Stormy could feel pressure behind her eyes at the words. “I know that. But sometimes you don’t have much of a choice but to keep on running,” she said sadly.

“There’s always a choice, dear.”

Reaching up to grip the pendant from her lost necklace, her hand fluttered away when she came up with empty skin. It had been six years and she still reached for it. The night she’d lost it, more of her dreams of becoming a jeweler had washed away. Sadness filled her at her neighbor’s words, more so than she cared to admit.

“Sometimes, there’s really not a choice,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Thanks for being there for me, Penny. Now, stay inside and keep warm.”

She would actually do well to heed the woman’s advice. But she knew she wouldn’t.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The sun’s rays pierced through the overcast sky as the rain began to subside, and the now warming pavement of Seattle’s well-traveled roadways produced puffs of steam that were whirled around by the cars rushing along.

The light at a busy Broadway intersection turned red as a sexy Porsche 911 came to a stop just shy of the crosswalk. Drumming his hands impatiently on the steering wheel was the less than humble airline pilot Cooper Armstrong on his way to Sea-Tac Airport.

Cooper was once again in a mad dash to get to work early. Of course the airplane needed his special attention, and there’d be no flight for the day without his presence. Sure, there were other pilots, but none as good as he was, he thought with a cocky smile.

Within seconds, a car pulled alongside him to his left. Giving little thought to the vehicle, he calmly glanced over and saw the passenger window gliding down.

Cooper waited to see how hot the woman was who was about to offer her phone number. But instead of a sexy brunette or smoldering redhead, Cooper saw his fellow pilot and good friend Wolf Young. Had he not been so distracted, he would have recognized the dark blue BMW M3 immediately.

Wolf could be a little hotheaded, and he had a touch of arrogance. Hell, it was why the two of them got along so damn famously. But one thing they didn’t have in common was their idea of punctuality. Wolf certainly liked to push the envelope when it came to getting anywhere on time.

“Are you still driving that grandma’s car, old man?” Wolf shouted over the sound of his revving engine.

Cooper refused to take the bait—all of it, anyway. He wasn’t about to be late to work because Wolf had goaded him into a race.

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Cooper said with a mocking smile.

“Ha. My car will kick your car’s ass any day of the week.” Wolf revved the engine again for good measure.

“Are you ever going to grow up, Wolf?” Cooper asked, though he could feel the adrenaline racing through his veins at his friend’s obvious challenge. Damn . . .

“I sure as hell hope not,” Wolf shouted. “I’m racing. Let’s see if you can keep up.” And his window began to go up, though only partway.

To his great frustration, Cooper felt his ego taking over his decision-making processes. Just as his friend knew would happen. And though Cooper hated that his reactions were so predictable, he couldn’t seem to stop his next words.

“Fine, you want to find out what this grandma’s car can do, Wolf? You’d better prepare yourself for defeat.” Cooper shut his window. He could picture the excitement on Wolf’s face, and heard Wolf gun the motor in anticipation of starting.

The two men watched as the traffic on both sides of the street began to slow, indicating their light was about to change. Both cars surged forward, only held back by their feet on the brakes, as they prepared for the first sign of a green light. Time seemed to stand still, then the light finally changed.

In an almost simultaneous motion, Cooper and Wolf dumped their clutches and stomped on the gas pedals. With a roar, their cars leapt from the white line. The sound of squealing tires and the smell of smoke filled the air as both cars sped off.

Cooper glanced at his speedometer, which was climbing quickly to 65 miles per hour as they barreled down the city streets. Their cars darted in and out of midmorning traffic, getting everything from the middle finger to honking horns. Cooper knew in the back of his mind that he’d seen police officers on this road, but his boyish arrogance would never allow him to slow down.

Wolf made a sudden attempt at a pass, while Cooper responded with a sharp maneuver to block him. The sound of Wolf’s engine downshifting could be heard as Cooper watched him in the rearview mirror. His lead grew as he pushed his Porsche even harder.

Cooper knew that Wolf would do anything to win. He’d raced the guy before and had learned a few of Wolf’s tricks and strategies. Come on, Wolf, make your next move, Cooper silently taunted as they approached the on-ramp to the freeway.

Although the traffic was somewhat heavy, the open expanse of the freeway was a golden opportunity. This is your chance, Coop. Give it all she’s got. He quickly shifted into third gear as he turned onto the ramp, looking back to see Wolf only inches away.

The cars surged up the ramp, both engines growling as they were pushed to their limits. As Cooper crested the top of the ramp, he refused to be fazed by all the sounds of disapproval. In fact, he accelerated past 100 miles per hour.

Cooper’s confidence about his upcoming victory was quickly squashed by the sight of Wolf’s shiny grille in his rearview mirror. Deciding it was time for some dirty tactics, Cooper cracked an evil smile as he noticed a large truck with its turn signal on that was moving into his lane.