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

“Ready to go?” Wrapping an arm around his waist, Zen nuzzled his neck.


Fred nodded and stumbled toward the door, dropping his things in the backseat before buckling up.


The glare Fred sent him made him grin wider. “I’m sure we can find an around the clock gas station on the way.”


“On the way sounds too long. I need coffee within minutes.”


Zen leaned over the center console and kissed Fred’s cheek. “I’ll do my best, love.”


When Fred stared at him, he winked and started the car. This was great—the air was cool and the roads deserted. “This is amazing.” He turned out onto the freeway, not his favorite type of road, but better than a highway. “From now on, we should go early in the morning every day.” He patted Fred’s thigh and got a glare in reply. “Okay, coffee. I’ll do my best, babe.” He blew him a kiss and started searching for gas station signs.


Chapter 27