“High! Go high, high, high!”
When I saw his car emerge from the cloud of smoke, I pushed out a relieved sigh. Then another car shot up the track and clipped the back of Malcolm’s car, causing it to start spinning.
I quickly stood as did Dalton. It happened right in front of us. His car flew in the air and proceeded to flip end over end before hitting hard and being hit on the driver’s side by another car and driven up into the wall.
That did not just happen. Please God, no.
Every ounce of air was sucked out of me as I covered my mouth and I fought to hold back my tears. It wasn’t lost on me that a camera had been pointed up to me numerous times since the race started. The last thing I wanted to do was something wrong. This world was so new to me and I was the gossip talk of the track today.
Grabbing onto Dalton’s arm, I turned to him as he spoke. “Malcolm. Talk to me.”
Silence filled the air. I couldn’t hear anything else. Not the crowd, the sirens, the yelling. Nothing.
“Malcolm,” I whispered as fear gripped my chest.
“Russ? Movement?”
Russ didn’t respond and I found myself glancing up to all the spotters. It wasn’t but a few nights ago we were up on that roof, and one single kiss from Malcolm had brought to life a part of me I never knew existed.
I slowly sat down as I focused on Malcolm’s car.
“No,” was all Russ said.
Dalton shot a quick look my way before saying Malcolm’s name again.
Sitting motionless, I watched as emergency crews rushed to Malcolm’s car.
Closing my eyes, I prayed like I had never prayed before.
Please God. Please don’t take him from me.
Not him, I beg of you.
Please.
THE PAIN IN MY RIGHT leg was like nothing I’d ever experienced before in my life.
“Don’t move, Malcolm!” the emergency crew guy called out.
“Fuck!” I cried out as they helped me out of the car. The smell of burning rubber and gas filled my senses and made my eyes water. Or maybe it was the pain making my eyes water.
“Your leg is broken,” someone said as I shut my eyes.
“No fuck,” I said, squeezing my fists together.
People were surrounding the car and me as I fought to keep from crying out.
Son-of-a-bitch. I can’t believe this.
“Keep still, we’ve got to stabilize your leg,” one of the guys said.
Paislie.
Shit. She’s probably scared shitless.
“Who has a phone?” I called out as they all looked at me like I was insane.
By the time I was being put in the ambulance, I was practically on the verge of begging them to knock me out. The ambulance stopped and the doors opened. The moment I saw her, the pain vanished.
Okay maybe didn’t vanish, but damn near did.
Her brows were pinched together as she narrowed in on my leg. When her green eyes looked up, I was stunned to see the tears in them. She quickly got her composure and started asking the medic if they did certain things to which he said yes to everything. She moved and sat next me while reaching for my hand.
“Hey,” I said as she closed her eyes and sighed loudly before looking back at me.
“Malcolm Wallace, you scared the piss out of me!”
“Were you a little bit impressed, though?”
Her mouth dropped before snapping shut as she glared at me. “Are you insane? You’re completely insane.”
“It was pretty bad ass how that car was flipping, though, admit it.”
She held up her hand and looked away. “I need a minute.”
Everything started to go blurry as the medic’s voice seemed to be talking in slow motion.
Trying to talk, my mouth felt dry and my eyelids heavy.
Before I knew it, there was nothing but darkness.
Opening my eyes, I looked around the room. Why was I not surprised it was empty?
I heard a door open and turned to see an adorable Paislie yawning as she stretched her arms over her head.
When she looked over to me, her smile melted my heart. “Malcolm,” she mumbled as she came to my side. “How’s the pain?”
“Hurts like a motherfucker.”
She lifted her brow and gave me a look that only a mom should be giving.
“Your sister and parents are here. I also got to meet one very adorable little girl who sure loves her Uncle Malcolm.”
My heart filled with warmth as I thought about Sophie. “Sophie.”
I tried to adjust myself but had a hard time with practically my entire leg in a cast and held up. “Fuck, I thought they only did this shit in the movies.”
Paislie helped me get more comfortable as I dropped my head back and let out a moan. “So . . . my mom and pop haven’t scared you off yet?”
She giggled and said, “Nope. I’ve only talked to them once. Autumn introduced me to them. I’ve kind of kept out of the way. You passed out in the ambulance, and once they brought you into surgery I hung out with my friend Karrie who’s a nurse. She kept me updated on your surgery.”
I wasn’t sure why it bothered me that Paislie felt like she couldn’t be with my family.
“Where are they now?”
“Um, they ran back to their hotel for a bit. Sophie was cranky and tired. I think Autumn said she was going to stay at the hotel while your mother and father came back to the hospital. She asked if I would stay with you until you woke up.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head before looking up at her. “So, tell me . . . who’s gonna be the most honest with me about this?”
Her teeth sunk down into her lip as she stole a peek at my leg and then back to me.
“You want honest?”
“Always.”
Something moved over her face as she cleared her throat. “You’re going to need extensive rehabilitation. You not only had a compound fracture of your leg, you broke your patella.”
My heart dropped. “What about racing?” Paislie’s eyes looked away. “Paislie . . . please.”
She pulled and pushed her lip in and out of her mouth nervously. “Your doctor should be the one to talk to you, Malcolm.”
“Paislie!” I said louder than I wanted to.
She jumped and took a step back before standing up straighter. “You’ll be in the cast for at least six weeks and then you’ll have to do physical therapy. Your mobility in your leg might be . . . compromised.”
I swallowed hard. “Meaning?”
“I’m guessing you use your left leg to push in the clutch. Your strength in that leg could be affected by the break. If you have good physical therapy, there’s a chance you’ll have full use and can build it back up.”
“Then that’s what will happen,” I said, matter-of-factly.
She smiled. “Positive thinking is a great way to be.”
“How often will I need the physical therapy?”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure. You’ll need another surgery to remove the pins. I’m more concerned about your knee than your leg. The doctors will give you more of an idea as you begin to heal.”
For the first time in my life, I was unsure about my future and that scared the piss out of me. Racing was my life. I needed the rush. I craved it. I had to have it to keep all my other demons away.
There was nothing in this world that could ever replace the feeling I had when I was behind the wheel.
Nothing.
“Nothing in my life matters besides racing.”
Paislie looked at me with a confused look. “So you’re tell me your life is over if you can’t get into a racecar again? Seriously, Malcolm? You’re lucky to be alive.”
The whole reason I raced the way I did was because I never cared about life. I lived it from day to day.
“I race the way I do because I don’t give a fuck about life.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “How can you say that?”
With a gruff laugh,
I shook my head. “Why do you think I’m the way I am?” My leg was throbbing as the pain built. “I like the rush from the adrenaline. I don’t fucking jump out of planes or rock climb because it’s a fun sport. It gives me a thrill and makes me forget.”
Her head tilted as she stared at me. “Forget what?”
I closed my eyes and saw Casey’s smile. Popping my eyes back open, I shook my head. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Her eyes grew angry as she shook her head. “Oh yeah, because I’ve never wanted to escape life before,” she said sarcastically. “I don’t try to kill myself while doing it, though.”
I laughed as I looked into her eyes. “No you only try to escape by fucking guys. I do it with living my life on the edge.”
Her mouth parted open and I saw the hurt move across her face. Pressing her lips together, she shot me a dirty look.
Fuck. Why did I say that?
I needed her to leave before I said something else I would be regretting.
“Paislie, would you mind leaving me alone for a bit, please?”
A look moved over Paislie’s face before she took a few steps back. She reached for her purse and headed to the door.
“Wait. I didn’t mean what I said, I—”
Paislie turned back and glared at me. “I’ve never told anyone the things I shared with you on that roof. But thank you for letting me know what you think about me, Malcolm. It was very enlightening.”
“No. Paislie, I’m just angry and I need some time to process all this bullshit and I can’t do it right now.”
She let out a huff. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of people to help you process . . . including Ashley.”
Before I could even think of something to say in response, she opened the door and walked out.
Leaving me in the silence I asked for.
TWO MONTHS HAD PASSED SINCE I walked out of Malcolm’s hospital room. It took him two days before he called and left a message saying he really wanted to see me. When I didn’t answer, he kept calling and sending text messages.
I changed my number two weeks later. The only good thing was he at least had the decency not to bother me at work. He probably met some nurse who was taking care of him.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I dropped my pen onto my desk and buried my face in my hands. Was it time to go home yet?
My phone buzzed as I picked it up. “Hey, Stephanie, what’s up?”
“Tyler wants you to come to his office.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. Tyler was the owner of Southlake Physical Therapy and if you did your job, he left you alone. I could only imagine why he was calling me in. The last time it was to work on a patient no one else could handle. He was cranky, mean, and never wanted to do what you asked him to do. Unfortunately, Tyler felt like I was the right person for the job. It took three months to finally break the guy’s mold. It took tough love and me telling him to piss off a time or two. I had a strange feeling I was about to be tested again.
“I’ll be right there.”
I pushed my chair back and stood as I pulled a deep cleansing breath through my nose and blew it out through my mouth. Elizabeth had decided I needed to do yoga with her. After telling her what happened with Malcolm, she declared a no-guy zone for six months and I agreed to it. I was getting my inner-nun on.
Knocking lightly on Tyler’s door, I heard him say to come in. When the door opened, I smiled and walked in, taking a seat in one of the chairs facing his large oak desk.
He had multiple awards on the wall behind him as well as pictures of his family.
He looked at me intently for a few moments before saying, “Paislie, you know you’ve become one of my top physical therapists.”
I moved about nervously in my seat. I was never one to take compliments well.
“Thank you, Tyler.”
“You’ve been a huge part of the growing of this practice. But I need to know how far you’ll go to help it grow even more.”
A sick feeling moved over me as I raised my eyebrow at him.
“Are you willing to travel for a job?”
My body relaxed and I almost sighed with relief. I shrugged and said, “By travel, what do you mean? Like drive somewhere each day?”
“No, I mean travel to a client’s house and pretty much live-in with them during their recovery. They are willing to double your salary, take care of your room and board and pay your current monthly rent in return for PT four times a week.”
My eyes widened in shock. “Wow. That seems pretty excessive to have a physical therapist at their beck and call.
Tyler nodded. “I admit, it was a shock to me at first and he offered a rather hefty bonus for taking you away from the practice, but this client is not hurting for money.”
“Clearly,” I mumbled. “I mean . . . well, I have my cat. What would I do with her?”
“Take her.”
This time my mouth fell open. “W-what?”
“They were very specific on this. If you had any pets, you were free to bring them.”
I furrowed my eyebrows and gave Tyler a dazed look before laughing. “Wait. Is this some kind of joke?”
He slowly shook his head. “No. I’m being one-hundred-percent serious. The client has had two other physical therapists and fired them both.”
Oh great. Another asshole is exactly what I need in my life right now. The last thing I wanted to deal with was a guy with a big ego and even bigger pocketbook. Those were the kind who usually thought they owned you.
My father had shown up on my doorstep two weeks after seeing my picture in the paper with Malcolm. He figured I had landed a rich boyfriend and was seeing what he could get out of me. The minute he found out I was no longer in contact with Malcolm, he took off again. Never mind the fact I agreed to have lunch with him and he never showed up.
Someday I’ll learn.
I brought my fingers up to my temples as I chuckled and said, “Okay, so let me get this straight.” Dropping my hands back down, I looked directly at my boss. “I have to travel to this person and live with them?”
“Yes, here in Texas.”
I shook my head in a very confused manner. “And they’re willing to pay twice my salary plus room and board, plus pay my current apartment’s rent, and I can bring my cat?”
“Yep.”
“Are they are a hermit or something? Have you checked them out? Will I be held captive and chopped up into a million pieces?”
Tyler smirked along with giving me a shrug. “I hope not, because like I said, you’re one of my best.”
I rolled my eyes. I knew Tyler would have done his research before sending me off to live with a hermit. “Do I have set days off?”
Tyler handed me a piece of paper that listed me working Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday I had off.
Shit. Tyler had me at twice my salary, but something didn’t feel right with this, but I let the money override my good sense.
“I’ll do it.”
With a sigh of relief, his body relaxed. “Thank God, I already said you would.”
“Tyler!” I cried out as he picked up the phone and hit the button for Stephanie.
“Stephanie, please let Mrs. Moss know Paislie will be there first thing Monday morning.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tyler and I both stood up as he gave me a warm smile. “Paislie, it means a lot to me that you’re such a team player and don’t worry, I had the guy checked out with a full background check and all. It’s because of people like you that our practice has such an amazing reputation. Matter of fact, this client requested you personally so he’d already heard about how great you were. You’re going to love Crawford, Texas. The guy owns a huge ranch and said you’ll have access to all of it.”
My heart fell to my stomach. “Crawford, Texas?” My breathing picked up. There is no fucking way. “You said he owns a ranch . . . in Crawford?”
“Yep.”
r /> A sick feeling moved over my body as I asked, “W-what’s the client’s name?”
“Malcolm. Malcolm Wallace. He’s a NASCAR driver, so I’m hoping this will open the door for us even more.”
The room spun as I reached for something to hold me up.
“That asshole,” I whispered under my breath. I was going to break his other leg the second I saw him.
I sat in my car and stared at the mansion of a house. “Holy. Shit.”
Never mind it felt like I drove forever down the long-ass driveway, but now I stared at a ranch-style house that looked like it was the size of the White House.
Okay, that’s a stretch. It was big, though.
Huge.
Frowning, I shook my head. “Guess Malcolm has a size issue.”
With a frustrated huff, I opened the door to my car and got out as I took a better look at the house.
It was a sandstone two-story house with a metal roof. All the windows were framed in black shutters with a black iron railing running across the porch. The front door was a massive double wood door.
“Pompous ass.”
Maybe I should have talked to Elizabeth about this. I had a feeling I made a very poor decision. But the money would help me in so many ways. Depending on how much time I’d be here, I could make enough money to buy the house I’d always dreamed of.
The front door open and an older woman and Sophie came running out. Her pigtails bounced as she raced toward me. She was the cutest five-year-old I’d ever seen.
“Paislie!”
My eyes widened in shock. She remembered my name?
She stopped just short of me and stared up at me with huge, bright blue eyes. She resembled Malcolm so much, it made my chest feel tight.
“Hello there, Sophie!” I said as I bent down to get at her level. I’d worked with enough little ones at the orphanage to know how to talk and interact with kids.
“You look like a princess! I hope I’m as pretty as you when I grow up.”
Either she was the sweetest child on earth . . . or Malcolm bribed her to say that.
“That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you, Sophie. But I think you’re very pretty and surely you must be a princess for you live in this grand castle!”