Page 24 of My All American Girl

The group of men were showing a lot of bravado, but I assumed they knew better than to actually start a fight. Maybe they didn’t see me and possibly they didn’t know who I was. I ignored the stupid insults being tossed back and forth between the regulars and the young bucks that had egos the size of Texas. I knew they were about to get taken down a peg or two once they were exposed to actual training. I picked up a glass and held it up to the light. “What the hell, are you spit cleaning these?”

“Are you the health inspector?” Radio shot back.

I chuckled at his sarcastic remark and placed the glass back on the counter with a smirk. “Nah, just a concerned customer trying not to catch anything from your less than stellar cleaning skills.”

Radio snorted in response, but before he could come up with a comeback, the tension in the room escalated. The group of rowdy pilots were now shoving the regular patrons. Glasses fell and shattered on the floor. The atmosphere in the bar had turned volatile, and it was only a matter of time before fists started flying. I exchanged a knowing look with Radio, both of us understanding that we couldn’t let this situation spiral out of control.

Jude crossed his arms, his steely gaze fixed on the group causing trouble. “Looks like we might have to step in, Ryker. These kids don’t know who they’re messing with.”

I nodded in agreement. With our years of military training and combat experience, we smoothly made our way through the crowd toward the escalating confrontation. The rowdy pilots were clearly outnumbered by the locals who had been coming to the bar long before these young gunslingers arrived.

As we approached, I caught sight of a familiar face among the group of pilots. A fiery petite woman suddenly stepped out of the group of men, her jaw set in determination as she squared off against the ringleader of the regulars. Despite being outnumbered and outsized, she showed no signs of backing down. Her gaze was locked firmly on her opponent as she prepared to defend herself.

“Oh, shit,” I muttered.

Jude turned to me, a puzzled expression on his face. “What?”

I swallowed hard, my heart sinking as I realized just how bad this situation was. “That’s her. That’s my assignment.”

“What?” he asked.

“That’s Mo’s daughter.”

“Who?” he asked again.

“That one. The one stirring shit up.”

I took a deep breath, trying to come up with a plan to diffuse the situation without blowing my cover. Mo had been explicit about keeping my real intention for being in Columbus from his daughter, knowing that she wouldn’t react well upon finding out I was babysitting her. But now, here she was, right in front of me, ready to throw down in the middle of a bar fight. Once again, I found myself tasked with taking care of Mo’s wild child daughter.

“That’s the favor?” Radio repeated.

“Yep.” I watched as she went scorched earth on a man twice her size and age. “He said she was a little unruly but has the talent to be a good pilot. He wanted me to personally train her.”

“I think you might need a leash. A cage. Maybe a blow dart filled with a strong tranquilizer.”

I chuckled at Radio’s dry humor, but I knew he was right. Dealing with Mo’s daughter was going to be a challenge. I saw the determination in her eyes and the stubborn set of her chin. She was fiercely independent and clearly didn’t appreciate being underestimated. It was going to take all of my skill and patience to earn her trust and guide her in the right direction.

“She’s in UPT?” Radio asked.

“Yep.” I nodded. “From what I’m told, she’s got chops. But I think Mo is worried she’s going to get kicked out of the program or possibly the Air Force in general with her inability to keep her temper under control.”

“And you, you’re the one he chose to rein her in?” He chuckled.

I nodded, my mind racing with the implications of Mo’s request. The situation in the bar was escalating rapidly, and I knew I had to act fast before things got out of hand.

“That’s what I thought.” I sighed. “He pulled my transfer to London to take care of his kid. If he was anyone else, I would have told him to kiss my ass.”

“But it’s Mo.” He nodded.

It looked like things might settle down. A young woman put her arm around Sarah and guided her back to the table. Insults were still being hurled back and forth, but it looked like the fight had been avoided.

“You know the second time I met her, she had just been in a bar fight,” I said with a smirk.

“No shit?” Radio laughed.

“Yep. I met her at her graduation from the academy and that night I picked her up walking alone with cut knuckles and a shiner. I took her back to the med bay to clean her up. She told me a dude hit her.”

He looked at me with surprise. “No shit?”

“No shit,” I confirmed, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation at the memory. “She claimed she was just defending herself, but I had my doubts. I honestly didn’t believe the story, but after seeing this, I believe it.”

Radio shook his head, still chuckling. “Man, you really do have your work cut out for you with this one.”

I let out a resigned sigh. Navigating Mo’s daughter’s fiery personality was going to be a monumental task. But as her mentor and guardian, I had no choice but to see it through. This was something he was trusting me to do. I couldn’t just walk away.

Something went flying through the air. That was followed by chairs scooting across the wooden floor with some tipping over.

“Oh shit,” Radio sighed.

I sprang into action, dodging flying objects and weaving my way through the chaos to reach Mo’s daughter before things escalated further. As I approached, I could see the fire in her eyes and the clenched fists at her sides, ready for a full-blown brawl.