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“Do you miss it?”
“Yeah.” I say it without thinking, but it’s true. Huh. “Yeah. I miss it a lot actually.”
“You could still do it, you know. Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you can’t still do things like this. Who cares if it’s a used bike? Or even if you just go around the block?” Her voice is fierce.
“Maybe,” I say uncertainly. I pull helmets out of the bin behind us and settle Callie’s on her head. I tighten the straps, my fingers brushing over her soft skin. I can’t help but press a kiss to her lips, which makes her sigh and melt into me. “Make sure the helmet is on securely, please.”
“You’re such a worrier,” she says, without heat. I can tell she likes it.
I wheel the bike out into the sunshine and swing a leg over. My heart is thudding in my chest, and my palms are starting to sweat. “It’s been years since I’ve done this. I don’t know—”
“Stop worrying.” Callie settles in behind me and wraps an arm around my waist. Her weight grounds me and I loose a shaky breath.
“Both arms, Cal. I don’t want you to fall.”
She huffs and complies, pressing her cheek to my jacket. “Good?”
“Good.” I rev the engine. It sputters slightly but turns over. The roar of the bike is louder than I remember. It’s impossible to speak, so I just squeeze her leg, and then we’re off. I can’t control the bike like I used to, at least at first. It requires more balance than I remember, and definitely more core strength. I feel the vibrations from my toes to my teeth. Callie’s arm is a tight band around my stomach, but I can’t ask if she’s okay. We edge down the road at thirty miles an hour. We’re in a subdivision, but soon it opens onto a main road.
“Faster,” Callie shouts.
I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I speed up to forty. We pass houses, a school, the country store, then farm after farm, stands of trees, open fields. The bike roars under us. I’m constantly fighting it, trying to stay upright, trying to make it comfortable for her. I can’t believe I used to drive this to work.
“Faster,” she yells again. “Come on. Faster.”
Fuck it. We’re on an empty road. It’s a straight shot. I let the bike loose. There’s a brief moment of fear when I think the bike won’t respond. Then the jump forward makes my stomach press against my ribs and my heart leap into my throat.
Callie lets out a whoop of happiness, and I grin.
“More.”
The speedometer climbs until we’re going eighty. The breeze stings my cheeks, the wind whips her hair, and fuck, I feel good.
Better than good. Amazing. Because I’m doing this with her.
I ease off the throttle until we’re back down to a reasonable thirty, then twenty, then meandering along until we come to a stop at the park I used to go to as a kid.
I help Callie off. My legs shake, and her breath is gusting. But her eyes are bright.
“Well?”
“That was fucking awesome,” she says. “Again. Please, Jonah.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I didn’t think you would like it. Adrenaline junkie.” I shake my head and unbuckle our helmets with unsteady hands. The adrenaline is still coursing through my body.
“It was so much fun. I want to drive. Can we take it back to the city with us?” She’s so happy and unfettered. It makes my heart gallop and my body buzz.
I pull her in for a kiss, claiming her mouth with the intensity of someone who just did something death-defying and stupid and lived to tell the tale. “Fuck, I love you,” I murmur against her mouth. She stills. An ache, but a pleasant one, starts in my chest. This feels right.
50
Callie
I love you.
“What?” I pull back just enough to see Jonah’s face. When I see his expression, I don’t need him to repeat himself. It’s obvious how he feels. His mouth is tipped up in one of those smiles that is becoming more and more common, his eyes are soft with emotion.
“I love you,” he repeats.
