start living again. You have to, honey. You just have to.” His voice lowered on the plea.
He gave her a little smile. “There is someone out there who will understand and will love you. But if you don’t let anyone in, you’re never going to find him.” Her father hugged her tight again. “I just want you to be happy. You deserve that.”
“I am happy, Dad, here with you.”
“It’s not the same and you know it. I want you to go tonight. Even if nothing ever comes of you and Jesse, he and his friends are a good group of kids. They’re fun and you need that. You need to have people your own age to hang out with. Okay?”
“Eavesdropping again?”
“Well…”
Emery let her forehead drop against her father’s chest. “I’m going to go lay down.”
“You’re tired, aren’t you?”
“It was just a late night, you know that.”
“And you won’t do that again. You hear me?”
Her chin shot up. “Dad, I’ll do it as many times as it takes.” Her eyes narrowed as she went on guard with him again, her arm pointed behind him. “That’s my bike. It’s my name on the line, and as a matter of fact, your name as well. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep that bike on the podium. The rest is up to him, but he will never fail because of me.”
She felt a wave of heat dust across her skin at the thought, her deepest fear that she never spoke of for fear of jinxing herself. Given everything she’d been through, the thought of a bike failure was the one thing that stopped her cold.
“I love your Irish beauty, but your Irish stubborn streak is more than I can take.” Reid let out a small chuckle.
Just like that, the fire in her was gone again. Only her father could make her moods swing like a pendulum. Mike and Lance had been the only two to look her way when she raised her voice, but now they were back to their own thing again. Glancing around at the team, she smirked then raised her eyebrow at her d ad. “My Irish stubborn streak? Grandpa always calls you a stubborn Irish horse’s ass.”
Emery nodded proudly at the retort. It was the truth and they both knew it. It had been a lifelong battle of the wills in the Kincaid household. She wouldn’t trade one minute of it, either. Her dad was her world, only surpassed by one other—her brother. Riley was her best friend. The three of them together had taken on the world. They clashed now and again, but they loved much harder than they fought.
“Hmm, grandpa, well it takes one to know one, huh?” He pulled her close for another hug. “I love you, Em.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
Chapter Four
Emery had worked with each of the mechanics one on one throughout the day trying to get to know each of them and get a feel for the team as a whole. So far two impressed her, and if the others stepped up a little, they could really have a rock-solid foundation. With the parts the factory was supplying, there should be no reason they couldn’t put bikes up on the podiums. They had two lites riders who were very young, energetic and willing to learn, so that was good for the future, and a third lites rider that brought a year’s worth of experience with him. Plus, Jesse now had what he needed to get back to where he belonged. Everything seemed just about perfect, and that would thrill the average person. It only made Emery nervous.
She eyed everything and everyone around her, studying their interactions and their personalities. She zeroed in on one.
Bingo.
Emery had clued into his snarky attitude last night, but to be the bigger person, she had left him alone, hoping things would fall into place. If the young mechanic didn’t shape up, though, he’d be poison to her team. Something she would not tolerate. Emery kept a subtle eye on him and waited.
Molly walked up to the trailer again. Emery smiled at her and finished giving instructions to another one of her men on the team.
“Hey, Emery, I missed you at lunch today.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,
He gave her a little smile. “There is someone out there who will understand and will love you. But if you don’t let anyone in, you’re never going to find him.” Her father hugged her tight again. “I just want you to be happy. You deserve that.”
“I am happy, Dad, here with you.”
“It’s not the same and you know it. I want you to go tonight. Even if nothing ever comes of you and Jesse, he and his friends are a good group of kids. They’re fun and you need that. You need to have people your own age to hang out with. Okay?”
“Eavesdropping again?”
“Well…”
Emery let her forehead drop against her father’s chest. “I’m going to go lay down.”
“You’re tired, aren’t you?”
“It was just a late night, you know that.”
“And you won’t do that again. You hear me?”
Her chin shot up. “Dad, I’ll do it as many times as it takes.” Her eyes narrowed as she went on guard with him again, her arm pointed behind him. “That’s my bike. It’s my name on the line, and as a matter of fact, your name as well. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep that bike on the podium. The rest is up to him, but he will never fail because of me.”
She felt a wave of heat dust across her skin at the thought, her deepest fear that she never spoke of for fear of jinxing herself. Given everything she’d been through, the thought of a bike failure was the one thing that stopped her cold.
“I love your Irish beauty, but your Irish stubborn streak is more than I can take.” Reid let out a small chuckle.
Just like that, the fire in her was gone again. Only her father could make her moods swing like a pendulum. Mike and Lance had been the only two to look her way when she raised her voice, but now they were back to their own thing again. Glancing around at the team, she smirked then raised her eyebrow at her d ad. “My Irish stubborn streak? Grandpa always calls you a stubborn Irish horse’s ass.”
Emery nodded proudly at the retort. It was the truth and they both knew it. It had been a lifelong battle of the wills in the Kincaid household. She wouldn’t trade one minute of it, either. Her dad was her world, only surpassed by one other—her brother. Riley was her best friend. The three of them together had taken on the world. They clashed now and again, but they loved much harder than they fought.
“Hmm, grandpa, well it takes one to know one, huh?” He pulled her close for another hug. “I love you, Em.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
Chapter Four
Emery had worked with each of the mechanics one on one throughout the day trying to get to know each of them and get a feel for the team as a whole. So far two impressed her, and if the others stepped up a little, they could really have a rock-solid foundation. With the parts the factory was supplying, there should be no reason they couldn’t put bikes up on the podiums. They had two lites riders who were very young, energetic and willing to learn, so that was good for the future, and a third lites rider that brought a year’s worth of experience with him. Plus, Jesse now had what he needed to get back to where he belonged. Everything seemed just about perfect, and that would thrill the average person. It only made Emery nervous.
She eyed everything and everyone around her, studying their interactions and their personalities. She zeroed in on one.
Bingo.
Emery had clued into his snarky attitude last night, but to be the bigger person, she had left him alone, hoping things would fall into place. If the young mechanic didn’t shape up, though, he’d be poison to her team. Something she would not tolerate. Emery kept a subtle eye on him and waited.
Molly walked up to the trailer again. Emery smiled at her and finished giving instructions to another one of her men on the team.
“Hey, Emery, I missed you at lunch today.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,
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