by Amy Sparling
Copyright © 2017 Amy Sparling
All rights reserved.
First Edition July 2017
Cover image from BigStockPhoto.com
Typography from FontSquirrel.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems -except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews-without permission in writing from the author at [email protected]
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
About the Author
Chapter 1
Keanna
I am not exactly thrilled with the idea of snow. Sure, it’s pretty to look at, and I’ll happily assemble a puzzle of a snowy house set on a hill surrounded by the white stuff, but when it comes to spending actual time in these frigid temperatures? Yeah, that doesn’t sound very fun.
I’m warm blooded. I like Phoenix, Arizona where it’s frequently over a hundred degrees outside. I like Texas when the humidity is low and the sun is shining and I’m getting a tan. Anything else makes me shivery and cold and uncomfortable.
Every time I step into Jett’s bedroom that he keeps unbelievably cold, I’m always reaching for a blanket to wrap around my shoulders. And that’s only like sixty-eight degrees. I can’t even imagine snowy weather.
I sigh.
It doesn’t matter what I feel about the cold, because that’s where we’re going. Denver, Colorado in the middle of winter. My parents and Jett’s parents first brought up the idea over Thanksgiving dinner. They wanted to go on a vacation for Christmas instead of spending it at home like we always do. They said we could buy each other small gifts that fit into our luggage and we’ll take a fun vacation that will be like a Christmas present to ourselves.
I, like everyone else at the table, had happily agreed. And then when it was all planned and ready to go, my mom told me we were going to a ski lodge. I’m still happy about the vacation, but I’m just a little bit wary because cold weather sucks.
We’ll be spending a week in a fancy resort in the snowy Colorado mountains. The best part is that since my parents and Jett’s parents have babies and we’re legally adults, Jett and I are getting our own room next to their two rooms. It’ll almost be like we’re taking a vacation by ourselves, except we’ll be spending all our time with our families.
I chuckle to myself and keep pulling clothes out of my REI shopping bags to relocate them to my suitcase. Mom and I have spent the last few days buying winter clothes and ski clothes and even new pajamas because it’s going to be so freaking cold there. I didn’t own a proper winter coat, or a warm pair of boots, because here in Texas you don’t need them. Most of the time when it’s cold here, you only need jeans and a hoody to keep warm.
Ski pants are bulky and huge and they make you sweat when you try them on in Texas. I fold mine up and shove them in my suitcase as well, even though I’m not exactly thrilled at the idea of skiing. It’s kind of terrifying to think about, even though Dad swears there’s easy slopes that aren’t scary.
“Keanna!” Mom calls out from down the hallway. I leave my overstuffed suitcase on the bed and walk out to find her.
“Yes?”
“Baby’s room!” she says, sounding frustrated.
When I find her in my brother Elijah’s room, she’s standing with her hands on her hips and throw up all over her shirt. “Do you mind watching him while I change clothes?” she asks.
I laugh because I’ve been in her position before. “No problem.”
My brother grins in his crib, no doubt happy about puking all over his mom. He’s only wearing a diaper, so I grab some wipes and clean him off, then get him dressed in some leggings and a shirt that says Little Brother. I bought it for him so it’s my favorite.
“He better not do that on the plane,” Mom says when she returns a few minutes later in a new shirt. She picks him up. “God, I hope you’re good on the plane.”
“I hope so too,” I say, making funny faces at him until he laughs. “I’d be super embarrassed to have a crying baby on a plane.”
Mom laughs. “Be glad you’re not going to be there or I’d tell everyone he’s yours.”
Tonight, my parents are flying out to Colorado, but Jett and I are staying behind one extra day. Jett got stuck doing a last minute Christmas themed motocross interview in Houston with his race team, Team Loco.
I didn’t want to fly without him since every time I’ve been on a plane it’s been with Jett by my side, so I changed my ticket with his for a later flight. We’ll join our parents at the resort tomorrow night.
After going through Mom’s list of stuff the baby needs, we confirm that she’s packed everything we will need for a week of vacation. It’s a lot of stuff for one person to go on vacation, but when you have a baby to bring, it’s all about diapers and formula and extra clothes. Together, our family of four has seven suitcases. Dad says he can bring my suitcase so that I don’t have to worry about lugging it through the airport tomorrow.
I play with Elijah while my dad loads up the suitcases into the back of his truck. Mom and I eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner and then I ride with them to the airport so I can drive my dad’s truck back home.
The airport is insanely busy. Worse than I’ve ever seen it on all the times I’ve flown somewhere with Jett for his races.
“Holy crap,” I say softly as we pull into the drop off area of the parking lot.
“Christmas traveling,” Mom says with a sigh. “It’s completely insane. I thought we might miss some of it since we’re leaving three days early.”
“Will you be okay driving home?” Dad asks me.
I nod confidently even though driving these big trucks is kind of scary. I’ve driven Jett’s a few times now, so I think I’ll be fine. I help them take out their luggage and then it’s time to say goodbye.
Elijah reaches for me while Mom holds him on her hip.
“I’ll be there tomorrow,” I tell him, kissing his little head. Now that he’s eighteen months old, he has a lot of fuzzy light brown hair and he makes a ton of facial expressions that are always making me laugh.
“Have a safe flight,” I tell my family as I hug them all. It feels silly to be sad that they’re leaving. I’ll be joining them tomorrow morning, so it’s not really goodbye at all.
On the drive home, I get a text from Jett and I wait until I’m at a red light to check it.
Jett: omg I miss you so much
I grin and type a reply.
Me: you’ll see me later tonight you dork.
Jett: doesn’t matter. Still miss you.
I can feel my face flush hot as the light turns green. Jett is in Houston right now, and it’s a little over an hour away. He’ll probably get home around midnight because these TV appearances always seem to run longer than you want them to. It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll wait for him at his house and fall asleep in his bed and whenever he gets home I’ll see him.
But then I get a better idea…
Sure Houston is an hour away, but it’s not like I have anything else to do right now. The Tr
ack is closed all week for our family Christmas vacation and everyone at home is already gone. I’ll be bored and alone at home so I might as well do something fun.
I take the next exit and drive my dad’s truck to Houston, the radio blaring my favorite songs.
I have to use the GPS on my phone to get me to the Hyatt hotel where Jett said they were recording. At least, I think that’s what he’d said. I don’t text him anymore because I want this to be a surprise. I find a place in the back of the parking lot to park my dad’s impossibly huge truck, and then I try to calm my nerves before walking in. It doesn’t help though, because every time I’m about to see Jett, I get excited in this nervous way. All this time of being together, and I’m still fluttery and lovesick over him.
The hotel is very tall with mirrored windows on the outside. The whole place is swamped with people, probably visiting for the holidays. It doesn’t take long to see people who look important, dressed in suits and holding cameras, and I follow them down the hallway to where the conference rooms are in the hotel.
The biggest room is set up with Team Loco banners and lots of those studio lights to make the guys look better on camera. There’s a sign near the open door that says VIPs only, but I ignore it and slip inside without being noticed. I find Marcus, the manager of Team Loco, standing off to the side talking to a few important looking guys in suits.
My eyes scan the room looking for Jett. There’s two large blue couches set up in front of a big banner that has fake snowflakes on it. It must be the background set for where they’ll do the interview. A TV crew mulls about, setting up cameras and lighting and tossing cables all over the floor.
A tatted up guy with a shaved head and lots of muscles catches my attention. Clay Summers, one of the Team Loco guys. He’s standing with Aiden Strauss and Zach Pena, all of the new guys on the motocross team, except for Jett.
I walk over to them.
“Hey girl!” Aiden throws his arms around me in a hug. He’s the only guy I knew before Jett joined this team because his older brother Mikey Strauss was a famous motocross racer before he went to jail for drugs.
I hug him back.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” Clay says, stepping up next to give me a hug. Unlike Aiden’s bear hugs, Clay is kind of standoffish and he barely wraps an arm around me in a quick movement. I don’t think he’s very comfortable giving hugs to anyone.
I shrug. “I didn’t know either. But I got bored and I was already on the road so I figured I’d stop by.”
“I think Jett went to the bathroom,” Clay says, glancing over the crowd of people. He’s tall enough to see a lot more than I can.
“Man, no one cares about Jett,” Zach says in his southern Tennessee twang. “She came to see me, right Keanna?”
He gives me this goofy grin and I roll my eyes. “Yep, I totally came to see you.”
The small talk goes on for just a few more seconds and then I start to notice it. The attention. All of the women in the room, even the older ones who shouldn’t care about young motocross guys, suddenly feel like they’re staring at me. It makes me feel important, even though it’s kind of stupid. Girls always wish they could date the motocross guys, but they usually just stay away and admire them from a distance. If they really want to know these guys, they should just come say hi.
Still, I think about how it’d be if I were in a different position. If I hadn’t met Jett back when I had no idea who he was, I’d probably have trouble talking to him. If the first time I’d ever seen Jett was at one of these TV show things, I’d probably stay a mile away.
Luckily, my life didn’t go that way. I realize I’ve been standing here in my own little world and the guys are still talking to me, telling me stories about what happened earlier today when they did another interview.
“I love you guys,” I say sweetly as I interrupt the conversation. “But where’s my boyfriend?”
Chapter 2
Jett
Even in the bathroom this hotel is playing Christmas songs. I wash my hands and listen to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer for probably the fifth time since I got here a few hours ago. The entire hotel is decorated with fake snow and Christmas trees and lights hung up everywhere. The windows have Styrofoam snowflakes and every corner is packed with boxes wrapped to look like big presents. This place is so decorated, I’m not even sure I’d recognize it after the holidays are over and the decorations are taken away. But I guess travelers get a kick out of this kind of thing.
I could personally go without the cheesy Christmas music playing nonstop.
I’m about to leave the bathroom when I hear the sounds of girls talking outside the door.
“I saw Clay and Aiden and Zach, but I can’t find Jett anywhere,” one girl says.
“Are we sure he’s supposed to be here?” another one says.
“Facebook says all of them will be here,” the first one says. “That means Jett too!”
I take a step back from the door, hoping they leave soon. Ironic, how they’re looking for me and I’m right here on the other side of this door. What would they do if I stepped out right now?
I chuckle and back up again so if any guys come in here I won’t get face smacked by the door. While I’m stuck in here a few more minutes, I take out my phone and send Keanna another text telling her I miss her.
She writes back after a few minutes.
Keanna: So come hang out with me!
I sigh and stare at my phone. I wish I could. I like doing these fun promotional things with Team Loco, and when I was a kid this was the kind of thing I dreamed about. How it’s just hard being away from her. I would have brought her today but she had to take her parents to the airport. My parents left around the same time too, and they’re having a guy who works at The Track drive my dad’s truck back home.
I send her back a crying emoji and tell her I’ll be home as soon as I can.
At the bathroom door, I listen carefully and don’t hear anyone. I slowly open it and step outside, looking into the hallway. There’s mostly people here who are travelling for the holidays and they don’t pay me any attention. To most people, I’m just some guy they don’t know about.
To the motocross community, I’m the rookie everyone’s keeping an eye out for. Jace Adams 2.0 as one magazine just called me. My dad cut out the article and taped it to our fridge, saying he’s proud of me for carrying on his awesomeness. I asked him if he’s always been that damn dorky and my mom confirmed that yes, he has.
I keep my head down and make my way back toward the conference room that the TV show has rented out for our interview. It’ll be shown on ESPN and a few extreme sports TV channels all over the country. Just thinking about it makes me all kinds of nervous. I get interviewed all the time, but it’s usually when I’m sweating and covered in dirt, fresh off my bike from a race. And those interviews are only shown on the big screen to the people in an arena where I’m racing.
This one is being taped and then broadcasted all over the place. At least it won’t be live. Hopefully if I fuck up they’ll cut the footage and let me try again.
“Oh my god, oh my god!”
I cringe, knowing that what follows a high pitched cry out to God is usually a girl wanting to talk to me. Sure enough, two of them, probably the girls from the bathroom, rush up to me with big smiles on their faces.
They’re a little younger than I am, I think. Maybe sixteen or seventeen. They’re both pretty but trying too hard, wearing a ton of makeup and those drawn on eyebrows that I’m not a fan of. I want to take girls like these and tell them that guys don’t like all that nasty makeup. It wears off on our pillows and it smells weird. Just be yourself, I wish I could say. Be like my girl who is pretty all the time, even when she’s covered in puke from her baby brother. Keanna’s eyebrows are normal, not penciled in like she’s a cartoon character. That’s just one of the many reasons I love my girl.
“Jett! Oh my God,” one of the girls says. She’s the taller one, with m
akeup so thick I could probably scratch my name into it.
I chuckle to myself and give them a polite smile. “Hi there.”
Just because these girls are all swoony and flirty with me doesn’t mean I should be rude. They’re fans, after all. They buy tickets to my races and they buy T-shirts with my name on them and they’re all part of the reason I still get to live out my dream. So, although I’m not really in the mood to be bombarded by fans right now, I’m still grateful for them.
“Kendra,” the tall one says, her lips stretched in a wide grin.
“I’m Monique,” the other girl says. “But you can call me Moni.”
“Nice to meet you Kendra and Moni,” I say, shoving my hands in my pockets. The last time I held out my hand for a normal handshake, a girl grabbed it and licked it. Now I keep my hands to myself.
“We’re huge fans,” Moni says. “I don’t want to like, bother you or anything but, could we get a selfie?”
I can tell she’s nervous as hell asking the question, and it makes me feel good on this superficial level that will totally go to my head if I let it. It’s annoying being chased down by girls who spout their undying love for you, but it’s also awesome when people care.
“Of course,” I say, flashing her a grin. “But only if you post it online saying I’m the best member of Team Loco.”
“Oh my God, duh,” Kendra says. “Absolutely. You’re our favorite. We already met the other guys but you’re the best.”
I take a selfie with Moni and then with Kendra and then I take another one with both of them. Since they’re being nice and not insane, I go ahead and wrap my arms around their shoulders for the third photo and both girls freak out about it, saying they’re never washing their shirts again.
Kind of weird, but still cool. I want to tell them I’m no one special. I’m just a guy who lucked out and was born to Jace Adams, a guy who used to be a famous motocross racer himself. Without my dad’s love of motocross, I’d just be some normal idiot kid without anything special about him.