Finding Sideways

Finding SidewaysRomance in Iron Range #2Mal Trevino Copyright © 2023 Mal TrevinoAll rights reservedThe characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.Cover design by: Mal Trevino Contents Title PageCopyrightChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapter 35Chapter 36Chapter 37Chapter 38Chapter 39Chapter 40Chapter 41Chapter 42Chapter 43Chapter 44EpilogueAbout The AuthorBooks By This Author Chapter 1Everybody said the same thing: Matti Jarvinen didn't know when to take his foot off the gas.Matti had heard it his whole life, from friends and family and the other teams in Iron Range Racing. And he knew they were right. He was always too much, too fast, too loud.But right now, he was bearing down on the finish line right at the entrance to downtown Iron Range and the voice of his navigator was shouting, yelling that they had the best time, up by four seconds.Matti pressed down harder on the gas pedal.“Five seconds! Come on, come on,” his cousin Devon shouted in the seat beside him, the sound doubled in his headset. “Go, go, go!”Matti tightened his grip on the steering wheel as they crested the last small hill. The car—his older brother's Subaru Imprezza—caught the air, soared for long enough that Matti's stomach rose with it. Then they were crashing down and roaring across the finish line. They slid to a stop in the center of town.As soon as Matti opened his eyes, he could see the cheering crowd. Half the town seemed to turn out for this race every year. It was the last race of the season, and the swarm of spectators seemed bigger now than it ever had. Maybe because he had just won.Holy shit. Matti had just won. He Chapter 2Hannigan’s on a race night was Matti’s second favorite place in the world.All his friends from the rally club were there, milling around the bustling crowd, the jukebox blasting. Sometimes some of the pros even came through. That was always a highlight. But the last race of the year—ah, that was just for the locals.Matti led the way to a booth near the back, sliding in to one side while Jaime and Ryan took the other, crammed into the tight space, shoulder to shoulder.“Good race, man,” Jaime said.“What the fuck,” Ryan muttered, glaring at his beer, “your car is practically stock.”Matti grinned. “Well, see, Zeller, some of us just know what to do behind the wheel, and some don’t. It’s probably genetic, I think.”Jaime sighed. Very little brought Matti more joy than annoying him. And then Ryan had moved to town in the spring, and now teasing Jaime was even more fun. Sometimes Ryan was an accomplice, sometimes ammunition.Mostly, Ryan made Jaime smile, so as far as Matti was concerned, Ryan was a very good addition to Iron Range.Jaime leaned back in his seat. “How have you been, Matti? I haven’t seen you since, what, July? Work keeping you busy?”Matti shrugged.“Levi’s getting in Monday morning. My folks are going to pick him up at the airport.”Jaime nodded slowly and took another drink. “I’m looking forward to