Page 96 of Burnout
“I think you got it. We’ll ride around here until you feel comfortable to hit the trail.”
She stands to get off the bike. The movement puts her ass right in my face and my hands move to it without thought.
She laughs and sticks it out farther. I swat one perky cheek. I’m going to be hard all day with her looking like she does in her riding gear.
And I’m not mad about it one bit.
THIRTY-TWO
Knox givesme a basic rundown of the bike, all the controls and how to sit, which wasn’t as obvious as I assumed. It takes a little bit for me to get it all memorized. He rides next to me as I walk the bike, focusing only on letting the clutch out, then moving my feet to the pegs as I accelerate a short distance and practicing with the foot brake.
After that, we ride side by side on a flat, open area. He lets me set the pace, but I find myself wanting to impress him more than ever, so I focus hard.
I’m not sure how long passes with him riding beside me while I get comfortable with the bike, but when I finally dare to glance over at him while riding, he’s got a pleased smile on his face. “You’re doing good. Follow me?”
I nod rapidly and my heartbeat picks up as he speeds up and takes the lead. He checks back frequently, only staying a little bit in front of me, but it’s hard to appreciate the view while I try not to fall off the bike. Too bad. Knox is in his element on two wheels. Every movement is practiced and skilled, and I love that he brought me here to experience it with him.
He stops at the end of a trail. Beyond it is a gravel road in one direction and desert brush in the other. “We’ll head back the same way. About halfway there’s a turnoff. The trail is narrower and pretty bumpy in spots, but we’ll take it slow. If you have any problems at all, stop or pull over and wait for me to come back. I won’t lose you.”
He waits for my approval.
“Okay,” I say and smile, not that he can see it behind my helmet.
I can feel him smiling back though as he stands on the pedals and takes off.
“Show-off,” I mutter.
Just as Knox had warned me, the trail is narrower and bumpier than the road I practiced on, but it isn’t too bad until we start to get into turns that require me to continually brake and accelerate. Knox is patient and attentive, constantly checking back on me. We’re going downhill and the air gets cooler the farther we go.
I breathe a sigh of relief when the path opens up and we can ride side by side again. I glance over at Knox and he motions with his head for me to look in front of us.
My next breath gets caught in my throat. The road looks out over a bluff of the mountain and there’s a waterfall. Knox rides a little closer to the cliff and then stops. I pull up beside him and lift my goggles.
“Pretty cool, right?”
“It’s stunning. I had no idea it was here.”
“Most people don’t. It’s far enough away from the university that it’s mostly serious hikers or riders and locals that venture out here. It’s even prettier in the summer after monsoon season.”
I stare at the beautiful view in front of me a few seconds longer and then look at him. “Thank you for bringing me out here.”
“You’re welcome.” He dips his head toward my ride. “How’s the bike?”
“Still in one piece,” I joke.
“You’re a natural.”
“Not really, but it’s fun to ride even if I can’t go fast or do any fun tricks like you.”
He revs his bike as if making my point. If I tried that, I’d probably accidentally let off the brake and drive myself off the cliff. “Fun tricks that I can only do because of you.”
That is a bald-faced lie. He would have found another way. There’s nothing Knox can’t do. He’s too stubborn.
“I’m serious,” he says. “I owe a lot to you.”
“You can repay me in shirtless handstands.”
“Done.” He winks and then leans in like he’s going to kiss me but has to settle for tapping his helmet against mine.
