Page 103 of Axe-ing for Trouble
“I’m trying to understand how it all works.”
I shook my head. “No. Too dangerous.”
“I’m just saying drive around, get a sense. I’m not suggesting we even get out of the car.”
“There’s not much out there. forest and a couple of farms.”
She stood and grabbed a fistful of my T-shirt. “Let’s drive by and take a look at the roads and the forest, see if anything feels off.”
“Feels off?”
The way her eyes danced told me she wouldn’t back down. I might as well give in now, despite how boneheaded and dangerous it could be.
“Humor me. It can’t be more than thirty minutes from here, can it?”
I nodded.
She bounced on her toes. “I’ll go get changed. We need warm clothes.”
“Why?” Unease rolled in my gut at the calculation in her eyes. “My truck has heat.”
She shook her head. “Oh no, we’re taking the ATV.”
Fifteen minutes later, we stood in my garage, both dressed in layers, while I filled the gas tank. This was a terrible plan.
“Are you sure you can hold on tight enough?”
The last thing I needed was to hurt her.
“Yes.” She nodded like a bobblehead. “Willa says I can take breaks from the sling. And I have one good arm. How fast are you planning to drive this thing?”
“Not that fast, but there are bumps. Tree roots and stuff.” Jaw tense, I pulled my glasses off and dug for the hem of one of my layers. “It’s too soon. It’ll be too painful for you.”
She shook her head. “We’re too close. And we can take it easy. Just check things out. We’ve got to put the missing pieces together. You said yourself—some of these are public trails. We’re a couple enjoying our outdoor motorsports together.” She gave me a big, cheesy smile.
I handed her a helmet. “These have microphones so we can speak to each other,” I explained, pulling batteries from my pocket.
Once the batteries in both mic packs had been replaced, I pulled my own helmet on.
“You look pretty hot like this,” she said, licking her lips.
“No flirting, Trouble,” I said, thankful the face mask hid my smile.
“Put this on.” I tapped her helmet, then swung a leg over the seat. “And hold on tight. First sign of any problems, we’re out of there.”
I put the coordinates into the GPS module and got her situated behind me while I waited for the route to appear. I never went up here. Near that part of our forest, there was some public land and then endless highway. I wasn’t sure there was anything worth seeing. But we were too damn close to give up now.
I revved the engine and took off, keeping my speed slow and the machine as steady as I could as I steered toward the trail system. It would be a bit of a ride, but it felt good to be out in the forest, feeling the breeze, inhaling the earthy scents.
The way Mila clung to me also felt good. If I was being honest with myself, everything that involved her felt good.
When my GPS pinged, I glanced at the map. “We’re approaching our area,” I said. Slowing, I turned onto a dirt path only as wide as the wheelbase of the ATV. “Hang on. It might be bumpy.”
The forest was thick, but the new clear signs made navigation easy. The scenery was beautiful. It brought with it a sense of vitality. We skirted a large pond, and as I sped up a little, Mila adjusted her hold on me.
“Where does this come out on the other side?” she asked through her mic.
“Let’s find out.”
