“Then we better eat fast.” He snaps his fingers and looks toward our waitress three booths down. “Check, please.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Cody—
I’m on top of the world, all because Heather is about to climb on the back of my bike. I lean over and dig a spare helmet out of my saddlebag and pass it to her.
“You’ll need this.”
She fastens it on. “How do I look?”
“Badass,” I reply with a grin, then pass her a pair of riding glasses. When her arms go around me, I pat the back of her hand and swivel my head to say over my shoulder. “Hold on tight.”
Then I lift it off the kickstand, drop it in gear, and twist the throttle, roaring out onto the street. Dawn is just breaking, and the sky is a stunning purple. I’ve always loved this time of day, that moment just before the sun’s orange starts to color the sky.
I head into the hills west of town. I know a spot where we’ll have a clear view to the east of the sunrise breaking over the horizon.
It only takes about five minutes to get there, but with every passing moment, the sky is getting lighter.
Finally, I pull to the side of the road and shut the bike down. We both climb off and walk to the guardrail on the edge of the pull-off.
“Come on. There are some boulders just there that we can sit on.” I take Heather’s hand, and we step over the guardrail.
She glances around. “Wow. You can see for miles from up here.”
The glittering lights of San Jose are spread out before us.
“Yeah. I’d love to have a place up here. My brother, Jake, has a place not far.”
“I bet these places go for a mint with a view like this.”
“He got lucky. Bought a real fixer-upper.”
“Still, it takes money.”
I chuckle. “I’m workin’ on it, girl. Someday.”
“It’s a nice dream.”
“Hopefully, it’s more like a goal than a dream.”
“Those are even better, huh?”
“What’s your dream?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I’ve kind of been in day-to-day survival mode for so long it's hard to even think of anything more.”
“I hope that changes. Now that you’re here, I hope you can start to relax and feel safe again.”
“I hope so, too.”
“You know, I’m here for you if you ever need anything. All you gotta do is ask.”
She chuckles. “Really? ‘Cause I’ve got a sink that won’t drain.”
I grin. “You serious?”
“Yep. And a car that needs a new timing belt.”
