The Comeback by Abby Gaines Read Free Book Online Page A

reporter was right on time. Unlike Zack.
    “Zack’s been detained at the workshop,” she explained to Kaye Martin, the reporter, as she ushered the woman into the great room. “He’s on fire about last week’s race, it’s hard to drag him away from perfecting the car for this week. He should be here any moment.”
    Luckily, Kaye didn’t seem perturbed.
    “What’s it like, working with such a hunk?” She examined a photo of Zack with his brothers that sat on the mantelpiece. It was the only photo in the room, and to Gaby it looked as if it was seven or eight years old.
    “Uh…easy on the eyes.”
    Kaye laughed.
    “You must meet plenty of hunks yourself, with the bachelor contest,” Gaby said.
    “Sure do.” Kaye sat on the couch that faced out to the lake. “Unfortunately, a lot of them know just how hunky they are.”
    “You’ll find Zack’s not like that.” As Gaby poured coffee, she willed him to pull up outside right now. As was usually the case when she tried to will him to do something, it didn’t work.
    They drank their first cup of coffee while they chattedabout the bachelor contest and the huge hit it was proving with the magazine’s readers. It was getting plenty of coverage on TV and in the national newspapers.
    “Zack should sign on for the contest,” Kaye suggested. “We had another NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver join up this week and we’ll be making an announcement before Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen. Readers start voting next week, so if Zack wants in, the sooner the better.”
    The truth—that Zack thought the contest was stupid—clearly wasn’t the right answer. “Zack’s well aware of the contest and the great publicity you’re getting, but he’s a naturally modest guy,” Gaby said, and realized it was true. Zack didn’t drop his big win at Daytona into conversation the way Trent would. Trent wasn’t a show-off, but he naturally highlighted his successes.
    A silence fell; Kaye glanced at her watch.
    Come on, Zack. “I’ll try his cell again,” Gaby said. Her call, watched by Kaye, went straight to voice mail. “The reception can be patchy around here, he’s probably a minute away,” she said brightly.
    He wasn’t. He wasn’t even fifteen minutes away. Just as Kaye was making noises about having to leave—long after Gaby herself would have given up—his pickup truck swept into the parking bay in front of the house. Only the fact that he hurried inside prevented Gaby from stabbing him with her pen.
    Thank goodness he was wearing a Getaway Resorts polo, she thought as she introduced him to the reporter. He didn’t have time to change.
    “Sorry I’m late,” he said distractedly. “My team worked through the night to find the glitch in my race car’s handling. We finally cracked it half an hour ago.”
    “So that’s not just designer stubble,” Kaye said archly, eyeing Zack’s unshaven chin.
    “Huh?” He registered the direction of her gaze, ran his hand over his jaw. “Uh, no.”
    Gaby rolled her eyes. If you’d asked Trent a question like that, he’d have made some flirty rejoinder that would have won instant forgiveness for his tardiness. Zack’s response highlighted how stupid the question was. Kaye’s lips tightened, but she sat back down on the couch, and switched on her voice-activated recorder.
    Zack slumped into the armchair opposite. From his long, slow blink, Gaby realized he was on the verge of falling asleep. Whatever adrenaline had carried him through the night, it had just run out.
    She had the horrible suspicion that no matter how good his intentions toward this interview, he might forget all their preparatory work.
    Give him caffeine. She poured him a coffee, though he seldom drank the stuff. He frowned when she shoved the cup into his hands, made to give it back, but when he caught her warning look he wrapped his fingers around it.
    A ring at the doorbell announced the magazine’s photographer, who was supposed to have arrived