Free Race to Redemption by Megan Faust

hallway and beamed at them though she was met with a somber distracted look from Seth, and an openly hostile glare from Brant. Neither could dampen her spirits and she smiled all the way down to dinner.
    Trey wasn’t in nearly as good a mood. He was standing in the bathroom staring at his reflection in the half steamed mirror. His afternoon romp with Chloe had been a delightful surprise and he had enjoyed himself immensely. And then she had admitted that she loved him and he’d started thinking about showing her around Chicago, maybe even introducing her to his older sister, and even possibly his mother. And then she had made him promise to keep their relationship a secret until after the big race, at least, and reality crashed around his ears.
    They were rivals, really; she was spotting for her brother after all. As much as he hated clichés and loathed Shakespeare they were quickly turning into a modern day Romeo and Juliet.
    “No one is dying,” he muttered and sighed. He looked his reflection square in the eye and said, “A promise made is as good as law. You can’t walk into the dining room and kiss her, but it doesn’t mean you can’t make Brant see the error of his opinions. Lots of drivers are friendly off the track. I just have to tell him he’s wrong about me. I didn’t wreck his car; I’ve never touched another driver’s car. I can make him see reason, even if I can’t make him like me.” He took a few deep breaths. “This is not the scariest thing I’ve done in my life.”
    Outside the dining room he paused when he saw Chloe and her brothers were already seated and almost finished their meal. He watched her sip her wine and laugh at something her brother said. She looked radiant.
    She glanced up and her smile faltered when she saw him. He winked and walked over to the bar. Chloe returned her attention to Seth who was recounting his day at the track.
    “So then this one woman, who must have been sixty if she was a day, she’s driving her son’s car in the Lipstick Laps and nearly takes out four other cars. I swear the old bat was blind. I only hope her son is a better driver or he’ll be humiliated tomorrow.”
    Brant was chuckling. “The real race is always between the top half dozen racers. The rest are just there to clutter up the track.”
    “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
    All three siblings looked up and Chloe’s heart nearly stopped. Trey Williams was standing next to their table with a fresh bottle of beer in his hand. He was smiling and all his attention was on Brant.
    “Can I join you?”
    “We’re not really interested in company,” Brant said, his smile disappearing and his pleasant demeanor turning hostile.
    “Look, I’ve heard some of the rumours and I can understand why you’re not exactly thrilled to see me.”
    “You’re right, we’re not thrilled. You can leave now. “
    “Brant, I didn’t do anything to you. Whatever people are saying, it’s nothing more than rumour. Why would I do something that could potentially kill a man?”
    “I don’t know,” Brant snarled. “But because of you we have to waste at least an hour every day just checking our car over for signs of sabotage.”
    “I have never touched another driver’s car, and I have never set foot in your shop bay.”
    “No,” Seth said. “Would you care to explain these?” He dropped a pair of oversized mirrored shades on the table.
    “Me explain? I’ve been looking for those since yesterday. It’s one thing to accuse a man of, well, anything. It’s another to take his personal possessions.”
    “I didn’t take them,” Seth said calmly, pocketing the glasses again. “You left them in my tool box last time you came in to tinker with Brant’s car.”
    “I did no such thing and a pair of glasses in a tool box proves nothing. They could be anyone’s.”
    “Even you seemed sure they were yours,” Brant said. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his