Racing Hearts

by Dena Blake

  “No driving for at least a month,” Jade spouted, following Sam in with the rolling IV pole.

  “Who are you, my mother?” Tommy asked, grinning.

  “Worse. I’m your physical therapist.” She gave him a don’t-mess-with-me look before glancing over at Sam. “Are you okay?”

  Sam nodded.

  Without hesitation, Jade grabbed Sam’s hand and placed it on the bed railing. “I’ll be right back. You two visit for a few minutes.”

  “I’ll be counting every second.” Tommy shot her a wink.

  “Hold that thought.” Heading to the door, Jade smiled. “After a few days of therapy, you’ll never want to see me again.”

  “Look at you. Flat on your back and still flirting.” Sam took his hand and squeezed it. He didn’t squeeze back. He couldn’t feel her. She swallowed hard, fighting back the tears.

  “What can I say? The girls love me.”

  “Has Erica been in to see you?” Sam didn’t like his soon-to-be other half. She’d swooped in six months ago and dug her claws in deep. Now Sam was afraid Tommy would realize the woman was made of pure greed.

  “She stopped by this morning. Didn’t stay long.”

  “Not taking it well?” Pain shot through her leg. Sam let Tommy’s hand drop and gripped the bed rail.

  “Not taking it at all.”

  “I don’t know what to say, Tommy.” That wasn’t true. For starters, she could say I told you so. The woman was a gold-digging bitch.

  “You don’t have to say anything. I’m not stupid, Sammy. I knew what kind of woman she was when we met.” He gave her a wicked smile. “We both got what we wanted.”

  “Life goes on, I suppose.”

  “It sure does. Don’t blink, or you might miss it.” He clamped his lips together into a half-hearted smile. “Besides, I’ve got this pretty little physical therapist to spend my time with now.”

  Jade walked back into the room shaking her head. “You might not feel the same about me next week.”

  Sam took a good look at her. Even without heels, Sam towered over the woman. Considering Sam’s five-foot-nine frame, that wasn’t unusual. Jade brushed back her dark, shoulder-length hair, and Sam caught a glimpse of a small heart-shaped tattoo on her neck just behind her multi-pierced ear.

  “You ready to go back to your room?”

  “Yeah. My leg’s hurting a little.” That was a lie. The pain was throbbing up and down her entire backside. She could barely stand.

  “Just a little?”

  Grabbing hold of the IV pole, Sam clenched her jaw. “That’s what I said.”

  When they reached the doorway, Jade stepped in front of her and held eye contact. “I’m your therapist too. You need to be truthful with me.”

  “It hurts like hell. Is that what you want to hear?” she whispered, trying not to let Tommy overhear. “Can you get me a wheelchair?”

  “Coming right up.” Jade slipped down the hall and came racing back with one. “I’ll order something for the pain as soon as we get you back into bed.”

  “Why’d you take me off that machine?” Sam winced, lowering herself into the seat.

  “I don’t want you to be in pain, but you need to be coherent. We have a lot of work ahead of us if you want to get out of here sooner rather than later.”

  “The sooner the better.”

  On their way out the door, Jade glanced over her shoulder at Tommy. “After I take care of your sister, I’ll be back to see you.”

  “That sounds promising.”

  Sam watched her cock her head as though she was going to give him a stinging retort, but instead she clamped her mouth shut.

  “Your brother’s some kind of Romeo, huh?”

  “Take it easy on him. I think he lost his fiancée this morning.”

  “The blonde?”

  Sam nodded.

  “I’ll save my banter for later in the week when he’s just starting to hate me.” She rounded the corner into the room. “So what do you think happened with the car? Steering-column failure?”

  Sam glared up at her. That was an odd question coming from a therapist.

  “I’m a fan. Cars are a hobby of mine.”

  She should have guessed. Jade was a track junkie gone straight. “I won’t know until I get out of here and take a look at the car.”

  “I bet it was the steering column. It probably locked up.”

  “You said that, not me.”

  “You won’t even hazard a guess?”

  “That would be unprofessional.”

  “Come on. That’s what you’re going to check first, right?”

  Sam narrowed her eyes. “You should really keep your mouth shut. Rumors get started that way.”

  Jade tried to help her into bed. Sam waved her off, slapping her hand accidentally. “Sorry. It’s easier if I do it myself.” After climbing in, she closed her eyes momentarily, trying to stifle the pain. “Can you get me that pain medication now?”

  “Sure. Be right back.”

  The woman was asking questions more like a racing official than a physical therapist. She was trying to make Sam admit something she didn’t know, but to admit something was mechanically wrong with the car would be professional suicide. She’d be blocked for the rest of her career. She would never admit anything like that to anyone, under any circumstances.

  Chapter Two

  Three months to the day after the accident, the halo vest Tommy had endured was finally removed, and he was being released from the hospital. It was a bittersweet moment for Sam. He’d regained feeling in his upper body, but the doctors told him his spinal-cord injury was permanent. He would never walk again.

  Three months seemed like a lifetime. Three days of this place had been enough for Sam. After her release, she couldn’t wait to get back to work. If nothing else, it kept her mind off Tommy.

  Sam checked her watch. They weren’t letting him go for a few more hours, but she wanted to watch his therapy session and talk to Jade before they left. As she approached Tommy’s room, Sam heard laughter. Poking her head inside, she spotted Jade sitting on the foot of the bed, seeming pretty cozy with him.

  “Hey, Sammy. You’re early.”

  “I thought you might want some company, but it looks like you have plenty.” The words came out harsher than she’d meant them.

  “We were just discussing our mutual love for racing.”

  “I’m sure you were.” Sam watched Jade slide her hand down Tommy’s leg to his foot, and it gave her an uneasy feeling. It was Jade’s job, and he couldn’t feel it, but the movement seemed very intimate.

  “Did you hear the good news?” Tommy asked.

  “What news?”

  “Jade’s agreed to stay on as my personal therapist.” He and Jade shared a warm smile, and Sam suddenly felt like an outsider.

  She pinned Jade with her stare. “What about your work here?”

  “Your brother convinced me to take a hiatus.” After giving Tommy’s toes a light squeeze, she pulled the blanket over his legs and slid off the bed. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “My schedule’s a little off. I’ve been busy getting the new car ready.”

  Tommy’s eyes lit up. “I can’t wait to see it.”

  “I can take you by today, if you’re up for it.”

  “I’d love it.” He shifted his gaze to Jade. “You wanna come?”

  “Sure.” She glanced from Tommy to Sam. “If Sam doesn’t mind.”

  “No. Of course not.” A total lie. She’d been doing that a lot lately, and it was getting easier every day.

  “How are your burns? Do you need them checked?” Jade pulled up the back of Sam’s shirt before she could stop her.

  “Thanks. I’ve got it.” She spun around, pulling the fabric from Jade’s hand. “I’ve gotten pretty good at taking care of them these days.” Sam evaded her gaze.

  She hated being mean to this woman, but she couldn’t stop herself. She’d helped Sam with her burns and had
done wonders with her brother’s attitude. Something was suspicious about her. She was always asking questions, which made Sam uncomfortable.

  “No problem. I’m spending most of my day with your brother anyway. I figured as long as you were coming to see him, I could take an hour out to dress your burns.”

  Sam could’ve asked her sister. But she hadn’t seen her since the first day she was in the hospital. Faith’s social calendar was much too busy to expect anything from her. She wouldn’t be comfortable with Paddy, and Brad, her on-and-off again fiancé, would never have been able to stomach it.

  “That’s so sweet of you.” Tommy didn’t take his eyes off Jade. “Isn’t it, Sammy?” She knew what that gleam flitting in her brother’s eye meant. Another reason she didn’t like Jade.

  “Yeah.” She headed for the door. “Jade, can I talk to you in the hall for a minute?”

  “Sure.” Jade patted Tommy on the leg. “I’ll be right back, sweetie.”

  Sweetie? She took Jade’s arm, rushing her into the hallway. “I thought I told you to be careful with him.”

  Jade shrugged. “What? We’re friends. That’s all.”

  “That’s not what he thinks, and you know it.”

  Jade peeked through the door at Tommy and smiled. He was still watching her. “Would that be so bad?”

  “You’re no different than Erica.”

  “Except for one thing.” Jade’s smile faded into a scowl. “I’m still here.”

  “What happens when his therapy is done?” Sam’s voice rose. “Are you going to follow him from track to track? Because you know he’s not going to give it up. Whether he can drive or not, racing is his life. His place is with me. I’ll take care of him.”

  “Can you?” Jade’s brows rose in the same lofty fashion they had when Sam first met her. “His needs are different now. He requires twenty-four-seven care.”

  Sam didn’t respond. She truly didn’t know if she could tend to him.

  “I didn’t think so. I can give him that and possibly make him happy too.”

  “What’s in it for you?”

  “There’s no prize here. I really like him. Does there have to be something more?”

  “And when you get tired of his needs? What’s going to happen then?” Sam didn’t give her a chance to answer. “I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. You’ll bolt, and I’ll be left to pick up the pieces.”

  Jade took in a deep breath. “I don’t know what’s going to happen between us down the line. But good or bad, don’t you think you owe it to Tommy to let him find out for himself?”

  As Jade started toward Tommy’s room, Sam grabbed her arm and swung her back around. She wasn’t done yet. “So help me God, if you break his heart.” She dug her fingers deep into Jade’s arm.

  “Believe me. I need him as much as he needs me.” She tugged out of her grasp. “Tell him I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She headed behind the nurses’ station and out of sight.

  Sam didn’t know what Jade meant by that, but her clouded eyes gave her away. She did need him for some reason.

  * * *

  “You want me to do what?” Drew laughed at Captain Jacobs’s request.

  “I want you to back up Barnes at Sonoma Raceway.” He was serious.

  “Barnes doesn’t want me for backup.” Since the incident last year, no one wanted to partner with Drew. That was just as well. She didn’t intend to get attached again.

  “She’ll just have to deal with it.”

  “I’m not a homicide detective. I want back in Narcotics.”

  “You think anybody there wants to work with you? You’ve alienated anyone who’s tried to get close.”

  “I work better alone.” The captain was right. She’d burned too many bridges.

  “I need someone with racing experience.” He took in a deep breath. “You’re all I’ve got right now.” Ignoring Drew’s protest, the captain pulled a file and a flash drive from his drawer. Slapping it onto the desk he said, “No more arguments. As of now you’re a driver for Freemont Oil.”

  Deciding that working Homicide was better than working paper behind a desk, Drew stuffed the flash drive into the pocket of her leather bomber jacket before picking up the file and thumbing through it.

  “But Barnes is with Kelleher Motorsports.”

  “Putting you directly in would look suspicious. You’re a smart girl, Thompson.” He gave her a smirk. “I’m sure you can find a way.”

  After dropping the file onto the corner of the desk, Drew jammed her fingers into her jean pockets and paced the office. The captain knew she couldn’t resist a challenge.

  “How deep is she?”

  “Haven’t heard from her in weeks.”

  “She okay?”

  “I don’t know.” The captain’s forehead creased when he glanced up. “Like I said, she hasn’t checked in.”

  “Is she staying at the motel by the raceway?”

  “Supposed to be. The whole race team is there.”

  “I’ll check it out and let you know what’s going on in a few days.”

  * * *

  Drew must have watched the recording fifty times and couldn’t figure out who would risk their own life to pull an unconscious Tommy Kelleher out of that flaming race car. After she slapped the laptop closed, she rolled the question over and over in her mind.

  Accidents in racing weren’t unusual, but too many in a row on the same race team sent up a red neon flag. Flopping back onto the bed, Drew wondered how she’d gotten stuck here, in this low-budget hotel, working this dead-end case. She traced the small cracks across the white, plastered ceiling with her gaze. What a dive.

  Why Captain Jacobs had given her the case, she didn’t know. She guessed he’d thrown her a bone to make up for the bullet she’d taken in Narcotics. Something to take her mind off the event that still plagued her. Like that could ever happen. The reoccurring ache radiating in her shoulder would never let her forget.

  A year of undercover work and the whole drug case had been blown in an instant. Her testimony had put the right people away, but her best friend and partner had been killed. The doctor said the post-traumatic-stress-disorder episodes she dealt with might fade eventually, but he couldn’t guarantee it. The more she thought about it, the more her head hurt.

  She opened her suitcase, took out a bottle of ibuprofen, and popped off the top. After shaking a few out into her hand, she slapped them into her mouth and washed them down with a fresh beer.

  “New case, clean slate,” she told herself, dropping the bottle back into the bag and flipping it closed.

  She’d already scoped out the common areas and met a few of the drivers earlier. That had been easy. Drew knew her way around the track from the driver’s seat. Getting in close with the mechanics wouldn’t be so simple. Drew loved to race but hadn’t paid much attention to the workings of an engine. This dude would have access to the garage.

  Taking another swig of lukewarm beer, she grimaced and set it on the table. She’d have to pick up a cooler and a bag of ice tomorrow. Now it was time to hit the bar down the road. First introduction, Slick, crew chief for Kelleher Motorsports, and the best mechanic on the circuit.

  * * *

  Most of the drivers made it a habit to hit the nearest bar after a long day at the track. The one closest to Sonoma Raceway was nicer than most and included a restaurant as well. In addition, it was just down the road from the motel most popular with the drivers and their crews.

  Samantha Kelleher, aka Slick, had just pushed back her plate from dinner at the bar and was mid-sentence when the tall, dark-haired woman slipped in between her and Ray.

  “Excuse me, sweetheart. Can I steal Slick away from you for a minute?” She motioned to the bartender for two shots of Jack Daniels.

  Sweetheart! Boy, this chick has balls. Sam thumped her fingers on the polished wood finish, waiting for the stranger to turn and offer her one of the shots. She would politely refuse, of course. Even if the woman had
forgotten her manners, Sam always remembered hers. Her father insisted on it. When the woman slid the shot over to Ray, Sam realized her mistake. Big mistake.

  Undeniably tempted, Sam leaned up against the brass-metal-framed oak bar and circled her finger around the rim of her glass. The thought of pouring her drink over the brunette’s head crossed her mind, and Sam seriously considered it. Besides the mistaken identity, she’d hardly given her a look, let alone an appropriate apology for the interruption.

  Tossing the impulse aside, Sam raised the glass to her lips and let her gaze trip across the back of the woman’s neck. The distinct white line left just below her dark-caramel hair made Sam shiver. She was a sucker for a clean-cut neckline.

  “I hear you’re a pretty good mechanic,” the brunette said before downing her shot.

  This chick is a driver. Even with her back to Sam, she heard the arrogance in her voice.

  She shifted to see past Ms. Badmanners and gave Ray a wink. He grinned. Her old friend Ray knew when she was peeved. Right now, he was acutely aware of how close this jackass had come to being soaked.

  “I think I can probably say that old Slick here is a great mechanic.” Ray stared over the woman’s shoulder at Sam and tipped his beer. “What can I do for you?”

  “I need a little help with my engine.” She offered Ray her hand. “Drew Thompson. I drive for Freemont Oil.”

  Setting his beer on the bar, Ray ignored her hand and picked up the shot. “Freemont, huh?” He hesitated until Sam nodded, prompting him to respond. “They’ve got a good rep. What’s wrong with your crew chief?”

  “Let’s just say he and I don’t see eye to eye.”

  “Where’s it at?” Ray scratched his head, waiting again for a sign from Sam.

  “The number-three garage.”

  Sam gnawed on her bottom lip for a minute before giving Ray another nod. The woman was an arrogant ass, but considering the best drivers often were, she’d captured Sam’s interest.

  “I’ll come by and check it out in the morning.”

  “Thanks. I’d appreciate it.” She gave Ray a pat on the shoulder and headed to the door.