Page 90 of Burnout
I thought someone would have called by now. If not Mike, another team. I’m eager to show everyone how I’ve improved, and how ready I am for the season.
“Are you heading out to train with Avery?” he asks as he stands from his seat, still holding on to the handles.
“No. She has a team dinner tonight.”
He grins at me. “Seeing her after?”
“Don’t be a nosy asshole. I’ve got enough of those at home.”
He chuckles. “I like you two together.”
I shoot him an amused glance. “Who are you and what have you done with my friend Colter? Once upon a time, you were the guy who was hooking up with multiple girls a night. You made me look like an altar boy.”
He smiles through a grimace. “I know. I was a total player before Quinn. I’ve changed though.”
“She seems cool, if not slightly unhinged, and I’m happy for you. But changed? Come on, really? You’re saying the next time you’re single you won’t plow through girls to make up for lost time?”
“I’m dead serious.” His tone is genuine through his light laughter. “I’m pretty sure she’s the real deal. The one. All that.”
I bark out a laugh, but his expression doesn’t change.
“You’re serious?”
“Yeah. I’m trying to save up enough for my own place so I can ask her to move in with me.”
“Shit. I had no idea.”
He shrugs it off. “I thought maybe…”
“What?”
“Maybe you and Avery were heading down a similar path. I’ve seen how you look at her and you didn’t so much as glance at another chick this weekend. You like her.”
I start to shake my head and tell him that while I do like Avery, it isn’t serious, but something catches my attention. Or rather someone. I don’t know if it’s his stance, hands shoved in his pockets and one foot angled out, or the familiar beat-up, black ball cap that he’s been wearing for ten years, but I know it’s him in an instant.
“What the fuck?”
Colter follows my gaze. “Is that your old man?”
“He’s not my anything.”
I ride my bike over to my truck where he’s standing. I don’t look at him as I ask, “What are you doing here?”
“I heard you were doing freestyle, but I didn’t believe it.” There’s contempt in his voice.
One sentence out of his mouth and I’m already clenching my hands into fists.
“You’re not really thinking of giving up racing for this, are you?” He waves a dismissive hand toward the track where Colter is flying off a ramp. “You’re better than this. I know you got dropped by Thorne, but you don’t need them. You can win on your own.”
“Save me the loving parent act and tell me why you’re here,Dad?” I say the last word with all the disdain I feel. I don’t call him that because he’s acted like one, but to remind him he hasn’t.
“I wanted to see you and your brothers. Knew I’d have to go through you first.”
I look up at him, gauging his seriousness. The hair at his temples has more gray in it than the last time I saw him, and the lines around his mouth are deeper. Otherwise, he hasn’t changed one bit. Out of all my brothers, I look the most like him. “Absolutely not.”
His face goes red, but he manages to keep his temper in check, so his words only come out slightly strained. “Hendrick is home and engaged from what I hear, Flynn’s about to graduate, Arch is doing amazing things with football. I know I’ve made mistakes and wasn’t there when you all needed me.”
“We never needed you. Mom was the real parent.” God, the number of times I wished he’d show up for me. Missed races, birthdays, and holidays. I learned how not to need him at an early age, but it took a lot longer to stop wanting him to be there. I can still remember the first time I took first place at a race. I was so excited to tell him, but by the time he came around, two months later, it seemed so stupid.
