Overheated

nervous system.

Okay, forget the science.

Her hand was on his knee.

Then Steve’s voice filled his headset, warning Kent to go high. Larry’s mathematical mind automatically kicked in, calculating the spinning cars’ trajectory, and he knew his son’s advice was right.

Then suddenly, Justin Murphy shot to the outside. Steve’s frantic warning came too late, and Kent lost control.

Crystal’s delicate fingers squeezed tight. Since Larry knew the likely g-forces and the capability of the safety equipment, he wasn’t concerned about his nephew as the car spun into the infield, where it rolled once, landing upright.

The knowledge left him free to focus on Crystal’s squeeze. What did it mean? What should he do? More important, had anyone noticed?

He glanced at the team members around them, but everyone’s attention was on Kent’s car. The engine fired again, shooting smoke out the tailpipe, and the crew breathed a collective sigh of relief. Then Kent was pulling from the infield onto the track.

The crash was disappointing for his son, Steve, and the rest of the Maximus Motorsports team. But that was racing. There’d be another chance to climb in the standings next weekend.

Larry’s attention went back to Crystal. He gazed at her long, feminine fingers, then twisted his head to catch her profile, trying to figure out if she was even aware of the touch.

His family was having a hell of a day, but all he could think of was Crystal.

She smiled at him. “That was a relief,” she shouted over the throbbing noise of the pits. And her attention went back to the No. 427 car. She patted Larry’s knee twice before removing her hand.

“A relief,” he managed to force out.

If he’d been in a movie theatre-and ten years younger-he might have put an arm along the back of her chair. And she might have rested her head on his shoulder. He could have smelled her perfume, maybe taken her hand, maybe even kissed her there in the dark.

But he wasn’t ten years younger. And it sure wasn’t dark. Millions of watts of light beat down on the track, and thousands of cheering people surrounded them. Larry was personal friends with an astonishing number of those thousands of people; they were sure to ask what he thought he was doing, if he showed any kind of physical affection toward a women who looked closer to his son’s age than his own.

And then there was Elizabeth, Libby.

Larry hadn’t felt an attraction to any woman since his wife had died three years ago. He felt a little guilty. A few days ago he had placed flowers on her grave.

Libby was a warm glow inside his heart, and she’d always be there. But Crystal was…vibrant. And, Lord help him, he was ready to move on.

She applauded Kent’s signal to the fans that he was okay, pointing to her headset and nodding her approval to indicate she understood how frustrated Steve must be because he wasn’t able to stop Justin from knocking Kent out. She patted Larry’s shoulder, smiled and nodded. He thought she was saying he should be proud of his son’s contribution.

He was proud. Of his son. Of his wife. Of the wonderful life they’d had as a family. But Libby was gone now, and Steve was all grown up, and Larry was alone.

And he didn’t want to be alone today. He wanted to be with Crystal. And whatever these feelings were for her, he didn’t want them to stop just yet.

He leaned over, lifting one side of her headset to shout above the noise. “You want to do dinner after this?”

It would be a little late by the time the race wrapped up, but so far today neither of them had eaten at the track.

She leaned close to yell into his free ear. “I have to take Rufus home and drop off the truck.”

He wasn’t sure if the reason was bona fide, or if she was giving him a polite brush off.

“Tuesday?” he forced himself to ask. If he was getting shot down, it might as well be quick and thorough.

“Tuesday’s good,” she said, nodding.

Larry couldn’t stop the wide grin that grew on his face. “Rouladen’s?” he suggested, naming his favorite restaurant.

She cringed at the name of the expensive establishment.

He hesitated a second. Was she uncomfortable with such a romantic atmosphere? Did she think he’d have expectations later?

He lifted her headset once more and leaned in. “Unless you’d prefer something different.”

“It’s just that I’m between paychecks,” she admitted.

He drew back, offended. “You’re my guest!”

“It’s not 1950.”

He gave a snort of disgust. “I don’t care if it’s 2050, you’re still my guest.”

She nudged him with her shoulder. “You’re an old-fashioned guy, huh?”

“For the record, I grew up in the seventies, the bastion of women’s liberation. But you’re still my guest.”

That got a smile out of her. “Then I guess I’ll try to find something suitable to wear.”

“Wear anything you’d like.” Crystal could show up in a bathrobe for all he cared.

TUESDAY NIGHT, RUFUS wandered into the bedroom while Crystal rifled through her meager wardrobe. He curled up on the floor to watch, at the foot of her queen-size bed, next to the old rocking chair she’d pilfered from her parents’ basement.

He gave the room a cozy feeling, and she realized she was starting to enjoy the company.

“The red or the blue?” she asked him, holding up a slinky red satin-and-sequin number she hadn’t worn in two years, next to a simpler, ice-blue silk dress that was one of her favorites.

Rufus lifted his nose to sniff the air, seeming to consider each of the dresses in turn.

The red was guaranteed to turn heads, and it should make Larry see her in a whole new light.

Was that what she wanted?

She held it in front of her and turned to the mirror.

Did she want to flirt with Larry? Did she want him thinking of her as sexy? She cringed at her reflection and groaned out loud.

What was she thinking? One of the things she liked best about Larry was that he saw her as a whole person, not simply as a sex object. Why would she do anything to change that?

Because she wanted him to make a move, she admitted to herself. And that was sadly hypocritical. He was one of the few men in her life who weren’t trying to get her into bed, and she was planning to vamp him with red satin.

She tossed the red dress on the bed.

“The blue,” she said to Rufus, holding it up in front of the mirror. “It’s comfortable and classy, and it’ll help me blend.” She gave herself a decisive nod then headed for the bathroom.

A shower, a blow dry and a judicious makeup application later, she slipped into the dress and clipped some aquamarine earrings in her ears. She paired them up with a plain silver chain and decided that her inexpensive watch was a close-enough match. She was heading for the bedroom closet to pick some shoes, when the phone rang.

Rufus followed as she padded to the living room.

“Hello?”

“Crystal?” It was her sister Amber’s voice, its tone high with excitement.

“What’s going on?” asked Crystal, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was nearly seven. She didn’t have a lot of time to chat.

“Zane called,” Amber said breathlessly.

“Oh, no,” Crystal immediately groaned. Amber’s ex-husband was never good news. When he blew into town, he was either drunk or wanted money, usually both.

“No, it’s good,” Amber insisted.

Crystal paused, her voice turning cautious. “What do you mean good?”