Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
“Hey, you’re off work early.” I smile up from my seat in front of the easel as Logan kisses me on the forehead.
I have been working on a commissioned mixed media piece for an anonymous buyer for the past couple of days. Beyond colour palette I have free rein to do as I wish with it.
“Yeah, I thought I’d see if you have time to go for a ride this afternoon.”
“A ride, like, on your motorcycle?” Standing to face him, I scrunch up my nose. I have never been on a bike before. I know people who ride, but I’ve never been tempted to ask to go along.
“Yes, on my bike, but I’m totally open to suggestions on anything else you may want to ride.” He smirks, reaching to pull me closer. “We won’t have many nice days left before I have to put it away for the winter. I wish I had asked you sooner.”
Smacking him on his stomach with the back of my hand, I snort. “You’re ridiculous.” Biting the side of my lip, I say, “I don’t know, they kinda make me nervous.”
“I promise you will be safe with me. Besides, I love the idea of claiming another one of your firsts.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“Bike virginity? Sounds fake to me.”
“Totally real, look it up.”
I reach for my phone on the work bench to see if he’s telling the truth but before I can he snatches it up and puts it in his pocket, shaking his head.
“No pressure, but I’d love for you to come.” He winks suggestively. I swear he has regressed to a fifteen-year-old boy before my eyes.
“I’ll go, I just need to tidy up here first.”
We work together to put away open tubes of paint and other supplies. It’s good timing because I have reached a point where I can confidently walk away from the project for the rest of the day.
“Did you talk to your mom?” I ask as I put a jar of buttons on the shelf. She has been trying to get in touch with him all week, but he has been ignoring her calls.
“I texted her earlier.” Walking to the sink in the corner, he begins to wash the acrylic paint out of the brushes.
“Okay, and what’s going on?” I ask encouragingly as I continue my task.
“Jackson stuff as usual. She wants me to go see him.”
“What do you think? Is that something you want to do?”
“Not yet.” He shakes his head as he dries them off with paper towel.
We are both trying to make peace with our families after all the secrets, lies, and half-truths we have faced.
Ironically it has come easier for me. Mom is the only biological family I have left, and we agreed to go to therapy together to talk about the past. I don’t want to waste any more time being angry than I already have.
Logan is struggling. He has been estranged from his family for so long he’s reluctant to reconnect. It doesn’t help that his parents continue to force Jackson on him.
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 our fingers 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.
“Are you kidding me? Look how high up we are.” Pointing out towards the water below. “We literally threw ourselves off a rock face into the water for fun. No regard for personal safety whatsoever.”
Chuckling, he turns me, so we are facing one another. “The day you jumped with me that summer was the day I knew I was in love with you.” His deep voice softens with his confession. “It was humbling that you trusted me enough to do something that scared you so much.”
“Really?” I see the truth in his eyes as I hold his waist.
“Yes, really.” I close my eyes as he bends and places a soft kiss upon my forehead. “I’m beyond grateful you are willing to forgive me and give us a second chance. Thank you for being brave and trusting me enough to jump again. I love you so much.”
His hand comes up and brushes a strand of hair behind my ear, fingers lingering long enough to steal my breath. The other slides up under my coat, around my waist, splaying over the small of my back.
“I love you too. You are the only person I trust enough to catch me,” I whisper gazing into his warm brown eyes.
His breath brushes my cheek as he leans in and kisses me tenderly.
It feels like a promise he’s making with his whole heart.
My lips part as his tongue gently swipes along the seam.
Standing on my tiptoes, I clasp his worn leather jacket in my fists and pull him closer to deepen the kiss.
Tongues tangle and dance as our hands roam and explore each other’s bodies.
When we finally break apart, we are breathless.
I’m not sure how much time has passed while we were lost in each other, but I need to remember this moment.
Memorize how it feels to choose each other again after so much time.
No more secrets, no more lies. Just the truth between us and the knowledge that we will get it right this time.