“I thought so at first, but if the menu is the same there’s no reason to visit both locations, and I don’t want people to avoid coming to the spot in town because they feel like it’s a repeat of what they had on the mountain.”
“Makes sense. What are you considering?” He puts his card back in his wallet and pulls into traffic.
“That’s the question.” I watch the buildings whiz past as Axel drives us toward the track. “I’d love to expand beyond the typical American fare but can’t see Italian or Chinese or even Mexican having a universal appeal. Smoked meats are popular lately, but the prep time on those is a hindrance. And turnover will be key in that location since the rent is pretty steep.”
“Sounds intense. Is it too late to get out of your lease? A food truck seems like it would be way less expensive and take less maintenance.”
“Bite your tongue.” I turn and glare at him only to find a mischievous smirk on his face, which makes me settle down.And he callsmelittle devil.Before I can think of a witty retort, I realize there’s a smile on my face. A big one.
Chapter twenty
Axel
“What are you grinning at?” Lennon asks as he hops out of the truck.
“Can’t you smell it?”
“Smell what?” He wrinkles his nose.
“Diesel. Rubber. Smoke.” I pull his bag from the back seat and guide him to my trailer. “It never gets old.”
“This is your version of fresh air?” He follows me up the steps and into the tiny living room where I’ve spent the past several years of my life.
“More like home.” I set his bag on the couch and turn to face him, sweeping my arm wide. “It’s not much, but it’s cozy.”
“I like it.” He runs his finger over a walnut cabinet in the kitchen that sits at the foot of the couch. “It’s fancier than I pictured.”
“Fancier?” I cock my head to the side.
“Yeah. Wood floors, leather couch. These cabinets look pretty solid, and this is granite.” He glides his hand over the countertop. “It doesn’t feel like something on wheels.”
“That’s the idea. So, do you have stuff to unpack?” I rock back on my heels as I look around the space, wondering where the hell I’d put his things.
“I can live out of my bag for a few days.”
I’m both relieved and disappointed in that answer but figure it’s best not to overthink why. “Cool. Let me show you around.” I hold open the door and follow him out of the trailer, taking his hand in mine when we reach the ground. It’s not the first time we’ve held hands, though it feels pretty intense to be doing it on my turf, surrounded by people who aren’t used to seeing me with… anyone. It makes me feel like people are watching, even though I can’t catch them doing it. I wonder if he felt like this when we went to that Solstice party?
“All these people are in the competition?” He swings his head back and forth, taking in all the commotion of people running around prepping for the event.
“No. There’s only a handful of us that compete, and we each have mechanics and coaches that travel with us. Then there’s all the vendors.” I point to a row of tents just outside the pit area where all the trailers are parked. “They sell clothes, souvenirs, and food. And the track itself has a bunch of employees that help build and maintain the obstacles.”
“Obstacles?” He squints up at me as we start to head toward the main arena.
“Have you never seen a competition before?” I bite down on my lip to hide the grin I feel tugging at it. I don’t know why I find it so appealing that he’s oblivious to who I am and what my life is like, but it makes him even sexier to me.
“Well, one event or another is always on TV, so I’ve seen bits and pieces, and you’re not the first group to make a movie in Katah Vista, but I don’t know how this works, specifically.”
I tug him to the stands overlooking the course and sit him next to me, so our thighs are touching, and point to a jump in the center of the ring. “This is a freestyle event, so the goal is to use these jumps to do the best trick on the bike. You earn points for difficulty and style, and the person with the most points wins.”
“What sort of tricks?” His eyes track a rider as he lines up to attempt a jump.
“Anything. Landing with no hands, kicking your legs off the bike. Flips.”
He turns to me with wide eyes. “This is what you were doing in Katah Vista? Flips?”
“That was trail riding. You can do some things for style but it’s mostly about going over difficult or interesting terrain. This event is specifically for tricks.” I wave at Colin Spears, a newer rider who will probably challenge me for the top spot in the next year or so.
“How do you learn to flip on a bike?”
