I don’t regret a single minute that I spent with you, but my time’s run out, and now I have to take on the role I was born into.

The finality of it. Jesus. Frustration turned him wild. Heading for the next feature twenty feet away, Brodie swerved off course at the last moment, gunning it for the river.

If word gets out about his heart attack, it could destroy us in Tuesday’s vote, but I just wanted to thank you. Thank you so much for… Her voice had thickened. For everything. I will always cherish my time with you. It was the best… She’d hitched a breath. Goodbye, Brodie.

Channeling all his focus into his jump, Brodie bore down on the accelerator. Over the terrible buzz saw-sound of his engine, he heard his brothers calling him, but he didn’t care.

Standing up on the foot pegs, knees bent, he took off, only vaguely aware of the brown, churning water beneath him. He leaned back slightly to gain more air. The gyroscopic spin of the back wheel brought the front end up, and he pumped the brake to pull it down. With the ground in sight, he stood up, preparing for the impact. Adrenaline pumping, he throttled up and absorbed the landing with his legs.

Pumping his fist, he unbuckled his helmet and turned back to find his brothers had landed beside him. All three of them looked pissed off.

“What the hell’s the matter with you?” Fin said. “You trying to send us to the hospital?”

“What?” Crazy energy spun through him. “We’re riding.”

“On the track,” Will said quietly.

“Since when do we stay on a fucking course?” Foot perched on a peg, his knee jackhammered.

“Since I have a three-year-old at home.” Will yanked off his helmet. “You said one more ride before you build your house here. That’s why we came.”

“Don’t deal with your problems this way, man,” Gray said.

“Deal with…what’re you talking about?” He hated the way his brothers looked at him, like he was losing his shit. “We’re having fun.” Because he was losing his shit. “She’s getting married, for fuck’s sake.”

Fin cringed, Gray gave him a look that said, You sure about that? And Will held his gaze, strong and steady.

“She has no choice.” He hurled his helmet, watched it bounce on the hard earth and spin. “They’re going to take this smart, creative, fucking amazing person, and turn her into a robot. She’s going to get married, pop out kids till she has a boy, and she’s never going to make perfume again. Do you have any idea how wrong that is for her?”

Worse, I fucking love her.

And every second that goes by without her feels like a living hell.

“Have you talked to her?” Gray said.