Page 96 (1/2)

“What the hell? Why isn’t he riding?”

As if they’d heard her question, the ca off tour for two eance the last two nights So it’s a pity he won’t be riding in the final round this afternoon”

“What!” Ava yelled at the TV

“That is surprising, since he’s seated first,” the other announcer said “Is his withdrawal due to a recurrence of his previous injury?”

“No My understanding is he returned hoency And ish hiasped If that was true, why hadn’t he called? She fast-forwarded through the entire program but there wasn’t any other news

Sick orry, she paced She should just call Chase Find out She scrolled to his nas Cos Then it du with fa her calls Da

Ginger? No Just in case the faency only affected Chase’s branch of the McKays

But Ava also knew Chase’s entire family watched the PBR, and if they weren’t aware there was a problem with Chase’s family, they’d kno

Maybe the PBR had kicked Chase off for his diatribe and used his family as an excuse—they’d done it before with his injury story Because really Would Chase McKay give up his big co in first place…to deal with faht have blown off his falory, but the Chase McKay she knew had changed

That was it She had to find out She scrolled through her contact list God, she needed to weed out about three quarters of these nao She had saved his nu until he answered “It’s Ava”

Chase woke co crap, so he hadn’t been drinking last night He sat up and looked around Right He’d crashed in Ben’s spare bedrooh theWas it really late afternoon? He fuhtstand, only to remember he’d left it at his parents’ house He stumbled into the kitchen

“Glad you could join me at the crack of five in the afternoon,” Ben said slyly

“Cut ht before I went comatose”

“You’re in time to leave for supper at Mo early in the ”

Chase scratched his head His hair needed a da it short, he wondered if he’d ever go back to longer hair Especially reood Ava’s hands felt on his scalp