Over the Wall Read Online Free Page A

you were going to leave for Florida tonight.”
    “Got a little sidetracked by what happened. Had to cancel.”
    “You’re not picking that guy up? What’s his name?”
    “It’s Tim Carhardt, and we thought what happened tonight was pretty important. I wanted to drive down and spend some time talking to him on the way back. Guess we’ll need to make other arrangements.”
    Jamie nodded. “Well, Texas is coming up this weekend. Maybe you could—”
    Her dad gave her the look that said Stop talking, so she did.
    “The thing that bothers me isn’t that you would drive a Devalon car,” her dad said. “And I’m not upset that you would think about joining his team.”
    “Did Kellen mention it? That little rat. I even thanked him for not telling you about it.”
    “It doesn’t matter where I heard it. The point is,what really upsets me is that you would keep all this from us.”
    “I was scared you wouldn’t let me, that you’d be mad. And I was right—you are mad.”
    “I’m upset that you thought you had to keep this a secret. I’ve told you I want to help you be the very best driver you can be.”
    “You keep secrets from us,” Jamie said and regretted it as soon as she said it.
    “Like what?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Like what?” her dad said a little firmer this time.
    “Like the guy in Florida. You knew way back in December that you wanted him to come live here.”
    “That’s not fair. We didn’t even know if it was possible or if he’d agree to come here.”
    Jamie turned her head, her face hot, pretending that she’d been hurt. Silence filled the room, and she focused on a stack of NASCAR Illustrated .
    Her dad took a deep breath. “Devalon has suggested you for something.”
    “He told me he was thinking of signing me to his team. That they might offer me a contract.”
    “It’s not that. You’ve heard of the Skylar Jennings school, right?”
    “They do those ride alongs with NASCAR wannabes. Old guys who can hardly get behind the wheel.”
    He smiled for a second, which almost felt like a checkered flag waving. One small victory. “Yeah, they do that at tracks around the country. A pretty successful business. But Skylar also teaches rookies and kids whose parents have enough cash. It’s expensive, but they say it’s worth it.”
    “What’s this got to do with me? I don’t even have enough money for a new car.”
    “A few months ago some owners got together to identify the top prospects around the country, with an eye on diversity, bringing minorities and more female drivers into the program.”
    Jamie’s heart raced, and she sat straight. “Sounds like a good idea.”
    “The program will last four weeks. It starts in May. Intense classroom instruction. Lots of seat time. They have a few simulators, you’d learn from some of the best PR people, and there are races—”
    “Dad, why are you telling me this?”
    “Devalon picked you.”
    She scooted forward, her eyes wide open. “Me?”
    “There are already 42 from around the country who’ve been picked. Most of them are older than you and have more experience. They need one more.”
    She tried to catch her breath. She had a million questions.
    “Devalon and Shane made the decision whenthey saw you run Chad’s car. They have the last spot. You know how NASCAR is all about leveling the playing field and making things more equal. This is one way they can instruct privately and let the cream rise to the top.”
    “It sounds like a dream come true,” Jamie said.
    “There’s more.” Her dad crossed his legs. “They’re keeping score throughout the process. Classroom. On the track. Simulator. The top three drivers at the end of the four weeks get an actual license by NASCAR.”
    Jamie’s mouth dropped open. All she could say was, “Awesome!”
    “Obviously those three would have to keep their qualifications up, and they’d still need to work their way through—”
    Jamie jumped toward him and threw her arms around