“Great. It’s light but stronger than I’ve ever ridden. The control is everything it’s touted to be.” Caroline was surprised the conversation was going on as long as it had. For the past ten years, when she and Shannon were competing in the same race they kept their mutually agreed upon distance, rarely saying anything more than obligatory greetings to each other. It was an awkward yet comfortable arrangement at the same time.
“How are they to work with?”
The name of her major sponsor took the conversation to a slightly more personal level. “Great. Russ is an absolute professional and his team is constantly looking to improve the technology. They debrief me after every race, and when I just want to collapse in exhaustion they want to talk about pull, swag, and bend.” Caroline couldn’t help but smile at the image of the four tech geeks pumping her for information about how the bike handled.
Shannon looked like she wanted to say something else but instead wished her luck again and walked over to where her gear was stored.
Caroline watched her back and noticed her shoulders were pulled back, her back straight, and the ass she had grabbed, squeezed, and devoured a lifetime ago was as delicious as ever.
v
Caroline buckled her helmet, swung her leg over the seat, and adjusted her gloves. She gripped the handlebars and nodded. In a heartbeat, she was through the gate.
Her heart raced as the adrenaline she had kept at bay let loose.
She forced herself to relax her grip, release the muscles in her legs, and simply enjoy the ride. The first turn was to the right. She sailed through it, rocketing over the rough terrain of the top third of the course. Her thighs absorbed the pounding of the uneven rocks bounding the bike beneath her while her upper body remained relatively smooth.
Caroline’s torso was protected by the thick hard shell of a chest guard, her legs and arms protected from rocks and road rash if she
• 61 •
JuliE CaNNoN
had the misfortune to fall. Catching air over the first of two jumps, the cool mountain breeze whipped over her cheeks. Faster and faster she went, dodging rocks the size of basketballs, logs embedded in the hard dirt, and sand as soft as fresh snow. She never once lost control of her bike, her concentration, or her focus. Approaching the last turn, she remembered Shannon’s warning and braked hard going into the turn.
Her Kenda tires gripped the loose dirt and she accelerated out of the sharp elbow, up and over the last obstacle before the straightway to the finish.She heard the cheers from the crowd, saw the sponsor signs flashing by as she pushed and pulled with her legs to cross the finish line. The crowd erupted when Caroline skidded to a stop and turned to look at her time. Her heart soared. She had beaten her own time by an astonishing five seconds. Her hands were shaking as she slid her goggles to the top of her helmet. Shannon had to beat her last run by four seconds to win and Caroline had no doubt that she could do it. Like any good competitor, she wished her a safe, albeit a much slower ride.
Her legs were like rubber as Caroline coasted out of the finish area. She was greeted with congratulations and slaps on the back as she exited toward the post-race staging area. She kept her eyes glued to the JumboTron, a gigantic video screen specially designed to view outdoors. Caroline didn’t have to wait long for Shannon to begin her final run. As she approached the starting line, she nodded that she was ready and sprinted out of the gate.
Caroline’s body involuntarily leaned along with Shannon as she conquered each obstacle. When Shannon jumped, she did, when she leaned back behind her saddle, Caroline did as well, and when Shannon’s back wheel slid out from under her on the last hairpin turn, her stomach dropped. Shannon lost precious seconds on that error and Caroline practically held her breath as Shannon flew cross the finish line. The crowd went wild and Caroline was enveloped with hugs from well-wishers. She had won the first race.
• 62 •
Descent
ChaPTER SEvEN
Shannon couldn’t make it through the throng of people congratulating Caroline on her victory so she simply headed to the TKS trailer instead. The awards ceremony would be held in about thirty minutes and she had enough time to wash off the top layer of dirt and get something to drink before she was needed on the podium.
She didn’t think Frank would be in the trailer and breathed a sigh of relief when he wasn’t. He was probably jockeying for position behind the cameras wearing his traditional TKS shirt and ball cap.
What a media whore, she thought, gulping a bottle of berry-flavored Gatorade.
Twenty minutes later the crowd was still thick around Caroline.
Shannon recognized many of the well-wishers as other riders who had not fared so well this round but could very easily be in her shoes the next. Shannon froze when she spotted the man standing next to Caroline. She had seen Steven Davis at several events, but she’d never ventured this close to him since the day he threw her out of Caroline’s room. She wanted to talk to Caroline more than she wanted to avoid her father.
He wasn’t as imposing or frightening as she remembered, but then again she had thought he was going to kill her—or at least beat the crap out of her. His hair was more salt than pepper, his stomach carrying an extra ten pounds, but the smile on his face as he looked at his daughter said it all.
Shannon often wondered what happened between Caroline and her father after she was unceremoniously tossed. From the way they
• 63 •
JuliE CaNNoN
were hugging, it was evident that their relationship had not suffered any ill effects from that moment.
The woman standing on the other side of Caroline could be none other than her mother. The resemblance was remarkable, and Shannon knew exactly what Caroline would look like in another thirty or so years. She would be a beautiful woman.
Shannon approached Caroline and her family not sure what to expect. She wanted to congratulate her and it was now or never. She gathered up her nerve and stepped forward. Good grief, she thought, that episode was water under the bridge. He probably didn’t even remember her. Yeah, and Christmas never fell on December twenty-fifth.
Shannon kept her eyes on Davis as she approached. She knew the second he saw her and the instant he recognized her. Confusion, shock, disbelief, and then finally anger settled onto his face. There was no backing out now. She was no longer that frightened seventeen-year-old girl. “Congratulations, Caroline,” she said stepping into their circle.
She held out her hand and it appeared that Caroline took it more out of habit from the dozens of times today than realizing it was from Shannon.
Caroline’s hand was warm, the rough edges of blisters and calluses tickling Shannon’s hand. A bolt of something shot up her arm, down her throat, and settled in her midsection. Caroline’s expression changed from exuberant to pleasant.
“Thank you.”
“Your ride was great. One down, ten to go,” Shannon added referring to the remaining races in the championship.
“I just focus on one at a time.” Caroline looked between Shannon and her father and fear and uncertainty clouded her eyes. It was obvious that she didn’t know what to do with the two of them standing so close to each other.
“Mr. Davis, I’m Shannon Roberts.” Shannon thought it would be stupid to add, “I’m sure you remember me,” or “I was a friend of your daughter’s in high school,” or better yet, “I’m the one you caught with her hand down your daughter’s shorts.” She extended her hand.
Davis paused before taking it and shaking it firmly. “Yes, I