by Jaci Burton
“Mrs. Preston? Hi, it’s Evelyn . . . I’m fine, thank you, but we have a problem. It’s your son, Gray.”
TWO
A KNOCK ON HIS DOOR ROUSED GRAY FROM WHAT should have been his morning to sleep in. He blinked, growled, then rolled out of his bed, pulled on a pair of sweats, and ambled his way to the door as the knocking grew louder.
“Hang on one damn minute. I’m coming.”
He jerked open the door, mentally swearing that if it was Donny or Ian he was going to kick their asses. His eyes widened when he saw his mother standing there.
“Mom. What are you doing here?”
“Don’t you answer your damn phone?” She pushed past him and came inside.
He scratched his head. “Uh . . . my phone.” He looked around, his head still fuzzy from sleep and now confusion. “I don’t know where my phone is. And why are you here?”
Her brown eyes blazed fire at him. “I’m here because you’re being uncooperative.
Why did you say no to Evelyn?”
He was not awake enough for this conversation. Evelyn who? “I need coffee.
Would you like coffee?”
“It’s ten o’clock, Grayson. I’ve already had coffee and breakfast. Were you still asleep?”
“Yeah. Sorry. Let me make some coffee, then I promise to be coherent. Take a seat, Mom.”
He got coffee brewing, then said, “I’m going to go put a shirt on. I’ll be right back.”
Shaking his head, he went back into the bedroom and grabbed a shirt, took a piss, and brushed his teeth, then found his phone and saw that he’d left his phone on vibrate, and that he’d missed four calls from his mother.
Shit.
By the time he got back, the coffee was ready. He poured a cup. “Would you like something to drink? Water, tea, pop?”
“I’m good, thank you. Sit down and drink your coffee.”
Thank God. He downed the first cup as if it were the elixir of life, because he knew why his mother was here. So he went ahead and grabbed a second cup, and by then the caffeine was doing the job. He was at least awake.
“What did you do? Go on a bender after the race last weekend?” his mother asked.
He snorted. “No. It was a long, hot weekend. I’m tired and sleep helps me refuel.”
His mother gave him the once-over. She looked beautiful as always in a summer dress with some kind of sweater thrown over it, her dark brown hair cut in some kind of short bob that grazed her chin.
“Hey, new haircut. You look nice, Mom. I’m glad to see you.”
He bent over and kissed her cheek.
She didn’t smile. “I wouldn’t be here if you’d been cooperative.”
“Oh, so this is my fault. Look, I appreciate that Dad has a new campaign, but that doesn’t mean I have to participate.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s not just a new campaign, Grayson. It’s the potential to become the vice president of the United States.”
He tried to muster up some kind of reply, but he came up blank.
“Didn’t Evelyn tell you that I’d appreciate your cooperation on this?”
“She did. I still turned her down.”
“I don’t ask you for much, Grayson, and I typically don’t interfere in your relationship with your father, but he’s not the only one who has been in politics for over thirty years. So have I. I’ve stood by his side—through the bad as well as the good—I’ve fought with him through every campaign. And despite what you think, he’s a very good man. If not for the current president endorsing Cameron, your father could very well have gotten the presidential nomination this year. I still believe he’ll eventually end up there. In the meantime, there’s the opportunity of a lifetime waiting for him. Something he’s worked very hard to achieve.”
Gray’s mother spoke with passion, every one of her words punctuated with each day, each month, each year she’d given to his dad’s political career. And yeah, he was listening. It was hard not to.
“It’s also an opportunity for me, something I’ve worked for all my life. I have an agenda, Grayson, a chance to make a difference, to let my voice be heard. You know how much literacy and education means to me at the state level. If your father gets the vice presidency, it would mean so much more exposure for me and for my agenda. A chance to spread this message nationwide, to fight for more funding, to gain national attention for a cause that’s so important for children everywhere. And if by the grace of God your father should someday get to the White House, this would be my platform, and who knows how much attention it would get.”
She stopped and looked him directly in the eyes, and he saw the determination in hers. “If not for him, would you do this for me?”
Loretta Preston was a fire-breathing dragon when it came to the causes she wholeheartedly believed in. He hadn’t once thought about her and what this would mean for her in terms of national exposure for her causes, because he’d been too busy holding on to the grudge against his father.
He was such a selfish asshole.
He reached across the table and held her hand. “I’m sorry, Mom. You know Dad and I don’t see eye to eye and haven’t for a long time. But you know how much I believe in you and in what you do. Hell, I wish you were the one running for president.”
She sniffed, then laughed. “I don’t think that’s my cup of tea, son. And don’t sell your father short. He’s an amazing man and wants to do good things.”
“Well, whatever. I’ll do what I can to make sure your dreams come true.”
She stood and hugged him. “Thank you for believing in me.”
It felt good to feel his mother’s arms wrapped around him. “I’ve always believed in you.”
She pulled back. “You should try believing in your dad. Try talking to him, reconnecting with him. He’s changed, Grayson.”
“I don’t know if I could ever believe that. But I’ll help out the campaign. For you.
And just for you.”
She patted him on the cheek. “I’ll take that. For now. But at some point, I think you’ll see the light about your father.”
He’d seen the light a long time ago. He’d rather stay in the dark.
She checked her watch. “Okay. I have to go. I need to be back in D.C. by tonight.
I’ll call Evelyn and let her know you’ll meet with her at your next city—” She waved her hand and laughed. “Wherever that is. I can’t keep up with you, son. But I always make sure to watch the races. I have one of the staff DVR them for me.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. And yeah, I’ll work with Evelyn. She called and complained about me, didn’t she?” he asked as he walked his mother to the private car that was waiting for her right outside the gate.
She held his hand and grinned. “Of course she did. She’s a tiger, that one. I’m glad she’s working for our side.”
Gray shook his head. He’d underestimated Evelyn when he’d kicked her to the curb yesterday.
She kissed his cheek and hugged him again. “Be a good boy and behave. We’ll talk soon. I love you, Grayson.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
He waved as the car pulled away. For some reason, his mother could always make him feel like he was a misbehaving eight-year-old again.
He headed back to the trailer with a mental list of a hundred things he’d have to do today before they pulled up and headed to Kentucky.
And then he’d have to deal with Evelyn.
But not until tomorrow. At least he could push her off his agenda until then.
Tomorrow, though, he and Evelyn were going to have a conversation and get a few ground rules straight.
THREE
EVELYN BLOW-DRIED HER HAIR, PULLED IT BACK IN A ponytail, then finished her makeup. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a tank top, then grabbed a long-sleeved white button-down shirt out of her suitcase, and finished off the outfit with a pair of ankle boots.
She’d been gr
ossly overdressed for that first race. A misstep. She should have blended in with the crowd, made Gray feel more comfortable around her, instead of standing out like a bottle of expensive wine shoved in the soda section of the grocery store. Plus it had been damned uncomfortable, both physically and emotionally, dressed in her suit and wearing heels while sitting in the stands with the rowdy crowd.
Everyone around her had stared at her, and rightly so. A designer suit did not go with beer and hot dogs. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
Gray Preston was not at all what she’d imagined him to be. Yes, she’d fully read his bio and seen video of him doing pre – and post-race media interviews, and had gone over his family history with his mother, including all his childhood photos and academic and professional biography, but those didn’t compare with meeting the man face-to-face.
He was stunning. Wet with sweat and smelling a lot like gasoline and motor oil, his hair clinging to his forehead and neck, and with his fire suit unzipped, he was the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on. And when he’d directed his warm, whiskey-colored eyes on her, something quivered between her legs.
Evelyn wasn’t the type to go liquid over a good-looking man. Washington was filled with hot men, and if anyone was going to get her motor running, one would think it would be a political type. Business suit with a lock on a major office? Now that was her bailiwick. Not some scruffed-up, needed-a-shave grease monkey who craved a hot track over a hot political race. So her libido firing up over Gray Preston likely had more to do with him being the fastest way to get to the White House rather than his good looks and bedroom eyes. She wasn’t the type to fall for a man simply because he was pretty.
Besides, he was stubborn and uncooperative and in her way, and she could already tell this assignment wasn’t going to be easy. She’d rather be by Senator Preston’s side, where she belonged, helping him onto the presidential ticket in November, rather than hand-hold his son and beg for his cooperation in order to get a few hundred thousand votes, even if those potential votes were important ones.
But she knew she’d do whatever it took, so when her phone rang and Gray told her where they could meet, she grabbed her bag, climbed into her rental car, and drove the short distance to the restaurant.
He was already waiting for her at the front door. And he didn’t look happy about it, either.
Tough. She dealt with unpleasant people all the time. His attitude didn’t faze her.
“Good morning,” she said, pasting on her friendliest smile.
He nodded and held the door for her.
Okay, that’s how it was going to be. She could deal. Eventually he’d have to talk to her.
The waitress, who obviously recognized Gray, grinned, pushed back her out-of-control, overprocessed hair, and hurried them to a booth at the back of the restaurant while giving Evelyn a look she wasn’t certain was admiration or pure jealousy.
“Coffee?” the waitress asked. Her name was Aileen and she looked to be in her forties.
“Thank you, Aileen. With cream,” Evelyn said.
“Same here,” Gray said with a smile. At Aileen, of course.
At least she knew now that he wasn’t suffering from laryngitis.
They looked over their menus, and by the time Aileen came with their coffees, they ordered breakfast. Since Evelyn hadn’t had a chance to have a cup of coffee yet—usually her first task of the day, even before her shower—she took a couple quick sips, needing that caffeine surge. She added a couple more sips, sighed in contentment, then lifted her gaze to Gray, finding him staring at her.
“I can survive without it, but if you want to have an intelligent conversation with me, I’m better after coffee.”
“Good to know.” He lifted his cup, and she was struck again by his amazing eyes.
He was very direct in staring at her, too, which she found decidedly . . .
uncomfortable.
She laid her cup down. “Let’s clear the air. You’re obviously not happy with me.”
“You called my mother.”
She resisted the urge to smile at the accusatory tone in his voice. Evelyn loved Loretta Preston, one of the kindest, sweetest, most patient women she’d ever known.
They’d had many conversations together, about both her husband and her son. She’d hoped Loretta had some influence on Gray and she’d obviously been right. The woman was fierce about her causes and didn’t take no for an answer.
“Of course I did. You left me no choice.”
“Sure I did. I said no. That was your cue to walk away.”
Her lips lifted. “Clearly, you don’t know me at all. I don’t walk away when I’m given an assignment. Working with you is my assignment, and until I exhausted all avenues, I wasn’t about to give up. And since your mother expressly asked me to convince you, I figured she’d be an asset in persuading you.”
He didn’t answer.
“You don’t like your mother?”
His gaze shot to hers. “I love my mother.”
“Then I don’t see the problem.”
“You went behind my back to serve your own purpose.”
She rolled her eyes. “Do you have a fundamental disagreement with your mother’s agenda?”
He frowned. “No.”
“Then I don’t see what the problem is.”
“It’s obvious we’re not going to see eye to eye on this.”
“That’s okay with me. Did you have a chance to think about the plan?”
He gave her a blank stare. “I didn’t know there was a plan.”
“Oh. I thought maybe your mother talked to you about the campaign’s objectives.”
“My mother spoke to me about her objectives, and asked me to help. That was it.”
Her lips curved.
“Obviously you know her.”
“Very well. I’ve spent a lot of time with her over the past few years since I’ve been working with your father. She runs a tight ship and doesn’t take no for an answer.”
“Then you’ve come to know her well, and you know that while she has a soft voice, she has an iron will.”
“Yes. She’s a wonderful asset for your father, both personally and politically.”
Gray stared down at his coffee. “My father doesn’t deserve her.”
She had no idea what Gray’s relationship with his father was, nor was it her intention to pry. Her only job was to work with Gray on his father’s campaign, not to get involved in family dynamics, unless it interfered in the political process. Then she was required to smooth things over, not intervene, and above all, never let things get messy. “So what’s your conclusion?”
“I guess you and I will be working together.”
She couldn’t resist lifting her shoulders in excitement. “Wonderful. I’m thrilled about this, Gray, and I don’t think you’ll regret it.”
“Oh, I already regret it. But this is important to my mother, so I’m doing it for her.”
Evelyn didn’t care who he did it for. She only cared that she was a success at her assignment. “Great. We’ll hit the ground running. The first thing we’ll need to do is work within your schedule. I know how busy you are.”
They paused while the waitress brought their breakfast. Evelyn dug into her oatmeal and fruit while Gray pounded down some elaborate breakfast that consisted of eggs, bacon, pancakes, hash browns, and biscuits.
“Where do you put all those calories?” she asked.
“What?”
“That’s a huge meal.”
“Oh. I work out, and I also sweat it all out in the car. It’s usually over a hundred degrees in there.”
“My God. That can’t be healthy.”
He shrugged. “You get used to it.”
No wonder he had a body like that, so tall and lean. But today he wore jeans and a tight T-shirt showing off some serious muscle. “So it’s like a sauna.”
“Yup.”
&
nbsp; “You have to stay in shape to drive a car.”
He scooped up the last of his eggs with his fork, then finished off his orange juice.
“You can’t control a three-thousand-pound raging beast at a hundred and ninety miles an hour without some muscle, honey.”
Her nerve endings tingled at the endearment. She pushed it aside. “I imagine that’s true, though I freely admit my knowledge of the auto racing industry is somewhat sketchy.”
“We’ll have to change that, won’t we?”
“I suppose we will. The more I know about what you do, the better equipped I’ll be to integrate you into your father’s campaign.”
“And won’t that be fun.”
She pushed her bowl to the side and studied him. “I sense some hesitation.”
“Not just some. A lot. You should know I’ll be dragging my heels the entire way.”
“I can work with that.”
“Okay. I just wanted to be up front about it.”
She liked him. “Thanks for that. So what’s on your agenda for today?”
“Team meetings, then practice runs. I suppose you need to get back to D.C.”
She gave him a blank look. “Uh, no. Perhaps I didn’t outline the parameters clearly enough.”
He frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m assigned to you, Gray, and only you, from now until the election. I’ll be with you the entire way.”
FOUR
GRAY ALWAYS LIKED TO BE HANDS-ON WITH HIS TEAM, not leaving anything for them to handle without his involvement. Which meant setting up in the garage and checking out the cars they’d use for the races.
Now that they were in Kentucky, he was overseeing the team meeting for both race teams, and he had control. They went over the wreck last Sunday with the crew and mechanics, dissecting the engine failure. The engine team assured them it wouldn’t happen again, that steps would be taken to ensure the engines for both cars would be in prime shape for the race this weekend.
Gray always kept a mental list of things to cover in team meetings, from tire inventory to which crew members would be on board for the next race. Everyone attended the meetings. It was mandatory. If you didn’t show up, you were replaced on the crew or the mechanics team.
