Page 64 of Race to the Beach

He didn't want to have this conversation over the phone, but it appeared that it might be his only option.He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Maxi’s number.The phone rang once and went to voicemail.He called again.The same thing happened again.On the third attempt, it didn't ring at all.It went straight to voicemail.

"Maxi, I stopped by to see you.Your aunt said you'd already gone to bed.She wasn't happy with me, not that I can blame her.I didn't want to have this conversation over the phone.Could you please meet with me?I can explain."

He kept walking until he reached the beach.He stared out at the water, and that was when he saw a couple walking along the water's edge.If he hadn't messed up, that was what he and Maxi would be doing right now.

Buzz.

His heart picked up its pace.He yanked the phone from his pocket and pressed it to his ear."Maxi?"

"Uh.No.It's Liam.Don't you check your call ID before you answer your phone."

A disappointed sigh crossed his lips.Deciding to ignore his brother's jab, he said, "Hey, what do you need?"He hoped this wasn't a call to tell him what a mistake he'd made with Maxi because he already knew it.

"Sorry.I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“You aren’t.What do you need?”

“It’s Tate.He’s very excited about the race.I’m having a hard time getting him to go to bed.I thought maybe I could bring him by the tent in the morning to see the car before the race.Would that be okay?”

“Definitely.Bring him by.”

It felt good to think and talk about something other than the mistakes he'd made with Maxi.And so for a moment, they talked about his car and his chances of winning the race.For those few minutes, he didn't dwell on the fact that he might have lost Maxi for good.

When the phone call ended, he found that he was exhausted.It had been a really long week with a lot of late nights.He turned for home.He didn't know if he'd sleep that night, but if he wanted to make sense when he spoke to Maxi the next day, he had to get some shut-eye.He had a feeling he was only going to have one chance to get it right.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Thealarmsounded.

Maxi’s eyes sprang open.She stared into the darkness.It took her a moment to get her bearings and silence the alarm.And then she realized what day it was.

It was race day.

She didn’t move.Her heart just wasn't in it.After a night of tossing and turning, she didn’t get much sleep.She kept thinking about Owen and how much she missed him.The only thing she wanted to do was pack up her stuff and haul her car back to Virginia.

A second alarm sounded.

With a groan, she threw back the covers and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.Once the alarm was silenced, she dragged herself out of bed.The race wasn't for hours.She’d set the alarms long before things crashed and burned with Owen.Originally, she’d wanted to be up early to have time to make some final tune-ups to the car.

She quietly opened the bedroom door.She glanced in the direction of her aunt's room.The door was still closed.Not wanting to wake her aunt, Maxi tiptoed to the bathroom and grabbed a quick shower.

When she was done, she glanced back at her aunt’s bedroom door.It appeared she was still sleeping.Maxi tiptoed back to her room.She felt like a little kid sneaking around.

Now dressed for the day and wearing a little bit of makeup, she took another glance in the mirror.Her hair was swept up in a messy bun.She just didn’t want to deal with it.

As she was about to head downstairs, her gaze strayed across the heart pin on the dresser.Her fingertips traced over it.She’d thought Owen finding it was some sort of sign from her mother that maybe he was the one.How could she have been so wrong about him?

She turned away from the dresser and moved to the hallway.She tiptoed through the hall and down the stairs.It was so early that if she left the island right away, she'd make good progress on her way back to Virginia.

The idea clung to her as she stepped into the kitchen.She heard something.She stopped and listened.It was the dripping of the faucet.It reminded her of why she'd entered the race in the first place.And in that moment, she knew no matter how much she wanted to escape the island and all of the memories of Owen that she owed it to her aunt to stay and see if she could win the cash prize.

After all, her car was repaired now.There was no legitimate reason she couldn't participate.She made herself a cup of coffee.As she sat down at the table, her thoughts returned to Owen.

Her heart broke a little more every time she recalled seeing Owen with Regan in his arms.Why in the world did she think they'd shared something extra special?It wasn’t like he ever considered marrying her like he had Regan.Maxi realized that they’d only shared a summer fling.But to ask someone to spend the rest of their life with you, you needed a deep and abiding love.At least, she would need that.

The more she replayed the events of the last twenty-four hours, the more her head hurt.That wouldn't help her win the race.She finished her coffee and placed the cup in the dishwasher.She didn't have an appetite so she skipped eating.

With pent-up energy, she stepped outside.The sun was just rising.The horizon was painted in shades of brilliant pinks and purples.It was going to be a gorgeous day for the race.If only her mood matched the weather.

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