I decide not to push him further on the subject. He will talk about it when he is ready, and I’ll be here to listen.
“I think that’s it,” I say, looking around to see if I missed anything. “Ready?”
Logan helps me put on my warm jacket before leading me down the stairs into the gallery. Sam looks up from the book he is reading and grins at Logan.
“Convinced her to go, did you?”
“I can be very persuasive when I need to be.”
“I wasn’t sure you could pull it off. She’s a bit of a scaredy cat.”
Logan and Sam have formed an easy friendship which I love. Whenever Logan stops by to bring me coffee and a treat, he always makes sure to grab Sam something as well. The downside is they gang up on me with their teasing.
“Hey,” I stomp my foot and pout, “I can be brave.”
“So brave.” Logan pulls me into a side hug.
Peering out at the sunny sky, through the front window, Sam says, “Have a good time and enjoy the weather. I can hold down the fort here.”
Nodding towards the book in his hand I say, “Yes, please don’t strain yourself in my absence.”
The gallery has been quiet, but I don’t mind. It gives me the opportunity to work on my own projects and apparently Sam can catch up on his reading. Plus, the busy Christmas season will be here before we know it.
“Let’s go.” Logan pulls me towards the door impatiently.
“So bossy,” I grumble as I wave goodbye to Sam.
Walking hand in hand towards his bike, I ask, “Where’s Morgan? Did you leave him at your place or mine?”
“I asked Carson to take him for the night so we wouldn’t have to come back into town and get him. We can go right to your house.” Reaching the bike, he pulls a second helmet and gloves from the saddle bag.
After securing the strap under my chin, he gives me a brief tutorial on where my hands and feet need to go. I nervously straddle the seat behind him, and the engine comes to life. Wrapping my arms around his waist, my heart threatens to beat out of my chest. My breath hitches when he twists the throttle and the wheels begin to roll across the asphalt. Pinching my eyes closed, I slide up closer against his back and I tighten my grip.
Chuckling, he reaches down places a comforting hand over my own. “You’re doing great.”
Once I get used to the foreign sensations and I feel like I can breathe a little easier, I peek open my eyes. Rolling down main street on the back of Logan’s bike gives me a thrill I have never experienced before. By the time we exit the village the panic is gone and I am beginning to feel confident snuggled tight behind his hard back.
“Where are we going?” I ask through the blue tooth speaker in my helmet.
Squeezing my thigh with one hand, he says, “Be patient. You’ll see soon.”
Quickly, the blur of residential neighbourhoods turns into rolling hills and golden fields. The world is quiet except the sound of the wind and steady hum of the motor. I understand why people love this.
Reducing speed, we turn off the main road down a lane covered with a canopy of trees. I immediately recognize where we are – Pikes Peak, the cliffs.
Pulling up beside a large oak tree, Logan parks and turns off the engine. After climbing off, it takes me a moment to regain my footing.
“You did amazing, how do you feel?” he asks as he plucks off my helmet and wipes my hair from my face.
“That was so fun. Thank you for inviting me.” Placing our helmets and gloves on a nearby picnic table we thread ourfingers together and walk closer to the edge of the bluff. “I haven’t been here in forever. It’s so beautiful.”
“It’s one of my favourite places. I’ve ridden up here a bunch of times since I moved home. I’m glad you came with me today.”
The view is breathtaking as the sun reflects off the water below. The leaves are barely hanging on the trees but from this height you can still see colour for miles. All the boats have been pulled from the water and seasonal residents have left for the winter, leaving a quiet, stillness behind.
“I don’t think I appreciated how amazing it was when we were kids. It was just a place to hang out and do sketchy things.”
“What sketchy things were we doing?” he asks as he wraps an arm around my waist and nuzzles my neck.
