“I’m hoping you’ll find some quality time for me and a different kind of entanglement in a few hours. After the race.” He went to kiss her, but she gasped and stepped back.
“I haven’t messed up your race routine today, have I?” Her tear-filled eyes were so intent and serious. “We’re due on the track in five minutes.”
“You make me race better. You help me concentrate on what’s important. One kiss, then it’s race time.” Her soft lips parted beneath his. When he stepped back, he said, “One of these days I’m going to win a race.” He hadn’t shared that goal with anyone in a long time.
“Maybe today,” she said with a smile that brought out her dimple.
“Circuit of The Americas is one of Vince’s favorite tracks,” said Isaac. “I won’t beat him here unless he has an out-of-character disaster and crashes. But one of these days, I’m going to be a MotoGP winner.”
“I believe in you,” she said. “Go race.”
They came out of the trailer together. Vince stood at the bottom of his stairs, dressed in his orange, black, and white riding leathers.
“You might want to save that energy for the track,” said Vince with a headshake.
His brother assumed he knew what they’d been doing in the trailer. Isaac grit his teeth. Vince needed to mind his own business.
Anna’s smile disappeared and she let go of Isaac’s hand. With a glance over her shoulder, she slipped into the box from the back lane.
He and Vince were alone.
“You don’t seem to take my advice. I hope you know what you’re doing, little brother.” Vince stalked into his garage without saying anything else.
Isaac clenched his jaw for a moment, closed his eyes, and pictured the track. He wouldn’t think about Vince right now. Just the race. He calmed his thoughts, at last, got into racing mode, and joined his team. With the countdown on to start time, he ran through the course in his head the way he had the last few races.
The race itself flew by in a flash. It was a fun course to ride with tight turns, a roller coaster hill with a blind crest, and enough straights to hit top speed each lap before hard braking. His favorite spot to overtake was at the bottom of the hill as the track turned. The course ran counterclockwise, unlike most of the other tracks, which was part of the reason Vince had been sosuccessful here. He excelled more than most riders at left-hand turns.
Isaac finished second, having kept his brother in sight during the entire race. A feat here at COTA, where Vince had often finished ten or twelve seconds ahead of the second-place rider. There’d even been a moment with five laps to go when he’d considered chasing down Vince and vying for the win. But, with worn tires, Isaac hadn’t wanted to throw away a solid second place. The way his bike was functioning, and with how he was riding, there would be other chances for victory.
This afternoon’s celebration in parc ferme was more subdued than previous times they’d been together on the podium. His brother’s smile seemed forced, and he’d turned away quickly to talk to his teammate, Luka Catala, who’d finished third. Isaac forgot that awkward moment when Anna stepped forward with shining eyes to give him his cap and water bottle with his energy drink sponsor for the camera.
“I have a surprise,” he whispered as he lifted her for their now customary post-race hug. Maybe she was his good luck charm, like Angel insisted.
She arched an eyebrow. “What kind of surprise?”
“It’s my birthday, so I’ve arranged to spend this evening with you somewhere nice.”
“Happy Birthday.” She kissed him again. “What about the team?” Her eyes had gone wide.
“I paid for their dinner and a night out, too. Just somewhere else. Lots of great live music here. They’ll never miss us.”
...
After the podium celebration, Isaac and Anna ducked out the back of the garage and into a car that took them first to thehotel to get changed, and then into downtown Austin for dinner. A camera crew caught them sneaking away, and a car followed when they left. At the restaurant, a camera filmed when they exited the car and headed inside. Isaac signed a few extra autographs on the way.
“Does that happen often away from the track?” she said in a stage whisper as she tossed her head toward the reporter.
“More in America than most places, other than at the racetrack. They probably think I’m Vince. Or expect him to come along soon. This is one of his favorite places too. I invited him to come tonight, with Catarina or a date, but he declined.” Declined was a polite way to say that he’d been unresponsive.
Anna squeezed Isaac’s arm in sympathy while they followed the server to their table.
“I don’t think Vince likes me,” said Anna as they sat at the table for two at the window overlooking the river and the brightly lit city on the other side.
“Vince? He likes you fine,” said Isaac, opening his menu. He didn’t want to talk about Vince, and his voice was more clipped than he intended.
“Yeah. Fine.” Anna’s words conveyed more acid in her tone than he’d heard her use before.
He closed his menu and took her hand. “Vince doesn’t dislike you. His problem with us is because of me. He’s worried I’ll become distracted and ruin my racing career.”
