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“Listen, be careful. Laurel isn’t playing with a full deck.” He felt he should warn her of how bat crap crazy Laurel was.

“That’s nothing new. Does your girlfriend know how you feel?” She smiled.

“Just because she’s good on her knees does not make her my girlfriend.”

Watching Archer turn to walk away, River saw an opportunity to make something good out of something bad. Her team would go ballistic. A chuckle of a laugh escaped her as she hustled to catch up with him. “You free of that contract with Laurel?”

Archer looked at her with a leery eye. “Yes. Why?”This crazy bitch is about to get me in trouble.

“Let’s have some fun out here today. Let the ghost go and make a new memory at this track.”

Sounded good to him as long as they wouldn’t end up in jail. “What’s the plan?”

“A fair race where we’re not gunning for each other?”

Riot and the others met them at the pit, and the look on his face said he was not happy. The laughter between River and Archer as they walked up made everyone pause. He stood there, a little thrown off as she made sure Archer knew everyone. They listened intently as the two explained Archer was no longer under contract with Canyon Racing, and that starting today they were on even ground. Riot eased back while everyone talked about the track. He could see every turn they spoke about, every dip, every straightaway. He closed his eyes, realizing he didn’t want to be there. The nightmares were eating him alive. He couldn’t get past it. The closer the day of the race came, the worse the dreams were getting. He needed to get away before he found himself drowning in a bottle of scotch. He felt a hand touch his arm. When he opened his eyes, River stood in front of him.

The thing he wanted most somehow had been triggering his nightmares. Her small compact body tempted him, her mass of wild hair and light grey eyes teased him, begged him. He wanted to scream at her to stop with the pushing and pulling at him, but sadly he realized it wasn’t her—it was him. And this time he needed to get off the ride. “You need something, River?”

She knew things had changed by the look in his eyes. There was no blame to be had, no fingers to point. Just two people finding their way, on their own terms. “I wanted to check on you.”

“I’m fine. I’ll be up top. If you need anything just let Ben know.”

“Ok.” She watched him walk away. Calling out to him, she thanked him for coming and watched as he nodded in return but continued walking the other direction. Her heart hurt, but her head said,let him go. River listened to her head and went back to the reason they were there. She needed track time before the season started in a few weeks. They just had to get through the next two weeks.

***

There were no fans, no beautiful women holding umbrellas over their heads keeping them cool. Just two talented riders looking to leave the world behind them for a couple hours. Leaning over, River stuck her hand out towards Archer who took it. A shake of their hands and a nod to each other spoke volumes. This would be the first time they raced without any other agendas. Nothing to prove, no ghost riding shotgun. This was their time to let it all float away.

River looked up to where Riot and the guys were watching from. She smiled, knowing they were chewing nails up there, worrying about what the fuck had they agreed to by letting her and Archer go head to head.Best idea I have come up with in years, River thought. No press. No Laurel. Perfect.

The lights went out and River punched it, paying no mind to Archer. He was there; she knew it. Her focus remained on the track in front of her. By turn one, Archer was right on her rear, pushing her hard. He never let up and neither did she.

Turn two, he slid past her on the inside. Ballsy move, something she had done in the past. River hounded him through the next straightaway and through turns three, four, and five. She overtook him coming out of six. She saw him wobble and side-saddled her bike in the straightaway to look back. When he recovered, she refocused and twisted the throttle, gaining air under her front tire.Hell!her mind screamed until the tire touched pavement and remained smooth.

It went back and forth between the two racers for the entire race, bringing them to a tie when they crossed the finish line. If it would have been a real race, someone would have noted that River’s front tire had crossed an inch before Archer’s, but there was no official and this was off the books. Pulling into the pit area, River sat on the bike long enough to take her helmet off. “Fuck, that was a great run!”

Archer agreed as he got off the bike. “If you ever need someone to help with trials or testing, call me. I would enjoy helping out.”

“What’s your feelings on umbrella boys?”

Archer made a face that had River laughing. “On the track. I hate having some bitch’s boobs in my face while I’m getting ready for a race. I think I should have a guy.”

“You want a guy… holding the umbrella over you?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you do that one time before?”

“Yes.” River laughed harder. She had always wondered if people remembered Duncan walking out onto the track in Georgia with no shirt on like he was a Chippendale dancer. “Fun times.”

Archer laughed at her as he walked away. She sat on her bike watching him head to the locker room. It had been a good day. No ghost chased her. After everyone talked about the bike’s performance and how she felt on the track, River went to change. Archer had headed out earlier for dinner with his sister—at least that’s what he told them—and River was looking forward to dinner with her team.

When she came out of the locker room, it was just Dan and Mal waiting on her. “Just us tonight?”

“Seems so, sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s always been the three of us after a race. No need to change that now.” She chanced a look where Riot had been earlier. Mal had been right, it was just them. River caught Mal’s expression. Squeezing her arm, she let her friend know she was okay. As they walked through the pit area towards the parking lot, that warm breeze that had played with her hair earlier in the day rushed past her again, caressing her face. Closing her eyes, she smiled thinking today had been a great day on the track at Fontana Speedway for her. “I’d call today a win.”

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