Love in the Fast Lane

By Kelly Papyrus

Rev up your heart and get ready for a pulse-pounding ride in this captivating new novel, "Love in the Fast Lane." Join Lacey as she navigates the twists and turns of love, grief, and self-discovery on the racetrack of life.

When Lacey reopens the drag racing school that her late husband founded, she's stepping into a world of uncertainty. A year after his sudden passing, doubts swirl like exhaust fumes as she grapples with the challenge of carrying on his legacy. But destiny has a different plan as Kyler, a captivating newcomer, checks in for his licensing class. Sparks ignite as their worlds collide, setting off a chain reaction that will change their lives forever.

As engines roar and dreams take flight, Kyler's presence becomes Lacey's guiding star. Amidst the revving of engines and the thrill of speed, they forge a connection that defies expectations. Kyler's arrival brings more than just an opportunity to master the art of racing; it sparks a flame that neither of them saw coming.

But the path to love is never a straight line. Kyler faces his own battles, clashing with challenges that threaten to stall his journey. When Lacey opens up about her grief, Kyler responds with an unexpected empathy that brings them closer. In each other's arms, they find solace, understanding, and the courage to embrace the road ahead.

Rumors spread like wildfire through the town, casting doubt on Lacey and Kyler's budding romance. Fueled by whispers and raised eyebrows, Lacey seeks counsel from an unexpected source – Edwin's wise grandmother. Guided by her wisdom, Lacey realizes that moving forward doesn't mean betraying the past. With newfound strength, she makes a daring choice: to chase her own happiness instead of clinging to the ghost of her late husband's dreams.

As the finish line of love beckons, Lacey decides to shift gears once again. With Kyler by her side, she leaves behind the racetrack and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Together, they rev up the engines of change, proving that love is the ultimate driving force.

Join Lacey and Kyler as they accelerate through life's challenges, leaving skid marks on convention and embracing the unexpected curves of the heart. "Love in the Fast Lane" is a captivating tale of romance, resilience, and the exhilarating rush of finding love when you least expect it. Buckle up, because this novel is about to take you on a breathtaking ride you won't soon forget.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bryant Street Shorts
• Release date: Aug 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9781094466613

Kelly Papyrus

Kelly Papyrus is a writer whose stories feature diverse characters and people of color. She loves learning about new cultures and writing about them. She lives in Florida and loves dogs.

Book preview

1

H appy registration day, Miss Lacey, I heard, and looked up from where I was pretending to check off boxes on my clipboard. It was Franco, one of the guys who taught engine maintenance. I waved and nodded but didn’t dare open my mouth, afraid it would push me over the edge and make me start crying. Showing up today and putting on a brave face was all I could manage. There was no way I could be expected to make conversation with these people too.

Morning, Franco, I said, even though the pulsating full sun suggested it was afternoon already. Sweat was working its way down my back and under the waistband of my shorts, making the top of my butt and the back of my legs itchy. I hated being outside in the heat unless I had to be. The humidity made it feel like the heat was sticking to my skin in clumps, burning at the spots where the direct sunlight was hitting me. You could be nice and cool in your office right now. Unfortunately, someone had to work the registration table and I didn’t really trust anyone to do it properly but myself. I took a deep swig from my bottle of water and tried to savor the fleeting feeling of coolness in my mouth. How are you a Florida girl, born and raised, and you hate the heat? Edwin used to ask me all the time, and I never came up with a good reply.

You’re doing great, you know. I felt Alexis squeeze my arm and anchor me back to the moment, and I tossed her a grateful look. She’d been my friend since school days, but we’d become even closer since my husband’s death. Alexis had stayed at my side ever since I’d lost Edwin two years before, and she could read on my face when a wave of grief was about to wash over me. A gentle pinch or a poke in the arm from her helped ground me back in the moment. I was here representing the Stapleton family and the racing school alone, and I had to make the day a success. Not entirely sure why, since I don’t like racing that much, and I’m technically not a Stapleton anymore.

Next, I said, willing myself to get through the next hour or so. It wasn’t that much longer until I’d be able to collapse onto my couch and stare mindlessly at the television, and I longed for it. Being around people who knew me, seeing the subtle change in the way they looked at me, it was just too much. The sun was blazing right in my eyes, and I adjusted the red visor I’d put on to match the school colors. I’d pulled my black hair into a ponytail to try and keep the back of my neck from sweating, but I could tell it wasn’t working. I smoothed down my racing school shirt and wiped my sweaty palms on the front of my jean shorts. I felt a surge of relief looking at the guy who approached the table next, and not just because he was handsome. He was a new face, someone I’d never met, someone who didn’t know me as Edwin’s widow.

Welcome to Stapleton Racing School. What’s your name, please?

I’m Kyler Lincoln, he said, and as I typed it in I snuck a look at him over the top of my sunglasses. The first thing to catch my attention was the sheer size of him. Kyler was tall, almost too tall to be a racer. I could imagine him carefully packing himself into the driver seat and still barely making it. He wasn’t overweight, but he had a large frame, and I could tell he was in good shape, though he wasn’t a gym bro. It would be a tight squeeze for him to get his long legs folded into the body of the car depending on the size and model. His dark hair fell in waves around his face and chin, and I wondered what he would look like with it pulled back into a bun. I tapped on his profile in the system and reviewed the information, feeling the sensation of someone staring at me as I did. At 27, he was just a couple years older than me, the same age Edwin would be if he was still here. Is he checking me out? Is he checking me out because he sensed me checking him out? Breathe, Lacey. Focus on getting him ready for school. Follow the checklist.

Ok, Kyler, I see your registration forms are in and your tuition payment came through, so all we need to do is get your picture for your student ID and you’ll be ready for the first day. Stand back a little for me and look at this camera, I said, tapping the camera that sat on a tripod next to my computer. Great, now smile.

The camera captured the angles of his face, the way his eyes squinted as he tried to focus in. His face didn’t change or move towards relaxing into a smile, but I took the picture anyway. Plenty of the guys wanted to portray a tough image from the moment they got near the track, and I got why they felt it was necessary. Racing was changing like the rest of the world, but slowly, and many of the racers showed up with a macho sort of mentality. Even though the siding on the school building was dirty and the paint was faded on the sign, this was still a significant place in local and even national racing history. The guys who came here knew they wanted to learn from the best and prove they could hang with the toughest. Like Edwin and the family members who had run the place before him had been. The Stapleton family wasn’t just known locally, they’d been involved in championship drag racing at the national level for three generations. People trusted the expertise that came with the name.

Ok, give us a couple minutes to print that out and get it laminated. In the meantime, you can feel free to walk around, grab a plate, get to know your classmates. It’s an informal kind of orientation, I said, waving in the general direction of the barbeque. It was still quieter than years before, and kind of lame compared to how lively Edwin had made things when he was in charge. But people were milling around, eating hot dogs and making conversation, which was the best I could hope for right now.

Uh, I’m good, thanks. Actually, I have somewhere I need to be, so I’ll just wait for the ID and then be on my way, he said. Oh god, not a wannabe Dale Earnhardt loner type. Community and getting along with the rest of the students was vital for the ones who really wanted to make it in the industry. The connections they made here could help them land the best crew people or mean an introduction to a powerful racing team down the line. Probably thinks he knows it all already.

That’s too bad, there’s a lot of important information about attending the school that we’ll go over in a little while, once everyone is checked in. Hate for you to miss it, I said. It came out bitchier than I had intended, but the fact that he was already planning to skip school events pissed me off.

Yeah, I hate to miss that too, but I have to go get the keys to my apartment from the landlord before he heads to work. I’m new in town, and everything I own is in boxes in the back of my truck. Someone could be stealing my hibachi grill right now, he added. He didn’t need to tell me that he was just arriving in Beachside. I knew all too well that I’d never seen him around McMillan’s Grocery Store shopping for produce or at the Last Turn having a beer on a Friday night.

Oh, okay. I guess I understand that. Well, welcome to Beachside. How do you like it here so far?

Uh, I haven’t seen much of it, he said, and I could tell he was trying his hardest to be polite. Beachside was my home, but I knew it didn’t do much for visitors. There