Read Sweet Carolina for Free Online Page A

in
the ivory office?
    She finally made her way to him. Dell pushed
himself aside from the hauler and straightened.
    “Dell,” she offered her hand.
    “Caro,” he said as he folded her small hand
in his bigger one. Her grip was firm and warm, not a hint of
nerves, though he sensed some in her voice when she said his
name.
    “I hear you're driving with the crew.”
    “It's not far. Besides, I want to be there
early.” And he wanted to get to know them better. He'd only had a
few hours with them this week. Most of his time had been spent
playing the PR game – interviews, photo sessions, and making nice
with his new sponsors. A good crew could make or break you, and
their performance could be anywhere from lousy to outstanding,
depending upon their opinion of the driver. If a few hours on the
road with them could help win them over, he was willing to go
along.
    “I'll see you on Thursday, then.” Dell raised
an eyebrow in question.
    “I like to be there for practice. There isn't
much time to get the car as good as it can be,” she said, as if
that were her explanation. Before he could ask her what she meant,
she moved to the front of the group and raised her hand above her
head. All eyes turned her way and everyone grew quiet.
    “Be careful,” she said. “We're fortunate to
have an experienced Cup driver on our team now, so let's give him
our support. I think we have a winning team. I believe in each and
every one of you.” She waved her hand. “I'll see you on
Thursday.”
    Dell accepted a ride with the crew chief. If
he remembered right, Russell was a childhood friend of Stewart
Hawkins, and part of Hawkins Racing from the beginning. If anyone
knew Caro, Russell did.
    “What do you think of the new owner?” he
asked.
    Russell didn't take his eyes off the road,
and for the longest time, Dell didn't think the man was going to
speak at all. When he did, Dell was almost sorry he'd asked.
    “She needs to get married and have a bunch of
kids, and get the hell out of the garage and the business. Ain't no
place for a woman.”
    Dell flinched, but chided himself for his
stupidity. He should have known Russell would hold the same opinion
as his friend, Caro's father.
    “Stewart knew what he was about. Sent the
girl away.”
    “She's not a girl anymore,” Dell said.
    Russell shook his head. “Anyone with eyes can
see that. And trust me, you ain't the first to notice.”
    “I didn't think I was.”
    “The only mistake Stewart ever made was
leavin' the business to that slip of a girl. I'm tellin' you, she
ain't got no business runnin' a race team. She's gonna to drive it
into the ground, you mark my words.”
    “I don't know – she seems to know what she's
doing.”
    “She don't know shit. She hired you, didn't
she?”
    Dell didn't know what to say to that, so he
turned his attention to the road. He had no idea if hiring him was
a good thing for Hawkins Racing. He hadn't even considered that
aspect when Caro offered him the ride. All he was thinking about
was himself. He lived to drive and driving kept him alive. He
couldn't let anything else enter into the equation. That's not how
he worked.
    They rode in silence for a while before
Russell spoke up. “Your daddy was a good man.” Dell held his
tongue. How could he forget Russell knew his father too? “Had a
good head on his shoulders. Hell of a good driver too.”
    Dell had heard it all before. Most of the
racing world held the same opinion, and he'd given up on trying to
change it. It seemed everyone but him knew the Caudell Wayne that
Russell spoke of. Personally, Dell had never met that version of
his father.
    “He said you'd never make a decent Cup
driver, and he was right. You got off to a good start, but it musta
been beginner's luck. Always thought the other drivers cut you some
slack your first season, because you were Caudell's son. After
that, you had to earn your spot, and you ain't done it yet.”
    At last, something he could argue. “I've