Page 10 of Wrecking Boundaries

“Does this mean we’re picking fights with Boone Rivers for the entire season or going with something new?”

My smile is cocky. My favorite rival is easily irritated, making it all the more enjoyable. “He’s as popular as I am.We’re frenemies.”

“Dude, you’re just enemies, and if you ever use that word in my presence again, I’ll quit.”

I sit in one of the nearby office chairs and spin it around. “Have you seen Bert today?”

Derek plops down beside me and leans forward. “He never gets here on Saturdays. No reason to expect any different now.”

“That’s what I figured,” I say with some relief. The rookie strongly hinted at a private conversation between them, which isn’t a big deal. If you drive long enough, you’ll get private talks with the team owner. The strange thing is, the kid wanted me to know it.

“Are you still interested in that girl of yours?” Derek asks casually, like he wonders what sort of topping I put on my pizza. “I have some news.”

“Sarah?” I verify, and he nods. That’s good; she’s ignored my texts since we stayed in her little cabin in the woods. “You find her trailer?”

“I did you one better.” He leans back and pulls the phone out of his front pocket. “She’s staying in a nearby hotel.”

“Makes sense. She probably doesn’t want to spend time with the lovebirds,” I say. “Would you happen to know which one?”

“Jake, I have the room number.” Derek flips his phone, and a grainy picture appears. “Room 352. Right across the street.”

I forget all about the rookie because my night is about to be a lot more exciting. I pictured an old movie and an early night in my trailer. It looks like I’ll make a surprise appearance at her door instead. I bite my lip and smile.

“She didn’t see you?” Derek is my spotter, and Sarah knows we are close.

“What do you think?”

“I think I’m buying you dinner next week. Maybe some flowers and a box of chocolates.”

“Dude. Don’t do that either.”

Sarah insisted she wouldn’t be in Daytona for the season opener. If she’s here for this race, I bet she’ll be around for the next one.

A fun evening with the girl who doesn’t know she’s mine yet and a season-opening win?

Not a bad weekend.

5-Sarah

“Well, what do you think?” I ask Maddie over the phone. “Is this the bio of someone you’d like to marry?”

“I would get on one knee and propose to you. Heck, I would demand we elope. It’s fantastic.”

I laugh into the phone because the image is hilarious. If Boone could hear us, his head would pop off. “What about the part for him?”

“It’s good, too,” Maddie says, though with less enthusiasm than before. “I only wonder about the sports part.”

“I don’t want anyone who enjoys professional sports. He can play chess, and Solitaire is also an option.”

“It will mean a small dating pool. Maybe drop that part? If you find this Mr. Perfect, he will discover your family’s origin someday. You realize that, right?”

I do, but that doesn’t mean I need to admit it. “Not if you keep up the fiction for me. Boone is in banking, and you own a bakery. It even starts with the same letter. That means you both should consider a career switch.”

As much as I don’t want to date anyone in motorsports, I don’t want to date anyone who knows my family is in motorsports. This part isn’t negotiable.

“Well, I’ll certainly do my part. Is your resume done yet?”

There are three different versions for three different job roles. I’m also contemplating a return to school. “It’s almost there; it still needs some tweaking.”

---