Chapter Fourteen

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Brett sucked in a breath knowing that what he was about to say was going to be difficult. He wasn't one to open up- he never had been and the thought scared him. But it seemed to be more than that. It was the guilt coursing throughout his body that urged him to tell the truth never mind how much it damaged his ego and pride. He'd never admitted- though he was about to- that he was embarrassed and ashamed of his past. Each time he heard the name Alexis Morgan his jaw clenched and so did his fists. Her name alone had the power to bring out the worst in him and that was a feeling that never seemed to fade but as of lately he'd allowed even the smallest sight of a trait similar to hers erupt a volcano of anger and hurt all over again.

It was because of Brett that the farm- the only material thing that tied Maggie to her late husband- was on the verge of bankruptcy and in marrying Alexis and becoming a part of the Morgan Racing empire he believed he was doing the right thing to save his father's legacy. He was naive to think that Alexis would stick by him when he chose to take a different career path so that he could help his mother at the farm. Even though his intentions were good he'd only made things worse.

"I don't know where to start," he said as he stared out of the window he was now standing by tying to find the nerve to begin his explanation.

"Start at the beginning," Leigh said. "I've got time." She gestured to the hospital bed she was currently laying in and was willing to hear him out no matter how long it would take.

Brett nodded, took in a breath and as tears threatened his eyes he knew exactly where to start. "When I was a boy my Dad had this racin' car from the eighties that he kept in the barn under a couple of sheets. He said that when he retired he'd restore it as a project to keep his mind busy but until then he just kept it covered. He didn't like it when Jamie and I played in the barn because he thought we'd scratch the car but we still did it anyway. But when my Dad was busy I would sneak into the barn and sit in the car pretending that I was a racing driver comin' in first place. And when I turned sixteen and got my driver's license I came clean to my Dad about the time I spent as a child in the barn and told him that racin' was somethin' I wanted to do. My Dad then told me that he had somethin' to show me. He'd spent hours hours after work fixin' up the car so that I could start racin'. He knew exactly how much time I spent in the barn as a kid and he taught me the basics of racin' and I fell in love with the sport. From that day on I knew what I wanted to do with my life. My Dad took me to so many races as a teenager and he was there for my first one and I was good. In my first race I came in second place and my second race I came in first.

"When I was twenty-two I did one of my first ever professional races with scouts there watchin' for talent. I wasn't havin' a good day but I came in second and when I pulled into the pits I saw this woman watchin' me. She was standin' by my Dad making small conversation but the whole time she was studyin' me. I remember that day so well because it was the day I thought I met my future. The woman..." He couldn't bring himself to say her name instead referred to her by her gender. "Was the most amazin' person I'd ever met. She was stunnin' and motivated and from the moment I laid eyes on her I knew I had to ask her out. But I was shy so I just stayed away. She was the one who came up to me and asked me out. I took her on a date and I thought it was the best day of my life.

"Our relationship grew from there and by the time I was twenty-three I'd already proposed and she'd said yes. I loved her so much and she was my future but it wasn't because of who her Dad was. Her Dad was successful, he owned a racin' team and I'd be lying if I said that it didn't make me more attracted to her. But believe me I never only liked her because of that. I loved this woman with my entire heart and there was a time I would have done anythin' for her. It was only once we were engaged that her Dad asked me to join the racin' team but he wanted somethin' in exchange. The barn behind the farm shop where my Dad's racing car was usually stored, he wanted to convert it into a workshop for his company and he agreed to give my parents rent to use the space. I talked it over with my Dad and just like that the deal was done.

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