rolled his car, and thankfully, he’d only every endured some cuts and bruises, or the odd broken bone, until recently.

No, I didn’t want that. So I worked my ass off in my dad’s auto shop until I had enough money saved up and left, turning my back on everyone and everything I loved. Now that I’m back, I realize that it hasn’t worked. I’ve just made myself miserable. Stuck temping in an office job that I’ve grown to hate with people I can barely tolerate. It pays the bills, but I’ve missed this; I’ve missed these crazy people and my crazy family, but what is there for me here? Sure, my dad and Beth and Aaron, but everyone in this town is into racing. There isn’t much else to do.

I’m better off sticking to my original plan to stay until my dad is healed and then go back to my old comfortable, albeit slightly lonely life.