Hot Laps by Shey Stahl Read Free Book Online Page A

naturally Jameson put super glue the football.” She clutched at my side, her laughter
     taking over and I couldn’t help but laugh, too. “Spencer had that damn thing on his
     hand for a week but refused to admit it was glued on him. Wouldn’t give Jameson the
     satisfaction of knowing it.”
    “I bet that pissed Dad off, huh?” We were at her car now in my parent’s driveway standing
     near the door. I reached down and opened it for her.
    “Very much so. He was so mad that he’d sit there and glare at Spencer and try to get
     him to just say it or throw the football to him. He never would.”
    Grandma hugged me as we laughed and I held her close kissing the top of her warm head.
     She tucked in nicely under my arms and hung on for a moment. “I love you, sweet boy.”
    “Love you too, Grammy.”
    We parted ways that night until Sunday when we had movie room. All the lights were
     off in the house, my parents probably in bed already on the third floor they occupied
     all to themselves.
    Rosa was still in the movie room, snoring now curled up on the reclining leather couches
     in the front of the room. She woke up when I got inside and put on Ride Along since I hadn’t seen it yet.
    Ten minutes into the movie and I was sound asleep on her shoulder just like every
     other night.

Formation Lap – A lap where the cars get their starting order figured out before the
     green flag is thrown.
     
    On the way home from work, in a Casten daze, I forgot to get something for dinner.
     I’d skipped lunch earlier too. With the amount of alcohol I’d consumed the night before,
     it was definitely time for some food.
    There was this amazing fast food place up the street that I usually went to drunk
     but guess what, I was sober. So I called in my order and then picked it up on the
     way back to my apartment.
    As I waited for my chicken fingers and creamy garlic sauce, my thoughts drifted to
     that sexy engine builder and the possibility of getting to know him a little more.
    Who knew working could be so great.
    Anna worked, her parents made her, and she told me all these horror stories about
     office drama. Given, she worked for an insurance company in Charlotte with a bunch
     of snotty assholes, including her mother.
    Me? It was determined today that I worked with the hottest man on Earth and his son
     would be mine soon.
    Obviously, my mind drifted to him inspecting me like he did that engine in his stall
     today. After we met, I watched him work. My desk overlooked the shop through these
     large glass windows.
    Lucky me, huh?
    He spent the afternoon in what Bailey told me was a tear down of an engine. His head
     never lifted, his hands thoroughly studying every part he removed. The determination
     he put into just an engine let me know that this boy wasn’t just a boy. He was a gifted
     motherfucker and I intended to find out just how talented he was.
    Oh the possibilities.
    “Here ya go, Hayden,” John called out to me.
    “Thank you much.” I did a little bow to John, the owner who gave me free food all
     the time and spun on my tip toes with my bag of awesomeness. That’s not that easy
     when you’re wearing flip-flops.
    “Hayden?”
    I turned around when I heard my name. I recognized that voice anywhere.
    My eyes froze on Casten about ten feet away with an older woman, eating.
    “Oh, hey, uh … yeah,” I was like some kind of fish out of water, gasping for words
     instead of air. “Hey …”
    Casten’s eyes locked with mine and he winked. “Hey there.”
    I don’t know why, but my cheeks immediately turned red. I could even feel the heat
     radiating from me and warming the air.
    Blinking, I settled my stare on him and his hands wrapped around his milkshake. Look
     at those hands! So strong, long fingers that could surely inspect any block. Thoughts
     quickly turned back to his engine work today and his meticulous work. I knew then
     Casten Riley would be very good at anything he chose to do with his