by Faust, Megan
“Is Alice with you?”
“I should have guessed Seth would be full of stories. Yes, she’s with me.”
“I’m on my way. Don’t go anywhere.”
“Thanks, Chloe. I owe you one.”
“I’ll put it one your tab. Be there ASAP!” She hung up the phone and breezed back into the dining room. “I have to run to Sturgis. I’ll be back when I’m back.”
“In the middle of supper?” he mother asked pointing to the half-eaten plate of food Chloe was leaving behind.
“I’ll eat it when I get back, I promise. This is sort of an emergency.”
“Maybe I should come with you?” Trey said, avoiding Gerald’s pointed stare.
“There is no need for everyone to get up. I’ll go on my own.”
“Chloe, what is this about?” her mom said. “Both of my boys have already run off to god knows where.”
“I’m only going to the city and then coming straight home. Besides, I can’t run away, you have Trey here.”
“Chloe.”
She recognized that tone of voice and sighed. “I’m bringing Brant home.”
“I’m coming with you,” everyone said at once.
“No, Dad, he doesn’t need to argue or explain himself until he gets home. Trey, you two have never got along, give him time. Mom, he has Alice with him. Meeting the baby sister is less intimidating than meeting the mom.”
“I’m not intimidating,” NAME said.
“You’re a tough country momma, of course you’re intimidating. He’s expecting me, I have to go.”
* * * *
It was full dark long before Chloe would have even reached the city but that was normal for this time of year. Even with the cooler temperatures, Gerald, NAME, and Trey took their after dinner coffee and went out to the covered porch to wait. The night was clear and silent and the sky went on so far in every direction that Trey felt they were the only people on Earth. So different from the crowded skyline of the big city. I can see why Chloe loves this place. There must be farms near Chicago. Maybe we could buy a little place with just enough land that we don’t feel crowded. He was happily imagining a quiet rural life when the inky black was split by two beams of light.
They all sat up a little straighter and held their breath. The lights turned into the driveway, blinding them.
“They’re here,” NAME said, setting down her mug. She was down the front steps before the car had even shut off. Brant stepped out of the car to find his mom waiting to hold him. “I wasn’t sure I’d be welcome.”
“Nonsense, let’s get your bag. What took you so long to get home? Seth was back three days ago.”
“Then he was speeding. We had to wait at the depot; the bus to Sturgis didn’t leave right away.”
Chloe came around the car with a pale young woman in a very thin coat. “Mom, this is Alice, Brant’s friend.”
“Brant’s girlfriend,” Brant corrected, taking Alice by the hand.
“Well, well. It’s getting to be a full house. Come on in, both of you.”
The men were still waiting on the porch. Trey took Brant’s duffle bag and Alice’s backpack and nodded once at Chloe. “I’ll take these straight upstairs, you just take your time.”
“He didn’t have to do that,” Brant said.
“He’s getting out of the way in case Dad decides to yell at you,” Chloe said with a cheeky grin. “Come on Alice, I’ll show you around the house. It’s going to be nice having an extra girl in the house.”
Alice looked over her shoulder but Brant just stood there with an amused grin on his face and made no attempt to stop his sister.
“So,” Gerald said. “Rehab?”
“Yeah. It was the damn painkillers. I was so angry about New York I tried to use the pills to kill an emotional pain. It didn’t work very well.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” his mother asked. “We’ve been worried about you.”
“I thought a drug addiction would end my career so I went away to get it cured.”
“It didn’t take you long.”
“Well, I fell in love with Alice and they kicked me out. I’ve only been clean for two weeks or so and it’s going to be hard to stay clean, but I have nowhere else to go now.”
“What about this Alice? What sort of issues is she dragging us into?”
“Gerald!”
“No, Mom, Dad’s right to ask. She’s clean. The doctors would have released her in a few days. I know it’s tough to feed one more but she has no one but me.”
“We’ll work it out,” NAME said. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“So am I. The sponsors …”
“That can wait, Dear.”
“It’s okay Mom,” Brant said, laughing. “I’ll be back on the track in the morning. When’s the next race?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Okay, I won’t be running that one. I guess that gives me a week to practice and a week for Rueben to promote my return?”
“Yeah. But we have another problem. Seth is gone.”
“Gone?” Brant’s eyebrows furrowed. “Gone where? For how long?”
“We don’t know,” NAME said. “When he got home the first thing out of your father’s mouth was ‘where’s Brant?’ and then Seth exploded. He said some terrible things about you, and your father, and then hid in his room. By morning he was gone. He’d taken clothes and tools and his car. He hasn’t called us since then, never left a note.” She stopped as the tears overwhelmed her.
Gerald wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “What are we going to do with a mechanic?”
“I can get a mechanic anywhere, Dad. What are we going to do about Seth?”
His mom smiled. “Thank you.” She took a deep breath and calmed herself. “We’ll deal with it in the morning. Let’s go in and have dessert.”
Inside Brant found Chloe had set Alice up at the table with coffee and was regaling her with stories about Brant. Brant settled beside her and took her hand. She smiled. “Are we staying?”
“Yeah, it looks like we’re staying, at least for a week. I have to travel for the races but we’ll sort that out tomorrow.”
She smiled and kissed his cheek. “I think I could just stay here with Chloe, right?”
“Oh, no, you two are getting along, aren’t you.”
Alice nodded.
“I’m doomed.”
“Maybe, but I love you.” Alice kissed his cheek as Chloe laughed and the rest of the family just smiled.
~~ END ~~
This is where it all started:
RACE TO REDEMPTION
SNEAK PEAK AT BOOK 3
On the surface, Rueben Mills and Francesca Heather were the perfect couple. His career as Brant Bye’s manager sometimes took him out of town for extended periods but she waited patiently each time for him to return. When he was in town they spent nearly every waking moment together.
Under the surface things were not so idyllic. The scars on Francesca’s arms were testament to that. Rueben thought he would do anything for Francesca, he thought he loved her. And then he met the girl of his dreams.
Lily Littlefield lived life on the edge and she was willing to try anything once, anything but sleep with a man who wasn’t single. There was no denying the attraction between her and Rueben but as long as he was living with Francesca their relationship wasn’t going to pass ‘just friends’ no matter how badly she wanted him in her life.
Now, with his future happiness on the line, Rueben is faced with the impossible choice: Spunky, independent, courageous Lily or fragile, Francesca who needs him so badly she claims she’ll die without him?
BOOK 1: RACE TO REDEMPTION
BOOK 3: RACE TO ROMANCE AVAILABLE EARLY SPRING
BOOK 4: RACE TO RECOLLECTION
AND
BOOK 5: RACE TO REVENEGE AVAILABLE MID-2014
CHECK OUT THE AUTHOR AT HER BLOG: http://megfaust.com
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Faust, Megan, Race to Recovery (Full Throttle)