Page 36 of One Quick Obsession

“First, I wouldn’t tell you.” She laughed. “Second, there’s plenty of land on this property for that to happen. Third, after what happened in our family recently? I’m going to flat out say that, no, I’m not going to cut you up into a thousand pieces and bury the body.”

Her face paled, and she reached out for my arm. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

I looked down at where her hand covered my arm over the leather jacket. “It’s fine. We all make jokes.”

“I know this is an odd segue, but have you heard from your mother?”

I threw my head back and laughed, surprising the hell out of both of us.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh like that.”

“You just thought of my mother after we talked about serial killers. I think it’s apropos.”

Her eyes danced. “Look at you with the big words.”

“I learned them good while in the service.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop.”

“Get on the bike. And I’ll show you what we need to do. And no, I haven’t heard from my mother. Dorian blocked her, and I’m pretty sure the rest of the family did as well. One day maybe she’ll realize that she wants to be a grandma and figure out that maybe she was just as toxic as Dad was. She still has time to figure things out, but I want nothing to do with her.”

“Well good. I don’t like her.”

I laughed again. “I don’t like her either. Not the best thing for a son to say but fuck her. Now, let me show you what to do.”

I put my hands on her hips, and her eyes widened, but I taught her the few things that she needed to know to ride on the back of a motorcycle.

“I’m not going to speed, and in this area there’s not allowed to be any trucks. At least not the eighteen-wheelers. They can’t make it on this path, and they have their own highway for that. And we won’t be riding that highway.”

“Where are we going?”

“I thought maybe we could head to Sunrise Ridge or Silver Lake. Silver Lake has a decent place for lunch too.”

“I’d like that. I go to Ashford Creek often with Luna and Ivy, but I don’t really know the other towns that well. Even though I’ve lived here all my life other than college.”

“They’re growing like weeds just like Cage Lake is. But it’s nice to get out of town.”

“So says the hermit.”

I strapped on her bike helmet and tapped the top. “So says the hermit.”

I got on the bike first, straddling it as I held it up straight. “Okay, put your one leg there and then swing your leg over like you’re getting on a horse.”

“You think I’ve been on a horse?”

“Isabella mentioned it,” I mumbled, and she gave me a look, before putting her hands on my shoulders and doing exactly what I had said.

She felt even better against me than I thought possible. I leaned back, and she chuckled, the movement warm against my back, and when I turned on the engine, she let out a squeal.

“Wrap your arms around my waist,” I called out, and she snuggled into me, and then we were off.

We went the back way, so we could do the full circle of Cage Lake. However, in order to get out of town, we had to go down Main Street. She’d known that when we had made this plan, so the town would see her on the back of my bike. Tongues would wag, but they always did in Cage Lake.

We made our way past the beginning of the street, and I was grateful that we hit every green light and only had to stop at a few stop signs. But people had still seen. Including Ms. Patty.

“She’s going to tell her entire knitting group,” Scarlett called out over the engine as we moved towards the main bridge out of town.

“Yep!” I yelled back and then there was no more talking.