Racing Hard (Dirt Track Dogs Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

towels. He laid one in the bottom of the bowl.
    “Here,” he said. “Lay her down.”
    Tana frowned. “In the bowl?”
    Surge glanced at her with a nervous laugh. A laugh void of any smile. That was his tell, she realized. It was only a true laugh when it reached his eyes. But that blue gaze didn’t look amused in the least. The corners of his eyes were tight with tension. There were a million emotions dancing beneath the surface, and none of them were humorous.
    “I’m not going to cook her, Tana. The baby can rest and you can help me. She won’t be more than a step away.”
    Tana glanced at the kitten. She was out for a while. It wouldn’t hurt to let go of her for a few minutes. Especially if she was where Tana could see her at all times.
    Careful not to jostle the baby much, she moved her to the bowl and Surge tucked the other towel around her for warmth.
    “There,” he murmured. “She’s going to be okay.”
    “I’m not so sure.”
    Neither of them were talking about her current position. They were referring to her future.
    “I won’t give you that dumbass shit about kids being resilient because it’s not true. Blister is proof of that. I am. We all are. It’s just what adults say to make themselves feel better. But… she will be okay. She’ll adjust to what life has dealt her the way we all do.”
    Tana wiped away a stray tear. She didn’t cry often, but it was hard to hide her despair over this situation.
    “When did you become so wise?” she scoffed. “Aren’t you the party boy joker of the pack.”
    He pulled his gaze away from the baby, piercing Tana with those intense eyes. “You don’t know me well enough to make judgments like that. But that’s okay. We’re going to fix that. Very soon.”
    He set a small saucepan on the stove and went to the refrigerator.
    “I just meant… you’re never serious.”
    “Because I laugh? Because I smile? Because I’m loud? Like to have fun with my brothers?” He glanced back at her, one eyebrow raised. “You there when I’m lying in bed with insomnia? Because that’s some serious shit. Or what about when I’m racing? You’re not in the car with me, and I’m damn serious then.”
    Tana crossed her arms, skeptical. “When you’re racing?”
    “Hell yeah.” He turned back to the fridge. “What do you think our baby can drink? Cream? Not good for cats but she’s part human.”
    Our baby . Damn it. She knew he didn’t mean those words the way they sounded, but they still made her stomach clench in longing. Absently, she traced the scar behind her shirt.
    “Milk will be fine until we can get formula in the morning.”
    After pouring some in the pan, he set the heat to low so it could warm. Tana watched the muscles of his back flex through his t-shirt as he bent to grab a soup pot from a low shelf. He filled the pot with water from the sink and set it to the side. Pulling a bag of potatoes from the pantry, he dumped half of them in the basin.
    “Come here.” His demand was sexy and helped take her mind off what was happening in the other room. Surge handed her a small brush. “Scrub these clean.”
    She went to work on the potatoes while he started chopping veggies—celery, green onions, and carrots—and dumped them in the pot. He was quite skilled with the knife, which she hadn’t expected. After weeks of living with the dogs, she knew Surge was their main meal provider, but she’d spent most of her time eating Annie’s food.
    “What are we making?”
    “Potato soup.”
    “That’s my favorite.”
    “I know.”
    She turned to look at him, but he didn’t falter in his knife work.
    “How did you know?”
    He eyed her. “I’ve found the empty bowl in the morning. Twice now. Kitty cat likes her midnight snack, huh?”
    Heat creeped up the back of Tana’s neck.
    “Working all the time makes me hungry.”
    Surge chuckled. “Good thing I like to feed people then.”
    When she’d finished washing the potatoes, he diced them and