Let It Ride Read Online Free Page A

Jordan Brenner.” He smiled remembering the way she’d introduced herself. “Mother of five.”
    â€œWhat? She’s got kids?”
    He looked at McCabe. “No, she—Never mind.”
    â€œYou okay, buddy?”
    â€œI’m good. Thanks for the ticket, but I’m flying solo tonight.”
    Cole headed to the bathroom, lathered up some shaving cream, and smeared it over his jaw.
    â€œSo, you’re going to sit around in the casino for eight hours and watch her work?”
    â€œWatching a woman like that beats watching souped-up roadsters race around a track hands-down.”
    â€œFine. But it won’t make any difference with her.”
    Cole shot McCabe a parting hand gesture and then finished shaving, his thoughts centered on Jordan. His pulse revved up as he yanked the tags off a new shirt. Just thinking about her dusted all the morbid cobwebs from his mind.
    With the thrill of the challenge coursing through his veins, and the thought of getting that gorgeous body beneath his, he went down to the casino.
    Â 
    â€œT HIS IS all your fault, McCabe.” Hughes scowled at him, and then took a huge bite out of her hot dog.
    Captain Mitch McCabe scooted along the hard metal bleacher and picked up a nacho. The Speedway was crowded tonight, the roadsters were amazing, and the hot dogs and beers were only a dollar. What was not to love? “What’d I do now?” He had to raise his voice over the roar of the stock cars revving up at the starting line.
    â€œMaking that bet with Jackson. Is nothing sacred? The man’s been in the hospital for two months, for Pete’s sake.”
    â€œWhy is it always for Pete’s sake? What’s Pete got that I don’t?”
    Hughes glared at him and punched his arm.
    â€œOw!” He rubbed his arm. Good ol’ Hughes never had qualms about telling a person exactly how she felt. That’s what he liked about her. He gestured to Grady on his other side, sipping a bottle of water. “He was in on it, too. Why is it my fault?” Mitch blamed himself for a lot of things, but not the bet last night.
    â€œYou’re the one who challenged him to go after that poor girl. How do you think she would feel if she knew he was just trying to win a bet?”
    â€œFirst of all—” Mitch swallowed a chip dripping with gooey cheese “—poor girl? The woman can take care of herself. She sure as hell shut me down.”
    â€œAnd that’s why you really did this, isn’t it?” Hughes just wouldn’t let it go. “You’re infuriated that some woman actually turned you down.”
    â€œSecond—” he planned on ignoring that remark “—Jackson needed a challenge. Trust me, this is just the thing to take his mind off his situation.”
    Grady grunted. “Permanently grounded.” He shook his head. “But the Air Force has reassigned pilots before.”
    â€œIf they don’t discharge him,” Hughes said.
    â€œDid Jackson mention a reassignment request?” Mitch kind of hoped Jackson might get assigned here at Nellis.
    Grady shook his head. “Not to me. And it could take weeks for his commanding officer to get the paperwork in order one way or the other. He’s just gonna have to wait it out. You know how it is. Hurry up and wait.”
    When Mitch had first heard Jackson had been shot down and was MIA, guilt and worry had kept his insides churning. Then they’d heard Jackson had wandered into the Iraqi base camp after two days in the desert, looking more dead than alive. And he hadn’t looked much better when Mitch had visited him in Maryland at the hospital at Andrews AFB.
    The memory burned like acid in his stomach. He should have been there, with his buddy, in Iraq, watching his back. And he would have been if he hadn’t made an ass of himself over Luanne.
    Mitch’s hand hurt and he looked down. He opened his clenched fist and