Fast Track

  Book Five in the Nashville Nights Next Generation Series

  Cheryl Douglas

  Copyright © by Cheryl Douglas

  Smashwords Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, including photocopying, graphic, electronic, mechanical, taping, recording, sharing, or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the author and / or publisher. Exceptions include brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Persons, places and other entities represented in this book are deemed to be fictitious. They are not intended to represent actual places or entities currently or previously in existence or any person living or dead. This work is the product of the author’s imagination.

  Any and all inquiries to the author of this book should be directed to: info@cheryldouglasbooks.com

  Fast Track © 2013 Cheryl Douglas

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  Nashville Nights Family Tree

  The Turners

  Trey and Sierra Turner - Nashville Nights, Book One, Shameless

  Jared and Elaine Turner - Trey’s parents

  Alisa Turner - Next Generation, Book One, High Stakes

  The Coopers

  Josh and Lexi Cooper - Nashville Nights, Book Two, Fearless

  Jay and Victoria - Josh and Ashley’s son and daughter-in-law / Nashville Nights, Book Seven, Hopeless

  Mike and Tori Cooper - Josh and Ashley’s son and daughter-in-law / Nashville Nights, Book Eight, Careless

  Aiden Cooper – Josh and Lexi’s son / Next Generation, Book Two, Trade Off

  Brianna Cooper – Josh and Lexi’s daughter / Next Generation, Book Three, Game On

  Ava Cooper – Jay and Victoria’s daughter / Next Generation, Book Eight, Blown Away

  The Spencers

  Luc and Marisa Spencer – Nashville Nights, Book Three, Ruthless

  Nikki Spencer – Luc’s daughter / Nashville Nights, Book Five, Relentless

  Ryan Spencer – Luc and Marisa’s son / Next Generation, Book Three, Game On

  Evan Spencer – Lun and Marisa’s son / Next Generation, Book Four, Burn Out

  The McCalls

  Ty and Avery McCall – Nashville Nights, Book Four, Reckless

  Anna McCall – Ty and Avery’s daughter / Next Generation, Book Five, Fast Track

  Nick McCall – Ty and Avery’s son / Next Generation, Book Six, Time Out

  J.T. McCall – J.T. and Derek’s brother / Nashville Nights, Book Five, Relentless

  Nikki Spencer – McCall – J.T.’s wife / Nashville Nights, Book Five, Relentless

  Lauren McCall - J.T. and Nikki’s daughter / Next Generation, Book Seven, Face Value

  Derek McCall – J.T. and Derek’s brother / Nashville Nights, Book Six, Heartless

  Ashley McCall – Derek’s wife, Jay and Mike Cooper’s mother / Nashville Nights, Book Six, Heartless

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  About the Author

  Coming Soon

  Book Five- Fast Track

  Teacher and part-time artist, Anna McCall, is sweet, shy, and reserved. Living in her famous father’s shadow is exhausting, which is why she decides to get away from it all for a while. She retreats to their family beach house for the summer, intent on painting, reflecting, and regrouping after a messy break-up. She’s revelling in the peace and tranquility until a famous race car driver moves in next door intent on invading her sanctuary.

  Justin Hunt has one goal this summer, to forget the past year of his life ever happened and if it takes a group of rowdy jocks, loud music, kegs of beer, and bikini-clad women to help him forget, so be it. Too bad his new neighbor seems intent on spoiling his fun by distracting him from his mission.

  Prologue

  Two Months Earlier

  Justin Hunt knew the pressure was on. He didn’t need his best friend to remind him the stakes had never been higher.

  “You’re the guy to beat today, man,” Mitch said, pacing the floor. “You just need to edge Todd out. He’s your only real threat.”

  Todd Banks was one of Justin’s closest friends, but in racing, friendship took a backseat to victory.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

  “That’s what I like to hear,” Mitch said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

  Justin wasn’t as confident as he pretended, but mental preparation was half the battle. He had to see himself taking the victory lap in his mind’s eye. Coming in second was not an option when companies were paying him millions of dollars to be the champion endorsing their product.

  Justin had always been fiercely competitive, but his desire to win had taken over his life that year. Edging out the competition was more important than his family, friends, or the women in his life. He couldn’t afford to let anything or anyone distract him.

  Justin grabbed his helmet and headed for the door. “Let’s do this.”

  Mitch slapped him on the back as he fell into step beside him. “Don’t worry about the car. It’s never run better.”

  “Glad to hear it.” Justin eyed his pit crew. They were making the final preparations on his impressive machine to secure another big win in front of thousands of screaming fans. “Coming in second isn’t an option for me today,” he said, securing his helmet. “Whatever it takes, I need to win this thing.”

  Minutes slipped by as Justin got into the zone, preparing, listening to instructions on his headset, reassuring his team he was ready to bring this one home.

  The race got underway, and he carried out his strategy, getting into position, staying close to the competition, but giving them a false sense of security. He knew he had a target on his back, and if he could make the others believe he was struggling, he could use the element of surprise in his favor and pull it out in the end.

  His car ate up the laps, and he was exactly where he needed to be moving into the home stretch. He knew what he had to do. He and Todd were neck and neck rounding the final corner when Justin made his move. A slight adjustment, and Justin watched with satisfaction as his rival struggled to maintain control of his car.

  Grinning, Justin imagined his friend cursing a blue streak. Todd was as competitive as Justin, and both men expected it to be their day. The only question remaining was who wanted to win more. Intent to put that question to rest, Justin gave it everything he had.

  In a blinding moment, Justin’s car spun out of control. He heard the familiar crunch of metal and knew the race was over for him. His car started flipping, and he felt the impacts of other cars hitting him from all directions. He wasn’t afraid of dying, but he was afraid of losing.

  “Son of a bitch!” he shouted, praying he’d be allowed to walk away from one last impact. He’d been in crashes before and had always had luck on his side. He could only hope he hadn’t tempted fate one too many times.

  He was relieved to find he’d landed upright when the car stopped rolling. He could still move his limbs, but every part of his body ached. His crew ran toward him, anxious to make sure he was okay.

  He wanted to let his crew and family know he’d survived another brush with death, so he pulled himself out of the car. That was when he saw it. Todd’s car was engulfed in flames. Justin got a sick feeling in his stomach when he saw a body in the driver’s seat before the car exploded.

  “No!” he shouted, running toward his friend’s car.

  Mitch grabbed him, trying to stop him from getting too close to the violent firestorm. “It’s too late, man. We can’t help him.”

  Justin hit his knees in the dirt, knowing that moment would dwell in his nightmares forever. He watched Todd’s wife try to run out on the track, before being restrained by members of her husband’s pit crew…with their baby girl on her hip.

  “Help him!” she screamed. “Someone please help him!”

  Everyone knew it was too late. Rescue crews worked to douse the flames, but even with the protective gear Todd wore, beating the beast snuffing out his life took too long.

  “This can’t be happening,” Justin muttered, throwing his helmet on the ground. It ricocheted across the open field, bouncing from the impact. He’d seen drivers lose their lives before, but he’d never stood by and watched a man he considered a brother succumb to death. He dropped his head into his hands. “This is my fault. I was trying to edge him out-”

  “Stop it!” Mitch shouted, dropping down to the ground beside him. “This is the nature of the game, man. We all know that. It was driver error. He overcorrected, l
ost control. You’ll see it when you watch the footage.”

  Whether Todd could have made a different choice didn’t matter. Justin knew his actions had prompted Todd’s error, and he would have to find a way to live with that.

  Looking up into the stands, he saw thousands of fans watching. Some were screaming, crying, pointing at the tragedy evolving before their eyes. Everyone present would remember that moment for the rest of their lives, the moment a man was taken out in the prime of his life, at the top of his game. Todd was a husband, father, and son, and Justin knew the people he’d left behind would never get over the loss.

  Mitch forced Justin to his feet and tried to lead him away, but Justin refused to leave until they’d extracted Todd’s body. In Justin’s head, he heard the echo of screams, his own, as he tried to wake himself up from that horrendous nightmare. It wouldn’t be the first time his mind had tortured him with worst case scenarios during the pre-dawn hours. Justin wanted to believe the crash was just another one of those dreams, but when the nausea overtook him, he knew the physical and emotional pain was too real to be the creation of his overactive imagination.

  Todd’s wife’s tears were real, his baby’s confused cries were real, the shock and horror on the faces of his parents as they watched their only son’s lifeless body being pulled from the wreckage… that was real.

  ***

  “Damn it, Anna!” Tom shouted. “You can’t do this. We’ve already set the wedding date. We’ve ordered the invitations, booked the venue... You can’t just call it off!”

  Setting the engagement ring he refused to accept on a nearby table, Anna slipped her hands in the pockets of her tailored black dress pants. When her fiancé showed up on her doorstep to tell her he’d accepted a job offer in another state, she knew the time had come to admit the truth: She was having second thoughts about their relationship.

  “I don’t want to move to California,” she said, brushing away the tear sliding down her cheek. After four years together, there was no way to make it easier. She loved Tom, but she wasn’t in love with him anymore, and prolonging the agony wasn’t fair to either one of them.

  He held her hands. “You’re not thinking clearly,” he said, kissing her hands. “The job offer came as a shock to you. You just need a little more time to get used to the idea. I’ll go out there, get settled, find us a place to live, and then you can join me when the school year ends.”

  Leaving behind her family, friends, and students wasn’t an option. Nashville was her home, and Anna didn’t want to relocate. Her time with Tom had come to an end. “It’s better we figure this out now, before we get married and innocent children are involved.” Since they both wanted a large family, they’d planned to get pregnant right away.

  “I can’t believe this,” he said, searching her eyes as though he expected to find some hint of hesitation. “I thought you loved me.”

  “I did. I do…” Her heart broke for both of them. Tom was a good man. She wanted to love him enough to make it work, but she couldn’t convince herself he was the one man she couldn’t live without. “Just not enough.”

  Letting his hands fall to his sides, he said, “How long have you felt this way?”

  Tom had always worn righteous indignation well, and tonight was no exception. He may pretend her decision was a complete surprise, but Anna had warned him if he applied for jobs out of state, she wasn’t sure she could uproot her life to go with him. He’d told her he understood, but apparently, he’d decided to take the risk anyway. He probably assumed she would change her mind when he presented her with the option of ending their relationship or going with him.

  “Don’t pretend I’ve blind-sided you,” she said. If anything, she felt stunned that the man she’d intended to marry had made the decision to build a life in a new city, with or without her. “You knew how I felt about leaving Nashville.”

  “I’m going to be your husband, Anna. That means wherever I go, you go.”

  Gritting her teeth, she asked, “Did you ever stop to consider my career when you made this decision?”

  He rolled his eyes. “You’re a teacher. You could get a job anywhere. Besides, we agreed you’d stay home with the baby. So, if you can’t find a job in San Fernando, you’ll just-”

  “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Suddenly, she felt exhausted, physically and emotionally. “I have a few weeks of school left. Then I think I’ll spend the summer at my parents’ beach house.”

  “You can’t hide out on that godforsaken island and pretend this isn’t happening,” he said, looking disgusted. “We have a wedding to plan, a house to buy-”

  “No,” she said firmly. “We don’t have a wedding to plan.” Tom was used to getting what he wanted, and he wasn’t above bullying and berating to get his way. That was one of his few flaws, but it had always driven her crazy. “I already told you, I can’t marry you.”

  “You don’t mean that,” he said, crossing his arms. “You’re just upset.”

  “I am upset, but not for the reasons you think. I’m upset because a relationship that’s been a big part of my life for a long time is ending.”

  He scowled. “No, it’s not.”

  Sighing, she said, “Tom, we can’t continue to live in denial. I want more out of life.”

  “More?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean? Being a doctor’s wife isn’t good enough for you? Maybe you’d prefer a famous singer or hotel mogul or-”

  Anna resented him taking shots at her family and friends just because he was angry with her. “I want someone I can’t live without.”

  “You’re so naïve,” he said, rolling his eyes. “This is real life, Anna, not one of those silly little books you use to escape reality.”

  He’d always made fun of her idealized view of the world, telling her that passionate love was just a fantasy. According to Tom, the foundation of a good relationship was mutual respect and admiration. He’d almost convinced her to settle…

  She kissed his cheek. “I wish you luck in California. I hope you’ll be very happy.”

  He looked at her a long time before he said, “You’ll come back to me when you realize what we had.”

  “I don’t think so,” she whispered. What they had would never satisfy her longing for something more.

  Chapter One

  Anna McCall was jogging down the beach, enjoying the peace and tranquility she’d come to expect on her nightly excursions, when the sound of thumping music from her only neighbor’s house drew her attention.

  She hadn’t met their new neighbor and hoped she wouldn’t have to on this trip. Her father had assured her the professional race car driver, Justin Hunt, rarely used his luxury beachfront home on their semi-private island, making the tranquil spot the perfect place for her to escape for some much needed alone time.

  As she made her way closer, Anna saw people on the rear deck. Some were intertwined, others were dancing, many were drinking and laughing. So much for peace and quiet, she thought, clenching her teeth. Chances of them leaving any time soon were slim, so she decided to confront the home owner and ask for a little cooperation. Surely he would be respectful of her desire for peace in their shared sanctuary.

  She pounded on the door, but when no one responded, she turned the door knob and ventured inside, hoping to find the host.

  “Hello,” she said to a handsome man pouring a drink at the kitchen counter. “I’m looking for Justin Hunt.”

  The man grinned as he reached for a second glass. “I don’t know where he is, but why don’t you join me for a drink?”

  Anna blushed as she dipped her head. “Um, I don’t think so,” she said, smiling to soften her rejection. She glanced at her outfit, wincing inwardly: cropped black running shorts, a tight black tank top, and running shoes. Hardly suitable party attire. Not to mention the fact that she wasn’t wearing a lick of makeup, and her long dark hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail. Maybe she should escape before anyone else saw her.