10. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
Weston
“West? We’re here.”
I glanced around to see we’d pulled into a campground that seemed cheerful. There were plenty of people sitting around campfires talking and laughing. They were enjoying themselves, and after witnessing the daily grind in Manhattan, it was damn nice to see people having a good time.
“Looks like a fun place.” I sat up in the seat, turning to Bridges to wait for his take on the surroundings.
He chuckled. “I guess. I’ve stayed in a lot of places like this, and I find that these folks are usually nosy, so you should expect them to ask questions, but you don’t have to answer anything if you don’t want.”
I hopped out of the RV and watched Bridges step out. He hooked up the electricity and the water without any trouble at all. I hoped I could remember how he’d done it so I could help the next time...if there was a next time.
After we were all hooked up to the amenities, I followed Bridges to the firepit in front of our campsite.
He pulled a bundle of wood from a compartment on the side of the vehicle and quickly built a fire in the pit.
He pulled two camp chairs from the back of the RV, unfolding them so we could sit near the flaming logs.
“This is nice,” I said as I glanced at the other campsites. Some were more decorated than ours with lanterns and twinkling lights, but Bridges still made ours inviting. The night was surprisingly cool, so the warmth of the fire was really nice.
“Hi! We’re the Masons,” a woman said as a couple approached our campsite. They seemed to be making the rounds to speak with other campers.
Bridges groaned quietly. “Nice to meet you. Bridges and West.” He stood and shook their hands with a kind smile. They were closer to him than me, so I waved.
“What brings you here?” the wife asked.
I smiled. “Biking trip. How about the two of you?”
Mr. Mason chuckled as he pointed to a huge bronze bus down at the end of the campground. “We’re newly retired and decided to take to the open road. It’s our dream to visit every state.”
The Masons—Phil and Sandra—were a nice couple, and we visited with them for an hour, hearing about their grandchildren and seeing pictures of the five of them before they moved on.
After they left, Bridges doused the fire. We were both exhausted, so after a quick trip to the campground’s restrooms, which had individual shower stalls, we headed back to the RV.
Bridges folded down the booth in the kitchen, using the cushions to create a mattress. He stared at the booth bed and then scanned his tall muscular body. I cracked up. “I’ll sleep here. I’m not sure you’d be able to get any sleep here.”
Bridges shook his head. “You can’t sleep here because you need to stretch out. I’ll sleep there. You need to get some good rest. You’re already injured, West. Are you sure you don’t want to call this off?”
It was sweet that he seemed worried about my skinned knees, but... “I’m not taking your bed. I’ll be fine. Night, Bridges.”
I slid off my T-shirt and shorts I’d put on before coming out of the shower room, prepared to sleep in my briefs as usual.
I nearly laughed when I looked into the window’s reflection to see Bridges staring at my ass while I unfurled the sheet and blanket he’d pulled from a cabinet.
My heart skipped a beat as he reached down to adjust himself in his shorts before turning his back and releasing a heavy breath.
“Okay. If it’s too uncomfortable wake me up and we’ll switch.
Night.” He lumbered to the back of the RV and flipped the switch on a small light attached to the wall over the bed.
He slid off his shorts and T-shirt, revealing a beautiful bare ass before he slid under the sheet.
My cock went from zero to one hundred in an instant.
Bridges picked up a book that was in the drawer of the nightstand next to the bed, put on a pair of glasses, and glanced my way, offering a nice smile before I closed my eyes, lest he think of me as some sort of creeper.
Hell, I couldn’t help but be one with such a beautiful man to ogle. Maybe if he wasn’t so damn sexy I’d have better control?
There was a soft push on my shoulder and my eyes opened to see Bridges standing over me. “Time to rise and shine. We’ll get a good start ahead of these folks who’ll hit the trail later.”
I sat up and looked out the window to see the sun wasn’t up. God, did we have to start so early?
“It’s supposed to be in the nineties today, so you’ll want to get in your mileage earlier rather than later.
I’ll pack the saddlebags while you get dressed.
You’ll need to stretch and change the bandage on your knees.
Use this.” He handed me a flexible bandage and a tube of antibacterial ointment before he headed outside.
I picked up my smart watch to see it was just five in the morning. “Great.” It was going to be a long fucking day.
After a trip to the bathroom, I dressed in my bike jersey and padded shorts. I changed the bandages on my knees and grabbed my short socks and road cycling shoes before I stepped into the early morning air, feeling the damp chill.
I moved to the dew-moist grass and slowly moved my muscles to warm them and loosen up. Leg swings, hip circles, bodyweight squats, walking lunges, arm circles, and high knees got the blood flowing.
“Do you do those every day?” Bridges clipped a sports drink to the frame of one of his prototypes before he walked over to stand next to me with a book in his hands.
“Yes. Gotta loosen up to keep from hurting myself. It’s how I make my money, you know, on a bike.” We both laughed.
There were loose pages sticking out of the book that appeared to be full of maps. “Here ya go. Let’s sit and let me explain this to you.” We sat in the camp chairs he hadn’t put away from the previous night. The sky was starting to change to dark purple signaling the sun was headed our way.
Bridges pulled a highlighter from his pocket and pulled the cap off as he opened the book.
“There’s a trail here for thirty-six miles that will take you to this road where I’ll be waiting.
It’s a bike only trail, so I can’t escort you until we connect here.
” He ripped the page from the book and handed it to me.
“Put that in your pocket. Do you have any cash on you?” He reached for his wallet, but I held out my hand.
“I have cash. I need to get my wallet and put it in the saddlebag. I’m not stopping until we meet up for breakfast.” I stood from my chair and went back into the RV to gather my wallet and my phone to take with me.
When I got back outside, I programmed the route into my map app and attached it to the handlebars where I could see it, though I slid the paper map into the pocket on my bike shorts.
It was sweet that he’d gone to all the trouble to do it for me, and I’d start a scrap book with the things that came from this journey so I could remember it for the rest of my life.
Maybe I’d ever get a journal to write down thoughts.
“Do you have everything you need?” Bridges asked, a knowing smirk on his face.
I ran through the checklist in my mind. Clothes? Check. Shoes? Check. Sports drink? Check. Phone? Check. Bike? Check. “Yeah. I’ve got everything I need.”
Bridges shook his head and reached into his pocket, pulling out a box and handing it to me. “There’s a rain poncho in your saddle bag, along with an apple and a granola bar that you can eat while you ride. We’ll need these to stay in touch.”
I opened the box to see a two high-end Bluetooth over-the-ear device. Bridges grabbed my phone and connected it to my device before he put his over his ear and connected it to his cellphone that was in a holster on his belt. “Call me.”
He handed over my phone, and I scrolled to his name from my list of contacts. His phone rang once before he connected. We both smiled.
“Okay. Stay connected. If you need anything, tell me. You can drop a pin, and I can get the other bike and find you. Please, please be careful.” He pulled the keys to the RV from the pocket of his track suit.
“I know it’s an expensive bike. I’ll be careful with it.”
I lifted my leg over the seat and kicked up the stand before Bridges stepped in front of the front tire.
“I don’t give a shit about the bike. I can build a hundred more that will be much better.
You take care of you. Don’t take off yet.
I’ve got a hydration backpack for you with water, and I’m going to strap an inflated spare tire to your back in case you have a flat.
Remember how I showed you to pop off the tire and innertube?
Just bring me the wheel. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.
Be careful with the curves. Hopefully, there aren’t too many leaves on the trail to make it slick.
” He helped me with the spare tire harness and then the hydration backpack, and it was like I was back at work riding around the city.
Bridges stepped closer to hand me my helmet, and he stared at my lips for a long moment before patting me on the shoulder. He headed to button up the RV so he could meet me at Bonnie’s Biscuits, which, according to the map, was trailside just off the state road.
I clipped my shoes into the pedals and turned to wave at him as he detached the long extension cord from the electric post at our campsite. With that, I was off.
There were still sponsors to secure for the cross-country ride, but this was one step closer to the end goal I had to achieve to take care of my mother—whether she wanted it or not.
I hoped I was ready for the very long ride that would help me achieve my goal.