Crash and Burn Read Online Free PDF Page B

was…nothing–absolutely nothing.
    At least her date hadn’t asked Stone for an autograph. She shook her head. This day was going to be long. Usually on race days she puttered around the house, then settled down in front of the TV to watch her favorite playboy driver. She’d also Tivo’d the race, not that she’d tell Stone.
    In the safety of the car, Richard put the stick into drive and, still staring straight ahead, asked, “What’s with you and Stone Adams? Are you two living together?”
    She saw the worry lines wrinkling his forehead and she considered telling him the truth. She didn’t care if he knew Stone and her sister were married, but then she’d have to explain the sleeping arrangements, the public displays of affection and that slap on the ass. What a tangled web they’d woven as a group and she wasn’t sure whether the truth was the right story to tell. “Yeah, we’re living together, but it’s complicated.”
    “If you and he... Then what am I doing here?”
    “It’s not like that. Not really. I called you, remember? Let’s have a good time today. Forget Stone Adams.” She leaned back in the seat and massaged her temples. Maybe Richard could forget about Stone, but his hand imprint was still on her butt and she still felt the weight of his arm across her shoulder. She tried to shake off the unsettling feelings. At least there would be liquid refreshments when she and Richard arrived at their destination.
    Richard drove to the first vineyard and winery. Long Island was considered wine country in the area, and by the multitude of vineyards, she knew why.
    They spent the day tasting wine, ohhing and ahhing over the process, the architecture of the buildings on the premises and driving from one winery to another. Most of the tasters spit the wine out, like Richard, but not Grace.
    She had never been one to get loaded, but today seemed like a good time to start. Dixie cup by Dixie cup, she drank her cares away. Richard kept a hand on her back most of the time, steering her in whatever direction they needed to go. From dark wine cellars to sweet vines loaded down with grapes, they spent the day in pleasant companionship. She wasn’t worried about Richard trying anything sexual. He was too much of a gentleman.
    Stone would have taken advantage of her slightly inebriated state.
    As she got more and more tipsy, Richard’s tone turned sharp and he scolded her like an errant child. “Grace, stop touching that. Grace, do you mind?”
    At four, instead of driving to the next vineyard, the last vineyard on the tour, he drove her home.
    She laughed. “Why are we here? I don’t want to go home.”
    “I can’t babysit you anymore. If I leave you now I can watch the end of the race on television.”
    “Race?”
    He threw up his hands. “Race. Stone Adams. Fast cars. Checkered flag?”
    “Oh. Silly, silly. Who cares about that?” She stumbled into the house. As soon as the door slammed behind her, Richard took off with squealing wheels. “What a dick!” She giggled at her joke. “Dick, Richard.” She laughed again and threw herself on to the couch.
    “Oh good, you’re home,” Divina said, flipping on the television.
    “Turn it off,” Grace groaned.
    Divina stomped her foot. Her shrill voice broke through the drunken haze Grace had surrounded herself with most of the day.
    “Look what you’ve done,” she whined.
    Grace opened her eyes. “What have I done to you now?”
    Divina pointed to the television set. It was some sports show.
    “Racecar driver Stone Adams got married over the weekend to an unknown woman. We expected to see her here today, but she is noticeably absent. Some are speculating the marriage is a fictitious attempt to change Stone Adam’s image, which of late has been causing headaches for his car’s owner and sponsors.”
    “Do you see what’s happening? Stone is probably freaking because his wife didn’t show up today. The media is going to dig into our marriage.