Page 128 of Reckless
Helmet off, eyes on the camera again.
Hewinks.
I roll my eyes as I blush. As my stomach flips and butterflies erupt in my chest. Maybe he was winking for the fans, but it feels like he was winking for me.
I glance at Loretta. She saw it too.
“He did good,” she says.
I nod and grin at her, feeling antsy. Right now, I could walk around the neighborhood or go for a workout. “He really did.”
When the doorbell rings, my head snaps up. I have no idea who would be here on a Friday night.
Summer leans over the arm of the couch to peek out the window. “Looks like a flower delivery!”
She leaps up to follow me to the door, clearly living for the level of mushy happiness in my life right now.
“Hi,” I say breathlessly as I open the door and take in the man in street clothes, holding a bouquet of roses and an envelope.
“Winter Hamilton?”
“Yes!” I beam.
“Great.” He holds the flowers out to me and the minute my fingers wrap around the vase, he says, “You’ve been served.”
My smile freezes and my blood runs cold. “What? Is this even a thing that happens outside of movies?”
“’Fraid so.” The man’s mouth twists. “You have a good night now.” He jogs down the stairs and takes off to his car.
“What. The. Fuck.” I stare down at the blood-red roses, confused. Shocked.
“Give me this.” Summer swipes the envelope off from where it’s taped to the side of the vase and rips it open. She unfolds the papers, and I watch her chocolate-brown irises move back and forth over the lines of typeface.
Her eyes burn with fury when she looks at me again. “Rob wants a paternity test.”
34
Theo
Winter:Congrats! You look hot in your chaps. Let me know when you’re at your hotel so I can call.
Theo:You can call me anytime. And also send nudes anytime.
* * *
Rhett walks into the empty dressing room and tosses me a beer. “You hiding out in here?”
The can hisses when I open it. “Just taking a second to soak it all in. It’s weird being back.”
“You know what isn’t weird? Watching you kick Emmett’s ass. You’re coming for him, and he knows it. Spent the last couple months feeling a little more comfortable than he should have. Sleazy fuck that he is.”
“You still mad at him for hitting on Summer?”
Rhett nods and takes a sip of his beer. “For the rest of my life.”
We’re alike in that regard, but we’re different in a lot of other ways. He wears his cowboy hat and jeans like it’s a second skin. Me, I love the sport. I love the rush. I love the competition. But it feels like a uniform to me.
Rhett loves being on the road. I don’t think he misses riding, but he loves coaching. He’s still got his hands in the pot.
