“Hey buddy,” I said as I brought the phone up to my ear.

“Hey yourself,” Hoyt Travers answered. “How’s the knee coming along?”

“Getting there. Slowly but surely,” I replied.

“And the blueprints for the track?”

“Same as the knee, man.” Staring over the plans for the new Travers Track was getting stale. Straightaways, holeshots and berms were all I saw when I closed my eyes these days. Since Georgia had blown me off, I’d thrown myself into coming up with as many layouts as possible. I’d already sketched out thirteen possibilities and I was growing bored with it. With Reid out on a PR tour, Hoyt coaching a new rider for Throttled Energy, and me laid up, this was the only role I could really play in our new business partnership.

When springtime rolled around, we were going to be ready to start moving dirt. The sooner the better. The end goal for the track and shop may have been to expand the Travers Racing brand and offer riders a top-notch facility, but short term was ruining Gregurich. After the shit he pulled with Reid and Nora, and landing me in the ER, the least we could do was give karma a jump-start on biting him in the ass. With a new track and ProShop in Halstead, there was no way Beau Gregurich was going to be able to stay in business. Especially with professional motocross riders names attached.

Hoyt chuckled and I took the opportunity to change the subject before he asked for details about the track I was tired of discussing.

“How’s the coaching gig going?”

“It’s going,” he replied with a sigh that told me it wasn’t going quite as well as he’d expected it to. He sounded as drained as I felt. “That’s actually why I’m calling,” he continued.

I had only heard from Hoyt once since he’d left to go back to Texas over a month ago. He’d called to check in on me right after surgery, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember what we’d talked about. Hospital drugs and anesthesia will do that to you. Hoyt might have been Reid’s little brother, but the two of us had grown close over the past couple years. Hoyt was working as our manager/trainer/keep-us-out-of-trouble liaison. He was a good guy and I was stoked for him when he’d been hired to train a new up and coming rider for Throttled Energy.

“Well you know I’m a wealth of knowledge,” I teased. “What’s up? Your sexy new rider giving you a run for your money?”

Shortly after Hoyt left Halstead, Reid and I had discovered that the rider Hoyt had been hired to train was a chick. When we searched the name Chayse McCade on the Internet, we found out that not only was she a female rider, but a very attractive one at that. I was actually happy to hear from Hoyt and down to listen to his girl problems. Maybe whatever was going on in his life could take my mind off of the fact that the girl I was interested in had no interest in me.

“She’s definitely proving to be a handful,” he said, followed by a deep breath. “She doesn’t listen worth a shit. She already thinks she knows everything there is to know about riding. I’m not even sure what I can do to possibly get her to listen to me. I just need some advice, and you seem to know how to get a response out of a woman.”

True. Well, most women. “I’m not sure if that’s the kind of response you’re looking for.” I laughed, thinking about the response I’d gotten from Georgia. Hoyt probably should have called his brother about this one. “I mean, I’m pretty good at getting some women to listen, but not on a race track. I could tell you how to unhook her bra with one hand, but as far as getting her to take direction when it comes to riding…I might not be the best candidate.” There was a long pause on the other end of the phone and I wondered exactly what kind of advice Hoyt was looking for. Maybe the track wasn’t where he wanted advice. “I mean, does she think you have any idea what you’re talking about? Maybe you need to show her what you can do on the track and how you helped Reid. Or do you think she’s un-teachable?”

“Not completely,” he said. “But no, she doesn’t seem to think I know what I’m talking about. At all. I was hired to help her, but she acts like I’m an idiot. It’s so frustrating. When she does take my advice she rides so much better. So much cleaner. It’s her stubborn streak that’s holding her back, you know?”

“I’m familiar,” I replied immediately picturing Reid. “Sounds like she might be a bit like your brother.”

“If Reid had a killer figure and long dark hair that’s exactly who he’d be.” We both let out a laugh.

“Can you imagine your brother in a bikini?” I teased.

“Why the hell would I want to?” he asked, sounding mildly repulsed but laughing just the same. A moment passed and we regained our composure. I wanted Hoyt to know that despite my constant joking, I heard what he was saying. “Actually, Sally, she’s more like you. You know, all wild and untamable.”

“I’m not untamable. Not completely.” I mean, he wasn’t wrong. I liked doing things my way, but I liked to think that I wasn’t a complete lost cause. Too bad the girl I was interested in behaving for had no desire to try and tame me.

“Well, maybe she’s a little worse,” he countered. “And she is the only female on the team so there’s the whole gender chip on the shoulder thing. But she definitely has your no-fucks-given style.”

“You just need to make her listen just like you made your brother listen,” I suggested. “Make her see that you do know what’s best. Stick with it,” I encouraged. “Help her realize that what you helped Reid to accomplish is possible for her too. I’m sure she’ll come around.”

“I’ll try.”

“Don’t try... do. You were hired because you are the best. Now earn that title,” I continued my pep talk. “You got this, man.”

“You’re right,” he finally said, more confidently that he’d seemed at the beginning of our conversation. “I got this.”

“There’s that Travers’ can-do-attitude.”

“Yeah, we’ll see. The McCade don’t-want-to-listen attitude might actually be stronger,” he joked. “So what’s up with you? How’s the physical therapy and all that?”

“Pretty good. Just focusing on getting back on the bike,” I told him. “Doc says I’m a beast. As per usual.”

“Good to see you haven’t lost your drive.”

“I am what I am. Besides, I need to get back on the track and remind people that Travers isn’t the only game in town.” I paused and I could practically hear him shaking his head. “Hey, can I ask you for some advice?”

“Shoot.”

“It’s not about riding.”

Hoyt hesitated. “Okay…”

“How in the hell do I get Georgia Bennett to give me the time of day?”

A snorted breath came through the line. “I’d say she’s already giving it to you.” His tone sounded like he meant it. “Reid said she volunteered to help you out and you spend a lot of time together.”

“Yeah, but I made a move yesterday and she kicked rocks so fast she nearly put my eye out.”

“What do you mean you made a move?”

“It was nothing really. Innocent, but she freaked.” Had I imagined that Georgia and I were getting more comfortable around each other? I mean, Christ, we’d been hanging out on and off for months now. I’d seen the way she’d looked at me. The way she flirted with me. I must not have been as good with reading women as I thought.

“Not surprising. From what little I gather, I don’t think she’s dated anyone since Jamie.”

“I hear about Jamie every time I mention her to Reid. So, what’s the story there? All I know is that he was her fiancé and he died serving overseas.”

Hoyt cleared his throat loudly. “My brother isn’t big on details. Jamie was more than that to Georgia. They had been together practically their whole life. Hell, I was just a kid when I left Halstead, but I remember the two of them being glued at the hip even then.”

“Hmm.” It was no wonder she didn’t act too enthused about dating. Childhood sweetheart was killed and now she was going to be a nun for the rest of her life. No way. This girl needed a rebound and bad. “Makes sense, I guess. She’s kind of…closed off.”