Hot Laps
Authors: Shey Stahl
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Genre Fiction, #Coming of Age, #Romance, #Contemporary
A NOVEL BY SHEY STAHL
This book is a work of fiction. Names, sponsors, characters, places, and incidents
are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
to actual events, locales, or persons, dead or living, is coincidental.
The opinions expressed in this book are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
reflect the views of NASCAR, its employees, or its representatives, teams, and drivers
within the series. The car numbers used within this book are not representing those
drivers who use those numbers either past or present in any NASCAR series, USAC or
The World of Outlaw Series and are used for the purpose of this fiction story only.
The author does not endorse any product, driver, or other material racing in NASCAR,
USAC or The World of Outlaw Series. The opinions in this work of fiction are simply
that, opinions and should not be held liable for any product purchase, and or effect
of any racing series based on those opinions. This book is told through first person
narration and switches point of view between characters.
Copyright © 2014 by Shey Stahl
Published in the United States of America
ISBN-10: 1499277598
ISBN-13: 978-1499277593
EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized
reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law.
No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites,
or distributed in any other way via the internet or any other means, electronic or
print, without the publishers permission. Criminal copyright infringement including
infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by
up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No
part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of Shey Stahl.
Warning: This book contains adult content, explicit language, and sexual situations.
Cover Art:
Allusion Graphics, LLC and Elaine York
www.allusiongraphics.com
Interior Design and Formatting/Proofing:
Elaine York, Allusion Graphics, LLC
I could literally fill this book with people who need to be thanked and it still wouldn’t
be enough.
The Boy, thank you for being there for me through my worst days (the ones where I
wear no make-up and ignore you all day to write a story) to my best days (the days
I look like a fucking lady and take me to dinner). Not a day goes by that I don’t
see how lucky I am.
Honey Girl, sweets, you get me. You’re growing into the most beautiful little girl
and you’re the reason I kept going.
My family, thank you for being there when no one else was.
Shanna, oh sweets, how I love you! Thanks for always being there for me. I think we
were meant to find each other on so many levels. Not just as friends more like you’re
my soul sister, you just get me, too. Thank you so much for not only pre-reading this
book but offering up ideas and my daily inspirational photos for whatever I’m working
on. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me.
Janet, thank you for so many facts about a woman’s vagina to add to this story. You’ll
see that many made it in the book, lol! Love you! When I think about you I think about
throwing back beers with my best friends on a tailgate. Thank you, lover!
Elaine, the girl who knows my diary, every page and doggy eared note. I’m so glad
you messaged me because I never knew what I was missing. Thank you for trying to teach
me where commas go. I, still, don’t, understand. See?
Barb, thanks for your extra set of eyes on this and staying with me.
Erin, thank you for always checking on me and sending me little notes to let me know
you’re thinking of me. You’re the reason I look down at my phone and smile. <<< Had
to stick that in here somewhere. ;)
The Gearheads, I saw all your posts while I was gone and thank you for keeping me
going. I had a hard time getting motivated to continue this journey again and this
book is for you, girls.
Kim and Tray, I love you Baby Cakes. Thank you for everything you do for me. Both
of you.
Thank you to all my author friends and bloggers who have stuck by me. You know exactly
who you are. Love you, girls!
I continually thought about one saying through everything this last year. “You can
fight or give in.”
I guess this is me fighting.
For the Gearheads.
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
—Gandhi
Prelude: Deep Braking – Hayden
Chapter 1: Engine Check – Casten
Chapter 4: Formation Lap - Hayden
Chapter 5: Wheelstand - Casten
Chapter 9: Flying Lap - Hayden
Chapter 17: Home Track - Casten
Chapter 20: Post Entry - Hayden
Chapter 21: Glazed Over - Casten
Chapter 22: Ride Height - Hayden
Chapter 24: Connector - Hayden
Chaper 24-1/2: Connector - Casten
Deep braking – Applying the brakes later than normal when entering the corner.
Casten’s face went blank searching for the answer he thought I was looking for but
you could tell he came up with nothing.
He opened his mouth again, but no words came out. Instead, he just stared at me.
His lack of words had created an unbearable silence. I couldn’t take it much longer.
“Are you mad?”
“Not mad.” There was no anger in his voice and certainly no blame. “Just shocked,
I guess.”
I wanted to look away, afraid if I saw the disappointment he felt I would actually
cry over this.
My throat got tight and I closed my eyes, not wanting to think about it any longer.
My life, and his, was about to change considerably.
His breath held for a minute, then he looked up. “I need a beer.”
When I think about a guy like Casten, I think about two things: Passion for life and
love. He loves so many people and unconditionally, too.
He lives his life the way he chooses.