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“You were awfully loud on the phone a minute ago. Who pissed you off?”

“Riot and Ben, that’s who.” Mal hoisted herself up to sit on the edge of the pool. River took a seat next to her.

“What did you do?”

“I booked Fontana Speedway for Wednesday. And told Riot and Ben to fuck off. I’m sick of you beating yourself up over Johnny Meniere.”

“It takes two to make something work, and I wasn’t evening trying. I’m over being upset at him. I’m angry at myself for living in the past, for holding on to old hurts. I love him, I just waited too long to fight for him is all.” She should have taken the first flight back to California from Florida when that message came through instead of falling apart. If she could have found her way through the fog which her life had turned into, maybe just maybe things would be different.

Many mistakes had been made. Missed opportunities to straighten things out had passed her by. She had allowed anger to rule her life. All she had left had been racing. That became her refuge, her place to still feel alive. How can you heal a heart that simply wasn’t broken, it had been annihilated? “Cancel Fontana. Apologize to Ben and Riot.”

“Why?”

“This is going to be my last season. Let’s do it the best way we can. Make a little money, walk away with our heads held high.”

Mal watched her walk away… defeated. She heard River’s phone ringing and cringed hoping it wouldn’t be either man calling to bitch her out. River would take it. It would be wrong of her to shoulder Mal’s mistake, but she would do it. When she hung up the phone, she shrugged at Mal.

“I have a meeting with D&T Racing tomorrow.”

“Riot called?”

“No, his secretary.”

“Still want to cancel Fontana?”

“No, if we are driving to Santa Maria, we may as well go to Fontana.” When she walked into the house, the TV was on the sports channel. She watched a race clip and recognized it for what it was. It was that week again. She needed to go to the fucking track anyway. It was a thing she did every year. This year she wouldn’t have to sneak in. She would already be on the track.

***

The drive from Carmel Valley to Santa Maria had been uneventful, which pleased River. Mal and Dan were headed to Fontana with the truck and trailer. Once she was reassured they had handled everything, River was on her way to the meeting with Riot. The night before she had wrestled with her decisions, but by morning she had settled on it and had made peace with it.

If things were ever going to change, she needed to move on from everything. Mal knew what was coming down the pipe since River clued her in by the pool the day before. River refused to apologize for what she needed to do. Her only regret was it was a little late to change things. At least that’s the way she saw it.

Riot wouldn’t like it. He would probably try to change her mind, telling her she was a stubborn pig-headed girl who needed to get her head out of her ass. There had been a time she would agree—but not this time. This time she had laid down her mantle, given up her high horse, and relegated herself to the reality that her passion for the sport had lessened and she didn’t know how to get that fire back.

After pulling into the parking lot, River quickly got out, not wanting to be late. Stepping through the door, she was greeted by a woman at the front desk asking her the usual questions. Who are you here to see? Are they expecting you? River answered without any attitude. She was there to make amends, not stir the pot. After the minor interrogation, the young woman led her to a waiting room, leaving her there to wait. A long hallway jetted off from the waiting area. River got up and walked down a little ways, looking at some of the framed pictures that hung haphazardly along its walls.

“River, it’s nice to see you.”

She stumbled over her own feet as her name was called out. Swallowing her embarrassment, River put her hand out to shake Jason’s. “It’s nice to see you again. I owe you an apology for my behavior at the last meeting.”

Jason noticed how weary she looked.Let her off the hook. “Water under the bridge.”

Giving him a small smile, River thought he had kind eyes, but knew him to be a fierce competitor when challenged. A lot of people underestimated Jason Trios. “That’s nice of you to say.”

Jason looped her arm through his, leading her towards Riot’s office because there was no other reason for her to be there. “Are you here to see Riot?”

“Yes, his secretary called yesterday asking for me to come in.”He’s going to be so mad.

“Are you in trouble with him?” Jason teased.

River hoped if she were in trouble someone would clue her in before she went into a closed-door meeting with Johnny Meniere. “I’m not sure what the meeting is about, to be honest.”

“I heard you’re practicing at Fontana tomorrow.”

“Yes, Mal set that up. If it’s a problem, I can have her cancel it.”

“No, it takes a lot during this time of year to get track time. I also don’t want her calling me.”

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