Page 83 of True Abandon

“You know you love it.” He hits the icon on the phone that flips the image so we can see ourselves on the screen.

“Can I at least take off this ridiculous helmet?” I reach for the chinstrap, but he lowers his arm to my hands and swats them away from my neck.

“You look adorable.” He holds the phone back out and smiles. I can’t help but grin right along with him.

He takes three to make sure he gets the best one. With his phone back in his pocket, he hops on his bike. “Race you to the next lookout!”

I get on mine and follow him down. The next stop isn’t too far away. When I get there, he waits for me to get off my bike before getting off his.

The sun is shining brightly, and Jax fills me in on some of the more fun stories of the past few years. Like the time he and his friend, Neil went sky diving in Brazil.

“Right of Rio de Janeiro with the statue of Christ the Redeemer as far as that peak over there.” He points out to the top of the canyon in the distance. It’s far, yet feels so close.

“Neil’s in your band?”

“Yeah. He’s the one who called the ambulance. I know you think they’re losers, but they’re okay guys.”

“If they’re so great then why did you quit?”

He rolls his head from side to side as he contemplates his answer. “I didn’t quit them. I quit the band. I’ll do whatever I can to help them reach success. It just took some time to realize their life isn’t the one I want for myself.”

I lean my hip into the rail. “What kind of life do you want?”

“A simpler one. Maybe buy a house and actually live in it for more than two weeks at a time. Go grocery shopping and bowling on Friday nights.”

“Bowling?” The word comes out rudely. “I mean, it’s fun and all, I just think it’s interesting you’d give up a band for free Friday nights to hang out at the alley.”

He laughs. “What can I say, I’m a Kingpin. You used to like it.”

I roll my eyes. “What are you gonna do for work, then? Live off the Davis family fortune?”

I meant it as a joke, but by the way his chin juts out toward me, I think I’ve insulted him until he smiles.

“I still write songs for them. I just won’t perform.” He climbs on his bike and pushes the kickstand up with his heel. “Beat me to the next stop, and I’ll tell you about the time I landed in a jail in San Antonio.”

With a fierce look in my eyes, I get on my bike determined to make it onto the road first. If I’m totally honest, Jax let me in front, and the thought has me laughing.

We spend the morning talking. At the fourth lookout, I tell him about my college years, and he finds my musings about living with three other girls, amusing.

“Why did you call yourselves the Goldens?” He removes his helmet and unzips his sweatshirt.

“Because we were each a character from the Golden Girls. Nickie was a total ditz, so we called her Rose. Her first week of freshman year we found her tapping her finger on a keg. When we asked what she was doing she said someone told her she has to tap the keg if she wanted beer—she took that way too literally.”

“Who was Blanch?”

“That would be Kelli. You met her at the bonfire. She’s a tad promiscuous. And the Sofia of our group was our friend Tara. She’s the quiet one who doesn’t say much and then pops into the conversation with these crazy one-liners. It doesn’t help she’s four-foot eight and wears glasses bigger than her head. Though, she’s a total hipster and makes it work.”

He’s leaning against the railing, his body facing mine. “I guess that makes you Dorothy.”

“I’m the critical one of the group.”

“She also knows how to party.”

I tap my finger on his nose. “This is true. That’s why I’m the perfect Dorothy. Straight laced, but I know how to have fun with my girls.

“You speak highly of yourself.” His ankles cross, and he settles back appraising me. “You’re underestimating one thing.”

I quirk a brow in interest.