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Chapter 26
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Hot Shots Chapter 27
Part Two: Love on TrackThe Story EndsJosh Nelson swallowed the last of his coffee, crumpled the cardboard cup, and tossed it in the trash bag sitting on the floor of his truck. The asphalt ribbon of the interstate highway stretched endlessly before him, a reminder that for the moment he had no place to go and nothing to do.And whose fault is that, asshole?Okay, okay. So it was his. Sort of. But cut him a break, okay? It wasn't as if he'd picked up for no good reason and hauled ass out of Darlington, SC, leaving Andy Grant, his manager, standing there with his jaw dropped. He had a reason. And, as far as he was concerned, it was a fucking good one. He'd nearly killed himself, and what was it they said about near death experiences? He sure didn't want another one.Melanie hadn't been any damn help. How had he ever thought she was sensitive, caring and loving? She'd cared about his fame and wanted the money that came with it. Apparently she was willing to put up with him to get
Hot Shots Chapter 28
Maybe this was a big mistake. Maybe the guy was a primo asshole who lived to make other people's lives miserable. But the alternative was to get back on the road to nowhere and alternate between feeling sorry for himself and dealing with panic attacks.Oh well, he thought. In for a penny. He opened the door and walked into the office. There was an empty chair next to the desk, but the man didn't indicate he should sit down. Once again he thought, oh well."I saw your sign outside advertising for a mechanic."The man looked him up and down with dark, penetrating eyes."You telling me you're a mechanic?"Josh nodded. "Started learning when I was ten years old.""You're not working now." The man frowned. "You get fired or something?"He searched his brain for an acceptable answer. "Just needed a change. My personal life got a kink in it."The man almost smiled, as if he could relate. He looked at Josh's truck in the parking area, maybe a little too shiny for a road bum."Nice tru
Hot Shots Chapter 29
I really like horses. I really like horses. I really like horses.Kristin Kitts kept repeating it to herself as she headed back to Lucasville from her latest round of photo shoots at Lexington horse farms. The job had sounded like a dream in the beginning - go to Kentucky and take pictures for a booklet the state department of travel and tourism was putting together. Since she'd gone out on her own, she'd slowly been building her credentials, and this would give them a huge boost. She could thank her friend, Janice, for pushing to send the job her way. Right now, she was focusing on Lexington, known as the horse capital of the world. There were certainly enough horse farms to see.She cranked up the air conditioner a little and pushed her hair back from her face. Today, the temperature had soared past ninety and her clothing, which she'd thought so comfortable and cool when she dressed that morning, now stuck to her like wet tissue paper. Two of the farms she'd photographed today had
Hot Shots Chapter 30
Kristin slid around on her stool, her jaw nearly dropping to the floor as she spotted the man who'd entered the pub. Talk about a hot man on the hoof. She guessed his height at about five ten, with neat, short brown hair, a muscular compact body accentuated by the T-shirt stretched across his shoulders and the jeans that emphasized his strong legs. Even in the low light of the bar, she could see he had about a three-day scruff decorating his jaw line, just enough to be sexy and send out a message to her misbehaving hormones.Now there was someone she could get on board having fun with. If she was into fun.Down, girl!With her luck, he was either married, recovering from a bad breakup, or gay. Yup, she sure could pick them.From the way he looked around, it was obvious he hadn't been here before. He glanced at the scarcely inhabited booths and tables then headed toward the bar. In another life, she would have given him a welcoming smile."Lucky you," Sophia murmured. "He's heading
Hot Shots Chapter 31
Josh finished replacing the fan belt in the car he was working on, wiped his hands on the oil rag, and took a long drink from the bottle of water he kept near him. He was on his fourth day at Love Garage and congratulated himself on settling in as well as he had. He had to say, the garage was a busy place and ran with great efficiency. He wasn't sure if it was because the men feared Antony or respected him or, as he thought most likely, it was a combination of both.All the mechanic skills he'd learned when he was younger came back as if he'd been doing it every day of his life. Antony seemed pleased with him, which was a good thing. He didn't look like a man whose bad side you wanted to be on. And Josh had to admit he was enjoying the work.He was also pleased he hadn't had to pop too many acetaminophen. His body was apparently getting used to the work and the bruises were healing nicely.The boardinghouse had been a real surprise. He guessed his expectations had derived from movie
Hot Shots Chapter 32
Mrs. Patterson was nowhere in sight when he reached the boardinghouse, although he heard movement in a couple of the other rooms. He ignored everything as he stripped off his clothes and dumped them in the big canvas bag he was using for laundry. Saturday was bound to be a busy day at the garage, but they were closed Sunday. He'd have to hunt up a Laundromat somewhere.He showered and shaved then knotted a towel at his hips. With plenty of time, he turned on the little television on the dresser. Mrs. Patterson provided one for each room, which he thought was a nice gesture. He was idly thumbing through the channels when the picture on the screen shocked him. There he was, in living color, on a major network news report. He turned the sound up only enough so he alone could hear it."Still no word on the whereabouts of star NASCAR driver Josh Nelson. It's been a month since the big accident at the Darlington Speedway. Once he left the hospital, he apparently disappeared off the map. We
Hot Shots Chapter 33
"Yes." Think! Think! Think! "They know I wanted to see other parts of the country and find a place to relocate. They're good with it." He glanced around the table. "So have you always lived in Lucasville? It seems like a really nice town."Someone started to tell them about how the patriarchs, Lorenzo and Anton, had started the brewery and the garage and soon they were all falling over each other's voices adding tidbits and information. In the middle of the hubbub, Patsy brought over two more extra-large pizzas and made room for them on the table."Danny's got that stone oven working overtime tonight," she told them, "so keep the orders coming.""Nice diversion back there." Kristin's voice was pitched low, only loud enough for him to hear.He had just taken a large bite of his slice and had to swallow fast to keep from choking, chasing it with some beer."I have no idea what you're talking about."She laughed very softly, but it had such a musical sound he wanted to give her reas
Hot Shots Chapter 34
At once, he wanted to kick himself in the ass and bang his head on the table. Low profile, he repeated silently. Low profile. No women. No women! But holy fucking shit. Kristin Kitts must be weaving a magic spell of some kind around him. Anyway, he reminded himself, she'd soon be off to her next assignment. No reason why they couldn't keep each other company while she was here.Keep each other company? Okay, if that's what he wanted to call it.Dumbass.I'm doing exactly what I said I wouldn't and probably getting in over my head.Yeah, that was the fucking truth. But since he'd laid eyes on her, he hadn't seemed to be able to get her out of his brain. Not to mention the fact he seemed to be spacing out in the middle of conversations. He was grateful the crowd at these tables was large and noisy, everyone talking over everyone else. Hopefully, none of them noticed."Well." Kristin crumpled her napkin onto the plate in front of her and pushed back her chair. "This has been fun, guy
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