Page 41 (1/2)

Not for her, anyway

She rolled over on her side and closed her eyes, needing to shut it all out, just for a few ain

And then again,with Gray had changed everything

The floodgates burst and she let out a soft sob, then anguished cries as pain wrapped itself around her, squeezing her until she couldn’t breathe

She’d lost him She loved hio anyway

There was no winner at all in this race

GRAY THREW THE REMOTE ACROSS THE ROOM

Daone down

He dragged his fingers through his hair, so dao after Evelyn, to pull her into his ars were obliterated

Seeing her tonight had made him so happy

Why hadn’t she been happy, too?

He’d wanted to surprise her, not piss her off

Had he presuuys He leaned his head back against the sofa and stared at the white ceiling fan blades, their soft whirring sound the only noise in the otherwise quiet suite

He was a guy, and guys weren’t all emotional and shit Wo And God knew Evelyn was a ht He’dher where he was He would have loved to have seen her this week, even if only for a few iven hi like shit, which wascar bit

So why hadn’t he let her? Because he thought he kneas best for her?

Since when? She was an independent wo her job and their relationship

But maybe the accident and subsequent end of his season had altered his mood more than a little, and he’d backed off his relationship with Evelyn because of it

What better way of altering a relationship than calling all the shots, right? It was the one thing he’d been able to control in this whole out-of-control week

Only he hadn’t been in control of the relationship with Evelyn any more than he’d been in control of the nuained nothing, and lost everything

Noas he going to do about it? Because Evelyn had just walked out on his between the to fix this now? Or could he even fix it?

He grabbed his phone and made a call He needed help

TWENTY-NINE

"WOW YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO FUCK UP A RELATIONSHIP, don’t you?"

A week after the convention, Gray was resting on the back deck of his place in Daytona At least he had co Tampa Bay next, so he and his fiancée, Alicia, were spending the day with hi for, buddy"

Garrett laughed "Hey, if you want a pep talk, call soet froht, Alicia?"

Alicia winced "I was hoping I wouldn’t get dragged into this one, but yes He’s kind of right, Gray There’s nothing worse than telling a woman she can’t do it all

And you hid from her While you were injured You knooman who cares about you would want to check on you and be sure you were okay What were you thinking?"

Gray sighed "I was trying to help But I et that now"

"Well, that’s a first step--ad the beer to his lips "Nohat?"

"I have no idea She’s back in Washington and busy as hell with the presidential cao after her"

Gray rapped on his cast with his knuckles "I’m a little slowed down here"

"Oh, the pooryou can’t do? Gimme a break You’ve always been theyou can’t do, cast and broken ribs or not So what’s got you flummoxed?"

He looked out over the water "I don’t want to hurt her again"

"Man, love really screith your head, doesn’t it?"

"Hey," Alicia said, giving Garrett a lare

"I didn’t say it screwed hed and turned to face Gray "So, do you have a plan? And hopefully that plan doesn’t include ht ain Ours is a co to that place where the two of us could be together isn’t easy"

Alicia leaned over and laid her hand on his "Gray It doesn’t matter who you are or what your circumstances are Love is never easy But if she’s worth it, you’ll find a way toback and relaxing here at his beach house Right noas frustrated because he couldn’t even be at the track until he was , and for hi a woman take precedence over his career was a first Thatfor

He would make this work

"I have an idea or two I want to run it by you both and you can tell rinned "You know I’d love to help I want you to be happy"

"I don’t care if you’re happy or not," Garrett said "But I do like the view here, er, I’hed, knowing Garrett would bend over backward to help him out "I knew I could count on you, Alicia Garrett, you’re on beer duty"

"Done Beer for me and Alicia, lemonade and a pain pill for you"

"You’re so funny"

"Okay, seriously," Garrett said "I’m happy to lend an ear or do whatever I can to see true love prevail" Garrett sent a look over at Alicia that had her s in return