Page 18 of Full Throttle 2

They didn’t speak for a few moments. There was only the quiet rhythmic sound of Liam breathing and typing away on his laptop. Weirdly, it relaxed her.

Colby spoke softly into the phone, “Liam?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

His chest felt tight. Liam didn’t realize how much he needed to hear those words. “I love you too.”

Colby’s eyes began to feel heavy. They fluttered open and closed as she fought to stay awake. Finally, she gave up and fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter Nine

Colby gasped and placed a hand to her chest as she walked into the kitchen. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She hadn’t been expecting to see her dad. “You scared me!” It took a second for her brain to recognize him. “Shouldn’t you already be at the garage?”

Cyrus sat at the kitchen table, his legs crossed, reading a newspaper. “How would you know? You’ve been so preoccupied I didn’t think you even knew where it was.”

Ouch, Daddy.

Cyrus lowered the newspaper he’d been reading ever so slightly and peered over the top before casually glancing at his watch. “Good morning. Thought maybe we could drive over together.”

Nothing her father ever did was casual, and Colby didn’t miss the judgment in his eyes. He wanted to talk. Clearly, he and Liam had been coordinating.

She had slept in and still felt exhausted. Colby would need a double shot of caffeine to endure this conversation.Who knew a photoshoot could last all night and that Liam would keep me on the phone until I woke up this morning?Although, hearing his “Good morning” first thing was a wonderful way to start the day.

Colby’s feet felt heavy and made a sliding noise as she approached the coffee maker. “Dad, it’s after nine. Were you really waiting for me to wake up so we could drive over together?”

Initially, Cyrus ignored her question. “You might want to make a fresh pot. That stuff’s been sitting in that percolator since before the sun came up.”

Colby yawned as she pulled down the can of coffee grounds from the cabinet, changed her mind, and put it back. She was already late and didn’t have time to make a fresh pot. “Why don’t we have a Keurig again? It’s so much faster and less clean up.”

“Because it’s my house, and I don’t want one. Not to mention, that stuff is not as good as the coffee that comes out of the percolator.”

Colby’s head tilted slightly. “Won’t argue with that.”

“Anyway, can’t a father spend some quality time with his only daughter?”

He was laying it on thick. Colby grabbed her favorite pink mug out of the dish rack. She was going to have to drink the stuff of nightmares to endure this conversation. “Since I don’t have time to make a new pot, this will have to do.”

Cyrus raised a brow. “You don’t have time? It only takes a few minutes.”

“Daddy.” Colby sighed. “No, I don’t. If this is about missing the team meeting this morning, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep in this late. After I got home last night, I was up reviewing tape, and then Liam called.” Colby spoke as if it were an afterthought. “That reminds me, we need a strategy for Watson. Dude has really improved. I think it might be their turn to play spoiler in my next race.”

“Everybody is a spoiler. Liam called?”

“Daddy, don’t act like you didn’t know. I’m surprised he hasn’t called you already for an update, given the two of you are in cahoots.”

The crease between his eyes deepened. “How late were you up ’til?”

Colby could also see the worry lines on his forehead. “Daddy, I’ve got this.”

Cyrus finally placed the paper on the table. His penetrating gaze pierced hers. “No, you don’t. Why don’t you have some breakfast? I’ll make you some eggs.”

“Yes, I do, and I’m not hungry. I’ll grab something later at the garage.”

Cyrus opened his mouth to protest but stopped, seeing Colby was adamant. Taking a deep breath, Cyrus started anew. There was a worried edge to his voice. It wasn’t quite desperation but something akin to it. “If you could see what I see, you’d realize you don’t.”

Colby poured the thick mud-like liquid into her cup and took a sip. Her father liked strong coffee, but this was something else. She did her best to keep a straight face, but it tasted terrible. So terrible, Colby wondered if she would have to shave her chest from the hair that had probably grown there.

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