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"After o to Harvard and took the baseball scholarship to Oklahoh after that"
"Because your father thought your schooling and career should go one way, and you wanted to go in another direction"
"Yes He wanted o into law, and eventually follow him into politics That was never my passion"
She nodded "Because sports had always been what you loved"
Funny how easily she understood that, and his father never had "Yeah The old man was pissed when I turned down Harvard"
"Understandable It’s always a parent’s dream that a child will follow in their footsteps I’m sure he was disappointed"
"Oh, he was more than disappointed He railed about it, calledmy life And then he cut me off financially fro to insist onit on"I’aze fir to have his oay, by the tiured that’s probably what he was going to do"
"Didn’t your mother run interference for you?"
"She tried, but once Mitchell Preston e his mind There wasn’t much she could do The family money is all his But I had the scholarship to Oklahoma, so I didn’t need his money I worked my ass off at school, worked part-tied just fine Even got an offer frolanced over at her She was frowning
"But you didn’t pursue baseball"
"Yeah, I know It was enough to know I could have succeeded I liked playing ball, but e I pursued it professionally, made it my full-time career"
"You’ve done very well for yourself You should be proud And all without Prestonthe words froot lucky and raced with someone who showed ave me a car and let me shohat I could do After I won a chah to sustain me until I turned twenty-five That’s when I received the inheritancemy father couldn’t control
"I took that , went out on my own and built a successful race tea, he shifted his gaze to hers "What?"
Her lips curved "There’s such a spark when you talk about racing I can’t i that kind of fire in you in law or politics"
He let out a laugh "I’d have hated it I’d have been et to do what they love"
He took the exit that would lead to the ht, he turned to her "You are"
"That’s true I guess both of us are very lucky"
"I guess we are And I have Bill Briscoe to thank for that He kept me focused, e chip on my shoulder and a lot to prove He knocked that off and toldon ht and made his way down the road "He helped shape who I am today I owe him a lot I just hope he’s okay"
Evelyn leaned over and squeezed his leg "Me, too"
Bill and Ginger’s house was on campus, just down the street froot out
"Drew and Trevor aren’t here yet, but there’s a car I don’t recognize in the driveway It ht be Haven," he said as he held the door for Evelyn
"Haven being their daughter?"
"Yeah She was around a lot ere in school Even attended the college
She’s the sae as Carolina She tutored Trevor for a while" Gray smiled "God, he hated that"
The house looked the sah it could have used a new coat of paint The white trim was flaked in spots, and a few of the porch steps looked like they could use so Otherwise, the one-story ranch-style house still had hanging geraniu chairs on the porch, and the front door was open as always
Gray knocked on the screen door "Anyone hoer Briscoe said "Coer and Bill don’t believe in strangers You knock, you’re alelcome to come in"
Evelyn looked a little wide eyed with disbelief over that one So had Gray, the first time Bill had told him that, but that’s the kind of people they were
He held the door open for Evelyn and they stepped in Soer ca in a wide smile as she spotted him
"Grayson Preston I can’t believe you’re here" She opened her arer It’s been too long"
She squeezed him, patted him on the back, and when he set her down, her smile was still as wide as the entire state
"What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be out sohed "I was at the ranch for the Fourth, so thought I’d drop by Miss Ginger, this is er Briscoe, best cook in all of Oklahoeous woman in the state"
"Oh, you’re still a sweet talker, I see" Ginger turned to Evelyn and, though Evelyn had started to extend her hand, she folded her into a hug "If you’re with Gray, you get a hug from me Nice to meet you, Evelyn"
Evelyn blinked and looked surprised "Nice to er"
"There you go Now you two must be thirsty How about some sweet tea? I just reat Where’s Bill?"
"He’s in the kitchen botheringto cook Come on back He’ll be pleased as punch to see you"
Gray took Evelyn’s hand and led her down the hall Yeah, still the same yellow and blue striped wallpaper, still the sahout the house, the sa polished and clean and s like lemon oil It reer looked the same, maybe a little older and a little heftier than the last tiy
When they walked into the kitchen, though, his heart sank