Free Runway Romance (Love in the Air Trilogy) by Merri Hiatt Page A

involved in any way, but Rich believed it was an honor. It was all a matter of perspective.
    Driving is a privilege and something that needs to be learned and practiced. Just because it might be scary is no reason not to experience it. Acknowledge the fear, but keep moving forward. Don’t let fear be the guide. Don’t let the car drive you; you drive the car.
    When the cones were set up, Rich said, “I’ll be by each cone, directing you which way to go if you get off course.”
    “I’ll be fine.”
    “It’s your first try, you might want to listen to me first, then you can go rogue on me.”
    “Give me some credit.”
    “I give you a lot of credit. Remember? Foundation first.”
    “Just stand back.”
    Rich grinned, but shook his head as he made his way to the first cone, being sure to give Jenny a wide clearance.
    Jenny revved the engine, then pressed down on the gas pedal. The car took off like a shot.
    “Crap!” Jenny hadn’t expected it to take off so quickly. She hit the brake pedal, but her foot slipped. “Shit! Get out of the way!” She turned the wheel hard to the right, running over the cone as two of the wheels became airborne. “No! No! No!”
    Panic-filled tears filled her eyes as she held on to the steering wheel with a death grip. When the car squealed to a stop, she was panting heavily.
    Rich ran over to her. “Are you okay? Jenny, look at me.”
    “I could have killed you!”
    “You didn’t even come close to killing me.”
    “But I could have! This was a mistake. A big mistake. I should not be driving a car.” Jenny released her hands from the steering wheel only to find them shaking uncontrollably.
    “You’re going to be fine. You just got a bit too confident. It happens. We’ll try it again and this time you’ll go slower.”
    “No, no, no, no, no. I am celibate from driving from this point forward.”
    “You were doing great, feeling empowered, remember? Don’t go backward now.”
    “You saw what happened? I was driving on two wheels. TWO!”
    “Only for a second.”
    “Richard! I could have killed you and demolished your car. You can’t possibly think it’s a good idea for me to keep driving.”
    “Breathe.”
    Jenny opened her mouth to speak and Rich put his hand over her mouth.
    “Breathe. Just breathe. Don’t talk. In. Out. Steady.” He breathed with her for several minutes, then removed his hand. “Better?”
    “I hate that you’re always right.”
    Rich laughed in a deep, earthy tone. “I’m definitely not always right, but I’ll let you keep on thinking that until you realize how untrue that statement really is.”
    “Do I have to drive again?”
    Rich reached through the open car door window and wrapped his arm around her. “You have a choice to make. Allow fear to control your life or kick fear in the ass.”
    “I want to kick ass.”
    “That’s my girl. Come on. Do it again, only go slow this time, until you get the feel of it.”
    Jenny stared at the dashboard. “You do not control me. I control you. There’s gonna be some serious ass kickin’ goin’ on today!”
    Jenny put the car in drive, released the emergency brake and headed toward the first cone. As she rounded it, Rich yelled, “Good! Number two’s just ahead. You’re doing great!”
    Jenny repeated the course four times, going a little faster each time. Her confidence returned.
    Rich sat in the passenger’s seat. “One more time, with me in the car.”
    When she’d completed the course, Rich said, “High five,” and they slapped hands. “Nice job.”
    “I do feel more in control now, but what if a big ol’ semi came barreling at us right now? How can I stop from getting hit?”
    “You can’t, but you can be aware of your surroundings. How many times do you look left and right at a stoplight before going?”
    “I don’t know what you mean. When it’s green, you go. When it’s red, you stop.”
    “Wrong. When it’s green, you still look around the intersection. Some