Page 48 of Endurance

“Perfect!”

“Did you decide on the wineries we should hit?”

“I don’t think we should drive around ourselves—especially since we’ll be drinking. I was thinking about booking this wine train tour—scenic views, antique rail car, wine tastings. It sounds fun.”

“Yes—book it! Ooh, I’m so excited!”

Raising my frosted glass to clink it with hers, I grinned ear to ear.

“Road trip!”

15

Sloan

Iwoke up Friday morning feeling like something was missing. I rolled to the side, reached out, and came up with a fistful of cold sheets. It put me in a foul mood. After spending only one night in Kallie’s bed, it already felt strange to wake up without her in my arms. I wanted her with me—always—and as I remembered her call last night to tell me about her weekend trip with Gabby, it made my mood sink even lower. I wouldn’t get to see her again until Monday.

Flipping so I was flat on my back once more, I stared at the ceiling. Practice races were happening at Auto Club Speedway later on today. A day at the track would be better than sitting around my place sulking. The sooner I showered and headed out, the sooner I’d be able to push Kallie’s absence from my mind. Shoving a frustrated hand through my hair, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. When I stood, a stabbing pain shot through my hip.

“Shit!” I yelled to the empty room, grabbing the nightstand to steady myself. Chronic pain after any joint replacement was common. For me, mornings were always the worst because that’s when the muscles surrounding the joint were the stiffest. I knew better than to put too much weight on my left leg right away. Instinctively, I opened my nightstand drawer to reveal the little orange bottle of painkillers. There were still two remaining pills. I hadn’t taken one since before meeting Kallie.

Guilt clawed at my chest, knowing she would disapprove if I took one—especially since I didn’t really need them for pain management anymore. It usually took a good thirty minutes or so for the muscles to naturally loosen, but once they did, I was generally fine as long as I made sure not to put too much weight on that side of my body throughout the day.

Slamming the drawer closed, I decided to wait out the pain. After a few minutes, the sharp stinging began to subside into a dull ache. Carefully moving toward the master bathroom, I looked forward to the long, hot shower that was sure to help loosen me up.

* * *

“Something feels off,”Colton said, elevating his voice to be heard over the music blaring from the grandstand of Auto Club Speedway. “The Distance”by Cake was always a staple as pit crews scrambled to prepare for the next practice race, but the music seemed extra loud today.

I’d just arrived at the track twenty minutes earlier. I hadn’t expected Colton to be there, as his team wasn’t on the schedule today. However, he’d been invited to observe and give pointers to a racing team as they practiced. The driver was a friend of ours, Tyler McDermott. His recent success in the European circuit made him a favorite to win the Motorsports International Legacy League, more commonly known as the MILL.

“Feels off in what way?” I asked.

“Shit has been going wrong all day,” he explained. “The crew just replaced the rear bearings for the second time today, and the car has only been around the track a few times. That shouldn’t be happening. I’m trying to think of what the team might be overlooking.”

“Has anyone on the team looked at the clutch plate? When I first arrived, I noticed the car sliding around a bit.”

“Yeah, everything checked out.”

“I’m sure it’s fine, Colton. Tyler has a good team. They’ll figure it out.”

“I hope so. Tyler needs everything to be perfect for the MILL. Bets are on him to win, but he needs the money more than the title.”

I frowned and turned my gaze away from the track to look at Colton. There was an urgency to his voice that made me think there was more to the story.

“The money? Tyler makes a good buck from endorsements. I heard Kapton Motor Oil paid him a mint to promote their product. Don’t tell me he blew through it all.”

“You didn’t hear?”

“Hear what?”

“Man, you really have been out of the loop, haven’t you? I’m talking about his wife, Amy.”

“What about her?”

“She was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer about six months ago. I don’t remember what kind, but the prognosis is bad. My heart breaks for both of them. They’ve spent almost every penny they have on her chemo. Tyler said he wanted to take her to Switzerland for some experimental treatment, but the price tag is insane. So, as I said, he could really use the prize money from a win—not to mention all the extra endorsement money that will follow.”

I shook my head over the devastating news.

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