Fred Munson likes his job as a traffic cop. He’s good at it. It’s his personal life that could use some improvement. With no friends, and being too shy to talk to anyone while out of uniform, when Fred is forced to use some of his vacation time, he has nothing to fill his days. At least not until he comes home to find his driveway blocked by a stranger with car troubles. A month after losing his father, Zen Zeppelin Cave has also lost his place in the world. The only thing holding him together is focusing on a charity junk car race to raise money for cancer research. And he's crossing that finish line even if he ends up replacing every part of the car along the way. Zen had planned on completing the race on his own, but a spur-of-the-moment decision changes that when he invites the adorable, blushing police officer whose driveway he’s blocking to tag along. Going with a stranger on a road trip is completely out of Fred’s comfort zone, so when he accepts the invitation, no one is more surprised than himself. Together, Zen and Fred head south. But will the old junk car hold together long enough to reach their destination? And will crossing the finish line mean the end of the road for a budding romance, or will they find there’s more to their journey?

Banger Challenge

“It’s just, I fret over everything. Even now, after having spent this many hours with you, I’m turning the words I’ve said around in my head, convinced you’ll think I’m a total imbecile.”


“Never! I like you just the way you are, Fred.”


“But you don’t hear the constant monologue going on in my head, you have no idea how screwed up I really am.”


Zen laughed, not what Fred had expected.


“Babe, we all have monologues going on in our heads, and we’re all having less than sane ideas.”


Fred doubted anyone agonized as much over what they did or said as he did.


“Just say what pops up in your head, I won’t judge you.” Zen winked at him.


“Perhaps not, but here in this car, it’s only the two of us, so no one will care what you say.”


Zen would. If Fred voiced every worry, Zen would soon grow tired of him.


He wished he had a jigsaw, he needed to put some pieces together, needed to create some kind of order.


Chapter 22