I've been noticing that I seem to have a different preference for the LiAW stories compared to the other reviewers. The stories that I love, a lot of other people rate lower, and the stories others rave about, I rate lower. It's very interesting.

For instance this story. I loved it. I loved the fast tempo of the writing and the interaction of the characters and didn't have any trouble with how the story didn't give much detail into the divorce and the daughter situation. That wasn't the point of the story. The story was about the relationship of Nick and Sam. The reader doesn't need all that background stuff because the story is about a certain instance in time not a whole huge history. That's why a story like this that can pull an event all together in a snug package works well for me.

I loved how the author conveyed the 'bounciness' that was Sam, and the sullen loneliness that was Nick. I liked the minor story background of the daughter that turned into an explosive point of contention on Nick's part. The characters are distinctive, Sam is confident, open and thoughtful, a contradiction to Nick who's unsure, retiring and selfish.

Hard Ride hit a lot of the spots of what I like to read in a story and did it well as a short. I enjoyed it very much and wouldn't mind reading more about Nick and Sam in the future :) ( )

I love it when a story is written in such a way that I just can't help the big ol' smile on my face. This is such a story! :D ( )

Love isn’t always to be found where we expect it, and in this story, both Nick and Sam learn how delightful it can be to get what neither of them had asked for. Not that it is easy for them, nor does it happen overnight, but the "stealthy" way in which Sam approaches the subject, hiding the truth even from himself, manages to capture them both.

Nick is a very bitter man. Not that I can blame him; he's gone through an acrimonious divorce, lost more money to his ex than he thought he owned, has a daughter who hates him (at least that is what he believes), and is lonely – not that he'd admit that. I felt his anger simmer under the surface even before the accident happened that introduces him to Sam. Nick is so disillusioned that his first reaction to anything is aggression and believing the worst possible interpretation of anyone else's actions. The one luxury he has allowed himself after the divorce is his classic BMW. When Sam crashes into the back of Nick's pride and joy, ahem, vehicle, even though it is the man's bike that is crushed and Nick's car barely has a bump, Nick flips out.

Imagine his surprise when the much younger Sam starts coming on to him. At first, it's a quick encounter in Nick's garage, then a few more in his house, until Sam "sort of" moves in. In typical male fashion it's all about the physical side of their relationship, and even the odd thought about how nice it is to be intimate again doesn’t mean Nick understands what is happening to him, how important Sam has become to him. As such Nick's misery is huge when the crisis happens because Sam was trying to be nice but Nick feels he intruded in his personal life. And it STILL takes him a while to figure out what's going on.

The passion between these two men is amazing, and when they get together, they're great. The problem is that neither of them wants to admit what they feel, so the situation has to become extreme for them to get a clue. As painful as that is, I loved it because it made the story so realistic. If you like reading about men who are too macho or to closed off to admit what they feel, if you enjoy stories with partners who are separated by an age gap (fourteen years), and if you're looking for a hot read where the main characters communicate via physical action most of the time, you will probably like this short free story. ( )