All Smoke No Fire Read Online Free

job for Dax lately.
    “What’s going on?” CJ handed Pete a beer, smiling at him like he was the best thing that’d ever happened to her.
    Pete pointed to Dax. “You’re not gonna believe this.”
    Dax explained Marilou’s offer in one quick sentence, then took a long pull of cold beer, still not comprehending that this was really happening to him.
    “Go.” CJ’s eyes went wide, her smile showing her amazement. “This is an incredible opportunity for you.”
    Harper nodded. “Definitely. Go. You’ve got nothing to lose, and if you end up flying in to the Dickinson airport tomorrow, we’ll pick you up and you can tell us all about it. But Lord, just jump on this, Dax.”
    Shaw wrapped his arm around her, smiling. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.” He glanced at Dax. “Go back to the hotel and get your bag, think about it for a while, and us lowly fans are going to wander over to the honky tonk down the street. If you decide not to go, come and find us.” He narrowed his gaze on Dax. “But I am encouraging you to go.”
    Dax’s head started spinning again. He’d been so sure at least one of them would try to talk him out of it, that it felt like he’d just been propelled off into space. “You sure I shouldn’t wait and—”
    “No.” Five voices chorused the word.
    “We’re not trying to talk you into anything.” Shaw stood, helping Harper from her chair. “But if you didn’t want our advice, if you’d already decided not to do this, you wouldn’t have even told us about it, right?”
    The other three stood.
    Was his buddy right? Had he already decided and was just looking for affirmation from them? “Yeah.” Things were falling into place too easily for this to not be right. “I think I can do this.” He slid off the stage and hit the floor, the solid feel of his decision as strong as the concrete beneath his feet.
    His friends said goodbye, the girls giving him hugs, making him promise to send tons of pictures. They left and Dax picked up his guitar case, looking at the stage again, knowing he’d never forget this night, this moment. It’d either be the biggest event of his life or the most foolish choice he’d ever make.
    Dax finished his beer as he walked out of the auditorium. Whichever way this turned out, he’d damn sure better not puke all over himself, which ironically was what his stomach urged him to do right this second.

Chapter Three
    Marilou could sleep ten hours tonight. This north-central and midwest tour had sounded like a great idea when her agent came up with the plan. But after today’s seventh casino concert, she felt wiped out. She carried her three bags out of the back entrance of the casino, a security guard following her the few yards to her waiting bus. After she punched in the code, the doors swung open. “Thank you.” She shook the guard’s hand and climbed the steps onto her bus.
    The door to the soundproof room with the drivers’ bunk beds stood open on the left side and Joe and Beth sat at the small booth that ran along the right side of the aisle.
    No Dax.
    “Hi, boss.” Joe slid out from the long, padded bench. In his thirties, his full head of brown hair looked rumpled, like he’d just woken. “How did it go tonight?” He reached for her bags, but she shook her head.
    “I got these, thanks. And it was a great show.” Marilou couldn’t find any enthusiasm to perk up her voice. Why had Dax chosen not to make the trip with her?
    Joe slid into the cushy driver’s seat and pulled out his checklist.
    Beth, Joe’s wife, yawned, her long, blonde hair twisted into her sleep braid. “Anything you want to tell us?” Her smile tipped in a wise-ass smirk.
    “Like what, for instance?” Usually, Marilou loved to talk with the couple, spend the long miles chatting with whichever one of them was not driving. Until they had to sleep before their shift.
    A thump sounded from the back of the bus. She looked in that direction, past the first