Burnout (The Holland Brothers Book 1)

“Here he comes.” I grab hold of Flynn’s arm as Knox rounds the last corner of the track and speeds toward the finish line. His pink jersey will never not make me smile.

I scream for him, like I’ve done every time he’s passed us. I doubt he can even hear me over the noise, but it’s the only outlet for all my pent-up anxiety. There’s still five minutes left, but with every lap, my nerves grow.

His face is mostly covered from his goggles and helmet, but when he makes the jump in front of us, whipping his bike with flair, I swear he’s grinning. He loves being out there and I love watching him.

His bike, including the number eighteen plate attached to the front, is covered in mud. It rained after the first race of the day, making a mess of the dirt track. But the sun is out now, not a cloud in sight, and Knox is tearing it up out there, leaving everyone else quite literally in the dust.

He’s had a great season so far. He’s leading in points and race wins. He’s been unstoppable. All while continuing to cheer me on as I finished my second year and captured my first NCAA all-around title, making sure Flynn graduated and has everything ready for college this fall, spending time with Archer and Brogan, and helping Hendrick with wedding stuff.

I am in awe of him and his big heart.

He’s here and then he’s gone. Just like that, zooming out of view.

I remove my fingers from Flynn’s bicep with an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”

For a second his smirk is so much like his brother’s that I feel like I’m staring at a younger Knox, but then I get one of his sweet Flynn smiles. “He’s got this. No one can catch him unless he messes up.”

He won’t mess up. He’s been perfect out there today.

The whole family came, and I know he won’t let the opportunity to win pass him by. He wants to share this with all of them. So very Knox.

Flynn and I came with Knox, so we’ve been here a few days getting the full race weekend experience. Archer and Brogan arrived last night and are currently tent-hopping to meet cute girls. Hendrick and Jane got back from their honeymoon in Fiji just yesterday and drove up this morning to join us. They have a glow about them. Even Colter and Quinn came, but they’re out in the crowd somewhere with some riding friends of Colter’s.

I love that Knox has so many people here supporting him. They all showed up the same way he has always showed up for them.

Riders continue to pass us by. I half-heartedly cheer for Knox’s new teammate, Ronnie. He’s young, only a year older than Flynn, and has this whole blond, blue-eyed charm going for him that’s made him a big hit with the female fans. Knox says he’s a good kid. I think he enjoys having someone so close to his brother’s age as a reminder when he’s traveling. I’ve only met him once and he seemed nice, but I still want Knox to beat him.

A crash in front of us draws an “ooooh” from the crowd.

“Who was that?” Flynn asks.

Hendrick chuckles from his spot on Flynn’s other side. “Link.”

I watch as a guy picks up his dirt bike and jumps back on it. He tries to restart it a few times before getting off, pushing it over, and kicking the crap out of it.

Our tent howls with laughter. Petty? Probably.

The time ticks down slowly, but every lap Knox increases his lead. It doesn’t feel like anyone else is even trying to catch him anymore, but the crowd is on their feet to cheer him along.

On the last lap, I bounce on my toes. Flynn glances at me out of the corner of his eye and grins at me but says nothing. He’s playing it cool, but I know he’s excited too.

When his pink jersey comes into sight, I don’t care how ridiculous I look, I jump and clutch onto Flynn. He humors me and joins in, and we scream our heads off as the black and white flag waves Knox across the finish line.

All of us head down to the Neon Punch trailer to meet him. Knox is off his bike and removing his goggles and helmet when we get there. I throw myself into his arms, probably with more gusto than I should, considering how tired he has to be.

“You won!” I yell as I squeeze him.

“Was there any doubt?” His breathing is ragged, but he still wraps his strong body around me and hugs me tight against him.

“Never.” I pull back and look up at him. “I love you. I’m so proud of you. You freaking did it!”

“I had to win, otherwise my brothers would keep giving me shit about how I’m not pulling my weight in this relationship because you’ve won more trophies than me.”

My head tips back as a laugh breaks free. “I didn’t realize we were keeping track.”

“We aren’t. Unless it’s about something a whole lot more important than trophies.”

“Like… who owns the most pink clothing now?”

He shakes his head, eyes dancing with amusement. “I love you too, princess.”

“But I love you more,” I counter, just to see his handsome, dirt-covered face pull into a smile.

“Not possible.”