Lucas walked into the smoky little pizzeria on the edge of town and took a seat at a table in the rear. It was low key and quiet and served some of the best pizza in all of North Carolina.

"You need a menu, sugar?" the waitress asked as she approached him.

Lucas shook his head. There was no need. He'd been going there practically his whole life and he'd been ordering the same dish since middle school.

"No thanks. I'll have two slices of deep dish pepperoni and whatever brew is good tonight on tap."

"Be right back", she smiled.

"Oh and can you put two slices of thin crust with Italian sausage, onions and black olives on hold? I got somebody meeting me here in a few minutes."

"Sure thing, honey."

Lucas nodded and looked around as he settled into the semi comfortable chair. His cell phone vibrated against his thigh from its resting place in the deep pocket of his jeans.

"Yeah", he answered.

"Luke, it's me. Nathan."

"What's up?"

"Just wondering if you could stop by the Den later and check on things?"

"Alright. Something wrong?"

"No. But Mom isn't working tonight and neither is Hales and I'm busy. Just wanted to make sure everything is okay."

Lucas shrugged.

"Alright. Um, whatever."

"Thanks, man."

The brothers were in the midst of another awkward phase ever since their last conversation at the Scott home. They hadn't interacted much since.

"Listen, Nate, I'm getting pizza over at Little Italy", Lucas began uneasily. "You could stop over if you're around and if you haven't eaten and stuff."

"Sounds good, dude, but I'll have to take a rain check on that."

It was Luke's way of trying to make peace but it was obvious the younger brother wasn't very interested.

"Oh. Uh, okay. Whatever, Nate. Guess I'll see you around back at the house or whatever."

Nathan rolled his eyes. He could read Lucas like a book.

"Look, I'm not trying to blow you off…"

"It's cool. Do what you have to do."

"No, man. Really. I don't get that much free time and I'm working on some stuff for the race."

Lucas was surprised. So Nathan was still planning to participate.

"Thought you had changed your mind on that one."

"I did but…well, something a friend said kind of convinced me to rethink that situation. Anyway, I've got a lot to do so…"

"Yeah."

"And um, just so you know, the invitation is still open. I need all the help I can get and um, it'd mean a lot if you'd do this."

"Yeah", Lucas nodded. "Whatever. I can't tonight but whatever you need, I'm in, man."

Nathan smiled.

"That's cool. Thanks a lot. Besides, we've pretty much got it covered tonight."

"We?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah. Brooke is helping me out with some stuff."

Lucas laughed out loud.

"Brooke? Brooke who?"

"Come on, bro. How many Brookes do you know?"

"Just the one crashing at your mom's and that's one Brooke too many. What's going on, dude? What could she possible be helping you with?"

Nathan shrugged.

"She's really smart, man. And she's good with details and the little things."

"Yeah but what the hell could she possibly know about racing?"

"She's learning. When she puts her mind to something, she sticks with it."

Lucas shook his head.

"I'd still like to see that. But anyway. Just be careful. Don't let the pretty face with the big mouth get you killed. Racing is serious business."

"I know that, Luke. It's cool. What she doesn't know, I'll teach her and that way she learns from the best", Nathan joked. "Besides, Brooke is harmless."

"Does Daytona think so?"

Nathan frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Just a question, little brother. Just wondering what your girlfriend in another state says about the mysterious, hot chick you're living with working so hands on with your racing career and she probably can't tell the difference between Nascar and Nabisco."

"Daytona doesn't care. As long as I'm happy, I mean. She just wants me to win. And as far as Brooke goes, what does that have to do with anything. I don't know what you're trying to start but she's just a friend."

"Okay."

Nathan sighed. He knew it was time to end the conversation.

"On that note…anyway, Luke. I've got to go. I've got stuff to do. Just don't forget about the Den."

"No problem. Talk to you later."

Lucas hung up the phone staring into space. Never mind his pizza was growing cold and his beer growing warm. He couldn't stop thinking about his brother. It was fine that he planned to race and he even had no qualms about helping him. But Brooke? That came out of left field! And why her? Lucas couldn't put his finger on it but the whole idea just didn't set well with him.

"Luke. Sorry, I'm late, man."

Lucas looked up. Keith had finally decided to show up.

"Hey. It's cool."

As promised, the waitress brought his food right out.

"Best pizza in town", Keith smiled after taking a huge bite.

"Yeah…"

"What's the matter? You've barely touched yours. Don't let it get cold."

"Too late for that. Anyway, I'm not very hungry anyway", Lucas pushed his plate away.

"Something wrong?" Keith questioned. "I saw you on the phone when I came in. You didn't look too happy."

"Oh. It was just Nathan."

"Ah", Keith nodded. "The other nephew I don't see enough of. How is he?"

"Okay."

"Still sticking with the whole race car thing?"

"Yeah. He actually has a big race coming up soon. That's what we were talking about. He needs my help woth some stuff."

Keith nodded.

"That should be nice. You know, I've never seen him race. I'll have to check my calendar and see what's up. Maybe I could go check the race out."

"Yeah…"

"You don't sound that excited."

"Huh? Oh, it's cool. He was just teling me that Brooke was helping him out with some stuff."

"Brooke?" Keith frowned. "Isn't that the chick staying and working at Deb's?"

"That'd be the one."

Keith grinned.

"Damn. I've seen her around town. She's hot, dude. Hell, makes me want to take up racing."

"She isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and she doesn't know dick about racing."

"So? He's boning her."

"He has a girlfriend back in South Carolina."

"So?" Keith shrugged with his mouthful.

"Come on, man. Who are we talking about here?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Anyway, it's stupid."

"She's new in town and maybe she doesn't know a whole lot of people and he's throwing her a bone. Giving her something to do to make herself useful."

"Well, I can't work with her, that's for sure. She's bossy and flighty and a big know it all. She seriously works my nerves."

Keith chuckled.

"Sounds to me like a nice recipe for sexual tension. And we know where that leads to."

"Nah. I wouldn't hit that. Been there and done that with her kind."

"So what now?"

"Who knows? I guess we'll see."

"And what about Haley?" Keith treaded on dangerously sensitive territory.

"What about her?" Lucas looked away. "It's still over and she still hates me and I can't blame her and I keep doing things to make it worse."

"Well, those are the breaks. It's a shame, too. She's a nice kid. But you have to move on, right?"

"Right", Lucas agreed sadly.

"Come on, Luke. Don't get all sappy on me. Shit happens. Life happens. You just have to go with it. So it didn't work out with, Haley? Okay but what's the use of playing the blame game now? It's over. Look, I know I don't have to tell you but women are way complicated. Love and happiness is all fine and good but there's more to life. You tried your hand at the whole relationship deal and it didn't work out for you. Maybe you should give it a rest. You're a smart kid. And you have a last name that means something, at least around here. Don't let anymore time and opportunity go to waste. Figure out what you want to do and just do it. It's all about business and success and making money. That's what really matters, it's what's really important and anyone who tries to tell you different has never experienced wealth and success. Success is money and money is power and power is everything. So quit waiting around and go for it."

How right was Keith? Did the material things as well as status mean more than love? And could money buy happiness. In the Scott way, the answer was an astounding "yes" to all three questions. It was something the uncle and grandfather had tried to instill in him since birth. Something they had tried to drill into his father as well but had failed miserably. Something else Lucas had been running away from.

"Yeah. Maybe I should", Lucas raised his beer mug. "A toast. A toast to starting over and getting what you want by any means necessary. And screw whatever gets in your way…including love."

Keith smiled broadly and laughed as their mugs clinked.

"Now you're talking, Luke. That's what I like to hear. This is my new and improved nephew, the one without all the emotional crap."

The one without the emotional crap…or love, or guidance, or happiness or a sense of self or any direction in life. The harder he ran away from the legacy, the closer he became to fulfilling it.

"Yeah", Lucas muttered quietly under his breath. "I learned from the best."