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Time to divert her from the topic. “When did you get a bike?” he asked.
She squinted at him. How was it that mothers could express so much with just a twist of their lips and pinch of their brows? “Last weekend. Ella and I went to Seattle. Didn’t she mention it to you? We both got bikes. I thought it would give her a degree of independence if she didn’t have to beg for a ride all the time. While we were there, I decided I wanted one too. You never forget how to ride. I only fell off once.”
“You fell off your bike.” He leaped up, spilling his coffee down his shirt. He slammed the mug on the desk and hurried to her side. “Are you okay? Did you break anything?” He reached out to examine her, but she slapped his hand away.
“I’m fine. Just a bit of chipped paint and a scraped elbow.” She twisted in her chair and flashed him her left arm. It was scraped from the top of her elbow almost to her wrist.
“Ouch. That must have hurt.” He winced. It was cleanly scabbed over, so he didn’t annoy her by trying to examine it any closer.
“Road rash hurts much worse than I remembered. But I’ve got my balance again and it’s amazing to ride around. I get to places much faster now. I’ve even got a basket and those little saddlebag things for carrying groceries.”
“Panniers? This I have to see.”
She followed him outside. It made him a bit crazy to think about his mother riding around town and down the quiet highway on a bicycle. She could fall off at any second and be seriously injured.
Outside, parked to the left of the clinic door was a shiny silver and red bike. It had a red wire basket, and red leather panniers. He recognized the brands. She hadn’t gone cheap. Good for her. She deserved nice things.
“Nice bike. I do worry about you riding,” he confessed.
“Don’t fret. I’m pretty good. Let me show you how well I ride.” She donned her helmet and hopped onto the bike with the energy of a twenty-year-old. She circled the nearly empty parking lot, laughing gleefully as she swerved here and there.
“Look, Zander, no hands!” She clapped as she rode. It took ten years off his life when she let go. She was even able to steer slightly without touching the handlebars. She screeched to a stop beside him and hopped off. It took a full minute to get his heart rate back to normal.
“I have to admit, you’re pretty good.”
“Did I ever tell you that I was in a bicycle trick riders club when I was young? Not quite today’s bike parks with all the jumps and switchbacks, but I was pretty good. We called ourselves the Half Moon Riders. We rode in every parade. I could go half a block with my front wheel off the ground. I missed this.” Her face glowed with excitement.
“That’s amazing. I had no idea.” Her happiness lifted some of his worry. She looked ten years younger. He wouldn’t stop fretting about her riding around, but she certainly knew what she was doing.
“I’ll show you pictures from back then, tonight after dinner. The entire family is coming. Do I need to invite Heather, or will you?”
“We’re trying to keep this quiet, Mom.”
She made a dismissive sound. “Bring her as a family friend. I’m off to the inn now. Give Heather a call and invite her. I’ll follow up when I see her.” She checked the buckle on her helmet and rode away with a fluttery wave of her fingers.
“Watch for cars!” he hollered at her retreating back. “Holy crap. My mother on a bike.”
“No kidding. She’s a dynamo,” Jenny said from behind him. “I can’t believe it.”
“Me either. I better get a bell, and a headlight, and taillight for that thing. She walks at night. She’ll probably ride at night too. Maybe a reflective vest.”
Jenny laughed. “You do that.” She smirked. “And don’t forget to ask yourgirlfriendto dinner.”
“Don’t even start. Heather and I are fake dating to keep the old biddies off my back. I don’t have time for a real relationship.” He didn’t hesitate to tell her the truth, and he’d long ago stopped chiding Jenny for eavesdropping. She never repeated what she heard. For his receptionist, knowing was more important than sharing. “There’s nothing serious between us.”
“Keep telling yourself that boss. Keep telling yourself that.” Chuckling, she went back inside, leaving him staring after her. Jenny saw way more than she should.
He called after her. “Forget it, Jenny. All that courting and wooing? No, thank you.” He said the words, even though they felt like a lie. He should probably be worried that being with Heather was nothing but a pleasure.
Chapter 13
After days of not hearing from Zander, Heather had concluded that he’d decided to end their fake relationship. It should have been a good thing. She didn’t want any kind of relationship with a man, but she’d agreed to his crazy plan anyway. Something about Zander Bellamie was compelling and comfortable. She felt like they’d really connected over their “dates” and when they’d both shared deeper thoughts on the overlook. For a short while they’d been more than friends. They’d shared an emotional intimacy that touched her heart. Apparently, that feeling was one-sided since he seemed to be standing her up.
She banked a disappointed sigh. Their dating wasn’t real. There was no reason to expect him to treat her like his girlfriend. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply to ease the tension in her chest.
Four hours ago, long after she’d given up hope of seeing him again, he’d called and revitalized that hope. Now she paced up and down in her apartment, keeping a close eye on the street below. He was coming by, and they were walking to his mother’s house for dinner.
Except he was fifteen minutes late. Why hadn’t he texted, or called? Every time she saw him, he had his phone in his hand. Maybe he’d changed his mind and wasn’t coming after all and didn’t think to tell her. She should probably call his mom and cancel. She’d feel silly going to a family dinner without being accompanied by one of the family. Even with Zander at her side, it seemed like an intrusion on a family’s privacy. Her boss’s family at that. She was acquainted with her employer’s family, but not truly friends.
