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She turned her attention back to her brother. Glancing at the wreck, she let out her breath as Dave started walking off the track. One of the medics had an arm around his shoulder and Dave lifted his hand toward the bleachers, waving to the crowd. There was a roar of approval from the fans as her brother limped away from the track.
She scarcely paid attention to anything else. Instead she focused on one thing. Getting to her brother and seeing for herself that he was okay. She wanted to hug him tightly.
Dave looked over at the other car and Annie realized that Tucker Aldridge had been the second driver in the crash. Jared stared at the track and it was hard to tell if he were only concerned because the car he owned was involved or if he was worried about Tucker’s health.
As soon as Tucker pulled himself out of the car and stood next to it, Jared exhaled a deep breath.
“I’m glad they’re both okay,” she said.
“Or at least seem to be,” he replied. “Do you still feel dizzy?”
She shook her head, a little embarrassed by her reaction to Dave’s accident. “No, I’m fine.”
He nodded at her and walked toward the fence. As a tow truck arrived to remove Dave’s car from the track, Annie turned away and started running toward the media center. She wasn’t just the sister of a driver today. She was being paid to photograph the event. They’d need to get someone else up on Turn Four because she wasn’t going to be able to shoot anything worth printing until she talked to Dave.
She raced through the crowds, with their pit and garage passes, to the media center and found her contact. The photography coordinator understood that she couldn’t continue until she knew her brother was okay. Annie made her way across the infield to the care center, keeping an eye out for her parents, who were probably making their way from the VIP suite that her father always rented.
Her father had been a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion back in the ’80s and everyone?fans, drivers and crews alike?still adored him. Dave got a lot of press about being the son of a legend, but her brother was building his own legend. Last year he’d come in second in points for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and this year, he was determined to win the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Championship. Hence her chronicling his year.
Dave’s job offer had given her an excuse to return to the world she’d once been so much a part of. She noted a few media types outside the care center. From past experience Annie knew that the care center was one of the few places in the infield with extremely limited access.
The waiting room was packed with people. The room was sterile with white walls and uncomfortable chairs. The floor was hospital-grade tile. Someone had tried to warm the place up by placing two framed photos on the wall. The first was an aerial shot of Daytona on race day. The stands were packed and a blur of cars was visible on the track. The second was a shot of Daytona Beach just after sunrise. The sun reflecting off of the water and the beach empty of everything save a pair of footprints left in the sand.
Jared MacNeil was there along with Donovan Allen, who worked for her father on the Jenner Racing team. She tried to push her way into the back but they weren’t letting anyone in until the track doctor had a chance to examine the drivers.
“Have a seat, Ms. Jenner. We’ll let you know when you can go back there,” the attendant told her.
Her cell phone rang and she pulled it out, checking the caller ID screen. It was her mom. She hesitated before answering the call, knowing that if her mom was upset and started crying so would she. And she was in the waiting room with two men who didn’t look like they were going to be emotional at all.
She turned away from the others in the room, facing the vending machine.
“Hi, mom.”
“Where are you, baby?”
“I’m in the waiting room. Where are you and dad?”
“We’re in the tunnel on our golf cart. We’ll be there in a minute. Have you seen him yet?”
“No, no one is allowed in. They are still examining both drivers.” She heard her own voice waver.
“We’ve got a problem back here,” she heard someone say behind her.
“Mom, I’ve got to go.”
Annie hung up the phone and moved toward the doorway leading back to the examination rooms. Jared and Donovan were both on her heels. She rounded the corner and heard voices raised?using the kind of words that would get you a big fine from the NASCAR folks.
TUCKER and DAVE were in each other’s faces and Jared had the feeling that they were seconds from coming to blows. If the wreck had been with anyone else, Jared knew Tucker would have let it go. But for some reason these two men always rubbed each other the wrong way.
