Read Online Racing for Freedom by Bec Botefuhr - Free Book Online Page B

good money. It’s enough at least, to keep me from having to move back home. I wrap a blanket around myself and flick through the channels until I find a movie on television. Country Strong, I love this movie, it always makes me cry, so it’s probably not the best choice for a day like today, but I can’t look away. It just grabs me.
    I’m half way through when the front door opens and Slade comes in. He’s alone, which surprises me. He’s had Kandee with him more often than not lately. He looks at me, pitifully wrapped in my blanket on the couch and smiles. He walks over and slumps down beside me, staring at the television with a scowl. I guess this movie is not his type, well so what, I like it.
    “You and your girly movies, you always did like them.”
    I look over at him and poke my tongue at him. He smirks and flicks it.
    “Ouch, you bully.”
    “Well, don’t poke it at me then.”
    I pout and turn back to the television.
    “Who’s the hot chick?”
    I frown at him. “That’s Kelly, she’s a country music star.”
    “Oh, she’s hot.”
    “Slade!”
    “Just sayin’.”
    “Well, she kills herself in the end.”
    He scrunches up his nose. “Way to ruin a good movie.”
    “It’s a beautiful movie.”
    “The leading lady dies, how’s it beautiful?”
    I smile. “Because the leading man falls in love with the other girl, and they save each other from going down the same path.”
    Slade snorts. “He must not have loved her a whole lot, if he fell in love so easily.”
    “I don’t think he really loved her, he just felt connected to her. He wanted to help her, to make her better.”
    Slade nods and stares at the screen a while, settling further into the couch beside me. Our thighs are touching and an electric bolt shoots through me. I swallow, suddenly uneasy. I shouldn’t be sitting this close to Slade and feeling ok about it.
    “Hey Dash, you remember that first Christmas we had together?”
    I smile, though it’s pained. “Yeah, you made me that stupid Christmas ball and I broke it.”
    “Hey, it wasn’t stupid. I spent hours on that.”
    “I know, and secretly I loved it. I pieced it all back together you know, I still have it.”
    “Bullshit.”
    “Serious!” I grin.
    “Show me.”
    I stand and drop my blanket, and I rush to my room. I dig through my cupboards until I find the ball. It’s red and made of light plastic. It’s all pieced back together with shitty super glue. It has my name on it, and Merry Christmas. I swallow and feel my throat tighten, when I stare down at it. Slade’s behind me in a moment, taking it from my hands.
    “Shit, you…kept it.”
    “I felt so bad that I broke it, I spent hours trying to piece it back together.”
    “You did a shitty job,” he chuckles.
    “Yeah, I did.”
    I look up at him and our eyes meet for a long, long moment. My heart hammers and I swallow. Oh god, why am I feeling like this? I shouldn’t feel like this. Slade looks away quickly, handing the ball back to me.
    “I have to go to work.”
    Then he turns and rushes out of the room. I sigh and sit on the bed, rolling the ball in my hands. What the hell are all these feelings and why the hell don’t I want them to leave?

Chapter Seventeen
     
    “Order up!”
    I spin and take the plate of food and slide it onto my arm, before rushing out and taking it to the correct table. Work is busy today, over the top busy. I have not stop running for the last two hours. I turn and there’s another order ready to be taken out and someone is shitty because they don’t like the food. Get over it. I rush around like a mad woman, clearing and serving, taking orders and politely smiling as customers complain. Customer is always right….yeah….right.
    “Dash, another one.” The chef calls from the kitchen.
    “Coming Lyle.”
    I rush over and take the next lot of plates, serving them quickly and then heading back to the counter to serve a woman, waiting by the register, with her foot