Page 142 of Down & Dirty

“On the race. He’d barely made it halfway through the first lap of the main before he went off course. I don’t think he came back, because he was still on the side right before I got ejected.”

“I thought he was in the same crash?”

“No,” Ronnie shook his head hard. “His helmet was off. He wasn’t even trying to get back on.”

Maybe it was nothing. Maybe Ronnie was wrong. But the possibility that Cory had chosen to leave the race felt like a tiny sliver of light in this tangled mess we’d made.

“He should never have been out there in the first place,” I said, only to find my brother giving me an exasperated look.

“You know as well as I do that guy wasn’t made to quit. If he opted out there was a reason.”

“Don’t try to defend him.”

“Why not? The guy has been a fucking mess since you left. Any man who lets a woman screw him up that much isn’t just dicking around. And judging by how wrecked you look, neither were you.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I didn’t and in my silence, Ronnie ran his hand through his hair and went on.

“I obviously have no idea what relationships are like, and you two might be better off done for all I know. But from where I sit, it looks like you at least owe it to yourselves to lay all your cards on the table. Isn’t that what mom always says? Not to let assumptions call the shots.”

“Something like that.”

My brother being the voice of reason in my life was about as unnerving as the chance what he was saying was right. But if he was, I needed to know.

CHAPTER 47

CORY

“This is either brilliant or the dumbest stunt you’ve ever pulled,” Mack said, standing beside me with a hammer in his hand. “And with you, that toss up usually leans in the dumb direction.”

My eyes scanned the porch rail we’d just fixed. “Even if it blows up in my face, it’ll still be worth it.”

“You could have just bought one of those new constructions closer to the lake.”

“Nope. No charm. No character.”

“No termites. No drafty windows.”

I gave him a sideways glance. I knew my brother liked this house. He’d never have been so quick to help me fix it up otherwise. Mack was as loyal as the day was long, but if he really thought this place wasn’t worth the effort, he’d have made sure I knew. Instead, he’d shown up the day after I bought the old farmhouse, tools and insults at the ready.

“You have no vision,” I told him, giving the rail a shove to make sure it held.

“You have no job,” he scoffed. “Sinking all that cash into this place seems like a pretty big gamble, considering the woman hasn’t called you in weeks.”

The same nagging fear stirred in my chest. But I shoved it down. Sky said she needed time. So that’s what I was giving her. I was just making good use of it.

I’d had my eye on this place since Thanksgiving, when she’d practically climbed over the seat to get a look at it on the way to the football game. Joey Jordan’s parents had been holding onto the old farm out of nostalgia more than anything else. And when I offered to buy it for cash, they’d been happy to let it go.

“She’ll call.” Sky might not have given me a time frame, but there was no way she’d ghost me, not after everything we’d been through.

“And if she wants to live someplace beside this sleepy podunk town? She’s a West-coaster.”

“Then I’ll sell it and buy something else. Wherever she wants to be.”

But I wanted to be prepared. Whenever Sky did call me, I was going to get on the next flight out, armed with a home for us to build a life in, and a hell of a lot of apologies.

Mack sighed, scratching the back of his neck like he had something to say. Finally, he huffed out a breath and looked my way. “You sure you’re done racing?”

My family never talked about my career, so it took me a second to register what he’d just asked. “Yeah. I’m done. The team is waiting on the announcement until they can shape the narrative or whatever. But I’m out.”

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