If You Only Knew (Harper Falls Book 3) (15 page)

“Dani and I wouldn’t have let just any man marry our
best friend.” She patted his leg. “You’re good for her. And we like
you too.”

“Wow, we fell into a real Kumbaya moment, didn’t
we?”

“The plane is practically the
Good Ship Lollypop
.”

Tyler picked up her iPad and continued her research. The
races were considered underground because they had no sanctioning organization
to make sure things ran by a set of rules. The no-holds-barred atmosphere was
the appeal.

Anyone could enter — first you had to know how. The events
were embedded. If you knew the code, it meant you were either a former
participant or you’d befriended someone who was. Organizers found the venue,
posted the location and date. There was an entrance fee that could be paid
right up to the start of the race. As far as rules went, there were none. You
had to start with the other racers; if you finished first, you won. What you
were willing to do to get from point A to point B was between you and your
conscience. Nobody else cared.

Some of the pictures that were posted online made Tyler
shudder. Mangled pieces of metal that no longer resembled automobiles. Broken
bodies — lucky to be alive. Then there were the
not
so lucky ones.

She kept scrolling, unable to help herself.

“Stop.”

Jack plucked the tablet from her hands, closing the case,
shutting out the brutal images.

“That isn’t helping.”

“I know but—”

“Those are extreme cases, Tyler. No one has died in any
race Drew has run.”

“Yet.”

“Rose told me you planned on kicking his ass.”

“Amongst other things.”

“Keep that thought. If anyone can stop him from racing,
you can.”

Tyler wasn’t so sure.

“I did this, didn’t I?”

“What do you mean?”

“We fought. Last night. Now he’s in Mexico? I don’t see
that as a coincidence.”

“He was looking into this race last week, Tyler. He
already planned on going.”

“Maybe.”

“The demons that push him latched on long before he got
involved with you. The way I see it, Regina Harper sent her husband to an early
grave. Officially, it was a heart attack. Drew believes his father simply gave
up. Death was the only way out of that sham of a marriage. How messed up is
that?”

So messed up. Tyler was hardly one to judge. Her family
reeked of its own kind of dysfunction.

“Maybe Drew and I should stay as far away from each
other as possible.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Come on, Jack. Drew and me, Regina and my father? It’s
beyond twisted.”

“You and Drew were two kids who fell in love. What’s
more natural than that?”

“And our parents?”

“Unnatural, both of them.” He gave her a
sympathetic smile. “Honey, you don’t know what went on between Regina and
your dad. The picture Rose and Dani found showed two people, clothes on,
embracing. It might have been perfectly innocent.”

“Then why did Regina freak out? That picture getting in
with the others sent to Dani for the commemorative book she’s doing was
obviously an accident. But why keep it in the first place unless it meant
something?”

“If I could tell you the answer to that, I would have
to start thinking like Regina Harper. Can you imagine the warped kind of logic
she lives with every day? No thanks.”

Jack checked the controls, making sure all was running
smoothly. He turned slightly until he faced Tyler.

“I was one of the lucky ones, growing up the way I did.
The Winstons are sickeningly textbook perfect. You know what that means?”

“What does that mean?”

“I am immensely underqualified to give the kind of
advice you need. Doesn’t stop me though, ask Drew. So here goes, and pardon my
language ahead of time. I say, fuck Regina. Fuck your dad. Grab on to your
chance, Tyler. Work your ass off for it, don’t let go. No matter what.”

“And if Drew isn’t interested?” The thought made
Tyler’s stomach sink.

“Oh, he’s interested. I’m not sure he thinks he
deserves you.”

“I’m no catch.”

“Eye of the beholder.” Jack gave her a crooked
grin, his blue eyes warm and caring. “He’s been my best friend since the
first day we met. He’s stubborn, opinionated, and yes, a bit screwed up. He’s
also loyal. He’s always had my back. And one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“He loves you.”

“How can you tell?”

“Let’s just say between myself, Alex, and Drew, I
recognize the signs.”

“Can I have my iPad back?”

“Tyler…”

“Not for that. There’s something else I want to look
at.”

Taking her word for it, Jack handed her back the tablet.

Tyler pulled up a page she’d been looking at earlier and
studied it before turning to Jack.

“Can we make a stop this side of the border? Preferably
in a town with a good-sized mall.”

“What do you need?” Jack asked, clearly puzzled.

“That.”

Tyler handed showed him the picture she’d pulled up. Jack
looked for a moment before letting out a long whistle.

“Seriously?”

Tyler shrugged. “If I’m going to do this, I might as
well go all the way.”

THERE WAS DUST everywhere.

Tyler stepped out of the truck. Her feet hit a surface made
hard by the relentless heat of the sun and hundreds of cars that over time had
worn deep grooves into the ground. From what she could see, they had stepped
into a loud, chaotic mess populated by grease-covered drivers of cars that had
seen better days. And though she was no expert, it was a good guess those days
occurred several decades ago.

Tyler adopted her best tough girl sneer, cocking her hip and
studying the nails on one hand as though the whole thing was a terrific bore.
Inside, she shook like a leaf. Thank God Jack insisted on escorting her to the
race site. If it had been up to Tyler, he would have dropped her at the
airport, convinced all she needed was a rental car and MapQuest.

“Do you think all the races are like this?”

“Some might be a bit more upscale, but I doubt it.
These things don’t have sponsors to impress or spectators paying through the
nose for luxury boxes. This is bare bones.”

Tyler looked at him, amazed at the tone of his voice.
“You sound impressed.”

“Not exactly, but now that I’m here, I get the appeal.

“You mean the smell of unwashed bodies and,” she
sniffed the air, “outhouses?”

Jack laughed. “There’s something primal. We live in a
very manicured world, Tyler. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a hot shower and flush
toilets. But a man likes to beat his chest now and then.”

“Drew gave me a variation on that speech back when we
were teenagers. Something about no new worlds to conquer, no mountains to climb.
Only back then, he compared walking on the moon to my virginity.”

“Did you slap his face?”

“He was joking — mostly.”

“I have to say you nailed the outfit, including the
platform shoes.”

“Candies.” Tyler put her foot out to display the
wooden-heeled slides. Their quick stop in San Diego had been well worth it.
“They were big in the eighties. Apparently women here are stuck in a
fashion time warp.”

“Now, don’t be a snob.”

Jack looked around. It was a colorful crowd. Moving closer
to Tyler, he gave a warning frown to a couple of men who gave her the eye. Her
long legs and short shorts made her stand out even in a sea of similarly
dressed women.

“We need to find Drew.”

Unaware of the attention she garnered, Tyler craned her
neck, searching.

“How do we do that?”

“Magic.”

Jack pulled out his phone and hit speed dial.

“Oh, right.” She felt a little foolish that she
hadn’t thought of it. Now she was doubly glad Jack was with her.

“Not to worry.” It took several rings but Drew
finally answered.

“What is it, Jack?”

“No need to bite my head off.”

“I’m a little busy and I don’t need you checking up on
me. Unless H&W is burning to the ground, I have to go.”

“Wait.” Jack stopped him before he could hang up.
“Can you see the parking area from where you are?”

“I guess. Why?”

“Look for a red truck, it’s the only one. Near the
south end.”

The phone went silent but not for long.

“Goddamn, mother fucking son of a bitch.”

Jack smiled at Tyler. “I think he sees us.”

“Is he mad?” Not that it would matter; Tyler was
prepared for a fight. She just wanted to know the degree of mad she would be
dealing with.

Jack refrained from wincing as Drew let off another string
of colorful swear words.

“Mad? Not really. He’s just a little surprised, that’s
all. He’s on his way over as we speak.”

“What the hell were you thinking, Jack?” Drew
continued to yell at Jack over the phone. “Bringing Tyler to a place like
this? And who the hell dressed her? These animals are going to be on her like
white on rice.”

“That’s a whole lot of questions, my friend. Why don’t
you ask her yourself?” Jack waved when he saw a very pissed off Drew
barreling down on them. He turned slightly and whispered, “Tone it down a
little. If you go off on Tyler, I’ll be the one kicking
your
ass,
understood?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Tyler continued to search until she finally saw Drew. He
dodged his way through the crowd, still talking on the phone, his eyes pinned
on her. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting to feel when she saw him, but
the burst of raw sexual attraction knocked her for a loop.

Over the years when she would close her eyes and think of
Drew, and that happened more often than she liked to admit, Tyler pictured him
several different ways. Happy — his smile always sent a zing through her.
Tender — that moment just after sex when his eyes filled with wonder and a bit
of concern — he always wanted to be sure she enjoyed it as much as he did.

Sometimes, when she was in the mood for a little emotional
torture, she thought of how he would say I love you. Never a hesitation, never
a doubt. It was enough to make a girl’s heart sing — and a woman’s heart break
all over again.

This Drew, obviously pissed off and ready for a fight, was a
new animal altogether.

He was an overheated, dirty mess. He was the sexiest thing
Tyler had ever laid eyes on.

The ends of his hair curled slightly, his face damp, one
cheek smudged with grease. The black t-shirt he wore hugged his muscled torso
like a second skin outlining a body filled out to perfection.

Then there were his arms. When he was eighteen, they were
lean. He had been in good shape and strong for his age. Now, his biceps bulged
with power, barely contained in the sleeves of his sweat-dampened shirt.

Tyler wanted to unbutton those worn jeans from his trim
waist, lowering them until she had an unobstructed view of the bulge between
his legs. First, though, she prayed he would turn around. That ass had to be as
amazing as the rest of him. She could go down on her knees, kiss the firm,
round cheeks, and fondle his hard cock all at the same time.

“Are you okay?” Hearing her slight moan, Jack
glanced Tyler’s way. He thought the combination of heat and worry might have
gotten to her.

“Hmm? Did you say something?”

Jack looked closer. Flushed face, lips slightly parted. Her
gray eyes the darkest he’d ever seen them. He grinned. It wasn’t the heat that
had gotten to Tyler. Unless he was completely off base, Drew’s sexual dry spell
was going to come to an end — soon.

“Tyler, get your ass back in that truck. And
Jack.” Drew reined himself in before he punched his best friend.

“Now, Drew…”

“I don’t want to hear it. Get her back to Harper Falls
before this crowd of rutting boars stops drooling and rushes her all at
once.”

“Our girl is drawing a fair bit of attention.”

“This
woman
doesn’t appreciate being talked
about like she isn’t standing three feet away.”

“You want me to talk to you?” Drew rounded on her,
making Tyler gasp. Standing this close, she could smell the musk, feel the
heat. Saliva pooled in her mouth and she swayed towards him, her body drawn
into his erotic orbit.

“Steady.” Drew reached out, afraid Tyler might
faint. “The heat can creep up on you. You should be wearing a hat.”

“Honestly?” Jack shook his head. Clueless idiot.
“She doesn’t need a hat, she needs a good… Ah, hell. Look at her eyes,
asshole.”

Frowning, Drew did what Jack suggested. Her pupils were
dilated, the gray so dark her eyes appeared to be almost black. If it were any
other woman, Drew would have thought she was on drugs. Tyler didn’t do that
crap. Taking a deep breath, he realized her problem and he felt his body
tighten in response.

“There you go,” Jack chuckled. “Not so stupid
after all.”

“Kiss me.”

“What?”

“Kiss me, now.” Tyler licked her lips. She hadn’t meant
it to be provocative; they were just dry. It was just a happy bonus that Drew’s
eyes followed the path of her tongue like a starving man.

“I’m not going to kiss you, Tyler. Not with this
audience.”

“That’s the point. I read that guys at these races respect
a man’s old lady. Kiss me, let them know I’m with you, and I’ll be safe. It’s
the perfect solution.”

Drew looked at her mouth again. He was tempted. Leaning
closer, breathing in her unique scent. He could almost forget where they were.
Almost, but not quite.

“You getting out of here is a better solution.”

“You were slow at seventeen, Drew Harper. I guess some
things never change.”

Tyler didn’t give Drew a chance to stop her. She threw her
arms around his neck and glued her lips to his.

He could have pulled away. He could have let the catcalls
and wolf whistles penetrate the sexual fog that enveloped his brain the second
her mouth met his. He could have done a million things to stop her. Instead, he
did what came naturally — he kissed her back.