Full Throttle (4 page)

He graciously took her bags and carried them to her car. Okay, so Kane might have inherited a touch of courteousness from his father, too. “I'll follow you,” he said.

As she drove her well-used Chevy Blazer, she put Anton Jackson—and the effect his appearance might have on Kane—out of her mind and recalled a night after a race in Myrtle Beach, when she and Kane had lain on an old blanket in the back of his pickup truck. Curled against his side, her head laying over his heart as he stroked her hair, he'd promised her that when he won the championship he'd buy her a pink Corvette. She'd laughed, then wrinkled her nose and declared when she drove a Corvette it would be red.

The laughter had died; the car and the championship never happened. She wondered if Kane thought about that night as much as she did.

She'd been hired to help the team, but she wondered if their past would make the climb to the top that much harder.

 

“Y
OU FEELIN
'
OKAY
, Kane?”

Kane's eyes flew open at Harry's question. With his mind constantly on Lexie, he hadn't slept well all week and had apparently drifted off while waiting to board the company plane for the trip to Bristol. Risqué daydreams still filled his mind, forcing him to fight back a guilty flush as he faced her father, who'd slid into the passenger seat of his truck. “I'm fine. Just enjoying the last few minutes of silence.”

Harry nodded. “It's an important weekend.”

“Yes, sir.”

An amiable man with a stocky frame and craggy face who managed his team through quiet reassurance, Harry lacked his daughter's temper and intensity. They made a good yin and yang match.

Kane was well aware of how lucky he was to have had Harry as his crew chief for the last three years. He was grateful Harry didn't resent him for the bad breakup with Lexie. Though he wasn't positive about Harry's feelings, since they'd never mentioned Lexie until she became car chief six months ago.

Given the building tension between him and Lexie for the past few months, and especially after their kiss last week, Kane had to fight the urge to squirm in Harry's presence. His crew chief would not approve of his driver getting involved with another member of the team. As a father, he'd probably be even less supportive.

“You and Lexie need to remember you're not the only members of this team.”

Staring into Harry's direct gaze, Kane reminded himself Lexie had gotten her insight and quick mind from her father. “We do.”

“You're both professionals, and I trust you to keep the team goals in mind.”

“I am. I can handle it.”

“Like you handled it before, when Lexie cried all the time and you stomped around like a wounded bear?”

She cried over me?
was all Kane could think. He hadn't seen a single tear the night she'd dumped him. She'd just been angry. And resolute.

Harry seemed to read his mind. “Just because she did what she had to do didn't mean she didn't hurt.”

He'd hurt, too. After she'd left for college, he'd raced harder, every chance he got. She probably thought his obsession with the track kept him too busy to grieve her loss. But he did that, too.

More deeply than even he would have thought.

“But that was a long time ago,” Harry continued. “You've both moved on.”

“Ah, yeah, sure.”

Harry's eyes narrowed.

“We're allowed to have a personal life.”

“Not with each other.” He sighed. “It was Bob Hollister's idea to pull her away from R&D and put her on this team, not mine. I was worried how you two would work together again, but Lexie assured me you two were over and done.” When Kane firmed his lips, Harry's tone hardened. “You've spent more than a decade trying to prove you belong in this sport. You've withstood the pointing and whispering, the doubt and the taunts. You're gonna tell me now you're willing to risk that for Lexie?”

Kane said nothing, though resentment simmered in his stomach.

“She won't love you for it,” Harry continued. “If we don't make the top ten, you'll resent each other forever.”

“We're going to make it.”

“You're on the verge of showing your father he's not the only champion in your family.”

Maybe, but no matter what he did he'd never measure up to him. He wanted this championship for himself and his team. Not his father.

He was through listening to Harry. But part of him acknowledged he was right. Harry echoed his own conscience.

But Kane couldn't simply shove aside his attraction to Lexie. He was, however, frustrated and confused. After a long separation, they'd become friends again. They worked well together. They'd dated a mere three years, while being broken up for twelve.

They
should
have moved on. Until recently, he thought he had.

Now all he did was think about her and wonder what she was thinking in return. Memories of dates and conversations they'd had kept rolling through his mind. Regrets followed the memories. When would those thoughts spill over into their working relationship? Or, worse, affect the rest of the team?

He
should
suppress his feelings, but he wasn't sure how long he could. It seemed all he ever did was deny, smother or compromise.

And he was getting damn tired of it.

Kane shoved open the truck's door. “I'm done talking to you about this.” He rounded the truck, yanking his bag from the back.

Harry grabbed his arm as he started to walk off. “Promise me you'll keep your distance.”

Kane pulled back. “I can't.” He stalked away, then paced beside the plane, pausing every few seconds to glare into the distance. Where the hell was everybody? The obscenely hot August sun beat down on his head, and he was ready to get on with this trip.

A few minutes later the team started arriving. Each man patted him on the shoulder as he boarded the plane, everyone looking somehow tense and hopeful at the same time. When James showed up, he tried to get Kane to sit down, but he refused, knowing he needed to face Lexie alone before they faced everyone else together.

If Harry had sensed something was going on, and James had already witnessed their kiss, then it certainly wouldn't be long before the rest of the team caught on. He wanted to warn her, to talk to her about the tension between them and see if that brilliant brain of hers could come up with a better solution than the ones he kept considering.

All of which involved inappropriate actions between driver and car chief.

What if they
did
give in to their attraction? Did he want to date her? Or was this a physical thing they could solve in one night?

Was it really possible to keep racing and their personal relationship separate? Brothers, fathers and son, uncles and nephews did it all the time in NASCAR, but then—

He stopped as he saw Lexie's Blazer pull into the parking lot, followed by his father's sleek, dark-gray Mercedes.

“Great.” Just what he needed to add to his day. The legend.

He was inappropriately attracted to his car chief. His crew chief—her father—looked as if he'd rather find his shotgun than make pit stop calls. He had to face forty-two other drivers on the track at Bristol in three days. He had only two races left to make the top ten in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Championship points.

And his own father had probably come to tell him about some new promo tour he should go on.

“Hey, Dad, Lexie,” he said when they approached. His heart hammered as the coconut-scented lotion Lexie favored wafted toward him.

“I'm glad I caught you,” his father said. “I need a moment.”

Her overnight bag slung over her shoulder, Lexie avoided Kane's gaze and edged toward the plane stairs.

“Sure, Dad. In a minute. I need to talk to Lexie.” He'd taken only a step toward her when his father grabbed his arm.

“She can wait.”

Already annoyed and on edge, Kane glared over his shoulder at his father.

“You have hours on the flight to talk to her,” his father continued impatiently.

As had become his custom, Kane swallowed his own needs and frustration and nodded. “Yes, sir.” He didn't dare look over at Lexie—her stomping assent up the steps was enough indication of her mood. How many times had he put her aside for his father? For racing? For anything else that seemed important at the moment?

It was no wonder she'd wised up and dumped him.

“I'm getting a lot of questions about this top-ten business,” his father said, his strong hand still clamped on Kane's shoulder.

Kane stared his father straight in the eye. There was always a measure of satisfaction in being able to meet him at equal height and breadth, especially after so many years of gazing up at him from a scrawny, weak body. “I'll get there, sir.”

“You haven't made it yet.”

“The team's really come together this year. We've got the right people in place. All three of the Hollister Racing teams are doing great. Bobby's in fifth and Richey's in sixteenth. Plus, we've all had some good tests in the past few weeks.”

His father nodded. “I know you're doing your best. I'm just going to get quizzed about it in the broadcast booth this weekend.”

You could show some faith in me.
Shaking away the thought, Kane said, “We're doing fine. Lexie thinks we could win on Saturday.”

“She seems sure of you.”

Maybe it was the conversation he'd just had with Harry, but he thought he detected a sharpness to his father's voice. He certainly didn't want his father to jump on the anti-Kane-and-Lexie bandwagon. Being a man who'd married the sweet, manicured head cheerleader of his college team, he'd never understood Lexie's under-the-hood racing perspective, and he'd never been supportive of their relationship.

“That's her job,” he said.

“And you're confident of her abilities?”

“More than anybody's.”
Even mine.

“I could help you find a new team anytime you wanted.”

“Yes, sir, I know.” The formal speech between them made him cringe, but they hadn't established a close, casual friendship like many of his friends now had in adulthood with their fathers. By contrast, he still felt fifteen—awkward and completely lacking in confidence. “I'm happy with the team I have.”

His father slid his hands into his pants pockets and nodded. “Your mother wanted me to remind you to be careful. She tends to watch this race with her hands over her eyes, so be sure to call her right away if you're in a wreck.”

“I will.”

“Well…” He patted Kane's shoulder one last time. “Good luck, son. I'll be in Dallas to prepare for Sunday, but I'll get updates from my team.”

He'd get reports from his
team
. His father's personal trainer, assistant and business manager all probably knew more about Kane's racing career than the man himself did. He forced a smile. “I'll be home on Sunday and actually get to watch the game this week.”

“I'd go with the Cowboys.” He turned away, then looked back. “If you ever get frustrated with racing, you know I can get you on with an NFL team. You'd be a great PR man, and they always need a sharp guy in sponsor relations.”

“Thanks, Dad, but no. I'm staying in racing.”

His father turned away again, heading toward his car. Kane watched him go, and a longing he hadn't felt in a long time washed over him.

His father had played his early career for the Dallas Cowboys, but had eventually been traded to Green Bay, then St. Louis. His mother had been raised in the Charlotte area, so that's where she and Kane had moved and stayed, while his father commuted during the season. Though the move to Mooresville was probably a move his father regretted in retrospect.

After his NFL retirement, his father had decided to focus on having his son follow in his footsteps. After that failed, he got a job as a broadcaster, where he was loved and adored just as much as he had been on the field.

Kane, meanwhile, fell short of expectations. He wasn't a big star in NASCAR. He was just getting paid to do what he loved.

On the topic of his father, his emotions were at war. He'd admired his father all his life. Even when work and other people got more attention, he'd never stopped being proud. He resented the standard of excellence his father held him to, even as he kept trying to reach those goals.

With a sigh, he turned toward the plane. He had a race to get to. Maybe he'd never win his father's respect, but he had Lexie's and the team's.

Harry was right. He wasn't about to risk his career over an impulsive kiss and a few extra heartbeats when Lexie was around. That would be reckless, defiant and irresponsible. Traits he didn't have. Not anymore.